Suffering and Death in a Christian Worldview

Suffering and Death in a Christian Worldview

Abstract

When God created human beings, He had intended to give them a life free from suffering; a plan that failed due to Satan’s move to deceive human beings. George is a victim of suffering and has to make difficult decisions that are affected by his position as a Christian. George is a Christian and understands that suffering is normal since human beings once disobeyed God and allowed suffering into the world, and thus no explanation was needed as to why human beings go through suffering. George believes that there is hope for resurrection and that death is a transition from the world of suffering to eternal peace. Christianity places the value of life above any reason that could be found for taking away the life of a person. The value of life in Christianity leads to the argument that a person should not under any circumstances choose to end life. One of the options that can be morally justifiable is to put George at the end of life care as a form of euthanasia. Another option is to pray for George so that God can heal him. A personal course of action for an individual in George’s position is affected by the worldview they hold.

Suffering and Death in a Christian Worldview

The fallenness is defined as the source of suffering in the Christian worldview. When God created human beings, He had intended to give them a life free from suffering. The first plan was to place all creatures in the Garden of Eden, where life would be eternal, and no death was known initially. Human beings were mandated to take care of the other creation since they were knowledgeable. Also, Human beings were created in the image of God and thus would enjoy privileges over other creatures. The relationship between God and human beings was good, and God would visit Human beings regularly to ensure that everything in the garden was going on as planned. However, the enjoyment of life was subject to human beings’ obedience to God since God had set rules to be adhered to in the Garden of Eden. Satan, who had rebelled against God for a long time, was however determined to destroy God’s plan by coming in between God and human beings. George is a Christian and understands that suffering is normal since human beings once disobeyed God and allowed suffering into the world, and thus no explanation was needed as to why human beings go through suffering.

Christianity is based on the belief that suffering began in the Garden of Eden after the fall of man. Satan was not happy with the privileges that human beings were enjoying due to their obedience to God. Also, Satan was determined to continue his rebellion against God. Therefore, Satan decided to use the conditions that God had set for human beings to move them away from God. The alienation of human beings from God would allow them to be exposed to suffering, but they could not understand because they had not endured suffering before (Van der Walt, 2017). According to the Christian teachings, Satan appeared to human beings in the form of a serpent and convinced them to disobey God in a bid to get a similar glory. However, disobedience to God moved human beings from God, and they were exposed to suffering. Human beings have since then been subjected to unexplainable suffering, with their only hope being to turn back to God. However, the suffering of Christians is not without hope because God always provides healing to the suffering of human beings when they seek him.

Interpretation of Suffering in the Hope of Resurrection

George is hopeful that there is a chance for the resurrection because he holds a Christian perspective. Human beings holding a Christian perspective do not suffer without hope. After the fallenness of man, God did not give up on His desire to keep human beings near him. The introduction of suffering was just a way of showing God’s disappointment in human beings but was not a way of chasing away human beings from the glory of God. The disobedience in the Garden of Eden was the entrance of sin to humanity, and God would not associate with sin because it was from the Devil (Ting & Sundararajan, 2018). Therefore, God had to find a way of redeeming the human race from sin and closing the gap that had been caused by the events in the Garden of Eden. The Christian worldview is based on the belief that sin can be redeemed through sacrifice. According to the Old Testament scriptures, Christians used to offer a blood sacrifice to God in a bid to appease God and seek His blessings. However, he realized that human beings were struggling to get back to him, and he had to find a permanent solution.

The redemption of human beings from death was founded on victory over death. After the fall in the Garden of Eden, death entered the earth as a way of suffering. Generally, human beings thought that death was the end of suffering to the victim but passed the suffering to the people left behind. Besides, death brings loss and pain to the people who are left behind. Therefore, the redemption of humankind from suffering had to consider the relationship between God and human beings both before and after death. God decided to offer relief to humankind by offering His son Jesus as a sacrifice for the sin that had happened in the Garden of Eden. However, the redemption was not forced, and God would only get back to people who were willing to accept Jesus. Jesus’ task during the incarnation was to conquer sin, die, and resurrect in a bid to conquer death. George is said to be a Christian and thus believes in the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, George believes that there is hope for resurrection and that death is a transition from the world of suffering to eternal peace.

Value of Life

George is having difficulties coming up with the final decision because of his Christian worldview. Christianity places the value of life above any reason that could be found for taking away the life of a person. The value of life in Christianity leads to the argument that a person should not under any circumstances choose to end life. This argument includes the possibility that a person may take their own life and thus eliminates such a possibility. With the position held on suffering and hope of defeating suffering, Christians are expected to endure the pain of suffering until God decides to take away their life. George may have all the reasons to terminate his life, but his belief in Christianity contradicts the decision to end suffering through euthanasia (Cherry, 2018). Also, the value of George’s life is not only based on his ability to engage actively on matters to do with life but the ability to remain alive. Generally, human life is priceless, and justifying euthanasia is equal to going against the will of God to create human beings in his image and breathing life into them.

The continued suffering could be interpreted to mean that God still values George’s life. The belief that life will lose its value when his condition worsens shows that George does not hold his faith firmly. Besides, the value that God places on human life leads him into intervening in times of suffering. Christians should not give up at any time because that will not be a good representation of their faith in God. The moral standards set in the Christian perspective compel Christians to respect each other’s life. Moreover, the proposal for euthanasia appears to have diminished the value given to human life from the Christian perspective.

Values and Considerations

A set of values and considerations are expected to hold the center stage in determining George’s case. Human life is viewed with the sacredness that is associated with its origin. When the first human being was created, life was given to them through God’s breath. The fact that human beings carry human breath in them gives their life a sacred essence that should not be devalued. When a person proposes euthanasia as a way of avoiding suffering, they can be interpreted as ignoring the sanctity with which human life should be treated. Instead of proposing ways of ending human life, individuals and experts should find better and effective palatial care services. George, for example, should seek better care for his condition instead of going for euthanasia. Governments can also help in funding palatial care provision in a bid to show support for the value of human beings. Generally, the decision on George’s should be based on the respect for human life and the value given by the fact of carrying the breath of God.

Christians are defined by their faith in God as well as the ability to do good whenever they are faced with a dilemma. Faith in the Christian worldview involves failing to give up even when hope is gone. The foundation of faith in the Christian perspective is that God does not forget His people. One of the major positions held by Christians is that sickness comes as a test for the faith of a Christian. George, in this case, is expected to interpret his sickness as a test for the faith that he has on God. Generally, the hardest tests are ones that involve incurable conditions such as George’s case.  When an individual gives up on the sickness, their faith is adjudged as being weak. When euthanasia is chosen as an option, the belief that prayer works are overlooked, and a Christian is seen to have overlooked crucial values in their life. Therefore, George should get down into prayer and trust in God for healing, and where God decides to terminate George’s life, then that will be done peacefully. Also, euthanasia leaves suffering to people who are left behind as they grief George’s death, and Christian values do not support causing suffering to other people.

Morally Justifiable Option

Moral standards are diverse, and different cultures have different moral standards. In the Christian, worldview morality is based on what appears good. Also, Christianity allows for the respect of people’s decisions. One of the options that can be morally justifiable is to put George at the end of life care as a form of euthanasia. Euthanasia can be taken differently, but the end of life care should be the only morally justifiable option (Cherry, 2018). George’s sickness has no cure, and the doctors cannot offer any assistance. Also, putting George in a life-support machine is similar to forcing him to live past his designated death time. Therefore, end of life care will allow George to die when God feels that his time has come. Also, the end of life care will psychologically prepare George for his death and can be seen as a moral way to do good to George despite his condition. Another option is to pray for George so that God can heal him. Christians believe that God is a miracle healer and can intervene in any situation, even for incurable conditions. The outcome of the last option is dependent on the strength of George’s faith, and he should be involved in choosing any of the options.

Personal Decision

If I were in George’s position, I would prefer going for the end of life care. The condition is not treatable, and being alive is a burden to the people taking care of me. Also, palatial care is expensive and will require a huge amount of money to be manageable. As a Christian, I believe in taking care of other people and not exposing them to suffering. End of life care cannot be interpreted as murder because the only thing that is done is that I will not be receiving treatment to keep me alive. Also, I have the feeling that human understanding is part of God’s plan for human beings. Although people with all manners of reasons will object my decision, I will instead focus on putting sense in the lives of people concerning the value of life with God. Also, I will take the time to revisit my relationship with God before my day of death.

In sum, George understands as a Christian that suffering is normal since human beings once disobeyed God and allowed suffering into the world, and thus no explanation was needed as to why human beings go through suffering. However, the suffering of Christians is not without hope because God always provides healing to the suffering of human beings when they seek him. The decision by George to undergo euthanasia is based on the fact that his condition is incurable, and he has given up in life.

References

Cherry, M. J. (2018). Physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia: How not to die as a      Christian.

Ting, R. S. K., & Sundararajan, L. (2018). Suffering and Worldviews. In Culture, Cognition, and             Emotion in China’s Religious Ethnic Minorities (pp. 83-124). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Van der Walt, B. J. (2017). Sharing an integral Christian worldview with a younger generation:    Why and how should it be done and received?. In die Skriflig, 51(1), 1-11.