The Children Act

00:31:55,378 --> 00:31:57,547 <i>I was just gonna leave you a message. Um...</i> 431 00:31:57,548 --> 00:32:00,450 - Where are you? What's going...<i> - You know what? I have to go.</i> 432 00:32:00,451 --> 00:32:02,404 <i>- Sorry.</i> - Oh, for God's sake! 433 00:32:21,404 --> 00:32:24,440 From that point on, we never looked back. 434 00:32:24,441 --> 00:32:27,677 I stopped drinking, got my training, 435 00:32:27,678 --> 00:32:32,614 and me... me and Naomi became good with each other, 436 00:32:32,615 --> 00:32:34,549 and looking after Adam properly. 437 00:32:34,550 --> 00:32:39,521 And he was calmer, and he started doing well at school. 438 00:32:39,522 --> 00:32:43,593 And we had a lot of support from our Kingdom Hall 439 00:32:43,594 --> 00:32:45,428 and good friends there. 440 00:32:45,429 --> 00:32:47,563 You know, the sort of people who never let you down. 441 00:32:47,564 --> 00:32:52,101 We were happy. We've lived in the truth. 442 00:32:52,102 --> 00:32:56,271 And now, Mr Henry, your son has leukaemia 443 00:32:56,272 --> 00:32:59,575 and you and Naomi are facing the ultimate test of faith. 444 00:32:59,576 --> 00:33:03,312 - Is that how you'd put it? - That's exactly what it is. 445 00:33:03,313 --> 00:33:09,384 Can you tell the court why you and your wife and Adam 446 00:33:09,385 --> 00:33:12,087 are refusing a blood transfusion? 447 00:33:12,088 --> 00:33:16,558 What you have to understand is that blood, 448 00:33:16,559 --> 00:33:20,363 it's the essence of what it means to be human. 449 00:33:20,364 --> 00:33:24,767 It's the gift of life that we should all be grateful for. 450 00:33:24,768 --> 00:33:27,569 Just as life is sacred, so's blood. 451 00:33:27,570 --> 00:33:33,375 So why would Adam refuse such a gift from the doctors? 452 00:33:33,376 --> 00:33:35,143 Mixing your own blood 453 00:33:35,144 --> 00:33:38,681 with the blood of an animal or another person 454 00:33:38,682 --> 00:33:42,487 is pollution, it's contamination. 455 00:33:43,487 --> 00:33:46,622 It's a rejection of God's gift. 456 00:33:46,623 --> 00:33:48,857 That's why he specifically forbids it 457 00:33:48,858 --> 00:33:52,595 in Genesis and Leviticus and Acts. 458 00:33:52,596 --> 00:33:54,363 And our son, Adam, 459 00:33:54,364 --> 00:33:56,598 he knows that God's word has to be obeyed. 460 00:33:56,599 --> 00:34:00,672 Do you and your wife love your son, Mr Henry? 461 00:34:01,672 --> 00:34:04,239 Yes, we love him. 462 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,777 And if refusing a blood transfusion... 463 00:34:07,778 --> 00:34:09,712 should cause his death? 464 00:34:09,713 --> 00:34:11,580 Then he'd take his place 465 00:34:11,581 --> 00:34:14,517 in the kingdom of heaven on earth that's to come. 466 00:34:14,518 --> 00:34:17,724 And how will you and Naomi feel? 467 00:34:21,724 --> 00:34:26,501 You'll be grief-stricken, won't you, Mr Henry? 468 00:34:31,501 --> 00:34:37,677 So this refusal is Adam's decision, not coming from you? 469 00:34:40,677 --> 00:34:42,414 He's a... 470 00:34:45,414 --> 00:34:47,750 He's a very... He's a very special person. 471 00:34:47,751 --> 00:34:50,785 He's profound. 472 00:34:50,786 --> 00:34:53,421 We couldn't change his mind even if we wanted to. 473 00:34:53,422 --> 00:34:56,359 I mean, no one could. 474 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:59,395 Mr Henry, these books of the Bible you mentioned. 475 00:34:59,396 --> 00:35:02,430 At the time of these Iron Age texts, transfusion didn't exist. 476 00:35:02,431 --> 00:35:04,167 How on earth could it be forbidden? 477 00:35:04,168 --> 00:35:06,768 It existed in the mind of God. 478 00:35:06,769 --> 00:35:08,671 Many Jehovah's Witnesses accept blood products 479 00:35:08,672 --> 00:35:10,672 without compromising their faith. 480 00:35:10,673 --> 00:35:13,676 Isn't it the case that there are other options open to young Adam 481 00:35:13,677 --> 00:35:15,745 and you could, if you wanted, play your part 482 00:35:15,746 --> 00:35:17,913 in persuading him to take them and save his life? 483 00:35:17,914 --> 00:35:19,814 I don't know anyone 484 00:35:19,815 --> 00:35:22,285 who departs from the teachings of the Governing Body. 485 00:35:22,286 --> 00:35:24,287 The elders give us good guidance. 486 00:35:24,288 --> 00:35:26,821 The same strict elders who've been visiting your son every day 487 00:35:26,822 --> 00:35:28,558 to make sure he doesn't change his mind? 488 00:35:28,559 --> 00:35:30,593 These are kind and decent men. 489 00:35:30,594 --> 00:35:32,662 The other churches have priests in the hospital too. 490 00:35:32,663 --> 00:35:36,631 It's true, isn't it, that if Adam agreed to a transfusion, 491 00:35:36,632 --> 00:35:39,535 he'd be what you call dis-fellowshipped, 492 00:35:39,536 --> 00:35:40,770 cast out of the community? 493