CHANGES
This pressure has caused changes on two levels. First, the Society announced that members would no longer be disfellowshipped if they take blood transfusions. However, this is only an outward change as in the Society there is no real change. Paul Gilles explained it like this (as reported in the Times),

"It is quite possible that someone who was under pressure on an operating table would take a blood transfusion because they did not want to die. The next day they might say they regretted this decision. We would then give them spiritual comfort and help. No action would be taken against them. We would just view it as a moment of weakness."

He went on to say that even if the Jehovah's Witness did not repent, they would not be expelled but would merely be viewed as having "disassociated" themselves from the religion. This is a smokescreen because whether a Witness is disassociated or disfellowshipped they are treated the same and have no hope of life in the future because they have left 'God's organisation.'

Beyond the actual actions, the pressure to start legal action against the Society is probably behind the changes made to their leadership structure last year. The main positions of the Society (President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, etc.) are no longer filled by 'anointed' brothers but by those of the 'other sheep'. Today therefore the new President of the Society is hitherto unknown Don Adams. The official reason given is so that the Governing Body can deal primarily with spiritual matters, while these brothers of the other sheep handle day-to-day business operations of the legal corporations. However, it should not escape our notice that it is these brothers that will now be sued in any action taken against the Society.


BULGARIAN RULING
We have already seen that such a policy is causing the unnecessary deaths of many people but are there other ways that these dealings highlight the cultish nature of the Society? Indeed there is the 'Bulgarian Ruling' which shows the deception of the Society when dealing with its own members as well as those outside.

In essence what this ruling has done is make blood transfusions a matter of choice! In a legally binding document they agreed to allow free choice on blood transfusions for Jehovah's Witnesses and their children, without any penalties for the choice to take blood.

This historic undertaking was sealed at the 276th Session of the European Commission of Human Rights (Council of Europe) held at the Human Rights Building in Strasbourg from 2 to 13 March 1998. The findings were published amongst other places on the European Commission of Human Rights website.