Case Study on Death and Dying.

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Case Study on Death and Dying.

 

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.Case Study on Death and Dying.

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Based on \”Case Study: End of Life Decisions,\” the Christian worldview, and the worldview questions presented in the required topic study materials 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:Case Study on Death and Dying.

  1. How would George interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the fallenness of the world?
  2. How would George interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the hope of resurrection?
  3. 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?
  4. What sorts of values and considerations would the Christian worldview focus on in deliberating about whether or not George should opt for euthanasia?
  5. Based on the values and considerations above, what options would be morally justified in the Christian worldview for George and why?
  6. Based on your worldview, what decision would you make if you were in George\’s situation?

Remember to support your responses with the topic study materials.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.Case Study on Death and Dying.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.Case Study on Death and Dying.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Case Study:

End

of Life Decisions

George is a successful

attorney in his mid-fifties.

He

is also

a legal scholar, holding a teaching

post at the local university law school in Oregon. George is also

actively

involved

in

his teenage

son’s basketball league,

coaching regularly for their team. Recently, George has experienced

muscle weakness and unresponsive

muscle coordination. He was forced

to

seek

medical

attention after

he fell and

injured his hip. After an

examination at the local hospital

following his

fall, the attending physician suspected

that George may be showing

early symptoms for

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a

degenerative disease affecting the nerve

cells

in the brain

and spinal

cord.

The

week

following the initial examination, further

testing

revealed

a positive

diagnosis of ALS.

ALS is progressive

and

gradually causes motor neuron deterioration and

muscle atrophy to

the

point of complete muscle control

loss.

There

is currently

no cure for ALS, and the median life

expectancy is between 3 and 4 years,

though it is

not uncommon for some to

live 10 or more

years. The progressive muscle atrophy

and deterioration of

motor neurons leads to the

loss of the

ability

to speak, move, eat,

and

breathe. However, sight, touch, hearing, taste,

and smell are not

affected. Patients will be wheelchair bound and eventually need permanent ventilator

support to

assist with

breathing.

George and his family

are

devastated by the diagnosis. George knows

that treatment options

only

attempt to slow down the

degeneration, but the symptoms

will eventually come. He will

eventually be wheelchair

bound

and be unable

to move, eat, speak,

or even

breathe

on his own.

In contemplating

his

future life

with ALS,

George begins to

dread the

prospect of losing his

mobility and even

speech.

He

imagines his life in complete dependence

upon others

for

basic

everyday functions

and perceives

the

possibility

of eventually

degenerating

to

the point at which

he is a prisoner in his

own body. Would he be willing

to undergo such torture, such loss of his

own dignity and power? George

thus

begins

inquiring

about the

possibility of voluntary

euthanasia.

Case study on death and dying

  1. How George would interpret his suffering

In light of the Christian narrative, George should look at his suffering as a fulfillment of God’s word. Before the fall, Adam and Eve did not know differing. In fact, as the first humans created by God, they lived in Eden where there was no loss, death or pain. However, they rebelled against God and broke his commands, causing them to be cast out of Eden and into a world in which God prophesied that they and all their descendants would experience loss, death, and pain. Still, Gog gave them hope by promising that all those who obey His word and are worthy will live in paradise after experiencing suffering on earth. Until then, all humans should accept suffering as a part of their life to be experienced and lived (Wannas, 2014).Case Study on Death and Dying. In Genesis 1:31 (KJV), God reflected on his creation and he was happy. Prior to Adam and Eve being disobedient, humans were not meant to experience differing. But their disobedience means that all human beings experience tragedy during their time on earth simply because they are living in a fallen work where differing is the reality. John 9:2-3 (KJV) makes this clear when Jesus talks of the cause of blindness in a man receiving a miracle, stating that although neither the man nor his parents sinned, but his blindness occurred as a way of fulfilling and manifesting God’s word. While this truth does not diminish the suffering that George experiences, it can help in focus his attention from trying to identify the source of the pain to acknowledging that he is experiencing it because he lives in a fallen world. Not only is the suffering part of this fallen world, but he is not due to any answers as to why he is experiencing pain. Instead, he should trust in God to guide him through the suffering even as he anticipates a day when he will be in the presence of God and leave all the pain behind forever (Siemsen, 2008; Wells, 2010).Case Study on Death and Dying.

  1. How George would interpret his suffering

James 4:14 (KJV) summarizes the link between suffering and resurrection for Christians. It states that tomorrow is unknown and that all life is transient. In other words, Christians could experience joy or suffering tomorrow, and that similarly, they may no longer be alive tomorrow. This is a reminder to all Christians that tragedy will come, they will experience suffering as humans, but they must endure. Mark 8:31(KJV) sees Jesus Christ predicting that all humans will experience suffering as Christians. Acts 9:16 (KJV) reinforces these views by stating that Christians must endure the suffering as they are promised the suffering for the sake of God’s name. We can be sure that following Christ means experiencing some of the suffering he experienced while establishing his ministry on earth.Case Study on Death and Dying. Christians must not only be ready for the suffering but also persevere as they anticipate resurrection. 2nd Corinthians 4:7-18 (KJV) has Paul continually reminding other Christians that the suffering they experience will mirror Jesus’ and that since Jesus’ suffering ended with his death and resurrection, Christians should similarly expect that their suffering will end with their death and resurrection. The resurrection brings about true life in which there will be no more suffering. By keeping the resurrection in view, George should change his perspective on differing from despair to hope as he allows the experience to orient him to his true Christian hope, Jesus Christ. Of all the present and future sufferings he will face, George should take heart that he has blessed hope on the glorious appearance of Jesus at his resurrection. No matter how unbearable his current suffering appears, Revelations 21:4-5 reassures him that he will be remade anew at the resurrection and will experience a brighter life with no more pain.Case Study on Death and Dying.

  1. How the Christian worldview would inform view about the value of his life

As George contemplates a life of suffering with ALS, he should know that his life is a gift from God. Genesis 2:7 (KJV) explains that God gave life to Adam at the time of creation by blowing a breath of air. Job 34:14-15 (KJV) further explains that as God gives life, so too does he take life. As all human life belongs to God, no single person has the absolute autonomy to make life and death decisions as we are simply the stewards of the life gifted by God. The value of George’s life is intrinsic and must be guarded and cherished as it derives from God who made all humans (Genesis 1:26-27).Case Study on Death and Dying. Consequently, any person who devalues life will be held to account by God and punished. Exodus 20:13 (KJV) reinforces this perspective when God commands that no one should kill. This refers to human death resultant from intentional killing, negligence or carelessness. Besides that, the fallenness of humans implies that they inevitably face physical death, a process that could be accompanied by pain, suffering and illness. With this basic principle on the value of his life as a person, George should understand that his life has much value and he should make the best of his life as he lives with the ALS (Keown, 2018; Siemsen, 2008).Case Study on Death and Dying.

  1. Values and considerations of Christian worldview in deliberations for euthanasia

As George deliberates on whether or not he should opt for Euthanasia, he must accept that suffering is a part of his life. The fall of humans that occurred with Adam and Eve means that physical death is inevitable for every person born. The process of dying is frequently accompanied by pain, suffering, and illness. The same is true for George who (like all other humans) is getting closer to his death, in a process accompanied by pain, suffering, and illness.Case Study on Death and Dying. Euthanasia is one option that medical science offers George to eliminate his end-of-life differing with the ALS. It Saul was fatally wounded during a skirmish with Philistine soldiers and unable to escape to safety entails terminally ill persons dying to escape their suffering as a result of passive or active actions by others. Passive euthanasia involves death being hastened by the omission of care, while active euthanasia involves death being hastened through a deliberate act of commission. Passive euthanasia involves withholding life sustaining means with the intention of causing death to end suffering (Keown, 2018; Wells, 2010). The sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13 (KJV) clearly and categorically prohibits active euthanasia regardless of the circumstances. This principle is seen is 1st Samuel 31:3-5 (KJV) when King. He feared being captured and made to suffer a humiliating death by his enemies. As a result, he actively solicited his armor-bearer to kill him.Case Study on Death and Dying. The armor-bearer who understood the scriptures refused the request. In 2nd Samuel 1:1-16 (KJV), an Amalekite who did not understand the scriptures fulfilled King Saul’s request and was in turn executed by David for taking the king’s life. This makes it clear that regardless of the suffering that George faces, he should not seek passive or active euthanasia.Case Study on Death and Dying.

  1. Options morally justified in the Christian worldview for George

Given the above discussions, the morally justified option for George would be to continue receiving treatment and accept the suffering accompanying the ALS as a part of his life as a Christian and a fulfillment of God’s word. By suffering, George gets to fulfill God’s word that humans will suffer from the disobedience of Adam and Eve as their ancestors. In addition, all life was given by God and George is simply a steward of his life. He lives his life by taking care of the gift that God gave him, and any attempt to subvert his life would imply that he is not appreciative of that gift.Case Study on Death and Dying. As a Christian who lives for a limited time on earth, he should shift his focus away from his suffering towards fulfilling God’s mission for his life. This implies that he must guard his life in the midst of suffering to act as a testament to others. Besides that, the sixth commandment prohibits killing. In the absence of killing, he does not have any other option except to make the best of his life by minimizing the suffering. Also, he should anticipate going to paradise upon his death, something that would only happen if he follows God’s commands. God commands that he must preserve his life and accept the suffering while on earth for this short period in order to be worthy of the resurrected life in paradise. As such, it is morally justified for George to continue seeking treatment for the ALS and to bear with the suffering as he lives on.Case Study on Death and Dying.

  1. The decision I would make if I were in George’s situation

Based on my worldview, I would continue seeking treatment and accept the suffering that accompanies the ALS. As a Christian, I am bound by God’s commandments as delivered in the bible. Firstly, I accept that suffering is a part of my life on earth and it allows me to appreciate the price that Jesus paid to save me. Life on earth is transient and it is a test for whether or not I will get to paradise.Case Study on Death and Dying. By bearing the suffering even as I seek treatment, I present myself as worthy of the sacrifice made by Christ and enjoying eternal life in paradise. Secondly, my life has intrinsic value. God gave me life and I have the sacred duty of guarding that life. This means that I must accept the joys and pains that accompany that life. By seeking to prematurely end my life through euthanasia, I would be sending the message that I did not appreciate the life that God gifted me. Based on these reasons, I would decide to continue receiving treatment for the ALS without contemplating euthanasia. Case Study on Death and Dying.