Affirms
No restriction; medicine and healing accepted
Swedenborgianism places no restriction on blood transfusions or medical intervention. Medicine and the use of natural means for healing are viewed as appropriate stewardship of the body, which is the instrument of the soul in the natural world. God works through natural means as well as spiritual means.
Healthcare is embraced as compatible with faith in the Lord. Swedenborg himself valued knowledge and natural science as ways of understanding God's creation. The healing of the body through medical means is not seen as conflicting with spiritual regeneration or faith.
Key Distinctions
- Official position:
- permitted — no religious prohibition on blood transfusions
- Scriptural basis:
- Acts 15:29 understood as dietary rule, not medical; love of neighbour supports medical care
Scripture References
Sources
- General Church of the New Jerusalem, Doctrinal Statements