Victor and Vivienne Walker, Jehovah's Witnesses for the past
23 years, say their rejection of blood transfusions is not
open to debate.
"Our non-negotiable stand on blood is Bible-based," Mr Walker
told NZPA.
The Bible stated blood was sacred, represented life, and was
not to be stored.
There were better alternatives to blood transfusions and more
doctors were using these methods, he said.
"This is because of improved recovery rates and cost savings
from non-blood treatments."
Jehovah's Witnesses operate hospital liaison committees to
guide doctors and hospital staff in the use of non-blood
strategies for their followers.
Mr Walker is in the Lower North Island committee.
"If our child needs a transfusion, we will find out what the
options are, and explore non-blood alternatives. In most
cases there are non-blood alternatives," he said.
The Wellington couple had never looked back since becoming
Jehovah's Witnesses.
Mr Taylor said he was brought up in a family that practised
Christian values, but only went to church for special
occasions like funerals or weddings.
Mrs Taylor had a stronger Christian influence in her youth,
mainly from her grandparents.
When they got married they had not been certain which
religion to follow.
"I was not even sure about the existence of God," Mr Taylor
said.
The couple spent time together studying the Bible seeking
answers.
"It was at this time that Jehovah's Witnesses came knocking
on our door."
"We studied the Bible for about 15 months and what we found
was that we could not refute the doctrines taught by the
Witnesses.
"We also found that the literature and reasoning that
supposedly spoke against the Witnesses was clearly not
supported by scripture."
They were baptised as Jehovah's Witnesses in 1984. Both are
ordained ministers. Mr Taylor is also a marriage celebrant.
Mrs Taylor told NZPA that she had dealings with many families
through the public school system as a result of schooling
their four children.
"You see the mounting stress and problems that families are
facing daily.
"We have raised our children with Bible principles and we
make sure we communicate with them about any issues they may
be facing.
"We have a good family life and the Bible as a guide really
does work."
Mrs Taylor is a registered nurse and has worked in the
children's ward, intensive care, coronary care, and the
emergency department of hospitals. She is now a homemaker.
Mr Taylor has worked for the New Zealand Food Safety
Authority as assistant director (operations and
communications), with the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry, and the Hutt City Council. He is a Massey
University graduate in agricultural economics.
