Viewing death and sickness in an Orthodox Christian perspective varies significantly from the world’s view of death and sickness. As Schmemann states, “The religious outlook considers disease rather than health to the “normal” state of man (101). Our ideas and beliefs about death and sickness have been altered and corrupted by the way society and “religion” has taught us to view them. To some, death is an inevitable part of human existence that will continue to occur and is simply to be accepted as a part of life as we know it. To others, it is an escape from this world and from the status of pain and corruption present in the world we live in. Either way, we have decided to elevate and glorify death and sickness to a status they simply don’t …show more content…
Humanity brought forth this “normal” and “inevitable” evil. However, despite our errors and constant disobedience we are able to find victory in Christ. The rites of the Church consistently reiterate these themes in order to properly educate us on the truth regarding these issues. The connection between sickness and death in the rites of the Holy Unction are clearly explicit in its prayers and symbols. The prayer is clearly not intended to be a prayer exclusively used to heal the individual of their physical ailments. However, much of the prayers revolve around the spiritual healing of the individual. As Hapgood states in the appendix, “…the grace of God is invoked upon the sick person because that grace heals all ills, both those of the souls and those of the body. Schmemann makes a similar case when he states that the purpose of the prayers in the Orthodox Church aren’t meant to simply heal the person after medicine has failed them. The correct understanding is that the purpose of the sacrament is one of transformation. When one speaks of healing in this context, surely physical healing may occur, but that simply isn’t the goal. The person will surely face death once more just as Lazarus did. It is in …show more content…
While the Church offers comfort to those mourning the death of their loved ones that is not the primary purpose of the rites. Schmemann also explains this issue when he states that the job of religion is to comfort people, but the job of Christianity is to reveal truth (99). The truth is Christ Himself, who reveals to us the opposition of death. Therefore, Christianity doesn’t intended to reconcile us to death, but rather to Christ Himself. The prayers of the burial clearly proclaim this message, “I am an image of thy glory ineffable, though I bear the brands of transgressions…O Master purify him (her)…and grant unto me the home country of heart’s desire, making me again a citizen of Paradise.” The prayer then continues, “didst honor me with thine image divine, but because I had transgressed thy commandments hast returned me again unto the earth from which I was taken: Restore thou me to that image, and to my pristine beauty.” (Hapgood 379). In Christ we are able to finally attain the true reconciliation that we lost at the fall. It is evident that in no way death is treated as a normal event. Rather we contemplate on our renewal and reconciliation to what we once were. We had been made in that divine image and in paradise and we are desiring to return back to this state. However, it would be a mistake to think we are able to return to this state
We do not think about death and how it is going to affect other people in our life. When we do find out that we are dying, then we do not mourn our life, but the life we want. We want to be close to God, but we do not know how to be close to him. We try everything to get close.
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families. London: Routledge, 2009. Print.
When a member of a Jewish family is seriously ill it is mandated that immediate family visit the sick during the first three days of sickness. After the three days are over other friends and family can visit. Visitation is not allowed for the first and last three hours of the day, because Moses a twelfth century scholar explained in his Misneh Torah, that medical attention should be given during those hours. The Rabbis of the Talmud (similar to a Catholic Priest) encourage the visiting of the seriously sick, claiming that this eliminates one sixth of the sick person's pain. By not visiting would make the non-visitor a sinner. It is encouraged that a dying person confesses his or her sins if the person is on the verge of dying to cleanse themselves before they part. Judaism law demands that a terminally ill person should be companied twenty four hours a day to prevent the sick to be plagued with thoughts of death and more important, to keep the demons from taking charge of the patients soul when he dies. A candle is also lighted in the room of the terminally ill to scare off evil spirits and to make it known that a human soul is about to leave earth (Watson)
"EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
Anyone can be diagnosed with a terminal illness. It doesn’t matter how healthy you are, who you are, or what you do. Some terminal illnesses you can prevent by avoiding unhealthy habits, eating healthily, exercising regularly and keeping up with vaccinations. However some terminally ill people cannot be helped, their diseases cannot be cured and the only thing possible to help them, besides providing pain relieving medication, is to make them as comfortable as possible while enduring their condition. Many times the pharmaceuticals do not provide the desired pain escape, and cause patients to seek immediate relief in methods such as euthanasia. Euthanasia is the practice of deliberately ending a life in order to alleviate pain and suffering, but is deemed controversial because many various religions believe that their creators are the only ones that should decide when their life’s journey should reach its end. Euthanasia is performed by medical doctors or physicians and is the administration of a fatal dose of a suitable drug to the patient on his or her express request. Although the majority of American states oppose euthanasia, the practice would result in more good as opposed to harm. The patient who is receiving the euthanizing medication would be able to proactively choose their pursuit of happiness, alleviate themselves from all of the built up pain and suffering, relieve the burden they may feel they are upon their family, and die with dignity, which is the most ethical option for vegetative state and terminally ill patients. Euthanasia should remain an alternative to living a slow and painful life for those who are terminally ill, in a vegetative state or would like to end their life with dignity. In addition, t...
Death in Different Religions Death has a great impact on people's lives in such a way that they learn to value life, or even live it to the fullest. But what happens to us after we die? Many religions have answered this question for us, according to their faiths. Buddhism is a religion where Buddhists believe in the concept of death and reincarnation or rebirth.
The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.
...s distributed in Theology 101 at the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle on 22 April 2008.
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134).
“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good” (Lewis, C.S., 2001). We see the futile attempts of men and women in the Old Testament who eagerly intended to be good. They aimed to abide by the law of God, but as soon as something shiny, pleasurable, and of earthly value flashed before their eyes, their obedience to God’s commands went out the window. Some did not even try. God’s people compromised their beliefs and committed spiritual adultery against Him by esteeming handmade idols. All the while, they religiously offered sacrifices, and therefore, polluted the House of God. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, our sinful nature has been beckoning us to choose evil, to embrace worldly counterfeits, and to seek a life of selfish ambition. However, Jesus steps on the scene and changes everything.
The subject of death and dying is a common occurrence in the health care field. There are many factors involved in the care of a dying patient and various phases the patient, loved ones and even the healthcare professional may go through. There are many controversies in health care related to death, however much of it roots from peoples’ attitudes towards it. Everyone handles death differently; each person has a right to their own opinions and coping mechanisms. Health care professionals are very important during death related situations; as they are a great source of support for a patient and their loved ones. It is essential that health care professionals give ethical, legal and honest care to their patients, regardless of the situation.
Dying Catholic patients may request to see chaplains to receive one or some of the seven sacraments, instituted by Jesus Christ, that enable them to experience Christ’s presence. A dying Catholic can receive the sacrament of baptism, penance, or anointing of the sick (Catholic Truth Society, 4). For example, a priest can baptize dying babies and adults at the bedside; however, a baptized adult can perform the ceremony in emergency cases
"We cannot indeed overestimate the importance of the fact that Jesus' redeeming influence on the world-all that has induced men to call Him Lord and Savior-owes to His humanity at once its individual and its social power, and is complete with the com...
When I think back to my childhood I don’t have compelling memories of death. I remember a classmate’s parents passed away and the whole school attended the funeral. I am from Ireland this was an obligatory act to show consolidation with the family. All schools and state are intertwined and religion is a forced act, I suppose. I wasn’t
We as health care professionals need to work side by side with the families to provide the best care and decisions that are right by our patients. We have to be mindful of the cause and effect our course of treatment depicts for our patients. No individual wants to live in pain or misery, we all want to be healthy and happy and are willing to go great lengths to achieve this goal. Death is the final stage of life, but as we live and get older we start to prepare for death as to not fear death but accept it. Health care professionals may benefit from the opportunity to acknowledge, normalize and integrate death and dying into the continuum of life, both for themselves as well as their patients. (Sinclair, 2011) With advancements in technology and medicine we are living longer and fuller lives, and given time quality of life will only continue to improve.