Exploring Faith-Based Decisions in Healthcare: A Christian Case Study

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Case Study
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This case study examines a scenario where parents, Mike and Joanne, rely on their Christian faith and belief in miracles over conventional medical treatment for their son James' kidney failure. The analysis delves into the ethical dilemmas, the role of physicians in guiding patients, and the importance of balancing faith with rational decision-making. It critiques Mike's dependence on divine intervention, highlighting the need for critical thinking, health literacy, and informed consent. The study underscores the responsibility of individuals to actively engage in their healthcare choices, aligning faith with proactive measures and partnering with healthcare professionals for the best possible outcomes. Desklib offers similar solved assignments and past papers for students.
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Running head: ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:
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ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
In the present modern era, human beings have evolved to be more efficient in thinking
rationally. They have started conducting activities that remain based on the rational statements,
clever decisions as well as supported by facts. They have learnt how to think systematically and
have developed reasoning skills that are extremely important for every individuals to live a
prosperous as well as healthy life. However, such attributes can never be found among all
individuals at equal level (Chemerinsky & Goodwin, 2015). Social analysis shows many human
beings who live the entire responsibility of their lives of Christ’s stating that almighty will take
care of them. However, this can never be considered as an acceptable form of thinking. Every
human beings should allows believe in god as the divine power who is guarding us from
different calamities and providing strength in us to fight but one can never become entirely
dependent on Him thinking that he would be saved from every harmful disorders, harsh
situations and other cruelties of the world. Almighty had given human beings all the capabilities
to fight for themselves and therefore they should use these attributes to overcome negative
situations. He had never supported the concept of miracles and never encouraged human beings
to believe in miracles either. Therefore, miracles should not form the basis of decision-making;
rather human beings should use their intellect and critical thinking and rationalizing power to
make effective decisions.
Christ had never preached human beings to rely entirely on him when any grave
situations arise in their lives. He had always tried to preach human beings that they should apply
reasoning ability and critical thinking power to take proper decisions and try their best to fight
the adverse situation and come out of it victorious. However, the human beings have not
followed his preaching over the year and tend to completely depend upon him as the savior of
them from all negative situations (Fitzpatrick et al., 2016). Christ’s preaching of effective
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ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
thinking, undertaking right activities and thereby conducting the right task at the right time helps
human beings to overcome all barriers of lives. Still, it is seen that human beings are seen to
depend on the divine power who they believe would save them from all adverse situations
without them having to take any actions and decisions. Mike was seen to fall in this category
where he completely lacked the capability to think and judge. He lacked self-confidence and
critical thinking skills. He was also seen to have no intellectual ability to judge the situation in
the light of the modern medicine and scientific advancement. He was seen to rely on the concept
of miracle in such a sensitive and strenuous condition. He was found to be a man of confused
nature and was never sure about the decision he took for his son’s health. He tried to conceal his
inability of improper decision making skills and thinking ability in the name of god’s wishes.
Depending entirely on the divine power, stating that he would be helping his son to get over such
crisis, showed the absence of the attributes mentioned above. His decisions of taking the chance
of miracle made him a weak character who actually tried to make himself free from any guilt
feeling positioning all the responsibilities on god. He was seen to be of escapist feeling who tried
to flee from the entire situation in name of god. This was a disgrace to the teaching of Christ.
This again harms the expectations of the almighty from humans.
The responsibility of the physicians is to take the duty to help the parents overcome the
confusions that they are having about choosing the correct path. The first step that the
professionals should take is to make the patient understand the physiology of the disorder in
details with the use of simple terms and language without the use of jargons. Secondly, he should
describe to them the growing complexity of their son’s health with their delay in decision
making and leaving the entire decision in the name of the miracle. This would continue
degrading the health of their son making him more vulnerable to life threatening situation
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ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
(Tomkins et al., 2015). He can undertake this action by making the parents know about the
different path breaking innovations that science had done in the present generation and how they
have successfully saved the lives of huge number of people. In this discussion, the doctor should
help the parents look for the better benefits where the parents would be able to save both the son
due to kidney transplantation rather than saving one and pushing other to threatening situation.
He should make them understand how proper maintenance of dirt, lifestyle and other factors
would ensure safe health for both the sons after organ donation takes place. However, while
discussing such sensitive issues, he should take care that he does not affect the autonomy and
dignity of the patient and does not impose his own beliefs and feelings on them. He should make
them understand that medical treatment cannot accept the fact that they could not accept the
death of the child on the name of the miracle. It should be always thought with rationality that if
Christ was himself a supporter of miracle and miracle really existed then he would have never
died a painful death by crucification. Rather, he would have been saved by miracle. However,
that was never the scenario.
Parents of James and Samuel were seen to lack proper education and health literacy.
They also did not have proper reasoning ability, critical thinking skills and far sightedness. Due
to the lack of these attributes, they became very nervous and could not take the right decision in
this crisis period. Every human being has to face different types of struggles and negative
situations in life. In such situation, it is their thinking capability, critical-reasoning skill,
decision-making skills, cost benefit analysis and many others ensure that they overcome the
barriers and have positive outcomes (Verney & Kinghorn, 2016). It is important for the human
beings to analyze the different situations, take provocative decisions and steps, maintain
composed and calm nature and thereby be farsighted to judge the outcomes their actions would
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ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
result. At the same time, they can also practice their religious customs and cultural preferences
that align with their levels of the almighty. In the path of life, almighty always act as a guide
helping the nations to be safe from almighty and helping individuals to gather hope for better
living and at as constant companion, confidante and guide. However, it is the duty of the human
beings to take their own responsibilities about the actions and thereby try to change the situation
for the better. It was seen that Mike and Joanne did not have proper health literacy and were not
aware about how their decisions could affect the physiological health of their son resulting him
to suffer more and even face death. They were seen to take chances with their son’s life basing
their beliefs on miracles that are unethical and shows careless attitude towards his son. Secondly,
it was seen that they were not propel preached about the real teaching of Christ and believed on
facts that were never preached by Christ. Christ’s has taught that in place of entirely passing on
their responsibilities on him, human beings should perform their own duties truthfully, logically,
respectfully by analyzing rationale and the far sighted outcomes. If they would have real
followers of the divine power, they would have never believed on miracles and would in return
follow the Christ’s principle effectively and take decisions.
In the present situation, Mike should correctly understand the real preaching of god and
try to develop his values and morals. Such preaching would help him to be cool and composed in
strenuous situation giving them the strength to overcome confusion and fight with various
adverse situations effectively with positive outcomes. He should learn that Christ’s never accepts
any human beings leaving the entire responsibility of a situation on him without taking
accountability of the situation and planning interventions to overcome the barriers (Levin, 2016).
Mike should keep himself composed, take the correct decisions of saving his child’s life from the
crisis, work in partnership with the healthcare professionals and hope for the best life ahead of
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ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
his son. He should believe in himself and his thinking capability without exhibiting an escapist
nature. He should display good reasoning skills and back up his decisions with proper logic and
rationale at the same time keeping his trust on god. In that way, he would not only be saving his
son’s life but would also be one of the best followers of Almighty.
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ASSIGNMENT ON CHRISTIAN FAITH
References:
Chemerinsky, E., & Goodwin, M. (2015). Religion Is Not a Basis for Harming Others: Review
Essay of Paul A. Offit's Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern
Medicine. Geo. LJ, 104, 1111.
Fitzpatrick, S. J., Kerridge, I. H., Jordens, C. F., Zoloth, L., Tollefsen, C., Tsomo, K. L., ... &
Sarma, D. (2016). Religious perspectives on human suffering: Implications for medicine
and bioethics. Journal of religion and health, 55(1), 159-173.
Levin, J. (2016). Partnerships between the faith-based and medical sectors: Implications for
preventive medicine and public health. Preventive medicine reports, 4, 344-350.
Tomkins, A., Duff, J., Fitzgibbon, A., Karam, A., Mills, E. J., Munnings, K., ... & Yugi, P.
(2015). Controversies in faith and health care. The Lancet, 386(10005), 1776-1785.
Verhey, A., & Kinghorn, W. (2016). “The Hope to Which He Has Called You”: Medicine in
Christian Apocalyptic Context. Christian Bioethics, 22(1), 21-38.
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