Religion and Health Practice

Religion and Health Practice
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Abstract
It is of major importance for healthcare providers to be aware of the practices of other religions given that this will allow them to accept and incorporate some of the observations of such faiths into their health practice. This paper covers the Sikh religion, Native American spiritual belief system and the Islam religion and how they provide challenges in the delivery of health care. The practice of the Native American belief system contrasts to the general practice of medicine where confidentiality is a requirement between the patient and practitioner. As a religious practice, healing is mainly considered an act of God and, therefore, sacred. Sikhism has no restrictions and encourages any effort to try to save a human life through means such as resuscitation. The religion additionally discourages suicide or euthanasia because of its religious observance. The Sikh value family and relatives may come visiting a patient in large numbers. In the Islam religion, the practice of euthanasia and assisting patients commit suicide is not encouraged and maintaining a terminal patient on artificial life support for long periods in a vegetative state is also not encouraged. It is vital for the healthcare professionals to be able to recognize the religious practices of others in order to accord them the treatment that is right and respects their beliefs and practices.
Health care providers working in their stations everyday encounter people of a variety of faiths. Because of this interaction, healthcare providers need to be aware of the practices of other religions. The experience gathered this way would enable the healthcare provider to accept and incorporate some of the observations of such faiths into their health practice. The incorporation of such practices will then enable both the patient and care provider to relate better at the health care institutions. This paper will look at three faiths in order to examine how some of their religious practices provide challenges to the provision of healthcare. The three religions that will be examined are the Native American spiritual belief systems, Islam and the Sikh religions.
Native American Belief Systems
The Native American people are found in North and South America. The people are said to have come into the Americas through a large land bridge, which had connected the two continents of Europe, and America (Williamson, Proctor-Childs & Jenkinson, 2008). They claim that the native Indians had crossed into America as several linguistic groups more than 13, 500 years ago. The Native American Indians have a rich culture and have a highly developed religious systems and practices. Some of the religious practices may prove a hindrance in the provision of healthcare to those who observe the religion.
The Native American spirituality is very sensitive and close to nature, and it tries to emphasize the importance of all beings being together and connected. The religion observes that a relationship must exist between man, other men, nature and ultimately, God (Williamson, Proctor-Childs & Jenkinsen, 2008). Indian traditions will sometimes try to prove this point of interconnectedness through the entire community by insisting that the practice of healing be observed by the whole community. The practice, according to the traditions and religious beliefs, preserves the healing traditions of the whole community because the people will witness the medicines and procedures involved. The practice contrasts to the general practice of medicine where confidentiality is a requirement between the patient and practitioner. As a religious practice, healing is mainly considered an act of God and, therefore, sacred. Williamson, Proctor-Childs & Jenkinsen, (2008) observe that they believed that the spirits of the dead ancestors played an important part in the process and had to be placated to show favor to the patient. The Native Indian populations advocate for their independence and a belief in themselves that they are capable of dealing with their own issues. Because of that, they advocate for the treatment of their sick with their own medicines and procedures.
The way the Native Indian people observe some of their religious practices differs to some of the known religious practices and as well as of the general practice of healthcare. The Native American Indians believe that if a person is sick, that points to an imbalance of the connection between man, his fellow men, nature and God. As compared to the general health practice, close family members will have less reservation in trying to witness the procedures and treatments done on their family members. A sit...