Case Study: Death and Dying

Case Study: Death and Dying Name of Student Institution Affiliation Case Study: Death and Dying Health challenges are normal issues in the lives of human beings. Many people globally are adopting the concept of a healthy lifestyle in a bid to lead a healthy life devoid of diseases and other conditions that affect human health. Despite the growth in technology and top-notch research in health, the world is experiencing growth in chronic and infectious diseases for all demographics in society. Consequently, taking care of health issues is a critical concern especially given the financial burden required to resolve the health issues. In seeking good health, spirituality and religion take center stage with multiple issues getting addressed. Some of the issues include taking care of pain and suffering associated with a disease, giving various health and wellness restoration measures, disease healing and curing options, among others. Additionally, religion and spirituality offer multiple solutions and answers regarding numerous issues such as dealing with life-threatening conditions, matters of life after death and ethical issues surrounding dying decisions such as opting for euthanasia. This paper examines the Christian worldview in the face of a disease and the end-of-life decisions that a patient can make from a Christian perspective. Religious worldviews are critical in providing the much-needed support system to an ailing person and are essential in aiding a person make ethical and moral decisions. The realization of being struck with a disease that is likely to be life-threatening such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) contracted by George, may be appalling. Being a Christian, George is expected to make informed decisions with an inclination to this faith and spirituality. According to Shelly & Miller (2006), religions provide answers to their believers that help them understand the value of life and what happens in its aftermath. In interpreting an attack by disease, George is likely to take into consideration the prime reality and his understanding of the world from a Christian perspective. Christians may have multiple viewpoints when disease strikes. For example, the origin of pain and suffering in human beings can be traced from the ‘original sin’ when Adam, the first created man failed to heed to an instruction provided by God (The NIV study bible, 1985; Genesis 3). Following the original sin against the provisions and guidelines of God, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Aden and sent to eternal damnation in the earth where the life of pain and suffering started. From a Christian perspective, getting a disease can be interpreted as usual in the life of pain and suffering. Escaping a life of pain and suffering is assured in the Christian faith through attaining salvation and redemption which can only be achieved through accepting Jesus Christ as the son of God, living by the commandments of God, and living without sin. While it may be impossible to understand precisely how George interprets the disease, the Christian perspective traces diseases, pain and suffering from the original sin. From a Christian perspective, God is the prime of reality. From the viewpoint, God governs the world and everything th...