10 case study of death and dying

Running head: CASE STUDY OF DEATH AND DYING
Case Study of Death and Dying
Jairon Alvarado
Grand Canyon University
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CASE STUDY OF DEATH AND DYING
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Case Study of Death and Dying
George Interpretation of His Suffering in Light with the Christian Narrative
Pain and suffering could happen to anyone, including Christians, at any point in their life.
Typically, it does not mean that those who go through pain and suffering are sinners or punished
for a wrongful deed. In the Christian worldview, suffering can be interpreted in several ways, and
this is how George should interpret the suffering he is going through due to ALS. As a Christian,
George is aware of the teachings in the Bible. God is holy, and he hates sin. There exist instances
in the Bible, where God punished sinners with deadly diseases and catastrophes (Dónal, 2018).
George could interpret his suffering as a punishment for the sins he might have committed in the
past.
Nonetheless, the same Bible teaches Christians that God is quick to forgive, and if George
repeats, he will be forgiven by God. George would also interpret his suffering as God’s way to
deliver a message to him or through him. God is known to use His people as vessels to convey
messages, which could be one instance. George’s suffering could be a way God uses to teach him
or people around him a lesson. As a good Christian, he should pay attention and pray to God to
reveal to him what the lesson is and convey the message; however, he can.
All Christians well know the story about Adam and Eve, but fallness is not entirely
known. As stated above, God is holy, and He has always expected His creation to be holy right
from the first man and woman on earth (Sasja, 2018). However, Adam and Eve defied God’s rues
by going against his will. The two were created with the sole purpose of looking after God’s
creation and for companionship. The two had been given the freedom to do whatever they wanted
apart from eat from the tree at the middle of the garden. Adam and Eve did not have the knowledge
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or ability to discern between good and evil until they defied God’s riles by eating from the
forbidden tree. This is where fallness began as they had committed the original sin in humanity
against God. as a result, God kicked them out of the garden of Eden and cursed them to have to
work hard to earn and get something to eat. Pain and suffering were also part of the suffering, and
George could interpret his suffering as consequence of the original sin. However, as stated earlier,
God is a forgiving God, and the new testament indicates that Jesus died for all the sins of
humankind, and therefore the original sin could not be the reason for his suffering according to the
Christian worldview.
How George would Interpret His Suffering in Light with Hope of Resurrection
In my opinion, the Bible is beautifully written, as every writing in it has meaning to the
Christians. The story of Jesus Christ is not new to any Christian how he was born of a virgin and
was God’s only son. He was sent down on earth to preach and do good. He lived a holy life full of
preaching the gospel of God, healing the sick, blessing people, and condemning evil. Despite being
God’s favorite, he went through great suffering in the hands of evil men who later crucified him
between two thieves. However, the beauty of the Holy scripters is that there is always a lesson to
learn. Christians are moved by the story of Jesus, his death, and resurrection. Death could not hold
him, He was a holy man, so He resurrected after three days and ascended into heaven (Paul, 2017).
The hope of resurrection keeps Christians hopeful that there is life after death.
George would interpret his suffering as just a temporary thing. Even Jesus was tortured,
tried, tempted, mocked, and abused while on earth. However, this did not stop him from doing
what God had sent Him on earth to do. And His resilience and holiness are what gave him eternal
life after death. Christians like George should also believe that there is a life full of joy and
happiness after suffering on earth. George should pray to God and ask him for the strength to battle
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the disease and manage the pain until his last day. Meanwhile, he should continue doing good,
praying hard, and repenting for the sins he might have committed. From the Christian narrative, if
he lives in accordance with God’s will, he will receive eternal life after death (Paul, 2017). The
Christian worldview teaches that when we die, our bodies decay to ashes as our souls ascend into
heaven and receive eternal life if we led a good life here on earth. George should be glad that he
will share in the story of Jesus and that after conquers death, he will be united with God, Jesus,
and other holy people that went before him and live eternity full of praising God.
George Interpretation of His Value of Life as a Person Living with ALS
According to (Sara, Karen, & Kelvin, 2015), ALS disease, which in full is Amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis, is a disease that attacks the nervous system affecting physical movement by
weakening the body muscles. There is no cure for this disease, but there is medication that helps
manage the symptoms and the pain. ALS disease can take tall on a patient as it entirely changes
someone’s lifestyle and life. This is exactly what George is going through, and he is questioning
his value as a person. Before the disease, George had a fully functioning life. He was a lecturer at
a University, was the couch for his son’s basketball team, and a father, husband, and relative. In
short, he was a valued member of the community, as he significantly contributed to society.
With ALS, George is no longer able to function as he used to before entirely. His body is
experiencing involuntarily muscle movement, unsteady gait, ambulatory challenges, the difficulty
in speaking and swallowing, muscle twitching, nociceptive pain, and muscle cramps. These
symptoms can make him disregard his value as a person as he is no longer able to be a productive
member of the community. He will now depend on a caregiver and family members to take care
of him. Although George may disregard his value, the Christian narrative thinks otherwise. On the
contrary, a human being’s value is not determined by his health status or other demographic factors.
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The Bible teaches that human life’s value is intrinsic and that every human being is of immense
value regardless of the situation. George should understand that even though he is no longer able
to be as productive as he was, he would continue to be of great value before God’s eyes as He
created him in His image and likeness and has a purpose for his life regardless of his current
condition. George will remain a man of value in the community’s eyes as he touched and improved
many lives through teaching and coaching.
Considerations and Values When Opting for Euthanasia
(Andreas, Kunal, & Efthymia, 2018) defines euthanasia as a clinical practice that ends life
to put pain and suffering to an end. It is also referred to as assisted dying. The topic of euthanasia
has been debated for a very long time as people have different thoughts regarding euthanasia.
However, the Christian worldview stands on its ground and continues to condemn the use of
euthanasia strongly. According to the Christian worldview, it is a great sin to end someone else’s
life, which is considered murder. This is the first consideration George should think about as a
Christian. The Bible strongly condemns killing and indicates that whoever takes one’s life shall
suffer significant consequences, including eternal torture in hell. The Christian worldview teaches
that life is sacred, and no one has the right to terminate it. God is the sole creator of everything that
has life on earth, and he has put everyone on earth with a purpose. He is the only one who is
permitted to terminate life whenever he sees fit. Performing euthanasia therefore, would be
interfering with God’s plan on his (George) life.
George should consider the Story of Jesus Christ and how He also suffered a great deal,
but He did not take away his own life. The amount of suffering Jesus went through is not
comparable with what George is going through, yet he remained steadfast in his faith up to the last
minute. In the same way, George should not opt for euthanasia. God has a purpose for his life, and
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the fact that he is still alive indicates that God is not yet done with him. He should pray hard for
God to help him manage pain and adhere to doctor’s medication that will help him manage his pain
other than thinking of ending his own life.
Options that Are Morally Justified for George
There are a couple of options that George can go with to help him manage his pain and
improve his life quality. The first option is medication. The Bible encourages Christians to use
their God-given talents and the ability to do good. God has bestowed the physicians with the gift
of healing, and George should benefit from it. He should follow the doctor’s advice and adhere to
medication so that he can be able to manage the pain and improve his health status. Palliative care
is an excellent option for George as it will help him manage his pain through medication, therapy,
and other forms of care (Amy & Sean, 2015). Through the help of a caregiver, he will be able to
manage his symptoms.
Option I would go with
I find it hard to answer this question because I would not even want to think about being
in George’s shoes at any point in my life. Nonetheless, if I were in his shoes, I would follow the
doctor’s advice and adhere to medication. I would go to the options that will help me manage the
pain and improve my health status. Being a Christian, I would also pray to God to help me manage
the pain and find meaning in the situation that I am in. I would ask him to help me understand why
I am going through the suffering and use the condition to glorify his name in whichever way
possible.
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References
Amy, K., & Sean, M. (2015). Palliative Care for the Seriously Il. N Engl J Med., 373(8), 747–755.
doi:10.1056/NEJMra1404684
Andreas, F., Kunal, K., & Efthymia, P. (2018). Euthanasia and assisted dying: what is the current
position and what are the key arguments informing the debate. journal of the royal society
of medicine, 563-568. doi:10.1177/0141076818803452
Dónal, M. (2018). Christian Theology and Disasters: Where is God in All This. Disasters: Core
Concepts and Ethical Theories, 27-42. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92722-0_3
Paul, C. (2017). Cultural challenges to faith: a reflection on the dynamics of modernity. church,
communication and culture, 25-40. doi:10.1080/23753234.2017.1287281
Sara, Z., Karen, C., & Kelvin, D. (2015). A comprehensive review of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Surgical Neurology International, 6, 98-115. doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.169561
Sasja, E. (2018). Through Sin Nature Has LostIts Confidence in God” – Sin and Trust as Formative
Elementsof Martin Luther’s Conception of Society. Journal of Early Modern Christianity,
5(2), 111-115. doi:10.1515/jemc-2018-0009
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