Comparative
Analysis of Two Faith Philosophies
Healthcare
provision, especially in cosmopolitan areas is unbiased according to faith and
religious beliefs. A healthcare provider, therefore, is obliged to have a
detailed knowledge on how to execute their tasks duties without breaching the
patients’ religious beliefs and views. Studies have shown that religion plays a
significant role in the recovery of an ailing person. Strong religious views on
the part of an ailing individual can be a source of hope at the face of
adversity, strengthening the will to overcome the disease and regain the
original health.
There
is a stark difference between the Christian
and Hindu views on health matters. In particular, the distinction stems from
the dissimilarity between the two religions—Christianity is Abrahamic while Hinduism
is Dharmic. Other Abrahamic religions that share strong health views with
Christianity include Judaism and Islam. But the purpose of this paper is to
explore in detail the comparison of Christian
and Hindu philosophy towards health care provision. The paper shall also
address a number of worldview questions on Christianity in comparison to Hindu
religion.
The
Prime Reality
One
of the main pillars of Christian doctrine is the belief in God the father, the
son and the Holy Spirit. All the three exist as a trinity. As such, every
Christian is mandated to worship the father through the son. In fact, the Christian foundation is anchored
on the faith in the death and resurrection of Christ
and his provision of the missing link between God, the father, and the
humanity. It is a belief by the Christians that God is the ruler of the entire
universe (material and immaterial) and the ultimate giver of life. Also,
Christians believe that the evil, including diseases and suffering, are as a
result of the battle between God and the ‘fallen angels’. The fallen angels are
believed to have once been on the good side before the eventual deception of
the first humans.
On
the other hand, the Hindu religion is anchored on a complete devotion to diverse
gods and goddesses. Of keen to note is that Hinduism existed for three
millennia before the conception of Christianity. During the early years of
Hinduism, it was a common phenomenon to worship diverse gods, according to
seasons and personal needs. The tradition has stuck even in the modern times.
But over the years, diverse sects of Hinduism have developed, leading to the
diversification of beliefs in gods. Unlike Christianity, the Hindu gods are
physical. As observed by Knott (1998) a remarkable number of the major Hindu sects
trust that Atman (god above all) can be reincarnated in some sacred animals
including monkeys and cows. For Christians, any form of idol worship is a sin.
It is ruled out in the Moses ’ 10
commandments.
The
Nature of the World
Christians
see the world as Gods creation alongside all its inhabitants. The whole
creation story is narrated in Genesis, the first book in the bible, where
humans were given the authority above all the world inhabitants. Christians
view diseases and sufferings that cripple the world as part of the consequences
of the sins of Adam and eve (the
pioneer world human settlers and parents to all humans). Because humans exist
as physical beings, the world they inhabit is physical as well; so do the
diseases. Some Christians, including Catholics and Protestants, believe that
all humans are mere mortals and temporary inhabitants. For Mosaic Law abiders,
their faith rests upon the transition of a physical being spirituality after
death. The death can be caused by accidents and diseases brought by the
existence of an evil being in the world. importance of prayes in christianity
Contrastingly,
Hindu beliefs trash Christianity as based on illusions. While some sects
believe the world to be physical, other old Hindu sects have a differing strong
stance. Kolenda (1964) observes that most Hindus see the world and the sin in
it as an illusion that can be shrugged off through the enlightenment. However,
they believe that every human being should strive to do well to others in order
to escape the birth and reincarnation cycle that can go on for eternity.
According to Hindu, world is a debt repayment site for Hindu wrongdoers. As
such, the diseases and sufferings that invest it are meant to mend the paths of
wrong-doing in the past life.
What
is a Human Being?
Christians
believe that human beings are the only creatures made in the image of their
creator. If they keep their Christian faith, they believe that they will one
day be reunited with their master, for eternity. It is a different case,
though, for Hindu believers: they believe that they are sleeping gods waiting
the awakening and enlightenment. The enlightenment is achieved after full
repayment of Karmic consequences through subsequent reincarnations and
sufferings.
Afterlife
Experience
According
to Obayashi (1992), Hindus die and resurrect several times. As long as they
have are indebted by karma, attainment of Moksha after death is hardly
possible. As such, every Hindu believer is tasked with execution of good deeds
while they are alive so that they can achieve enlightenment after death. For
Christians, there is a string belief that they will be resurrected during the
second coming of their savior.
Why
is it Possible to know anything at all?
Christians’
God is omnipotent, Omnipresent and all knowing. As Christians believe they were
created in his image, it is possible that they inherited some traits from the
creator, though in minimal qualities. The traits include intelligence and
wisdom on how to rule the earth. Also, the Genesis story about the forbidden
fruit, the serpent, and the first humans is thought to have unlocked the human
potential with regards to the knowledge of ‘hidden secrets'. Thus, the hidden
knowledge in the Garden of Eden made the descendants of Adam
and Eve more knowledgeable than other
creatures.
In
comparison, ‘Hindus’ see themselves as ‘small gods’. Thus, there is no reason
for them to lack knowledge of their surroundings. No wonder they seek health
care from other ‘knowledgeable small gods’—the medical professionals. They also
believe that their subsequent reincarnations take them from one step to the
other in the knowledge and wisdom ladder of life. In the end, they will achieve
a breakthrough by attaining enlightenment—the ultimate step of all knowledge
and eternal existence in the realm of the spiritual word. In fact, there is a
striking similarity between the Hindu beliefs and human evolution only that an
individual can be reincarnated to a lesser being (Nelson ,
1998).
Knowledge
of Right and Wrong
Christians
view on the knowledge of right and wrong originates from the Garden of Eden. Eve eating the forbidden fruit signaled the start of
human knowledge of good and evil. Besides, Christians were created in the
creator's image, which earned them the right of the good and evil knowledge.
There are numerous stories in the Holy Bible that reiterate the God's Love for
humankind. It is because of this undying love that God gifted humans with the
knowledge to prevent them from harm. Hindus, on the other hand, believe that
they are entitled to know good and evil by right. Being part of Atman, their
Supreme Being, and fellow god, their supernatural existence in reincarnations
and enlightenments entitles them to a truce over all earthly provisions
including the good and the evil. Strong beliefs enable them to evade the evil
including bad health.
The
Meaning of Human History
Christians
believe that Christ , their savior, ascended to the
paradise to make homes for his believers. In future, he will come back to
resurrect them to their new homes. As such, the human history, according to
Christians, is to prepare them for the future eternity in the heavens. In a
sharp contrast, Hindus believe that they are part of the human history. Their
belief is that they will form human history for as long as they are trapped in
the reincarnation circle. Also, they can decipher the human history to find
clues on how to live a righteous life that will result in completion of Karma
debt and the eventual attainment of enlightenment.
Critical
Common Components in all Religions with Healthcare Implications
1. Prayers and Sacraments
Among Christians,
prayer links them to their creator. As such, they can ask for anything from
their creator and it will be given to them. This can include the seeking of
divine intervention for their health conditions. Special rituals, including the offering of
sacraments (like an olive branch), can be conducted by priests as a symbol of
the goodwill to the sick. Prayers and sacraments to the sick is a sign of love,
especially when conducted by a healthcare professional. They boost the mood of
the ailing individuals, hence encouraging their quick recovery (Worthington et
al., 1996).
2. Meditation
Meditation
is uncommon among the Christians. However, it is a regular practice among the
Hindus and Buddhists. Meditation has healing properties when administered to an
ailing individual. Scientifically, a properly conducted deep meditation
unleashes human energy that ensures relaxation and relief from stress. As such,
diseases caused by stress will subsequently be diminished and eliminated.
3. Yoga
Yoga
is another common practice by Hindus and Buddhists it is a part of the exercise
that kick out ailments. Asian people have been practicing yoga for Millennia.
This implies that the Healing practice has stood the test of time. It has
proven that people who need healthcare can receive aid and divine intervention
through such.
4. Communion and Communal Worship
Conducting
worship together amongst Christians not only lead to strong ties but also, it
is a show of love and tender care to the people in need. Most of the time, it
is exactly what the ailing patients need for them to fully recover. Hindus discovered this secret long before
Christianity was conceived. That is why in the modern times, communal worships
and temple offerings are still conducted whenever there is a sick Hindu member
(Cohen et al., 2005).
Conclusion
From
a personal viewpoint, it is true that most Christians receive healing through
their faith in Christ ’s power over diseases. In fact, the faith that they have on their
Christianity is enough to give them hope of truce over diseases. However,
proper health care complements their beliefs. Every Christian should know that
it is hardly possible to rely on prayers alone to heal the sick; Christ
works his miracles through healthcare professionals as well. As a Christian, a
patient should trust health care provision by a non-Christian professional
because we are all created in God's image, including the non-believers.
References
Cohen, A. B., Hall, D. E., Koenig, H. G., &
Meador, K. G. (2005). Social versus individual motivation: Implications for
normative definitions of religious orientation. Personality and Social Psychology
Review, 9(1), 48-61.
Retrieved from: http://psr.sagepub.com/content/9/1/48.short
Knott, K. (1998). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction.
Oxford University
Kolenda, P. M.
Obayashi, H. (Ed .).
(1992). Death and afterlife: Perspectives
of World Religions. Greenwood
No comments:
Post a Comment