The Effects of Spiritual Maturity on the Physical Aging Process and Choice of End of Life Measures

attributions.  202 subjects who varied in their devotion to the teachings of Christianity were given several

scenarios and ask to attribute its cause to a religious (God, Satan) or secular cause (chance, disposition, or

situation).  Secular attributions were given much more often than religious attributions.

Miner, M H.; McKnight, J. (1999).  Religious Attributions : Situational Factors and Effects on Coping.  Journal for

the Scientific Study of Religion 38 no 2 Je, p 274-286.  Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/

login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000920115&site=ehost-live”>Religious Attributions :

Situational Factors and Effects on Coping. The religious attributions of 363 church members were

studied to see how they affected coping responses in several different situations.  Theological arguments

that they would assert God’s direct control because of their belief in God’s sovereignty were not supported. 

There were also significant effects of different religious attributions on adaptive coping.

Morrow, Angela. (2008) Deciding to Withhold or Withdraw Life Sustaining Measures. Retrieved October 11, 2008

from: <http://dying.about.com/od/lifesupport/a/life_support1.htm> This article discusses life sustaining treatment, also known as life support, which is any treatment intended to prolong life without curing or reversing the underlying medical condition and includes measures such as mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition or hydration, and antibiotics. This article purports that this kind of medical technology helps prolong the lives of those who couldn’t sustain life on their own. The decision to withdraw life support or whether to begin it usually brings up strong emotions along with moral and ethical questions. Though the article seems a bit one sided in favor of withholding and withdrawing life support, it is very informative and does bring up important ethical concerns.

Overberg, S.J., Kenneth R. (n.d.) End-of-Life Ethics: Preparing Now for the Hour of Death. Retrieved October 11,

2008 from <http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0806.asp> This article looks to the Scriptures to help show how Catholics should respond to end-of-life issues. This Catholic Update explores euthanasia, assisted suicide, life support and advanced directives in light of Church teaching, morals and ethics. End-of-life issues touch the depths of our being, stirs our emotions, and raises profound questions in our minds that call for careful moral reasoning. The author shows insights from a long Catholic tradition for guidance and wisdom in making these kinds of moral decisions and makes a valid argument from a Christian perspective. 

Weeks, Matthew; Lupfer, Michael B.  (2000). Religious attributions and proximity of influence:

an investigation of direct interventions and distal explanations.  Journal for the Scientific

Study of Religion 39 no 3 S, p 348-362.  Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=

true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0000004430&site=ehost-live”>Religious attributions and proximity of influence:

an investigation of direct interventions and distal explanations.  Research into religious attributions

have focused on the immediate causes of events, rather than their underlying explanations. To explain the

low incidence of religious attributions and to further a new model of proximal-distal attributions, the

authors presented two experiments investigating the use of attributions. To account for religious

attributions, the authors state that some researchers suggest that those who adhere to the teachings of

Christianity have two separate explanatory systems: natural schemas and religious schemas.  This

“availability hypothesis” determines which is used to explain events. The authors claim that newer research

has shown that secular and religious attributions are not always used in this way, but might also be used in

conjunction with one another.