Christianity and Buddhism - Essay Example

Comparative Analysis: Christianity and Buddhism Healthcare is an important requirement for people of all calibers of life, culture, language and religions. The different groups of people perceive and approach health issues differently. The diversity calls for knowledge and acceptance that people can have different religious views, but the importance of healthcare is a unifying factor. The paper discusses in detail the religious diversity in nursing. It considers in details the Christian perspective and Buddhist perspective. The paper analyses the two religions based on the seven worldview questions. Introduction Diseases affect all people and do not consider and human or spiritual factors. Thus, all people require effective care and treatment. However, treatment may be hindered by various factors. One of the major factors is religion. The world has more than dozen religions with each having different perception and approaches to health. Thus, nurses need to understand the religious views concerning health before attending to patients. Among the main religious groups in the world are Christianity and Buddhism. Christianity Over 30% of the world’s population are Christians. Christianity is one of the oldest religions in the world. Christians believe in God and His son Jesus Christ. Christianity has evolved gradually into two major groups; Catholicism and Protestants. However, the beliefs of the two groups are similar despite the differences in worship. Christian views resonate in healthcare and has a direct impact on the health care system. The Christian worldview can be better exposed through the worldview questions. The prime Reality Christians believe that the prime reality is that God exists and omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. God has the companionship of the Holy Spirit and the Son, Jesus Christ. All creatures came into being from his will and power; thus, all creatures are obligated to bow ad worship him at all times (Shelly & Miller, 2009). Christians believe that the omnipotence of God is enough to heal them of any illnesses. Hence, Christianity has a direct impact on the nursing practice. The Nature of the World around Us The holy Bible stipulates that God created the world and everything in it. He created a complex system with a variety of creatures, many of which scientist have not named yet. However, humans have the power to influence the world around with aspects such as pollution and deforestation. God separated and from the sea and put living creatures in both masses. It follows that God controls the world. The orderly nature of the world, ecosystems, and natural environment prove that they must have some external control. The superior of all creatures is human. What is a Human Being? Man was created in the image of God. In Genesis 1: 26 God says, “Let us create man in our own image." It follows that human beings carry the image of God. As a result, they are able to think, work and reason. The have the power to control their fate and solve numerous problems that they face. The fact that human beings have the image of God makes them the most powerful of all creation with the capacity to innovate, invent and create (Shelly & Miller, 2009). However, human beings are mortal and can only extend life through effective healthcare. What Happens After Death The mortality of humans implies that they cannot live forever. Mortality came as a result of sin. Christians believe that there is life after death. The Bible stipulates that God has prepared paradise for people who will pass the judgment. Although the body decomposes after death, Christians believe that the soul and the spirit do not die and live awaiting the day of resurrection. Possibility of Knowing Anything at All As noted, man is created in the image of God. God is the source of truth and knowledge. Man is thus empowered to know his world and solve problems around him. A mind that can reason and create new things (Sire, 2004). God created man as superior in a manner that he can conduct research, reason critically and formulate working solutions to the problems. Knowing right and wrong The ability to know anything is important in identifying the suitable moral standing. God gave the man a brain to thin and some set laws to follow. The law are outlined in the Bible. The Christian concept right is entrenched in the teachings of the Bible, and the dos and donts in the Bible. In this regard, man can differentiate right from wrong using the scripture as the base. Following the rules of God is the most important thing in Christian life as it symbolizes the important of man to God. Importance of Human History In Exodus 34:14, God made it clear that the primary role of mankind was to worship Him. God created man and ordered him to multiply through generations so that he can prove his superiority and worship. Christians understand the fact that God fought many wars and destroyed a lot of hostile kingdoms to save his people. Essentially, human history shows Gods might and also his patience, mercy and plans for mankind. Buddhism The Prime Reality Buddhism is a religion that focuses on enlightenment of human beings. The religion was started by Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha. The prime reality in this religion is that human beings can define their destiny without considering any supernatural being. The religion also discards the theories of the existence of supernatural powers. Thus, human beings can make the world the way they want it to be. However, that can happen if only they are enlightened. Nature of the world around Us Buddhism does not consider how the world was created or how came to be. Buddhists argue that knowledge on such issues is not beneficial to humans. Human beings should rather focus on developing the current and the future world. However, the views of Buddhists may sound similar to those of science since they do not believe in the existence of God, and the world exists. It follows that there must have been someone, or a process that formed the world. However, Buddhists argue it is the role of humans to protect the world and the surroundings since it has answers to many human problems. One such problem is health where Buddhists argue that natural medicine is best for human health. What is a human Being? According the Buddhists, there is no point of discussing or researching on how human beings came to be. Rather, Buddhists focus on what human beings are and how they can make the world a better place. Buddhists believe that a complete human being is the one who is enlightened with the wisdom of Buddha. Such a being is able to solve the human problems amicable without appealing to supernatural beings. As a result, Buddhists may not attend hospitals in case of illnesses and may seek natural solutions. What Happens After Death Buddhists believe that life is impermanent and that all human beings must die. However, Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and that death is not the end of life. They believe that death is only for the body. The spirit of a person lingers on and actively seeks a new body to attach itself (Eckel, 2010). Thus, the Buddhists perspective is that people may be reborn after they die. However, rebirth has conditions. One must have been a good person in the eyes of Buddha since rebirth or non-rebirth is the result of karma. Possibility of Knowing Anything at All As noted, Buddha taught his disciple not to believe anything that comes from documented sources or from supernatural beings. He claims that a combination of natural factors enabled human beings to have a critical mind that can be used to criticize, confirm or discard any theory. In this regard, the Buddhists do not accept theories that they have not proven or cannot prove with certainty (Siderits, 2007). The impact of this view in healthcare is that Buddhists may decline certain medication just because they do not have enough information on them. Buddhists believe what they cannot prove may be wrong. Knowing Right and Wrong Differentiating right and wrong is the primary obligation of a Buddhist. The Buddhist holy book, the Tikitaka, outlines the teachings of Buddha on morality. What is moral is right and what is deemed immoral is wrong. Buddha recommends mindful behavior and desistance from harming others, especially the weak. Any behavior that causes anguish or suffering to others is immoral and hence wrong. The teachings resonate well with nursing where nurses are required to act in the best interest of patients. They are required to make a sacrifice to save others. Importance of Human History As noted, Buddhism does not consider the history of mankind. The religion asserts that it is impractical and irrelevant to consider the origin and history or man. The religion stipulates that trying to unravel the mysteries of the creation and history of mankind may result in more confusion. Common Components in Christian and Buddhist Worldviews Despite the many differences between the worldviews, there are several common aspects that are critical to healing. The similarities are evident in prayer, faith, belief, and meditation. In both worldviews, prayer is a vital component. Christians pray to God for help in case of a problem. Christians argue that if a prayer is said with devotion and faith, God would probably answer it. The importance of prayer is widely documented in Christian holy books such as the Bible. Whereas Buddhists do not pray to a supernatural being, prayer is deemed as a means to reach one’s inner self (Weaver, Vane & Flannelly, 2008). It is the only way man can understand himself and attain inner peace. The prayers are supposed to help individuals gain courage and power to help themselves such as seeking help in a health institution or using natural medicine. Another common element is belief. Prayers cannot be answered if a person does not subscribe to the beliefs of the religion. For example, a person cannot expect healing from God if he does not believe in existence of God, or have no faith in God’s power. Consequently, a person cannot be enlightened if he has no faith or control of the inner self. Access to inner self though prayer is vital for the enhancement of knowledge on how to solve life challenges. Access to the inner self can be enhanced through meditation. Mediation allows Christians to know more about God. It is important in drawing a person closer to God. A person’s faith and beliefs deepen when they have a feeling of closeness to God. God is likely to answer prayers of people who are close to him since being close implies more faith and holiness. Meditating people can be a challenge to healthcare. They rely entirely on a healing miracle from God and deem treatment as a subordination of God. Meditation is also a vital part of Buddhism and determines the commitment of an individual to the religion (Wiist et al., 2012). It may discourage adherents from seeking healthcare and focus on meditation. Religious Diversity in Healthcare Religion is a crucial factor in healthcare. Nurses often find themselves in situations of religious diversity. As such, they must act with caution and understanding. The first step in serving different religions efficiently is realizing that different views may result in different preferences in treatment. Patients often find solace in professionals who understand their religious beliefs and who can treat them without violating them. Thus, the first consideration of a patient is whether the health care workers would respect religious beliefs or not. In the Christian perspective, a patient is concerned about the impact of certain medication on the body. For example, Christian women who are pregnant may be concerned about health care than may lead to miscarriage since it would contravene the Christian faith. Also, surgeries that remove parts of the body are deemed to be in contravention with the religion. Buddhists have different practices in situations such as palliative care. They do not believe in sedation of patients since adherents are supposed to be alert and fee their bodies so as to meditate and pray as they die. Buddhism also does not encourage excessive medication and gives a patient space to focus on life, his deeds and relationship with others. A patient practicing Buddhism would be concerned on whether a non-Buddhist nurse would understand such practices. Conclusion The motive of a healthcare facility is to improve the health of its patients. I believe that effective healthcare can be achieved by a balance between spiritual concerns and the required treatment. As a Christian, I believe in Gods healing. However, God’s promise works well when humans try to assist themselves. The paper indicates that people have different religious views that impact healthcare. Such views are so sensitive that patients may deists from visiting health facilities. Nurses are thus supposed to inquire about the religion of patients before attending to them. Consequently, nurses should learn of major religious views regarding health so as to effectively assist patients with varying beliefs. References Eckel, M. D. (2010). Buddhism. New York: Rosen Pub. Shelly, J. A., & Miller, A. B. (2009). Called to care: A Christian worldview for nursing. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic/InterVarsity Press. Siderits, M. (2007). Buddhism as philosophy: An introduction. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Weaver, A., Vane, A., & Flannelly, K. (2008). A review of research on Buddhism and health: 1980-2003. Journal Of Health Care Chaplaincy, 14(2), 118-132. Wiist, W., Sullivan, B., George, D., & Wayment, H. (2012). Buddhists Religious and Health Practices. Journal Of Religion & Health, 51(1), 132-147. doi:10.1007/s10943-010-9348-5 Read More