The idea of imago Dei finds its roots in the belief that God created humans in his image. It is one of the key themes in the Bible, and it shapes the Christian vision of a place of a human being in the world. This belief provides a foundation for Christian morals by attaching an ultimate unquestionable value to the life of a human. Despite the secular nature and scientific approach of modern medicine, its ethics is heavily influenced by the principles that are based on the concept of imago Dei.
The main goal of medical care is to save people’s lives. The tools and techniques that modern medicine uses are based on the scientific method, but the ethical foundation of healthcare cannot be derived by sheer logic because of its moral nature (Mellon, 2017). Christianity has played a pivotal role in the development of human civilization, and its moral principles provide a set of values that are accepted by most people despite the fact that their religious beliefs might differ.
The sacred value of people’s lives in Christianity comes from the idea that all humans carry the image of God that is inherent to a human being by creation. It means that the life of a person cannot be measured in money or be seen as a commodity of any sort. This approach is central to the ethical foundation of medical care and states its main goal in helping people (Cherry, 2017). Remembering this moral message is especially important to fight attempts to devalue individuals with certain medical conditions, such as HIV patients (Kang, 2015). It morally obliges medical personnel to treat all patients equally regardless of their social and economic status, race, or wealth.
Thus, the religious doctrine of imago Dei states human life as an ultimate sacred value. It has played a big role in the development of ethical standards of medicine and remains relevant in dealing with moral questions that modern healthcare is facing now. Despite the fact that medicine is separated from any religion, its ethics are in line with the key values that Christianity has been promoting.
References
Cherry, M. J. (2017). Created in the image of God: Bioethical implications of the Imago Dei. Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality, 23(3), 219-233.
Kang, E. (2015). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stigma: Spoiled social identity and Jürgen Moltmann’s trinitarian model of the Imago Dei. International Journal of Public Theology, 9(3), 289-312.
Mellon, B. F. (2017). John Kilner’s understanding of the Imago Dei and the ethical treatment of persons with disabilities. Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality, 23(3), 283-298.