Introduction
Cases of performance-enhancing drugs use among athletes are quite common these days. Athletes are using drugs to cope with extreme competition by enhancing their endurance, strength, and overall performance. When the use of the performance-enhancing drug is discovered, athletes are stripped off their titles among other punishments. Performance-enhancing drugs use in sports is frowned upon because it is a disadvantage to other athletes who are not using them. Athletes often find themselves facing the critical decision of either using drugs or not, and some succumb to the pressure easily because they want to save their careers, while others steer off performance-enhancing drugs because they are not comfortable with them as seen in the case study. Sports is a character building activity, and athletes must submit to the formal and informal rules of sports which are against the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Case Study
In the case study, Paul, a successful young athlete has been working hard during training, and this earned him a starting position for his team. Some members of the term are experimenting with a new performance-enhancing drug (PED) which has remarkable results on performance. Consequently, Paul is no longer the best player in the team, and the coach has threatened to take away his starting position. A friend offered him the PED to help him ‘catch up’ with others, but Paul is contemplating about the legal, physical and spiritual implications.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Paul is facing many challenges on this issue. First, the PED is readily available, and he knows his team members are using it. Paul's friend offered him the drug to help him 'catch up' with the rest of the team. Paul has seen the remarkable results, and his friend has assured him that it cannot be traced by any drug takes. On top of that, the coach knows that individual players are using the drug, but he has turned a blind eye, and this can be interpreted that the couch supports the use of PED. In the end, Paul is facing two decisions; he can either succumb to pressure by using the PED or keep working hard to improve his performance.
Core Beliefs
The Christian perspective on PED is not clear. The Bible gives clear guidance on significant issues in life such as murder and adultery, but it does not provide clear guidance on more specific issues such as the use of PED. McCalla & Shepherd (2014) state that using PED is a form of cheating as it is against the principle of fair play. In the case study, Paul was the best athlete on his team until his team members started using PED. Paul is now struggling while other players have enhanced their strength and performance using drugs, making it hard for players who do not use PED to keep up.
In Colossians 3:23, the Bible states that in whatever we do we should work at it as if we are working for the Lord and not for human masters. Paul is one of the best players because he works hard and he is talented such that other team members had to use PED to catch up. Paul should not succumb to pressure from his coach or friends but work harder to improve his performance. If Paul used PED, he would not feel good about the victory because he cheated (Austin, 2012).
Resolution
The scripture is against the use of PED for various reasons. First, it is a form of cheating, and it has real consequences. If everyone finds out that the team is using PED including Paul, this could be the end of his career. The Bible tells us on many occasions that we should use our bodies to honor God, and by using a dangerous PED, Paul will be causing harm to his body. 1 Cor. 6:19 reminds us that our bodies are the temples of God and we should use our bodies and spirit to glorify God. Using PED is a form of rebellion and lack of trust in God. God already gave Paul the talent to succeed in sports, and he does not need drugs to show that he is good.
Evaluation
The proposed resolution has consequences too. By avoiding PED, Paul might continue to perform poorly in comparison to his team members who are using the PED. Paul might even lose the starting position if he does not work hard to outshine his team members who are using PED. Nonetheless, the perceived benefits of the resolution are many. Experimenting with a new drug is risky, especially for a young and talented athlete like Paul.
According to the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, 2014), PEDs have drastic effects on human body, and they can be extremely dangerous in the long term. While PEDs enhance sports performance, they are risk factors for liver damage, cancer, hair loss, headaches, loss of vision, and depression among other health problems. Reliance on PED can also lead to addiction making it impossible for athletes to play without them. Paul’s teammates are happy with the PED at the moment, but they are exposing themselves to long-term health problems.
Comparison
The Christian perspective on using PED is not so different from the popular worldview on this issue. McKeever (2017) states that use of PED in sports is frowned upon because it is a moral problem that goes against the principles of sportsmanship. The popular opinion is that PED use in sports is a form of cheating. However, atheists can view the issue of PED use in sports differently. Atheists believe that there is no moral right and wrong, and thus individuals are motivated by their selfish interests. If Paul were to use atheistic values, he would have used PED a long time ago to improve his performance, after all, there are no moral rules to encourage him to do the right thing. In an atheistic perspective, cheating is neither right nor wrong; rather it is a means to an end.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Paul is facing a critical decision that will determine his future. Paul was one of the best players on his team until his teammates began taking PED, now Paul is under pressure to use PED or work extremely hard to maintain his position. The Christian perspective is against PED, not only because of the many health consequences but because it is against the Christian code of honesty, integrity and resisting temptation. Paul will not feel good about himself if he uses PED because he will be disobeying God for the sake of human glory. Sport is a character-building opportunity, and those who abide by rules honor God in the process. Paul has a good track record without using PED, and he needs to rely on God to get him through challenges.
References
Austin, M. (2012). Doping, Sport, and the Pursuit of Excellence: How Christians should think about sports and competition. Biola University. Retrieved from: https://cct.biola.edu/doping-sport-and-pursuit-excellence/
McCalla, S., & Shepherd, N. (2014). Moral/Ethical Analysis of Performance Enhancement In Sports. International Journal of Arts & Sciences , 7 (4), 371.
McKeever, S. (2017). A moral basis for prohibiting performance enhancing drug use in competitive sport. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport , 44 (2), 243-257.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. (2014). Effects of PEDs. Retrieved from: https://www.usada.org/substances/effects-of-performance-enhancing-drugs/
