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Role of Personal Worldview on Healthcare

Nature of Spirituality and Ethics in Healthcare: A Christian versus Post-modernism
Relativism
Among Christians, spirituality and Christian ethics play an important role in healthcare.
Christians believe that it is not just physical pain that patients go through when they are sick;
there also spiritual and mental aspects of their diseases (Newbanks, Rieg, & Schaefer, 2018).
Thus, healing of a patient goes beyond merely curing the disease, it also involves catering to the
spiritual and mental needs of their ailments.
At the heart of Christian view is that these three aspects of an ailment – physical, spiritual,
and mental- do not exist in isolation (Newbanks et al., 2018). They complement each other.
Thus, catering to the spiritual and mental needs of a patient actually helps them achieve physical
healing. In instances where physical healing may not be possible such as when a patient has
advanced cancer, spirituality has the potential of better helping them cope with the physical pain
and stress that come with such conditions (Newbanks et al., 2018). This is partly because
spirituality helps patients to establish a purpose and meaning of life which many studies have
found to help patients cope with difficult situations and conditions (Newbanks et al., 2018).
Based on these beliefs, Christian ethics call upon nurses, physicians, and other caregivers to treat
and care for patients with compassion and to encourage their spirituality (Newbanks et al., 2018).
This Christian perspective of spirituality and ethics differs significantly with that of post-
modern relativism. According to post-modernism relativism, it is not God or a higher spiritual
being that helps patients cope with their condition and heal, rather it is the patients themselves
using different self-healing techniques (Holmes, 2016). These techniques include various forms

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of alternative medicine such as acupuncture, meditation, and acupressure (Holmes, 2016). The
role of the nurse and physician, therefore, is to simply to empower their patients to recover
through providing them with physical, spiritual, and psychosocial care (Holmes, 2016).
According to this view, it is not the treatment and care that brings healing to patients but
supernatural energy which scientific processes can neither measure nor see (Holmes, 2016).
Spirituality, therefore, merely helps direct this supernatural energy to patients. This view
contrasts sharply with Christian perspective of spirituality which views spiritual practices such as
praying as complementing treatment and helping patients get cured or cope with illnesses in and
of themselves.
Definition of Scientism and Arguments Against It
There is no single definition of scientism. In general it involves putting extremely high
value and premium on natural science when compared to other cultures and knowledge branches
(Burnet, 2014). Scientism views knowledge derived through scientific means to be superior to
other forms of knowledge. It does not merely exalt science, it considers it the only source of
serious knowledge and dismisses everything else (Burnet, 2014).
Naturally, scientism is not without its critics. One argument against scientism is that it
adopts an arrogant and bullying attitude which alienates large segments of the public whose
support is needed for scientists to get much needed research funding (Burnet, 2014). Granted,
knowledge obtained through scientific methods has helped human beings innovate and improve
agricultural production thus reducing instances of hunger, and advances in technology and
medical research have lengthened human life and eliminated some diseases. The achievements of
science are too many discuss in a few sentences.

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However, critics of scientism argue that these scientific achievements do not make other
forms of knowledge useless. By dismissing many other forms of knowledge, scientism alienates
not just large sections of the public but also intellectuals in other non-science fields who feel
slighted by suggestions that somehow their work generates knowledge that is not important to
human society (Boundry & Pigliucci, 2018). As a result of such alienation, members of other
intellectual communities often respond to scientism in an overly aggressive and defensive
manner.
The second argument against scientism is that it is not scientific. Scientism claims that
the only source of human knowledge is science (Burnet, 2014). For such claim to be scientific, it
has to be either falsifiable and verifiable. However, since the claim cannot be falsified or verified
using scientific means, it is unscientific (Burnet, 2014). Thus, while scientism exalts science over
all other forms of knowledge, it actually adopts a philosophical position that is not scientific.
Answers to Questions Regarding Personal Perspectives and Worldview
What is ultimate reality?
Ultimate reality is God. God is creator is the creator of the physical world. He is,
however, not a physical being himself. He is a spirit that is omnipresent. Being a spirit, he is not
attached in any way to the physical world that he created. However, human beings can establish
a personal relationship with him.
What is the nature of the universe?
The universe is a creation of God. Even though scientists have done a lot of research to
understand and explain it, it is far more complicated than they think. It is, therefore, beyond their

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complete understanding. This is because the universe is not just a physical entity, it is also a
spiritual one. Thus, while scientists may have some success understanding its physical aspects,
they can never fully understand nor explain its spiritual aspects.
What is human being?
A human being, though has animal features, is like no other animal because it is created
in the image of God. It, therefore, has a spirit and god-like abilities that other animals do not
possess. For instance, human beings can create and live by certain morals, can communicate at a
higher level using complex languages, and can produce works whose only purpose is beauty.
Moreover, unlike animals, the death of a human being is not the end of their existence. They just
transition to another form of life. This is because they have a soul which animals do not have.
God judges the soul and offers punishment based on the deeds of the dead person when they
were alive.
What is knowledge?
As the universe is composed of the physical and spiritual realm, there are two kinds of
knowledge based on where they are acquired from. There is the physical and spiritual
knowledge. Knowledge of the physical world is acquired and understood through scientific
methods. This type of knowledge is absolute. For instance, knowledge of the chemical
compounds that make up water is absolute. Other knowledge such as the number of moons that
revolve the earth and other information related to space is also absolute.
Knowledge related to the spiritual aspect of the universe, however, cannot be obtained
using scientific methods. To understand the spiritual realm, it is necessary to seek knowledge

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from God because scientific methods are wholly inadequate in acquiring and understanding such
knowledge.
What is the basis of ethics
I believe that morality is learnt. We are born without the concept of right and wrong. We,
however, learn what is right and wrong from our parents, neighbors, teachers, and other adult
members of the society. From this learning we develop a concept of right and wrong which
guides our actions.
The morality we learn is, however, not absolute. It changes from one culture to another.
For instance, the morality that children in Japan acquire is different from one that American or
French children develop. Thus, one moves from the culture that they have been brought up to a
different culture, they may need to adopt new moral codes.
Additionally, it is worth noting that sources of morality are varied. In most cases the
moral codes of a community are derived from their traditions and religion. For instance, in
Christian societies the moral code may be derived from the traditions of the local community and
Christian teachings. In societies that strictly adhere to Islam such as Middle Eastern ones, Islam
may be the only source of moral codes in the society. Generally, ethics whose source is religion
are absolute for people practicing a given religion.
What is the purpose of your existence?
I believe that God created us with purpose and meaning. We are not just products of an
accident left to live on our own devices until we die. God gives our lives meaning and purpose
through talents and abilities that he endows us with at birth. We as human beings are supposed

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to put these talents and abilities to maximum use. This use includes serving God and our fellow
human beings. The fruits of our service should be happiness and hope to humanity. For instance,
care givers who are good with children and work in children’s homes should strive to make the
children as happy as comfortable as possible using their abilities and talents. This is because that
is the purpose that God created them for. Another purpose is pro-creation. God intends us to fill
the world that he has created. Human beings should, therefore, strive to have kids and bring
those kids up in families where they are showed love and care.

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References

Boudry, M., & Pigliucci, M. (Eds.). (2018). Science Unlimited?: The Challenges of Scientism.
University of Chicago Press.
Burnett, T. (2014). What Is Scientism?. American Association for the Advancement of Science,
accessed, 13.
Holmes, C. A. (2016). Some implications of postmodernism for nursing theory, research, and
practice. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research Archive, 32(2).
Newbanks, R. S., Rieg, L. S., & Schaefer, B. (2018). What Is Caring in Nursing?: Sorting Out
Humanistic and Christian Perspectives. Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(3), 160-167.