Principlism, especially in the context of bioethics in the United States, has often been critiqued for raising the principle of autonomy to the highest place, such that it trumps all other principles or values. How would you rank the importance of each of the four principles? How do you believe they would be ordered in the context of the Christian biblical narrative? Refer to the topic overview and other topic study materials in your response.

Re: Topic 3 DQ 1
Christian worldview states that every human being is created in the image of God, in His likeness. Society commonly equates the quality of a person’s life with their ability to be conscious, self-aware, and productive. (Meilaender, 2013) Those who lack cognitive capabilties, such as the severly disabled, demented, comatosed, and do not have advanced directives, may be faced with bioethical issues. Bioethics are ethical concerns in medicine related to controversial topics, such as, abortion, stem cell research and euthanasia, to name a few. Principlism is the approach taken toward ethical, reasonable decision making by gathering data and then utilizing what is called the four-boxes approach. Ethics commitees apply this model’s four principles during ethical medical decision making. (Grand Canyon University, 2019)

The four principles are respect for autonomy or the patient’s preference, nonmaleficence or causing no harm to the quality of life, beneficence or balancing risks and benefits of medical indications, and justice requiring fairness of the context of the risks, benefits, and cost. (Grand Canyon University, 2019) As far as ranking importance, I would say autonomy with respecting the patient’s wishes is of utmost importance. As discussed earlier, the patient may not have cognitive capabilities, and this is where ethical decision making is difficult, and the four-boxes approach comes into play. Nonmaleficence is next because patient safety and ethical care should be priority. Beneficence, balancing the risks and benefits to the patient’s health outcome should be the next consideration. Finally, justice, fairly distributing risks, benefits, and cost should be determined at this time.

Christian biblical narrative is the summary of the creation, fall, redemption, and restoration of humanity. God is the ultimate creator of life, and there is order to His creation, known as Shalom. (Grand Canyon University, 2019) I believe, the four principles would be ordered according to Christian biblical narrative as follows. Beneficence and the quality of life, according to Christian biblical narrative, is to understand and appreciate that a person is not just a spirit and not just a body, but a being where freedom and finitude come together. (Meilaender, 2013) Autonomy occurred during the fall when Adam and Eve sinned and broke Shalom, the order of creation in which God intended. This introduced death, disease, and suffering to mankind. God’s plan for redemption, forgiveness and justice came to be through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Restoration, Shalom, quality of life, and nonmaleficence will come again upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Grand Canyon University, 2019)

References

Grand Canyon University. (2019). Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative. Grand Canyon: Grand Canyon University. Retrieved from https://lms-ugrad.gcu.edu../user/users.lc?operation=loggedIn&token=AhND0fyWQKJ0OayMKYMQt1O5W5cmelta5KA3C%2buDc6g8tcwkSU2LtXHxlz%2bvzL

Meilaender, G. (2013). Bioethics: A primer for Christians (3rd edition). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/wm-b-eerdmans-publishing-co/2013/bioethics_a-primer-for-christians_ebook_3e.php

Topic 3 DQ 2

What do the four parts of the Christian biblical narrative (i.e., creation, fall, redemption, and restoration) say about the nature of God and of reality in relation to the reality of sickness and disease? From where would one find comfort and hope in the light of illness according to this narrative? Explain in detail each part of the narrative above and analyze the implications.

Re: Topic 3 DQ 2

Creation

According to Christianity, the Christian God is the creator of everything that exists (Gen.1-2 NIV). There is nothing that exists that does not have God as its creator. InChristianity, there is a clear distinction between God and the creation. All things were created by God, and He described everything he created as very good. If every created was very good, it means there was no sickness or disease It means disease and sickness came after creation when humankind sinned. The act of creating by Godwas intentional. In this original act of creation, everything exists on purpose, not accidentally or purely randomly, and it is good. There is an order to creation, so to speak, and everything is how it ought to be. (PHI-413V Topic 3)

The Fall

Sometime after the creation, there occurred an event in human history in which thiscreated order was broken. In Genesis 3, humanity disobeyed God by not listen to his instructions of not eating the forbidden fruit. The disobedience of Adam and Eve is referred to as the fall, because, among other things, it was their rejection of God’s rule over them and it resulted in a break in Shalom. According to the Bible, the fall had universal implications. Sin entered the world through the fall, and with it, spiritual and physical death. This break in Shalom has affected the creation ever since; death, disease, suffering, and, most fundamentally, estrangement from God, has been characteristic of human existence. (PHI-413V Topic 3). PHI 413 Topic 3: Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative Tasks

Redemption

The rest of the story in the Bible after Genesis 3 is a record of humanity’s continualstruggle and corruption after the fall, and God’s plan for its redemption. This plan ofredemption spans the Old and New Testaments in the Bible and culminates in the life,death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The climax of the Christian biblical narrative isthe atoning sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, by which God makes available forgivenessand salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. The death of Christ is the means bywhich this estrangement caused by sin and corruption is made right. For theChristian, salvation fundamentally means the restoration of a right and proper relationship with God, which not only has consequences in the afterlife, but here on earth. We are promised healing of diseases and to restored from sickness (PHI-413V Topic 3)

Restoration

The final chapter of this narrative is yet to fully be realized. While God has madeavailable a way to salvation, ultimately the end goal is the restoration of all creation to astate of peace. The return of Jesus, the final judgment of all people, and the restoration of all creation will inaugurate final restoration (PHI-413V Topic 3)

Reference

PHI413VTopic3OverviewRetrievedfromhttps://lmsugrad.gcu.edu../user/users.lc?operation=loggedIn&token=BfkwWWjRCXda2PmJtIfl%2fY4dc%2bjL6HngzY4yC8dLx0YL9MWiYXZxs7w6pYucu%2bzl&classId=2271496#../class/syllabus.lc;jsessionid=2CC559B590C6E1B5CCD4E042545E7C6Cn1.plmuwbvs2308?operation=getClassOutlineIUView&classId=5c5a7248adb341cb99acf0cb4490967b&c=prepareClassOutlineForm&t=coursesMenuOption&tempDate=1570664706844