Is It Wrong to Donate Blood or Platelets to the Red Cross or Organs?

Some believe that the Red Cross profits from donated blood, but is that true and is it wrong to donate blood to the Red Cross?

Saves Lives

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act” (Prov 3:27).

Some believe that the Red Cross profits from donated blood, but is that true and is it wrong to donate blood to the Red Cross? Yes, the Red Cross is making money from their selling blood donations but it is primarily used for their operating expenses and they are not “price gouging” hospitals or clinics when they sell it. The vast majority of the blood that is donated to the Red Cross is used where I see people at; children in the cancer ward, the elderly needing life-saving blood transfusions, and in the ER where lives are saved by the thousands by the blood that is donated. The Red Cross is not perfect, but what organization run by people is? I’ve heard “they are evil” but we know God uses evil for good (Gen 50:20; John 3:16), but here specifically, we are only discussing whether we should give blood, if we are able. We recognize not everyone can give blood and for various reasons.

Doing Good

In principle, the Bible teaches that donating blood is a way to save lives and in doing so, we can obey the second greatest commandment, which is to love your neighbors as yourself. Of course, there’s more than donating blood than loving our neighbors, but it is no less than giving so that others might live. When Jesus shed his blood on Calvary, it was shed in order to save mankind from their sins and the wrath of God by providing forgiveness through trusting in Him. He willingly gave His own blood and left us an example of what Jesus did for us so that we may live with Him forever and that we too might be sacrificial givers. Giving of such nature is a mark of the selfless love which Jesus spoke about as an identifying mark of who Jesus’ disciples are (John 13:34-35). James wrote that “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:6). I am not telling you that you are sinning by not donating blood, but if you saw someone who was bleeding to death and you had the chance to donate blood to save their life, surely you would do that, wouldn’t you?

You can be the hands and feet of Jesus to them by serving them at a local kitchen or shelter.

Sacrificial

When we donate blood, we are offering a part of our very lives to save the life of someone else; someone else we might never meet. To live a life of sacrifice is the very reason Jesus came to earth and that is our calling too so that we might persuade others to trust in Christ. In addition, the Bible teaches that blood symbolizes the forgiveness or covering over of sins. For example, in Hebrews 8:11-12, blood is sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. The Iowa Donor Network encourages all Christians to become organ, blood, and tissue donors, “as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave His life that we may have life in its fullness.” I am a donor myself, and even though the Bible says nothing directly about donating blood or having a blood transfusion, it has become a life-saving tool for medical procedures that were not possible in the days when the Bible was written. Certainly we can apply other principles from God’s Word about blood and life and draw wise conclusions about what God thinks about donating blood.

Twisting Scripture

Some religions, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, wrongly believe that the Bible prohibits blood transfusions, citing Scriptures from the Old Testament, but they are taking texts out of context and creating a false pretext. We cannot do violence to the Scriptures just to satisfy our beliefs or our religion. It is very clear in the Scriptures that eating or drinking blood is sinful, but not donating it. Some religions put unscriptural emphasis on the blood itself, rather than the spirit behind the prohibition against donating blood. One example is from the Jehovah Witnesses own doctrines that “The Bible commands that we not ingest blood. So we should not accept whole blood or its primary components in any form, whether offered as food or as a transfusion.” That’s quite a leap if you ask me. They jumped, from “no eating or drinking” to “no transfusions,” but their beliefs are not supported by Scripture. Contrary to the claims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other such false religions, there is nothing in the Bible that prohibits the practice of donating or receiving donated blood or platelets or organs for the purposes of saving lives.

Give Life

Donating blood is actually a picture of what Jesus did for us. Donating our blood can only save a physical life, but those who trust in Christ can have eternal life through Jesus’ shed blood. When we give blood, we are offering a part of our lives to save the life of someone else. It is one way we can obey the second greatest commandment, which is to love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). If we are called to lay down our lives for others, we can surely give some of our blood to help save others. If your neighbor’s life could be saved by donating your blood, or a transfusion, does that not abide within what Jesus called the second greatest commandment? This certainly seems to be the case.

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: Is it Biblical to Donate Blood, Platelets or Organs?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: blood, Donating Blood, Red Cross, sacrifice