Giving blood

[Grace2022]

Funny how Jehovah's Witnesses are against giving blood. Jesus Christ our Lord gave his blood and life to us. He also said there is no greater act than laying down your life for others.
Wherever did topsy-turvy thinking come from? The Bible is so clear on everything we need, yet people choose to misunderstand. Maybe that is our greatest talent, we humans, to make what is simple into a complication and then create conflicts about it. God must watch us and shake His head. He gave us everything and we choose to misuse His gifts.

 

[splish- splash]

Why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses accept blood transfusions?
This is a religious issue rather than a medical one. Both the Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood. (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28, 29) Also, God views blood as representing life. (Leviticus 17:14) So we avoid taking blood not only in obedience to God but also out of respect for him as the Giver of life.

 

[EpicScore]

The bible verses you cited was in the context of not eating meat that still has blood in them, though not of blood transfusion. Since blood represents life, in a sense, this would mean that one is eating an animal that is technically still "alive" if it still has blood in them, which is considered an abhorrent way of eating meat even today. There's also the fact that blood is used as a symbol of atonement for sin in the ritual sacrifices that God established, so having the people eat bloody meat would cheapen the symbol, and sin loses its gravity.

As noted in the OP, Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our atonement, and before His death He instructs His disciples to drink the cup of His blood, which confirms the new covenant between God and His people (Matthew 26:27-28). But if someone is dying from a serious injury and the only way to save their life is through blood transfusion that has been donated willingly by the donors, wouldn't refusing that be similar to someone rejecting the blood that Jesus had offered even though they can't be saved from their sins? (I am not saying that a person who succumbed to their injuries for refusing blood is unsaved, but both do lead to serious consequence)

(Physical) Death has lost its power over those who are in Christ (1 Corinthians 15), and Jesus did say that those who follow Him should value Christ and His commandments over their own lives (Luke 14:26), but at the same time, we should be discerning of what God really wants in our lives and not be preoccupied with satisfying the "mint and dill and cumin" while neglecting the weightier matters.