Case Study: Death and Dying

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The practice of health care providers at all levels brings you into contact with people from a variety of faiths. This calls for knowledge and understanding of a diversity of faith expressions; for the purpose of this course, the focus will be on the Christian worldview.

Based on \"Case Study: End of Life Decisions,\" the Christian worldview, and the worldview questions presented in the required topic Resources you will complete an ethical analysis of George\'s situation and his decision from the perspective of the Christian worldview.

Provide a 1,500-2,000-word ethical analysis while answering the following questions:

How would George interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the fallenness of the world?
How would George interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the hope of resurrection?
As George contemplates life with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), how would the Christian worldview inform his view about the value of his life as a person?
What sorts of values and considerations would the Christian worldview focus on in deliberating about whether or not George should opt for euthanasia?
Given the above, what options would be morally justified in the Christian worldview for George and why?
Based on your worldview, what decision would you make if you were in George\'s situation?
Remember to support your responses with the topic Resources.

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Case Study: Death and Dying

Death and dying are a reality of life that are sad and challenging. They involve philosophical and religious questions such as euthanasia which may be controversial and viewed differently based on the religious backgrounds and worldviews of the participants. Understanding the different diversities of faith and faith expression is essential for all healthcare professionals. They encounter patients from diverse faiths and thus should know how to handle patients from different faith backgrounds. According to Lewis Hall and Hill (2019), a worldview has been defined as a way of describing the universe and life based on what the world is and what it ought to be.

A given worldview can be a set of Knowledge and assumptions which can be proven or unproven. Worldviews provide a foundation for other beliefs within a belief system. The Christian worldview is one of the faiths that influence the decisions patients and their families make regarding healthcare, choice of medications, and adherence to medication, including end-of-life decisions. The Christian worldview interprets suffering based on various emphasis, including the world’s fallenness, hope for resurrection, and redemption (Stenmark, 2022). This paper presents an ethical analysis of the case study and its interpretation in light of the Christian worldview.

George Case Study Review and Analysis

The case study involves George, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in his mid-fifties. ALS is a degenerative condition whereby the patient undergoes symptoms that involve progressive muscle atrophy and deterioration of motor neurons. Thus, the patient loses the ability to move, eat, speak, and breathe with time. The patient becomes wheelchair-bound, requires the support of a ventilator to breathe, and eventually dies. For these reasons, George begins to think about voluntary euthanasia when he approaches the end stages of the disease.

Interpretation of Suffering Based on the Fallenness of the World.

The Christian worldview and narrative view suffering as a result of the world’s fallenness. Suffering is seen as a product of the fall, a consequence of human sin against God. Sin originated from the beginning when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instructions. As a result, God cursed them, leading to the fallenness of the world, and suffering came into their lives. Since then, Adam and Eve’s descendants have been sinners, and therefore they suffer.

Suffering is not God’s plan for human beings. Sin is alien to God’s design for human life (Lewis Hall and Hill, 2019). Therefore, the Christian worldview sees suffering as a result of living in a broken world. Suffering is also seen as a result of an individual’s sinful and wrong choices. This view of suffering holds that people will continue to suffer as long as the world is fallen. However, it also holds that suffering will end if the world is redeemed and free of sin.

Based on this understanding of suffering, George can interpret his suffering as a result of existing in a fallen world. He may justify his suffering to the sinful nature of human beings. The Christian worldview may influence him to think that his suffering results from certain sinful and wrong choices he might have made at a particular point in life. The interpretation of suffering will show George that his suffering is his fault. Thus it may lead to a loss of hope for George and his family members. It may also contribute to failure to adhere to treatment as required, especially given that he is aware that the treatment is just meant to slow down the degenerative process, and the symptoms may one day worsen. Thus, it may contribute to poor health outcomes and cause the symptoms to manifest sooner than they should.

Interpretation of Suffering Based on the Hope for Resurrection

In light of the Christian narrative, there is life after death and hope for resurrection when Christ comes back for the church. Death is seen as evil, and a tragedy, thus the reason why it came as a result of sin and the world’s fallenness. However, Christ defeated death and was resurrected after overcoming evil. Similarly, Christians can overcome evil and resurrect. Death is an enemy that Christ, the model of Christians, has defeated. Thus, Christians can also defeat it. Death is not seen as a punishment for those who have overcome evil and live according to the will of God since they have hope for resurrection.

In addition, the Christian narrative holds that God created everything that exists, and everything happens according to the will of God (Stenmark, 2022). In this light, George’s suffering can be interpreted as God’s will. Since the condition will eventually lead to death, it may also be a calling for George to repent his sins, thus preparing himself for resurrection after death when Christ comes back. The will of God is to bring people closer to him. Some Christians would interpret George’s suffering as a way of God drawing him closer by the call of repentance in the preparation of conquering death through resurrection. Even though some Christians may view suffering as a consequence of the sins committed earlier, it can be translated as God’s way of bringing people close to him through repentance. It shows that God is a God of order since he can allow suffering to people so they can turn from their sinful ways.

Christian Worldview and Georges’s View of His Life as a Person

According to the Christian worldview, life is a precious gift from God. More so, only God has the right to determine when life has to end since He is its author. Life is also sacred and should be respected. Everyone’s life is valuable and worthy of respect. The Bible encourages Christians to endure suffering since it produces perseverance and character. Therefore, according to the Christian worldview, suffering does not validate a person’s decision to end their life. George is expected to endure the suffering and the pain despite the devastating and disabling fact of the degenerative ALS disease. Christians are expected to hold onto the Christian faith, even in suffering. In addition, the Christian narrative holds that suffering is part of every human being’s life, so long as they are a descendant of Adam and Eve. Furthermore, God knows the reasons behind all suffering and uses suffering for his glory. Therefore, Christians are expected to endure suffering while seeking what God intends to teach them in the suffering for the glory of God and as a virtue of respecting life.

As George contemplates life with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the Christian worldview would inform his view about the value of his life as a person by viewing his life as sacred and a gift from God. He can also contemplate his life as a gift from God and therefore withdraw from thinking about euthanasia since it would mean taking away a precious life. In addition, God is the giver of life, and only Him has the right to take it away. In this view, the Christian worldview would discourage George from thinking about the option of voluntary euthanasia, despite the suffering he would go through near the end of his life since he has no right to take away his life.

Values and Considerations that the Cristian Worldview would focus on in deliberating Whether or not George Should Opt for Euthanasia

Various values and considerations of the Christian worldview would guide George to opt for euthanasia or not. The values include perseverance in suffering and understanding that suffering is part of life (Choinska et al., 2020). Jesus underwent suffering before his death on the cross. He endured the suffering and fulfilled the will of God. Similarly, it is a Christian value to endure and persevere suffering to fulfill the will of God. In this case, the Christian worldview requires George to endure his suffering as a virtue and not opt for euthanasia. He should also ask for the grace to endure the suffering and show His will through the suffering. He should use his pain and suffering to seek God and draw closer to Him.

Another value the Christian worldview would focus on in deliberating George not to opt for voluntary euthanasia is appreciating that God still loves him and has a purpose even through suffering. According to Park (2020), people are likely to question God following stressful events. However, it is a Christian value to appreciate that God is love even through suffering and not question his doing. It might be a way for God to bring George closer to himself since he will likely seek Him more during the suffering. Therefore, instead of opting for voluntary euthanasia to come out of the suffering, he should seek God, draw near to Him, and learn and appreciate that God loves him.

Options that Would Be Morally Justified for George in the Christian Worldview

Based on the Christian worldview, the morally justified option for George is to respect the gift of life and endure suffering until God, the giver of life, decides when he can take his life. Voluntary euthanasia is, therefore, not a morally justified option for George since it would mean that he takes away his life, which is morally wrong. Christianity views life as a precious gift from God that should be respected. Also, according to the Christian worldview, only God has the right to take life since He is the only giver of life. More so, Christianity views suffering as part of life (Hall et al., 2018). Thus, it would be required that George accepts the suffering and sees it as the plan of God, just as Jesus Christ accepted suffering and allowed God to be glorified in it.

The Decision I Would Make if I Were in George’s Situation

Despite being a Christian, having respect for life, and accepting suffering, if I were in George’s situation, I would probably make a different decision without considering the Christian worldview. As a nurse, I perfectly understand the effect of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. More so, I have seen patients suffer from the condition, and it would be hard to imagine myself going through such suffering. The fact that I know the condition does not have a way out and will only lead to death makes it even worse. Therefore, I would also opt for voluntary euthanasia. However, I would not make it soon since I would like to spend more time with the family. I would also seek God and his will through the suffering and ask for forgiveness for my decision since I know that God forgives and God is love. I would also involve my close relatives in making the decision and make them understand why I have chosen voluntary euthanasia. Even though Christians should endure suffering, I believe no one deserves it, and if there is an easier choice, it should be made.

Conclusion

Healthcare practice presents care providers with patients from various backgrounds and religions. The patients may have different worldviews, which may influence their health decisions. Care providers should, however, support the patients’ decisions. The Christian worldview is one of the most common worldviews. According to the Christian narrative, suffering is a result of sin and the world’s fallenness. However, there is hope for resurrection. Thus, suffering that leads to death should not scare Christians. Also, human life is valuable and worthy of respect, despite the suffering that human beings may be going through. Christians should accept suffering since it is part and parcel of life and develops hope and character. Based on the Christian worldview and the Christian narrative, George should accept the suffering and not opt for euthanasia.

References

Choińska, A., Sadowska, L., Bartosik, B., Gieysztor, E., Polczyk, A., Filipowski, H., Iwona, D & Mess, E. (2020). Attitudes regarding euthanasia among Wroclaw university students surveyed in 2011–2012. Physiotherapy Quarterly, 28(1), 35–40. https://doi.org/10.5114/pq.2020.89814

Hall, M. E. L., Shannonhouse, L., Aten, J., McMartin, J., & Silverman, E. J. (2018). Religion-specific resources for meaning-making from suffering: Defining the territory. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 21(1), 77-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2018.1448770

Lewis Hall, M. E., & Hill, P. (2019). Meaning-making, suffering, and religion: a worldview conception. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2019.1625037

Park, C. L. (2020). Religiousness and meaning-making following stressful life events. In The Science of Religion, Spirituality, and Existentialism (pp. 273-285). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817204-9.00020-2

Stenmark, M. (2022). Worldview studies. Religious Studies, 58(3), 564-582. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412521000135