Abstract
Christian faith in God includes faith in God as God is represented in Jesus Christ (Moser, 2014). It requires a positive human response to God in Christ, whereby one commits to the priority of God’s will as exemplified in Christ and thereby begins to be conformed to the image of God in Christ. What has such faith and such conformation to do with philosophy? This paper offers an answer that requires a personalist Christian faith but does not make such faith depend on philosophy. Instead, a philosophy appropriate to the Christian faith must conform to Christ and the requirements of such faith. The paper contends that it must be “Christ-shaped” in the same manner as Christian faith is. Many Christian philosophers and theologians have neglected this lesson and thereby missed out on the wisdom and power distinctive of Christian faith.
Keywords: Spirituality, Faith, Healing, Christianity, Buddhism.
Christianity
For Christians, the prime reality is God who is holy (Kern, 2011). God expect us human being to be holy and love one another as he loved us. Christians are to be holy and obey the words of God so as to be blessed and saved. God blesses those who listen to him and since he is an unchangeable God, he will not change his mind on our blessings. He’s changelessness is the faithfulness of his holiness. “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” Malachi 3:6 (KJB, 2008). AS Christian nurses, we belief as we provide care to our patient with all our heart, we are going to receive blessing and favor from God. Nursing is a calling from God and if you are called, you are supposed to work with faithfulness and holiness to be blessed and all your prayers will be answered.
Christians also believe that the world is made up heavens and earth, which have been created by God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and he earth” Genesis 1:1. (KJB, 2008). Christians believe God lives in heaven which is perfect place and humans live on earth, which is temporal place, not perfect and full of sin and sickness. Christians believe sin, sickness and suffering started when Adam committed in the first sin in the Garden of Eden. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” ,Romans 5:12 (KJB, 2008).
Human beings were created by God and we are supposed to worship and obey his word all the time. We are to show love to one another as he loved and provide us with food, drink, clothing and all property. God does all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy. As nurses we are to provide care to our patient with pure and compassionate heart as we want God to bless and have compassion on us. “As a father has compassion for his children, so the lord has compassion for those who fear him” PS 103:13 (KJB, 2008).
Death is part of human life. We will all die one day and will face judgment after that. Sin causes us to die before the age we are supposed to live. As Christians we are advised to obey God to live long. After death, Christians believe humans will resurrect as Jesus conquered death, which was not God’s original plan and face judgment (GCU 2015). “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31, (KJB, 2008)
In Christianity knowledge is the key to success and healthy life. Christians believe the source of knowledge is the words and the teachings of God. “My son, forget not my law, but let your heart keep my commandments for longer days and, and long life and peace, shall they add to you” (Proverbs 3:1-2)
Christians are to follow and obey God words to
