Case Study on Death and Dying Assignment

Case Study on Death and Dying Assignment

Case Study on Death and Dying Assignment

            The matters of death and serious diseases are difficult topics to discuss. Nonetheless, faith has helped many people to describe such difficult topics by providing support and helping in guiding decisions. The case at hand is about George who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is a grave and incurable condition. He acknowledges that he has limited time to live and he is facing the imminent deterioration of health, suffering, and eventually death. The load of ALS is severe including loss of autonomy manifested by the inability to complete routine tasks without help. George fears about his future with ALS and one of the available options is euthanasia to relieve him from the suffering and pain. However, this option is contradicted by the Christian faith, which advances the sanctity of life and opposes any form of suicide. The purpose of this paper is to explore the case of George by looking at his life with ALS, his eminent death, and the issue of euthanasia from the ethical Christianity worldview.

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How George Would Interpret his Suffering in Light of the Christian Narrative, with an Emphasis on the Fallenness of the World

            According to Christian teaching, human beings live in a fallen world. Fallenness is traced back to Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit. God punished them by promising them suffering as a result of their sin (Hiuser, 2020). As such, the fall led to suffering. Consequently, sin and suffering are intertwined and the sinners must experience suffering including pain and death as a result of their sin. Diseases such as ALS may make an individual desperate, scared, and self-immersed in suffering and eventually turn away from God. However, true Christians should consider suffering as a test of faith and God and get empowered to encounter the issue. For instance, George should remember the story of Job who God allowed the devil to test to determine his faith in God.  Job experienced untold suffering including incurable diseases but he never gave up his faith in God and was relieved of his suffering and God gave him double blessings. 

            George should, therefore, remember that suffering including incurable diseases such as ALS is part of human beings, which was brought after the fall. As a result, George should interpret ALS as a test of his faith in God or punishment for sin against God and get motivated to seek a relationship with God to forgive his sins to enable him to inherit the kingdom of God in heaven. George can consider repenting his sins against God and pray for healing and forgiveness from God.

How George Would Interpret his Suffering in Light of the Christian Narrative, with an Emphasis on the Hope of Resurrection

            As a human being, George is likely to feel hopeless and powerless because of his condition. However, George should accept the reality of life and death. According to Christian teachings, God is the creator of everything including life and death and He can take them at will. However, Christians believe in life after death. Although death is mandatory to everyone in this fallen world, there is a promise of resurrection, which was manifested in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Billings, 2018).  The idea of resurrection is crucial in helping George to cope with the suffering he is experiencing in his current life. George can interpret his illness as a will of God or an obstacle that is intended to test his faith in God. Christ Jesus suffered immensely to redeem people from sin and renew their hope in the resurrection. Nevertheless, the death and resurrection of Christ give hope for life after death. As such, George should draw his strength and hope in the suffering of Christ by enduring the current situation and hoping for everlasting life if he dies in Christ. If George considers his situation as a will of God, he is likely to remain committed and strong in faith. If he dies in this faith and commitment to God, he is assured of resurrection and everlasting life in heaven.

How the Christian Worldview would Inform George’s View about the Value of his Life as a person as He Contemplates Life with ALS

            After being diagnosed with incurable ALS, George is certainly bound to consider the value of his life. According to Christianity, people need to fully trust God in all situations. Christianity teaches that life is a valuable gift from God and its sanctity must be held (Iyanda, 2020). As such, George needs to understand the value and sanctity of his life despite having ALS. God created every life and people are required to value and respect every life, including an individual’s life. Only God has the authority to give and take away life and this power should not be questioned by human beings. As such, taking away life is against the fundamental basics of Christianity. Moreover, God created people in His image, which is an indication that human life is special and has significant value to the world. George should realize that the sanctity and dignity of life depend on the natural source of creation and not his status in the society of life conditions. Also, every life is equal in the eyes of God. As such, George needs to understand that having ALS does not make the value of his life insignificant. Accordingly, George should endure the pain and anguish linked to this deadly disease and should not contemplate taking away his life through euthanasia. Christians are usually urged to keep their faith in Christ despite going through painful experiences such as George’s. George should not end his life and wait for God’s time.

Sorts of Values and Considerations Christian Worldview Should Focus on Deliberating Whether or not George Should Opt for Euthanasia

            There are numerous values and considerations the Christian worldview would focus on in deliberating whether or not George should opt for euthanasia. As mentioned before, one of the fundamental beliefs in the Christian worldview is the sanctity of life irrespective of the quality. As such, life must be respected and valued and only God should take away life. God created everyone in His image and instructed that one should commit suicide or kill other people. Since euthanasia is essentially assisted suicide, Christianity should not accept this act because it is a form of killing or murder (Reed, 2021). This position should be maintained even if someone makes a personal decision to end his or her life. Christian worldview does not consider such an act voluntary since it is against the will of God.

            Moreover, opting for euthanasia implies that George is openly defying the authority of God to give and take away human life. This implies that the advocates of euthanasia are trying to change God’s purpose for existence and write the course of their lives. No situation in life including serious illnesses such as ALS can change the dignity and value of a human being in the eye of God. As such, opting for euthanasia implies an effort to end precious life, which is unacceptable in the eyes of God and also a fundamental deviation from Christianity teachings (Cherry, 2018).

            The other sort of value and consideration that Christians should focus on when contemplating euthanasia is the suffering Jesus experienced and the hope for resurrection. Jesus faced severe suffering and was finally killed. However, His faith in God did not fade and when He was overwhelmed, He asked God exercise His Will. Similarly, George should trust in God and ask for God’s healing or strength to let him endure the pain and agony that ALS is likely to cause in his life. In turn, he should be ready to let God’s Will happen. Concerning the belief in resurrection, George should believe in eternal life and be ready to accept that even if he dies from ALS, there is hope for life after death. George should emulate Jesus who endured pain and suffering and also defeated death, which is the basis of eternal life after physical death on earth. Importantly, George should understand that he was created with a purpose and his current situation should not drive him to end his life yet he may not have fulfilled his purpose on earth.

            Perhaps the most challenging ethical issue that should be addressed in this case is the power of George to address the pain he is facing. Given the painful nature of ALS, it may be prudent to argue that euthanasia is an act of compassion that could help in eradicating the suffering George encounters. However, Christianity teaching does not agree that such an act of compassion can warrant opting for suicide. Consequently, the ethical issue is the determination of human kindness and perseverance in Christ.

Options that would be Morally Justified in the Christian Worldview for George

            As noted above, euthanasia is discouraged because it violates the dignity and sanctity of human life. According to the Christian worldview, life is sacred and no one except God is allowed to take away life. As such, George needs to be encouraged to persevere and wait until God takes away his life. According to Christianity, suffering could mean testing one’s faith in God or punishment by God for sin and it is God’s plan for human beings. Therefore, it is wrong to violate God’s plan (Iyanda, 2020). Since Christians believe in the capability of physicians to treat and manage diseases, the first option for George is medical interventions to manage his healthcare condition. This option may reduce the progression of the condition and increase his life.  The other option is to provide support and awareness to George to accept his condition and consider the beautiful aspects of life and the world. Christianity values the life of everyone equally including terminally ill people. As such, George can be given special care by advising his family to hire a caretaker to help him live a satisfying life.

Based on your worldview, what decision would you make if you were in George’s situation?

            As a Christian, if I was in George’s situation, I would strive to acknowledge the situation and embrace the associated pain and suffering while waiting for natural death as intended by God. I would accept the Will of God and the purpose of my life and avoid euthanasia. Rather, I would endure the suffering and pain associated with having ALS.  God’s commandments also prohibit murder and suicide and so, I would uphold the will and commandments of God and opt to live as long as possible until the time that God will end my life.

Conclusion

            According to the Christian worldview, euthanasia is against God’s Will because it is equated to suicide and murder, which are outright wrong in the eyes of God. Human life is a sacred and valuable gift from God and no one except God has the power to take away life. George could interpret his condition from various perspectives, but the emphasis should be on the sanctity of life. Christianity’s teaching stresses that suffering is justified biblically and is a crucial element of life and God’s plan to test one’s faith in Him and also a reminder of the consequences of sin. Therefore, George should not accept euthanasia and bear the pain and suffering until his death, with the hope of resurrection and eternal life in heaven.

References

Billings, J. T. (2018). Christian dying: Witnesses from the tradition. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Cherry, M. J. (2018). Physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia: How not to die as a Christian. Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality, 24(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1093/cb/cbx021

Hiuser, K. (2020). Astrobiology and Fallenness—Baptising Spock. Theology and Science, 18(4), 579-588. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2020.1825193

Iyanda, S. E. (2020). The doctrine of Sanctity of human life in Judaism and Christianity: Lesson for the Nigerian nation. Ilorin Journal of Religious Studies, 10(1), 17-30. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ijrs/article/view/208279

Reed, P. A. (2021). Physicians assisted suicide and Christian virtues. Christian bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality, 27(1), 50-68. https://doi.org/10.1093/cb/cbaa021

Assessment Description
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.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.