Recent “adjustments” in JW teachings have left some Watchtower-watchers confused as to what Witnesses believe NOW.

Can JWs now join the army? No. However, many JWs are confused about the recent change allowing young men to accept a draft board’s assignment to civilian alternative service work without their being viewed as “disassociated” persons. One Witness told his son that "there has been no change in the doctrine but that the” Watchtower Society "re-worded" its instructions to draft-age young men this way because if they put it "in black and white" that their followers could not join the military they could face prosecution in some lands.

Although The Watchtower said a JW would have to make a "personal decision" about submitting to a draft into the army, the surrounding language and verses cited show exactly what that decision must be in order to avoid punishment by a judicial committee.

The real change in the May 1, 1996 Watchtower is that a JW who accepts civilian alternative service now "remains in good standing" (page 20) whereas previously a judicial committee would have declared that he disassociated himself.

(See details in the Summer 1996 Comments from the Friends, pages 1-5.)

Can Witnesses now store their own blood for later transfusion? No, although that is the conclusion that some have incorrectly drawn from the August 1, 1995 Watchtower article titled "Blood Transfusions Reconsidered." (page 30) This article mentions “the reinfusion of a patient’s own blood—a technique that some Witnesses may find unobjectionable under certain circumstances.”

However, a footnote to that sentence refers readers for details on what might be acceptable to JWs to the March 1, 1989 Watchtower, pages 30-31. That 1989 article specifically "rules out" the "preoperative collection, storage, and later infusion of a patient's own blood" using capital letters to stress that "Jehovah's Witnesses, though, DO NOT accept this procedure."

Careful reading of the 1995 article "Blood Transfusions Reconsidered" reveals that the title is referring to doctors reconsidering giving transfusions, rather than Witnesses reconsidering taking them.

Has the Watchtower Society dropped 1914 as the year Christ returned invisibly? No. The Society still claims the Kingdom was established in heaven in that year, and that Christ’s invisible “presence” began at that time.

The change introduced in the November 1, 1995 Watchtower related to the Society’s longstanding prophecy of “a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.” (Awake! p. 4, March 8, 1988-October 22, 1995)

Although presented as “the Creator’s promise” (Awake! same) and “Jehovah’s prophetic word” with the promise that “Jehovah, who is the source of inspired and unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment” (The Watchtower May 15, 1984, pages 6-7) the 1914 generation prophecy was dropped in 1995. However, the Society is still holding to most of its other teachings concerning the year 1914. (See Winter 1996 Comments.)

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