Case Study On Death And Dying George

Case Study on Death and Dying
Your Name
Grand Canyon University: PHI 413V
September 11, 2016
Abstract
Acute diseases just like lifelong disabilities can be daunting for anyone, especially in times where the prognosis include the probability of death. Due to this much research and practice has shifted its attention to a more ‘caring’ and ‘organic’, and teleological approach in times of acute illnesses and end-of-life situations like these. According to Brown, Chen, & Kotbungkair (2015), “disability has been characterized as a series of losses with which one must adjust, including the loss of a sense of control over one’s destiny, the loss of the ability to plan for the future, and the loss of a sense of fairness in the world.” It is not surprising that many people in the world who has lost the “essence of living” due to their unfortunate circumstance are now opting for the process of ‘mercy killing’ (aka euthanasia). However, this trend is not the same as the whole world but varies across cultures and religions (Brown, Chen, & Kotbungkair, 2015). Research has found that religion and spirituality have important effects on an individual’s decision on committing this legal suicide. Effects that comes from a religion’s tenets, principles, and philosophy. Thus, in order to help in the existing pool of knowledge, the author analyzed two major religions around the globe – Christianity and Buddhism – and used a hypothetical case study of George, a successful lawyer in his mid-fifties, where he was afflicted with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and ethical analysis of practicing euthanasia for his case. Much emphasis would be given on the beliefs that these religious systems have. Towards the end of the paper, the author concludes how these two belief systems would most likely prevent George from committing euthanasia.
Introduction
These days, most healthcare providers recognize the importance of end-of-life care and spiritual counseling in times of acute illnesses. Research has proven that in times like these, getting in touch with their belief systems can affect patients to recover, accept, and make critical decisions about their life, since one’s faith also serves as the moral backbone of one’s decision making. However, there are also times when a patient is forced to choose between getting the ‘easy way out’ or the ‘living in pain and difficulty’. At first glance, it might seem that choosing between the two is pessimistic and unethical since this is making a choice between life and death. However, the patient’s decision is still, mostly affected by his beliefs in the meaning of life, the afterlife, and the moral justification of his decision. Thus, in this paper, a hypothetical case study where a 52-year-old patient – George – is diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral scl...