Imago Dei is one of the foundations for nursing and humankind in general.

Reply 1

Imago Dei is one of the foundations for nursing and humankind in general. Being created in the image of God reminds us that we are made like Him-his image, not to look like him, per se, but that our ways and character should be like God, one of loving one another despite differences and looking to improve and support one another’s lives, not to destroy or undermine each other (White, 2020). This is to serve as a reminder that we, as humans, all have worth and nobody is more important than anyone else, we are all in His image and are important.

When providing care to our patients, there is no time to consider if this person is worthy to save, heal or provide excellent care to. We are all in His image, imago Dei, and He loves us all equally. Our self-worth or that of our patients does not lie in our demographics or bank account. All should be treated as if we are always treating the Holy One. The cross was for us all and there should never be a hesitancy in our practice to impart care due for any patient. Doing good and helping others should form the basis for our interactions with our patients and mankind in general if we are truly to embrace imago Dei. As all of us are worthy of respect; our interventions should show our love and respect for anyone we are serving. “Serving” is a word that is used in the Bible over and over, it encompasses what our occupation is about and what our God meant when he created us for communion with him.

Reference

White, N. (2020). Practicing Dignity. Retrieved from https://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/grand-canyon-university/2020/practicing-dignity_an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care_1e.php

Reply 2

The Christian concept of imago Dei explains that human beings are created in God’s image and likeness. Therefore human life is more valuable and unique compared to all other living forms. This concept is relevant to the aspects of humanity. In the healthcare context, imago Dei is an exceptionally essential and fundamental understanding. With this understanding in mind, healthcare providers and caregivers should continue with their duties and make sure to attend to all people regardless of their beliefs and religions (Peterson, 2016).

Human life is a gift. Therefore each life is important and meaningful, and each deserves respect, kindness, empathy, and dignity. An individual’s dignity and worth are not determined by their health status, bodily functions, and medical prognosis. Healthcare providers should always ensure that every patient receives treatment to uphold the truth and always honor a patient’s right to understand (Szczerba, 2020). Concern should be the standard of care regardless of the patient’s medical decisions and whether they oppose the health worker’s personal opinion.

The belief in imago Dei is relevant since if we all believed in its existence, then there would be moral consequences when we choose to treat human beings the same as all other gods’ creations. Our responsibility is to help the sick and treat them and help them hope for better outcomes in their illnesses.

References

Peterson, R. S. (2016). Imago Dei as human identity: a theological interpretation. Eisenbrauns.

Szczerba, W. (2020, July). The Concept of Imago Dei as a Symbol of Religious Inclusion and Human Dignity. In Forum Philosophicum (Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 13-36).

CAT D

All:

Each week, I will ask everyone to complete a specific Classroom Assessment Tool (CAT) that helps me gauge how well you are learning a key component of that week’s new information. You may complete the CAT within this DQ, and it will count as a participation post. You do still need to answer the DQ directly, of course, for points.

Here is this week’s CAT:

The Christian view of Imago Dei has implications during each stage of a person’s life. Please briefly describe in one or two sentences what the “sacredness of human life made in the image of God” means in the case of:

• The unborn child
• The disabled infant
• The troubled teenager
• The addicted adult
• The mentally limited, incontinent, very old person