In about 250 words, substantively respond to post below by adding an additional point. Support your point with at least 2 separate resources other than from the post and reference your sources.
Post:
The Christian concept of the Imago Dei, which is Latin for “image of God”, is that God made humans resemble his character rather than his physical appearance though each individual has his or her own personal autonomy and moral agency. The Christian belief is that all human beings, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or any other criteria, are created in the image of God and thus have value and dignity simply by virtue of their existence. Life and human existence have been created by God with God’s grace, humans should consider life as a gift from God and each human being plays an important role in cooperatively using the gift of life. Not only God had created humans but also is sustaining human life with the fact that human hearts continue to beat and lungs continue to breathe even while sleeping (White, 2020).
Humans were created to worship and learn about God. All of Christian life is framed by this fundamental reality of Christian moral anthropology. When it comes to medicine, for example, it encourages Christians to understand that evaluating medical treatments solely on the basis of bodily functions, pain, and suffering within an existential horizon of human needs and interests is insufficient; a spiritual focus is also needed (Cherry, 2017). “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul” (Mark 8:36).
Each patient is made in the image of God; all patients are to be treated with respect and dignity (White, 2020). Patients should be seen as equal regardless of their incapacities, disabilities, and diseases, for each human life that was created by God has inherent values. In healthcare, patients should be treated not only for their physical ailment but their spirit and soul should also be taken into account while providing care in a holistic manner. Individuals’ dignity is encouraged when they use their full capacity and coping mechanisms, have autonomy of their condition, have the capacity to make choices, feel involved in their care decisions, and have space for privacy and functional relationships with close friends and family, as well as the nursing staff (Sanakova & Cap, 2018).
References
Cherry, M. J. (2017, October 20). Created in the Image of God: Bioethical Implications of the Imago Dei. Christian bioethics. https://academic.oup.com/cb/article/23/3/219/4565806.
Šaňáková, Š., & Čáp, J. (2018). The dignity of Elderly Adults from the Perspective of Nurses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Central European Journal of Nursing & Midwifery, 9(4), 906–914. https://doiorg.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.15452/CEJNM.2018.09.0023
White, N. (2020). Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision Making in Health Care. https://lc.gcumedia.com/phi413v/practicing-dignity-an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/2.
