Christian Worldview Concepts

Christian Worldview and Medical Ethics - Part I

The Fall and Corruption

Genesis 3 records the disastrous entrance of corruption into God's good creation. The first humans used their God-given capacities in a manner contrary to God's command. Adam and Eve's rational, volitional and aesthetic capacities were employed in a manner which led to the corruption of the Creation in its entirety and to the alienation of creation from God. The evidence of this alienation came in the form of alienation from the physical world, alienation in human relationships and alienation from God Himself.

After the Fall, God's good creation no longer functioned as it was originally created to function. Scarcity introduced the conditions for competition, greed, covetousness and jealousy. Relations between human beings suffered, as we see so clearly in the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain (Genesis 4:8). The animals, plants and climate changed in dramatic ways which made it increasingly difficult for human beings to thrive. Sickness, disease and death became part of the normal course of life — both for humans and all other created things. The Fall imposed serious limitations on human capacities to control nature and what nature does to human beings.

The alienation of humans from the physical world is particularly important for the medical practitioner. Sin introduced sickness, illness, injury and death — all of the pathologies that doctors face on a daily basis. However, a doctor must not focus exclusively on the physical implications of the Fall. The diseases and injuries that plague human experience bear implications for all of life, not just one's physical well-being. Sickness can produce dependence, which can add further strain to an already strained relationship with one's spouse and family. The long-term care of a loved one can tax the patience and resilience of the most stable marriage. Furthermore, a debilitating chronic illness carries with it spiritual implications by disrupting one's ability to pray and fellowship with God. It can be difficult to concentrate on anything when one's body is wracked with pain.

Furthermore, doctors themselves are subject to the corruption of the Fall, which affects their capacity of reason. They do not always reason correctly, sometimes coming to conclusions or making decisions based on flawed or incomplete information. The natural processes with which they work closest do not always function as predicted. The entire enterprise of modern science is afflicted with the same limitations due to the Fall.

Thus, the vocation of medicine emerges from the consequences of the Fall, a vocation that requires not only skill in managing the physical aspects of sickness and injury, but the skill to do so in a manner that respects the dignity of the person who suffers them. Since the God-given capacities of reason, volition and aesthetics are subjected to the same corruption as the rest of creation, their misuse can and does create ethical dilemmas.

How should humans, who possess extraordinary God-given gifts, view themselves in light of the Fall? Should we fallen humans view ourselves as unbounded beings capable of eliminating all disease? How much control should humans exercise over natural processes? How much control should humans have over other human beings? Should we think of ourselves as capable of eliminating death, providing immortality by technological means? In light of recent developments in human procreation, genetic engineering, cloning and life extension medicine, one might conclude that fallen humanity is capable of accomplishing just about anything it desires.