Argument final paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argument final - Research Paper Example ilable medical remedies, and so many patients suffering from these diseases are made to endure severe and chronic pain, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, and other similar discomforts. They are often also made to endure such symptoms for days and even months before they eventually die. In the interim, they often reach the point of wanting to end their suffering and pain by ending their life. Lacking the strength and the means to end it, these patients turn to their physicians to assist them in ending their life. But legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a dangerous step which is very much against the basic principles of the medical practice. With such a premise, this paper shall discuss and support the thesis that physician-assisted suicide should not be made legal. An important consideration in the assisted suicide discussion is the fact that committing it is against the basic principle of non-maleficence or of not doing any harm to one’s patient. The Hippocratic Oath which serves as the basic ethical mandate of the medical practice expressly prohibits physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia (Finlay, 2005). This oath declares that a physician should not â€Å"administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will [the physician] suggest such a course† (as cited by Demy and Stewart, 1998, p. 249). In the time of Hippocrates, assisted suicide and euthanasia were very much against the principles of medicine. In the current context however, assisted suicide and euthanasia are ideas which are new and different from the concepts of medicine and care (Walker, 2001). Those who support physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia also have different ideas on what it is to be a physician and what the moral boundaries of the practice a re. â€Å"It is also telling that the current public interest in PAS comes at a time when the palliative powers of American medicine are greater than they have ever been in the past† (Walker, 2001, p. 27). All in all,

What is Covenant in the Old Testament sense Research Paper

What is Covenant in the Old Testament sense - Research Paper Example These include Abraham, Noah and Adam among many others. A covenant formed an important component of the biblical history and modern day theology. The flow of the biblical covenants includes (Mason 177): First of all, God made a covenant with His Son regarding the elect before the creation of the universe and consisted of the Father promising to bring to His Son all the people the Father had given Him (John 17: 9-24 ; 6:39). Manifestation of the covenant occurred in the world through the sequence of additional covenants between God and individuals. These include Adam (Gen 2: 15-17), Abraham (Gen 17), Noah (Gen 9:12-16), Mt Sinai covenant with Israelites (Ex 34:28), David (Sam 7:12-16) and New covenant believers (Jer 31:31-37). All the additional covenants involved the ‘Covenant of Grace’ when God establishes covenants with His elect with the promise of salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ (Mason 178). According to some theologians, there is only one covenant referred as the covenant of redemption within which all other covenants originate. This involved the agreement between the Father and the Son that gave the Son as Redeemer and head of the elect. As a result, the Son took the place assigned by the Father voluntarily. This formed a twofold assurance of Son as a guarantee and surety to fulfil the requirements of God’s laws. ... Covenant in Hebrew depicted the development of God’s covenant ranging from the time of creation to the time of the new covenant. In Arabic, covenant involved the contract binding humanity and God. The concept of covenant provides a distinctive and unique fellowship with God. This fellowship depends on legal covenant, and this implies the existence of dependable and stable element in Old Testament religion (McAleese 237). Concepts of Covenant Faith inspiring Fellowship The covenant concept gave the Old Testament people a mighty anchor for their faith. This allowed them a vantage ground with their God where God remained obligated to them through the covenant. He remained to be their God, and they become His people. For instance, this covenant background enabled Jacob cling to the angel until He blessed him. This covenant required people turn away from their sins after which they could claim God’s favour (Wood 133). Exclusive Fellowship The covenant established exclusive f ellowship between Hebrews and God. Hebrews remained as His chosen people, and He remained Yahweh their God. The covenantal idea formed a background for the Jewish religion, and it demanded exclusive loyalty to preclude the possibility of multiple loyalties in other religions. The illustration of loyalty to God took place through marriages, where Hosea, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah charged Israelites against adultery. The expression of God as being their God and them being His people comprised of the legal formula taken from marriage sphere and attested through legal documents from Ancient Near east (Hosea 2:4). This explains why prophets such as Isaiah frowned on alliance made by Israelites with their neighbours (Wood 133). Douglas Stuart Guidelines on Old Testament