Examining Religious Beliefs: Purity, Impurity, and End-of-Life Care

This discussion post explores the concepts of purity and impurity in Judaism, highlighting its influence on healthcare practices and end-of-life decisions. It emphasizes the importance of cultural competence for nursing professionals, particularly in understanding Jewish rituals and beliefs. The post also addresses three accommodations recommended by Muslim patients: gender-concordant care, halal food, and a neutral prayer space, underscoring the need for nurses to respect the dignity and religious needs of Muslim patients to ensure adherence to treatment and overall well-being. The discussion emphasizes the significance of spiritual health in patient care and the ethical considerations for nurses in incorporating cultural and religious beliefs into their practice.

Running head: INTRODUCTIONS TO WORLD RELIGIONS
INTRODUCTIONS TO WORLD RELIGIONS
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1INTRODUCTIONS TO WORLD RELIGIONS
Discussion:
Purity and impurity:
Concepts of purity and impurity are global and integrated into most religions and
regions of the world. In Judaism, the concept of purity refers to the removal of dirt and at the
same time, this concept overlaps with other perceptions such as sanctification and healing
(Rogan, 2018). Judaism purity laws are deeply rooted in the perception of individuals and
purity refers to the actions, substances that represent holiness. In other words, purity is
considered as a natural preparation for circumstances of religious experience, encountering
the divine as well as visiting sanctuaries to perform regular sacrifice (Cohen, 2017). On the
other hand, the concepts of impurity include diverse conditions such as repelling substances,
body fluid, presence of diseases, sexual contacts, contagion by contact. Hence, it provided a
map to the cultural system regarding the ways one can alter their behaviour.
The implication for nursing practice is that it will provide nursing professionals with the
opportunity to provide culturally safe practice. Proper nursing care of Jewish patients requires
consideration of these concepts of purity and impurity as the incorporation of these concepts
facilitates the process of care and respect for the dignity of the patients. The patients feel
empowered and safe to seek clinical services.
Judaism influencing end of life decision:
Decisions regarding medical care of the terminally ill represent a range of Jewish
ethical and legal challenges. Since the end of life care also mandates caring for the
psychological and spiritual needs of the patient, Judaism influences the end of life care
decisions (Cypess, 2019) In this case, the end of care support should be given to the patients
according to the Judaism rituals and treatment procedure must be discussed with the family
members and a rabbi. Many patients may refuse to accept palliative care because due to the

2INTRODUCTIONS TO WORLD RELIGIONS
belief that it is a prohibited form of giving up on healing (Schweda et al., 2017). During
death, they should not die alone rather surrounded by people patients belong to. In this case,
spiritual health plays a central role in defining wellbeing of a person.
The implication for nursing ethics and practice is that it enables nurses to respect the
dignity of the patients by incorporating cultural beliefs and addressing the spiritual need of
the patients. By involving Jewish patients into a discussion regarding their spiritual needs and
religious beliefs, nurses better understand the patients as a whole and develop a therapeutic
relationship by incorporating diet, traditions, and rituals.
Three accommodation recommended by Muslim patients:
For Muslims, health is a state of physical, spiritual and social being and greatest
blessing of God. In this context, three accommodations include gender-concordant care, halal
food, and a neutral prayer space (Saidun, Akhmetova & Rahman, 2019). The implication of
this in nursing ethics is that nursing professionals must ensure that three things should be
provided to the Muslim patients so that they can feel dignified, respected and adhere to the
treatment process.

3INTRODUCTIONS TO WORLD RELIGIONS
References:
Cohen, J. (2017). Pope Innocent III, Christian Wet Nurses, and Jews: A Misunderstanding
and Its Impact. Jewish Quarterly Review, 107(1), 113-128.
Cypess, J. (2019). End-of-Life Decision Making in Orthodox Judaism: The Case of the 1977
Conjoined Twins. Contemporary Jewry, 1-33.
Rogan, W. (2018). Purity in Early Judaism: Current Issues and Questions. Currents in
Biblical Research, 16(3), 309-339.
Saidun, S., Akhmetova, E., & Rahman, A. A. A. (2019). Religious Accommodation for
Muslim Workers and Patients in Healthcare. Islam and Civilisational Renewal
(ICR), 10(2), 242-263.
Schweda, M., Schicktanz, S., Raz, A., & Silvers, A. (2017). Beyond cultural stereotyping:
views on end-of-life decision making among religious and secular persons in the
USA, Germany, and Israel. BMC medical ethics, 18(1), 13.