Healthcare Provider and Faith Diversity: Christianity and Buddhism
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The practice of health care providers at all levels brings you into contact with people from a variety of faiths. This calls for knowledge and acceptance of a diversity of faith expressions.
The purpose of this paper is to complete a comparative analysis of two faith philosophies towards providing health care, one being the Christian perspective. For the second faith, choose a faith that is unfamiliar to you. Examples of faiths to choose from: Sikh, Baha'i, Buddhism, Shintoism, etc.
In a minimum of 1,500-2,000 words, provide a comparative analysis of the different belief systems, reinforcing major themes with insights gained from your research.
In your comparative analysis, address all of the worldview questions in detail for Christianity and your selected faith. Refer to chapter 2 of the Called to Care for the list of questions. Be sure to address the implications of these beliefs for health care.
In addition answer the following questions that address the practical and healthcare implications based on the research:
What are critical common components to all religions/beliefs in regards to healing, such as prayer, meditation, belief, etc.? Explain.
What is important to patients of the faiths when cared for by health care providers whose spiritual beliefs differ from their own?
In your conclusion, describe your own spiritual perspective on healing, what you have learned from the research and how this learning can be applied to a health care provider.
Support your position by referencing at least three academic resources (preferably from the GCU Library) in addition to the course readings, the Bible, and the textbooks for each religion. Each religion must have a primary source included. A total of six references are required according to the specifications listed above. Incorporate the research into your writing in an appropriate, scholarly manner.
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
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Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation
Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity
Comparative Analysis of Christianity and Buddhism Philosophies towards Health Care Provision
Health challenges are critical issues in the lives of humans. A healthy lifestyle is vital in ensuring that someone leads a healthy life. chronic and infectious diseases are on the rise for all demographics in the society including the children. as a result, the expenditure cost is a massive financial burden for the patients, their families, and society in general. The health issue is also a crucial part of religious organizations, and many of them have their take on health care provision. Spirituality addresses health issues ranging from effective health restoring measures, how to deal with pain and suffering associated with being unhealthy, and various opinions regarding curing and healing diseases. Christianity and Buddhism religious philosophies share common and contrasting worldviews regarding health care provision.
Both Christianity and Buddhism share common interests that value the significance of taking care of the sick as vulnerable members of society. In Christianity, for instance, we find many stories of people taking care of the ill and others relying on hearing by prophets, Jesus and even the disciples of Jesus. Crucial tenets of Christianity require the society to take care of the sick (Barker, K. L., & Burdick (1985): Matthew 25:36, 10:8, 4:23, Ezekiel 34:1-32, among many others) indicating the importance of society in providing spiritual healing and taking care of the sick. The Buddhist principles are also fundamental in regards to diseases, their causes, and treatment. For example, Buddhism recognizes both mental and physical illnesses and offers suggestions on how to treat such diseases (Paonil & Sringernyuang, 2002). The two religions bestow great responsibilities the society and the clergy on curing diseases and taking care of the sick in the community.
Conversely, differences arise on the methods and means the two faiths approach the issue of healthcare provision. For example, Christianity believes in God who provides healing to the sick upon a prayer rooted in religion. Buddhism, on the other hand, denies the existence of a deity or deities and recognizes that diseases (afflictions) are ordinary events in the life of human beings (Paonil & Sringernyuang, 2002). On treatment and prevention, for instance, Buddhism advises its followers to take care of both their bodies and their minds. Buddhism provides Bojjhaṅga, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment in addition to medicine and other physical treatments in treating both body and mind ailments (Paonil & Sringernyuang, 2002, p.100). The bible also mentions various instances that illuminate on the value of medicines in taking care of bodies and healing diseases (Barker, K. L., & Burdick (1985): Timothy 5:23, Matthew 9:12, Luke 10:34, among others). The different approaches taken by both religions work in unison with the aim of providing both mental and body health to human beings.
The Christian Philosophy towards Offering Healthcare
Christians believe in the existence of the supreme God who created the universe and human beings. Understanding nature and the life of human beings is greatly influenced by religion in Christianity. Similarly, provision of healthcare and taking care of the sick has the substantial influence of the Christianity faith. Shelly and Miller (2006), for instance, postulate that the Christian philosophy approves the combination of experiential science and modern technologies in providing healthcare to people. Additionally, spirituality in Christianity is crucial in delivering healthcare where prayer in faith to God is considered part of the healing process. Christianity also calls for the community support of the sick asking for people to take care of the sick, visit the sick and even offer medicines whenever needed (Barker, K. L., & Burdick (1985): Matthew 25:36, 10:8). The Christian worldview on healthcare provision combines both physical and spiritual treatment and healing.
Buddhist Philosophy towards offering Healthcare
According to Buddhism, birth, aging, sickness, and death are the four dangers facing human beings that cannot be avoided no matter what. In Buddhism, diseases are natural events and fall under natural law occurring as a result of karma. Buddhists believe that acquiring disease is an essential way of understanding the laws of nature and helps reduce “suffering and anxiety when they become ill” (Paonil & Sringernyuang, 2002, p.99). Further, Buddhism provides the Noble Eightfold Path, an approach that seeks to prevent all diseases in humans. Common ways of contracting mind diseases as defined under Buddhism include ignorance, clinging, craving among others. When believers practice the Noble Eightfold Path, some of these common causes of mental illnesses are steadily eliminated. Under healthcare provision, Buddhism provides that only a close relationship between the mind and the body can bring healing, body, psychological and physical. Additionally, Buddhists believe that by living a life of harmony and less attachment with nature will bring a peaceful state of mind and help someone live a healthy life.
In Buddhism, taking care of one’s body is instrumental in maintaining physical health. By harmonizing the laws of nature, human beings are assured of maintaining physical health. Some of the provisions for living in harmony with nature include prohibiting Buddhists from killing other creatures as a means of protecting or promoting their lives, eating healthy foods, maintaining ...