Religion

Question 1

 Today, conservative Christians apply the principles of Deuteronomist Theology in discussing the aspects of life.  For example,  people use the doctrine of ‘blame the victim' and argue that people are obligated to obey God's laws and failure to obey makes them face God's wrath (Sugirtharajah, 2006). Focusing on the theology of suffering, some people claim that illnesses such as HIV/AIDS are punishments from God. They believe that people suffer due to apostasy or in other words, they refuse to follow God's commandments and focus on satisfying the self.  The theology of suffering can be traced back to Ancient times and in specific the oriental thought that states that people whose actions are positive prosper whereas people whose actions are negative are punished (Sugirtharajah, 2006). Thus, people tend to rely on the biblical traditions and the Old Testament such as Deuteronomy 28 which says that if people obey God's commandment, God will bless them. However, those who not obey the commandments, God will curse them.  Thus, people believe that those who not follow God's commandment or rather those who are disobedient are cursed (Sugirtharajah, 2006).  Maxwell (2004) supports the Deuteronomy retribution by asserting that the Old Testament and in specific Deuteronomy play a significant role in the lives of Christians. The testament teaches people about the Christian journey, and the word allow Christians to reach their potential.  Focusing on the book of Deuteronomy, Moses advised the people of Israel not to forget God, to address the social needs of the community, and to consider future generations in making decisions, and obedience to God (Maxwell, 2004). Thus, religious actors use moral dimension toward health and sexuality.  For example, they believe that there is a covenant between God and man which is about being obedient. Thus, whoever fails to adhere to the law deserves God wrath. The wrath is just, and God responds to sin with wrath.

Question 2

 

 The Anointing of the Sick is a special ritual conducted by Catholics. The sacrament seeks to minister to the sick in a spiritual manner through anointing oil and the prayer of faith (Larson-Miller, 2005).  The acts strength the soul and gives the sick Christian peace and courage to accept the situation and fight the illness.  In addition, the priests help the sick Christians create a union with Christ, and experience a healing touch (Larson-Miller, 2005).  Note that during the prayers of faith and the anointing of oil, the priests of the church show the sick solidarity and love. As a result, the Lord raises them up and forgives their sins.  In general, the anointing of oil and the prayer of faith provides the sick Christian with hope and inner peace

Question 3 a

 

 On sickness and suffering, Sulmasy talks about compassion and says that compassion means showing genuine concern to the sick.  In general, Sulmasy means that compassion is better than sympathy and empathy because it is an emotional engagement. In other words, compassion means sharing of feelings, recognition of the suffering and offering a response (Sulmasy, 2006). It also means understanding the situation or rather the world of the sick person, walk in their shoes and share their struggles and happiness. An important point to understand is that compassion goes beyond meeting physical needs. This means that one does not only need to meet the physical needs but he or she should also meet the emotional needs (Sulmasy, 2006).  Another point is that compassion does not only relieve the suffering but it also creates the fullness of life through giving encouragements,  showing love and kindness, and more importantly making a difference in someone's life.

Question 3b

 

One example of the compassionate care I have observed in my professional experience is being an active listener. When dealing with patients, I have noticed that it is important to listen to the patients' health issues and complaints and by so doing, the patients gain a positive experience, they develop a sense of belonging and a sense of human connection (Sulmasy, 2006). Similarly, the clinicians understand the patients' condition deeply and offer emotional support, promotes the well-being, and more importantly, creates a strong bond. Thus, active listening is an example of compassionate care that clinicians should consider in order to promote treatment adherence, improve health care, and promote self-management goals.

Question 3c

 

 One way in which the healthcare field promotes the practice of compassion for patients is through training. The healthcare field understands that compassion is necessary for pain and suffering since it promotes mental and physical health (Sulmasy, 2006).Thus, the field promotes the practice of compassion by offering Compassion Cultivation Training where the participants gain skills of compassion which helps them deal with all living beings. The training allows the learners to develop compassion to others, improve communication, and relive the suffering of patients.

Question 4

 

 Focusing on the dialectic of healing, the most important aspect for the nursing profession is that medical practice is a  spiritual practice and therefore, nursing should have a caring nature or in other words, they should truly and deeply offer support and care for the patients (Sulmasy, 2006). Being a spiritual practice, they should be compassionate, emotionally stable, and offer immediate response to the patients' needs.

 

 

References

 

Sugirtharajah, R. S. (2006). Voices from the margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World.

Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis Books.

 

Maxwell, J. C. (2004). Deuteronomy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Incorporated.

 

Larson-Miller, L. (2005). The sacrament of anointing the sick. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical

Press.

 

Sulmasy, D. P. (2006). The rebirth of the clinic: An introduction to spirituality in health care.

Washington: Georgetown University Press.