Essay Example on Differences between the worldviews of the Christian faith and Buddhism

Abstract This paper will examine the differences between the worldviews of the Christian faith and Buddhism It will also examine how these worldviews will affect an individual's decision making process via a case study supplied by Grand Canyon University 2013 The case study is about an active middle ages man named George who has recently been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS and the prognosis isn t a pleasant one George is faced with some decisions and considers voluntary euthanasia as a viable option The author will add their personal perspective to George s situation Case Study on Death and Dying Working in the healthcare field a healthcare employee will have contact with multiple different cultures and belief systems that may be different than the ones that they hold It is however part of their job to treat each patient as a whole and be able to provide reassurance and comfort not only from a medical standpoint but also a spiritual one Having an understanding of the patients beliefs and what their faiths worldviews are will help to achieve this goal By knowing what your own worldviews are and how they differ from others is key to being able to respect even if you disagree with their views 

This is important so that the caregiver does not allow their views to impede on the care to the individual and that it does not become a detrimental to the patient In the article Spirituality healing and medicine Davis Aldridge 1991 writes that healing and recovery is said to be faster when medical and spiritual care is both incorporated into care throughout various worldviews Comparative Analysis of Christianity and Buddhism Worldview is a term that is defined as an individual s perception of the world around them through their beliefs James Sire developed a series of questions to help determine and individual s worldview and how their decision making process could be altered based on their beliefs The questions are as follows What is prime reality What is the nature of the world What is a human being What happens at death Why is it possible to know anything How do you know right from wrong What is the meaning of human history blank The author is going to answer the preceding questions from both a Christian viewpoint as well as a Buddhist standpoint Prime Reality The foundation of what is important to an individual is prime reality People of Christian faith it is an easy one to spot as it is in the very beginning of their religious text Genesis 1 

1 reads In the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth This text alone sets the precedent that God is the creator of the world and everything else around it or on it The goal of those who practice the Christian faith is to have lived their lives in such a way that they will enter the kingdom of Heaven after they die Buddhism is described by blank White 1993 as a philosophy than a religion but many who practice Buddhism praise Buddha These individuals tend to believe that life was not created and they are resting in a perpetual state of being A Buddhist s goal in life is to live life normally and to achieve a state of Nirvana Nature of the World Christians function on the belief that the world was created by God as a place that will allow the human race to sustain This is backed up in the book of Genesis in the Bible The first chapter of the book of Genesis is the story of creation as told by the Christian faith it states the process in which God created the heavens and the Earth Shelly and Miller 2006 state that God provides for those who believe in him and that is why he created the Earth Buddhists see the Earth of no value and things happen for a reason this reason known as the phenomenon of karma Karma is a cause and effect type system do good things and good things will happen and the same goes for bad things 

They believe that if one were to plant a seed it will only grow if the conditions are right blank White 1993 What is a Human Being What happens at death Why is it possible to know anything Knowing what is right and wrong Meaning of human history Interpretation of Malady and Suffering Value of Life Values and Considerations Morally Justified Options Defend Personal Perspective In George s case his is an active that is intelligent and uses movement and speech within almost every aspect of his life career and personal Not having the ability to do these things and becoming totally dependent on another individual one could perceive as an extreme form of torture for this individual If George has discussed every possibility with his family and made his wishes known instead of going through his conceived torture that could last for an unknown amount of time then voluntary euthanasia is a plausible option for him This is taking into account his own worldview as well as the world view of his loved ones via discussion with his family If the euthanasia were not an option the mental attack this man is afraid of suffering due to loss of lifestyle would almost be worse than death Ultimately as long as everything has been thoroughly discussed and thought out amongst the family George has the right to make such an extreme decision if he so wishes Conclusion