AJWRB (Advocates for Jehovah’s Witness Reform on Blood – ajwrb.org) is a diverse and dedicated group of former and current Witnesses from many countries. Some active supporters and volunteers are presently serving as JW elders and Hospital Liaison Committee members. Others have previously served in that capacity. A few work in a related medical field or have friends or relatives who are Witnesses.
Everyone connected to AJWRB have volunteered their time and contributed their energy to AJWRB.org to publicize and eventually bring an end to a tragic and misguided policy that has claimed thousands of lives – many of them children.
How did AJWRB come to be?
It was back in 1996 that Lee Elder (a pseudonym), a JW elder for about nine years, began a research project that focused on the Watchtower Society’s blood-ban doctrine. What he found convinced him that the “blood policy” was seriously flawed and had been responsible for the deaths of many JW adults and children. “Lee” thought that reforming the Watchtower’s blood policy would be the solution.
Twenty-years-ago, in 1997, Lee created Advocates for Jehovah’s Witness Reform on Blood – AJWRB.org. Eventually, further research led to personal disillusionment with his religion – especially after he learned that some JW leaders had committed perjury when testifying about their blood-ban policy.
Lee Elder has written a remarkable two-part story about his transformation from being a zealous “true-believer” of Watchtower teachings to an ex-JW activist. That change took place when he decided to take a second look at a specific religious doctrine responsible for the deaths or disability of thousands of JWs. He also discovered that Watchtower’s policies and teachings were not only defective, but strangely and frequently inconsistent.
In his remarkable story, Lee reveals the goods on JW’s leaders by proving how they have deceived their members and the press over their indefensible and definitely deadly dogma.
Our kudos to Lee Elder for his bravery and persistence over the past 20-years. His activism and journalism in alerting JWs and the public to the bogus, faulty “blood-ban” teaching has been responsible for saving many innocent lives.
The following two links will connect you to Lee’s story:
https://www.openmindsfoundation.org/saving-thousand-lives-year-reform-watchtowers-policy-blood-transfusions-part-one/
https://www.openmindsfoundation.org/saving-thousand-lives-year-reform-watchtowers-policy-blood-transfusions-part-two/