- Joined
- May 2, 2022
Gotcha, I stand corrected. I guess I was under the impression that it was legal since I've heard of those cases you refer to.It isn't, at least not in the U.S. JWs who refuse transfusions for their children when there is an imminent threat to life will often be court ordered to allow it, or a guardian will be appointed who will then grant consent. However, sufficiently mature children are generally able to refuse treatment on their own behalf.
Generally such a situation occurs in the hospital and medical personnel often will simply act even in the absence of consent, or if there is time, such as when a life-saving surgery that will require blood is scheduled, they will seek a court order requiring it, which then has the force of law.
That said, there are numerous cases where JWs have refused consent for their children, the medical personnel have respected that, and the child has died without the parents being prosecuted for it.
Personally, I think they should be legally allowed to skip getting consent in an imminent emergency, as much for my own sake as theirs, because I don't want some jackass fiddling around with trying to get some dipshit to sign something while I'm bleeding out.
Incidentally in most of these situations where it's basically a straight up your kid gets the transfusion or he's going to die now, JWs will make the rational decision.
I have no doubt Big Al or one of his cohorts will try to argue that angle for kiddie troonjuice scripts and stinkditch excavations sooner or later, though.