A Significant Role in The Emergence of Moral And Religious Differences

As the world became more connected, people become more distant from each other. People who come from rural areas with limited access to modern-day technology are more connected and have similar ideologies than those who come from western cultures. In today's western society, people are more connected to those across the globe than individuals next door. As globalization brought culture and traditions together from distant parts of the world, it has also played a significant part in bringing up the moral and religious differences. Different people have different approaches on how to deal with certain situations and issues they might come across. The whole world is a shattered mirror and we all are holding a small piece of it, neglecting the bigger picture and believing that our piece is the whole picture, which alters and corrupts our views on the more important issues out there.

Thus, due to the conflicts, we have the approaches we seek to solve those issues differ so much sometimes that they solutions become the issue. Such incidents were put forth by the author Anne Fadiman, in her book, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, in which she describes the alternative worldview of different individuals from different cultures and their remedies for various afflictions. One cultural distinction between the Hmong people and the western tradition is described by Anne Fadiman in an incident, “Her Husband, Nao Kao, was permitted to bring her a cup of hot water, as long as he averted his eyes from her body.” Here, a pregnant woman named, Foua, is giving birth to her child by herself as per her family tradition and the father is not allowed to see, whereas in contrast to the western values we hold, the father’s presence in the labor is considered important to build the bond between the child and the parent.

On the other hand, In both, Hmong and Western traditions the father is allowed to cut the umbilical cord, but the Hmong bury the cord, considering it a protective jacket for the soul, whereas western doctors would not allow possession of the umbilical cord by the parent, even for traditional customs, citing it for infectious and perhaps dangerous for the health. Thus, both believe and do different things, but for the very common goal, of health and care for their loved ones. Like a shattered mirror, there are lots of perspectives in our world based on different cultures and religions. We should understand that there are lots of moral truths and accept that facts with openness. Which is what Appiah calls cosmopolitanism.

Order custom essay A Significant Role in The Emergence of Moral And Religious Differences with free plagiarism report

450+ experts on 30 subjects Starting from 3 hours delivery

Get Essay Help

Cosmopolitanism consists two core values: ‘the universal concern’ for all humanity above family and nation and a ‘respect for legitimate difference’. Appiah recognizes that these two values clash, and such happens in an incident where the Hmong parent's beliefs clashed with western medicine, when a two-year-old Hmong boy named Arnie Vang, child of Hmong parents who studied in American high school and spoke and read english fairly well, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Even though the doctor described Arnie’s parents what the treatment will be and what effects and possible side effects it can have on Arnie, still the doctor wasn’t brief enough. When the hospital started chemotherapy after the surgical removal of the infected cells, Arnie looked just fine. As they proceeded with chemotherapy, the side effects were showing and after second cycles and Arnie’s parent refused to bring their son back to the hospital citing his side effects and deteriorating health due to chemotherapy, which made the doctor call the child protective services and almost got Arnie’s mother and his sisters killed because the mother didn’t wanted to let go her child.

His doctor was haunted for years by the thought that three lives were nearly lost in order to save one—“and for that one life, ” she told me, her voice shaking and her eyes filling with tears, “the cure wasn’t even a hundred percent certain.” The story highlights the level is mistrust and lack of understanding among the Hmong people regarding the western medicine but it also highlights what Appiah called the clash between “the universal concern” and “the respect for legitimate differences”, Where doctor forced Arnie’s family to take Arnie through last session of chemotherapy because the doctor believed in it but even as the doctor states “the cure wasn’t even a hundred percent certain”just like the Hmong beliefs. just as a shattered mirror, there are different of perspectives in our world based on different cultures and religions.

As Lia was born in the Merced county Hospital she continued to have seizures causing her emergency visits to the Hospital, where her doctors diagnosed her with a condition called epilepsy, for which they prescribed her a regular dose of medicine for her treatment. But Lia’s Hmong parents have had different name for such condition ‘quag dab peg’ which translates to ‘the spirit catches you and you fall down’. To their understanding , the condition had more to do with soul loss than whatever the doctor told them. They Believed it began to occur when Lia’s sister slammed their apartment door and frightened Lia’s spirit away. They didn’t believed it as a disabling condition for their child, rather they saw it as an illness of some distinction and had mixed feeling about the course of treatment by the doctors.

The parents irregularly administered some of the prescribed medicines but their preferred method of treating Lia was with their own traditional herbal remedies, shamanism and animal sacrifices. This is where the clash between two beliefs began. Where Lia’s parents were convinced that the directed Western medicines were making the seizures worse, on the other hand the hospital staff offended the parents by accusing them of incompetence, non-compliance and even intended harm. Over several years the battle between the two sides continued, until finally, Lia suffered the ‘big one’. Lia was hospitalized and gained her consciousness back after spending 24 hours on respiratory assistance.

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

Check my essay Hire Writer