Ethical Dilemma Essay Final PDF

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1 Biya Rajeev CWV 101 June 19, 2019 Dr. Hoselton

Benchmark - Ethical Dilemmas In a world filled with individuals living according to contrasting morals and ethics, ethical dilemmas are a frequent occurrence. Some of these dilemmas have drastic consequences that affect numerous people, while other may only influence oneself. People make decisions based upon their world view when faced with ethical dilemmas. And the consequences of their decisions affect their worldview as well, changing it and shaping it to justify their new action and make room for similar actions. Humans are very logical beings and approach dilemmas in a way that makes clear sense to them. A person’s actions can be explained by taking a closer look into their worldview. In this paper, a case regarding medical euthanasia will be discussed and examined from the perspective of a Christian worldview. The dilemma will be addressed and the paper will examine the core beliefs and resolution that is appropriate to the Christian world view, along with a compare it to how an atheist might approach the situation. Ethical Dilemma This case follows a major event in the life of a young lady named Joni. When Joni was 17 years old she met with an accident and fractured her spine. This incident left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the young lady fell into a severe depression. She feels that she has nothing to look forward to in life and is a burden to her family. She feels that it would be best to end her life through medical euthanasia because her quality of

2 life is very low and she doesn’t have many opportunities in the future. The dilemma is that Joni could end her life and no longer suffer, but to do so would be shortening her natural life span tremendously. To resolve this dilemma Joni could do one of the following: (a) either end her life now at the age of 17 or (b) continue to live her life, embracing her quadriplegia and focusing on the positives in life and adapting to the changes as they come. Both decisions affect Joni and those around her tremendously. If Joni were to be euthanized, her parents and friends would surly feel a void in their life as she is gone. Joni would also be missing out on life’s experiences and lessons. If she were to stay alive, Joni would have to manipulate her plants for the future drastically, dealing with mental and physical health issues for the majority of her life. She would also have to endure a limited quality of life compared to others. Core Beliefs One of the Christian worldview’s core beliefs depends on the commandments. The sixth commandment states that “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13 NIV). Because God is the creator of life, life is not the property of the individual person. Therefore, taking a life, be it yours or another individual, is a violation of the sixth commandment. Joni is a child of God; her life was created by him and he has a plan and purpose for her life. In order to end her life prematurely, both she and the physician assisting her would have to break the commandment of God, determining that her current life isn’t worthwhile and terminating it, ultimately committing a murder. Another core belief is that sufferings are a part of life. “The bible teaches that suffering is not necessarily something that should be avoided at all costs” (Wurster, 2018). Often times suffering is an opportunity to grow closer to God in the moments of weakness. The thought that Jodi’s sufferings are so significant that she needs to die is inherently ignoring the “Christian

3 recognition of the redemptive power of suffering” (Cherry, 2018). It is very likely that through God’s support and will, Jodi’s life will grow into one that is very meaningful and worthwhile, in the limits of her conditions. Instead of trying to immediately exit an uncomfortable situation, the Christian world view recommends that Jodi push through and embrace God’s vision for her future. Resolution Based on the scripture passages and scholarly articles referred to above, the Christian decision would be for Jodi to not end her life. Instead, she and her family would work together to find ways to improve her quality of life and general expectations for life so that she can remain positive. It would be good for her to talk to other quadriplegics who lost their ability to move independently at a young age so that she can see that there are possibilities of living a fulfilled life. Another decision she can make is to terminate all medical intervention. This way she would be accepting her body’s natural condition and when her body stops supporting itself she would die naturally. For example, if Jodi were to need artificial resuscitation and she has a “Do Not Resuscitate” order, then allowing her body to pass naturally would be honoring both her wishes and Gods. The refusal of extraordinary machines and technology to sustain life is very different from the use of machine and technology to cause death. Evaluation As a result of Jodi’s decision to not end her life, she may be depressed for a little while longer. But if she were to remain close to God in the process of healing mentally and keep her family and friends around knowing that “Christians are called to share one another’s burdens” (Euthanasia – How Do Christians Respond?, 2008) then she will surely find a new purpose in life that accommodates for her condition. If Jodi were to decide to terminate all medical

4 intervention, both she and her loved ones will get the opportunity to accept the likely hood of a natural death. She can also await her death peacefully, knowing that she didn’t violate any commandments or act against gods will. She will also be happy to know that she did not cause a medical team to sin, assisting her in the process of physician assisted suicide. By deciding to either embrace her new situation or die naturally, Jodi saves herself, loved ones, and a potential medical team from the guilt of murder and sin. Comparison If Jodi were an atheist, the situation would be completely different. In fact, Jodi would probably not even experience this dilemma. According to the atheistic worldview, the life humans have on earth is all that exists. Since there no God or spiritual intervention, there is nothing after death. After the physical body terminates the person just stops existing. Because humans are the result of evolution, atheists believe in absolute autonomy. The right to do anything with their body as seems fit. Since Jodi is consenting to the physical assisted suicide and she is a mentally stable individual, her autonomy is fully valid and there is nothing wrong with her decision. In addition, since there is nothing to look forward to after death, the quality of the present life is very important to the atheist. There is no reason to suffer and living the present life to the fullest is the goal of every individual so if that cannot be fulfilled for whatever reason, it is fair to terminate one’s life. In Jodi’s case, if she were an atheist, she would look at her future and notice her diminished quality of life, and since this is the one life she has, it is reasonable for her to end it on her own terms. In this ethical dilemma, one’s world view makes all the difference. It is literally a choice between life and death. The Christian world view would compel Jodi to trust in God’s plan for her future and his ability to bring great goodness out of life’s sufferings. The atheist world view

5 would compel Jodi’s to take control of her life as an independent biological entity, ending her life under the justification that “human beings have the right to die when and how they want to… so long as the patient is lucid …, there need be no further questions” (BBC, 2014). Conclusion This ethical dilemma, with the temptation to end her suffering and take charge of her life’s course, is one that would make a world of difference for Jodi. For Christians, it is a question of whether or not to respect God’s authority over life and death. The consequences of the actions are very severe, one that results in a permanent death. For Jodi, as a Christians she has to fight with her core beliefs and push through the dramatic change in life, trusting God infinitely in hopes that he will reward her. The Christian world view is one that offers guidance and support in the face of ethical dilemmas like the one that Jodi faces. Regardless of Jodi’s choice, she and every other person, will face countless dilemmas in their life that will be simultaneously dependent on and influential over their worldview.

6 References BBC. (2014). Pro- euthanasia arguments. Ethics guide. n.d. n.d. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/infavour/infavour_1.shtml

Cherry, Mark J. (2018). Physician-Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Euthanasia: How Not to Die as a Christian. Christian Bioethics, Vol. 24, p. 1-16. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLAn4283752&site=eds-live&scope=site

n.d (2008). Euthanasia – How Do Christians Respond?. Faith finding facts for life’s tough questions. n.d. n.d. Retrieved from http://www.faithfacts.org/christ-and-the-culture/euthanasia

Wurster, Mary. (2018). What does the Bible teach about euthanasia and physician assisted suicide?. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. n.d. n.d. Retrieved from https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/what-does-the-bible-teach-about-euthanasiaand-physician-assisted-suicide...