Grand Canyon University PHI-413V: Ethical and Spiritual Decision-Making in Health Care

Abstract George is a successful attorney who is also teaching law at a university in Oregon. He began to experience an increase in muscle weakness and unresponsive muscle coordination, which led to a fall and hip injury. Due to further testing after the fall, George has found out that he has ALS. George is considering possible voluntary euthanasia due to the loss of power and dignity he is about to experience with this disease. How would George interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the fallenness of the world? Christians view suffering and fallenness as the same thing. The back story of fallenness is the story of when Adam and Eve were put on this earth. Adam and Eve were put on earth and were able to eat whatever they wanted, except for one fruit that God had warned them about. When Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit, it caused her and Adam to be rid of the garden of Eden. God then decided to separate himself from Adam and Eve, causing the fallenness. At this time, God had pronounced a curse on Adam and Eve saying that they would have to toil for food, which made human suffering a curse. As human beings, sometimes we fall short of God's will and sin from time to time. George is questioning if his suffering to come means that he is a sinner. In the Christian religion, it is believed that suffering is equal to sinning since God has declared sinning as a cause of suffering. George just got the news that his life is not going to last much longer when he is supposed to be retiring. George seems to be experiencing some grief with this news.