It is impossible to separate health care from religion. Throughout history, coexistence has been underscored by the permeation of both into each other's domains. From setting up hospitals to treatment regimens, these two aspects of society go hand in hand. However, there exist fundamental conflicts within these spheres that affect the life of the patient in one way or the other. This manuscript attempts to demystify this relationship and thereby give the healthcare professional a basis for understanding and implementing practice guidelines that cater for Christian or Buddhist patient.
The Christian View
The Christian worldview is a framework that examines life as a whole. It affirms the existence of an all-powerful, intelligent being that is timeless and has influence over all the aspects of the world from creation until death and after. The word of God explains every aspect of existence. This means that all knowledge stems and is justified by the same. God's moral nature is set and good. Christians emulate this nature. Diversion from the same begets punishment and necessitates seeking forgiveness.
Life as we know it is God's creation and the purposes of it and design of the same is his to know. Man exists as the mind, the destructible body and the indestructible soul that is the gives life to the body. Death is the extraction of the same from the body and after death, there is judgment, reward and eternal punishment. Divine law and principles take precedence over natural laws. The family unit is defined and protected. The church and the state are God ordained institutions to cater to different needs of man's society concurrently and in synchrony (All About, 2016).
The Christian beliefs vary by denomination and this make it necessary to customize any intervention to the patient's denomination. Various aspects of Christian belief interlace with healthcare service delivery. At the core of this is the belief that perfect health is a biblical concept. This was last experienced by Adam and Eve before the advent of sin (Gen 2:17; II Cor 5:21-22; Rom 5:12). The experience of the same is reserved for the Heavenly state of believers. From this concept however, the aspect of optimal health is derived. This is a condition that is only possible through spiritual revitalization, obedience to the word of God and lastly through the implementation of current medical knowledge. This is stated in various Bible verses (II Cor 5:17; Exodus 15:26). Optimal health cannot be achieved through medical knowledge alone (Prov 3:7, 8).
The biggest cause of disagreement between the Christian faith and medical practice has been in the field of mental health care. The Christian faith lays emphasis on evangelism as an intervention measure in treating mental illness, in absence of which the medical interventions offer an incomplete result. Biblical principles are crucial in treating Christian mental health patients. Prayer, evangelism, reading and applying the word of God are a cornerstone of this (I Cor 15:1-19; II Cor 5:17).
The ultimate cause of disability, deformity and disease is the original sin, committed by Adam and Eve (Gen 2:17; I Cor 15; Rom 5:12). The cause and pathology of disease can therefore not be exclusively explained in the physical sense. Death is conceived as two fold, physical death being an unavoidable fate that is a gateway to the afterlife. The soul in eternal damnation is the experience of spiritual death that is infinitely worse (Rev 20:14). The treatment of the physical body does not supersede interventions for the soul (I Tim 4:8; Payne & Reed, 1999).
The questions on the beginning of life have been raised in the context of reproductive health. This affects the perceived right to terminate pregnancy, a fact that complicates the participation at any level as this is seen as sin, murder. This is because life begins at conception and termination of pregnancy unless done to save the life of the mother is inexcusable and prohibited. The choice of the mother does not take precedence over the right to life of the child. Deformities detected before birth and any other reason fronted are insufficient to allow termination (Payne & Reed, 1999).
The beliefs on death extend to the administration of Euthanasia. This is expressly forbidden in most Christian denominations. The donation of organs is generally accepted and seen as an act of Christian charity. However, there are denominations that see the organ receiving and donation as a perversion of the natural order. Among the Jehovah's Witnesses, it is forbidden to receive blood and this complicated the reception of organs as it necessitates the removal of all blood form the organ before transplant (FLDRN, 2016)
The bottom line in dealing with the Christian patient is that every denomination has a set of rules that affect the health interventions. This means that the practitioner should ask the patient or the family members for consent before undertaking any procedures. It is crucial to allow the involvement of the chaplain or the patient's spiritual leader in the process form the earliest possible opportunity in order to provide the patient with a wholesome healthcare experience that caters to the spiritual and physical needs concurrently.
Buddhist View
In Buddhism, there is acceptance of the practices of other religions that are seen as good. The existence of the natural and supernatural realms is acknowledged. Despite the Buddhist belief in supernatural god-like beings, they do not believe in the existence of an omnipotent being that created everything. To the Buddhist time itself if cyclic, having no beginning or end. Through rebirth, man is infused into the wheel of suffering that aims at testing the principles and concepts until they are seen as truth. At the point of self-actualization, all individual desires are quenched. This makes the goal of existence to seek ultimate release from wants and attachments. Death allows life to continue in another form, animal, human or divine. Once Nirvana is achieved, rebirth does not occur. The teachings of Buddha are sacred. Three discourses in Buddhism follow the surviving texts of Buddha. Monks and nuns are invited to Birth and death rites to read the sacred teachings and teach on suffering. The rituals are aimed at easing the transition of the deceased by transferring merit (TAR; Baxter, 2015).
The Buddhist worldview rests on cause and effect. This phenomenon is known as the principle of dependent origination. It operates all aspects of existence. The overall state of the human being is interwoven with the economic, social, educational, ethico-moral, educational and spiritual tenets. Medical aspects of disease are taken into account in this worldview. Diagnosis of disease needs to be done at all points of the individual's interaction with the natural and supernatural. Health is seen as wholeness. It is defined as harmony within oneself as well as in their interactions.
The cause and effect between ones morality and wellbeing is related in the concept of kamma. Good karma comes from good moral attributes and vice versa. Kamma is cyclic. It originates from the past and affects the future. It affects the appearance and status of the body. The same body is a means of interaction between the individual and the environment, a way to influence our kamma. Depriving the body of anything that furthers health and wellbeing hinders intellectual enlightenment. Sickness is dysfunction of an organ in the body. It reminds man of the body's fragility and the fact that total physical wellbeing is not attainable.
Tibetan Buddhists see the mind as the power that can be used to remove the causes of illness and suffering through meditation. The mind is a formless, limitless, genderless entity that is cognitive and pure. A healthy mind begets a healthy body. The influence of the mind on the causes of disease, the response to diseases and the effects of treatment are varied. Exposure to the same conditions, the same treatments and the same practitioners will still produce varied results in the patients and thus the state of ultimate wellbeing is devoid of the concept of physical illness. Blessing of medicine is seen to increase its effectiveness. This is done through prayers and mantras (Hawter, 1995).
Death and life are impermanent in Buddhism. Birth is the beginning of an opportunity making life very precious. Life begins at conception. Abortion is therefore prohibited. However, birth control that prevents fertilization is permissible. The time of death is a point of transition. It should be diligently prepared for. Peace and quiet for the ding person are paramount. The presence of a monk or a nun is important at this stage. This improves the chances for a better rebirth. Dietary rules are dependent on the branch. Emphasis is placed on prayers, mantras, meditation and the presence of religious objects such as beads, images of Buddha and other Buddhist deities in the patient's room. Buddhists recognize the special place accorded to women and the fact that special care should be taken when handling them (Bhikshu).
The differences between the world views of these two religions highlights the need to customize the interventions in clinical practice to suit the understanding of the patient as to what is the cause of their illness and their understanding of the best practices. It is important to recognize the place occupied by family, fellow religious adherents and spiritual leaders. Their presence helps to ease the hospital stay. Finally, it is important to avoid conflicts between the patient's religious beliefs and practice guidelines by explaining procedure in the most palatable language and seeking consent in all situations, more so when dealing with minors.
References
All About. (2016). Christian Worldview. Retrieved from http://www.allaboutworldview.org/christian-worldview.htm
Ashford and St. Peters (ASP). (2016). Caring for the Christian Patient. Retrieved from https://www.ashfordstpeters.info/images/other/PAS04.pdf
Baxter, J. (2015). The Buddhist World View. Retrieved from http://www.johnbaxter.org/world- views/the-buddhist-world-view/
Bhikshu, K. A Buddhist Approach to Patient Health Care. Retrieved from http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma8/health.html
Bible, B. (2015). The Holy Bible The Authorized King James Version. Century Publishing.
FLDRN. (2016). Religion and Organ Donation. Retrieved from http://www.donorrecovery.org/learn/religion-and-organ-donation/
Hawter, V. (1995). Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective. Retrieved from http://www.buddhanet.net/tib_heal.htm
Payne, E & Reed, W. (1999). The Christian World View of Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.reformation.net/COR_Docs/Christian_Worldview_Medicine.pdf
TAR. Buddhist Worldview. Retrieved from http://www.teachingaboutreligion.org/samplerbuddhist.html
