A Christian Worldview of the Ethical Dilemma of the Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs

Introduction

There are many contentious issues worldwide and people’s opinions often diverge on these matters. Some individuals might even form distinct viewpoints depending on the specific circumstances associated with each issue. The certainty or uncertainty of an issue often hinges on a person’s perception of truth. This could be an absolute truth, where all situations align with a unilateral concept of verity. Conversely, it could also represent a relative truth, where the facts of one situation may not apply to another.

From the perspective of the Christian worldview, truth is considered absolute and aligns with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God. This paper will delve into the ethical conundrum of using performance-enhancing drugs, from the standpoint of the Christian worldview.

Ethical Dilemma

The ethical dilemma at hand regards a young athlete named Paul. Paul is a hard-working, successful athlete who has recently started to fall behind since his teammates have been using a new performance-enhancing drug that is not banned and they claim is untraceable. The coach is aware of the drug being used and has chosen to let it slide because it is technically not a banned substance and the team has been winning. Paul’s coach has just told him he may be losing his starting position, and Paul’s friend has offered him a sample of the drug to catch up with the rest of the team. Paul is now faced with the decision to take the drug and keep his starting spot, or to refuse the drug and risk losing his starting spot.

Core Beliefs

In this scenario, the use of performance-enhancing drugs can be described as cheating. Although the Ten Commandments do not specifically say, “thou shall not cheat”, the ninth commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor”, deals with dishonesty. The Christian worldview might consider the use of performance-enhancing drugs as dishonest. The user of the drugs is gaining an advantage that is unknown to the opposing team and the rest of the league. The use of this drug quite simply is not fair; it gives Paul’s team an unfair advantage over the opposing teams, and gives his teammates an unfair advantage over him, leading to his current situation. Isaiah 56:1 starts with the Lord saying, “Be just and fair to all, do what is right and good…”. The Christian worldview interprets that God commands us to treat fellow human beings fairly, providing no circumstances or options, leading to the conclusion that fairness must be maintained in all aspects of life. Examining the situation through the lens of the Christian worldview, Paul’s potential loss of his starting position does not justify his taking the drug. Consumption of the drug is unfair and dishonest, regardless of the circumstances, and the Bible emphasizes the importance of fairness and honesty. If Paul knows the Bible and upholds its values that are clearly opposed to the concept of taking the drug, he should refuse to take the drug, no matter if all his teammates are using it and he might lose his starting position.

Resolution

According to the Christian worldview, Paul should not take the performance-enhancing drug. Taking the drug would be unfair and dishonest, regardless of the circumstances. In fact, Paul’s teammates are being unfair to him by taking the drug, because if they were not taking the drug, Paul’s starting position would probably not be in jeopardy, and he would not be in his current situation to begin with. Paul should realize that taking the drug would be doing the same thing, being unfair to his opponents, whether they know about the drug or not. The best option for Paul would be to reject the drug and instead work harder by practicing more to keep his starting position on the team. The drug can only help Paul get stronger quicker and easier, which may give him an advantage in the short term. It is unclear what sport Paul is playing, but in almost every sport, technique and skill will surpass strength. Strength can only get an athlete so far, it is the athlete with many hours and hard work put into his sport that has skills and techniques mastered, which make him a great athlete. The Bible has a lot to say about the benefits of hard work; for example, Proverbs 12:24 says, “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.” In Paul’s case, taking the drug would be lazy, a short-term advantage, but if he works harder and practices more, in the long run, it can pay off more than the drug ever could. If Paul held the Christian worldview in this situation, that would greatly influence what would be termed his “doping attitude.” According to studies, an athlete’s attitude towards using performance-enhancing drugs is one of the most important factors in determining intention or behavior related to performance-enhancing drugs (Brand, Heck, Ziegler, 2014). Paul would have a very negative attitude towards using the drug if he were to look at the situation with a Christian worldview, and should choose not to take the drug.

Evaluation

If Paul were to follow the resolution according to the Christian worldview and not take the drug, but instead practice more and work harder to maintain his starting position, many different scenarios could play out. The main two scenarios might be: the hard work from Paul could pay off and result in him keeping his starting position. This could even persuade some of his teammates to stop using the drug and put in more work, like Paul. Alternatively, Paul could put in a lot of hard work and practice and still lose his starting position. However, this could be short term, perhaps the drug becomes recognized and banned in the league next season. If that happens, Paul’s teammates might suffer consequences for using the drug, and Paul may find himself with a starting position again because he did things the right way.

Comparison

In Paul’s situation, there are only two options: take the performance-enhancing drug or don’t. In arguing for the drug, one might point out the fact that the drug is already being taken by everyone else on Paul’s team. Typically, athletes make decisions to use performance-enhancing drugs based on the perceived level of risk associated with using the drug. Likewise, if the use of performance-enhancing drugs is common practice in a sport, it can create the belief among athletes that it is morally acceptable, because everyone is doing it (Boardley, Grix, Dewar, 2014). In Paul’s situation, everyone on his team is already using the drug, and the drug is not yet recognized in drug tests so there is virtually no risk of getting caught. If Paul were to take this stance on whether or not to use the drug, it is very likely he would choose to use the drug. In this case, Paul would be holding truth to be relative because rather than just viewing the use of performance-enhancing drugs to be wrong, he would be using his circumstance to decide whether using the drug would be right or wrong (Jibben, 2014).

Conclusion

Paul is faced with a tough decision: he can give in and take the performance-enhancing drug that all his teammates are taking, so he can catch up, or he can reject the drug and risk losing his starting position on the team. The Christian worldview would tell Paul not to take the drug because it is dishonest and unfair. This would require Paul to hold truth to be absolute and believe that, no matter his circumstances, taking a performance-enhancing drug is wrong. However, Paul may hold truth to be relative and make a decision on whether using the drug is right or wrong after considering his personal circumstances. If Paul decides to take the drug, he probably won’t lose his starting position; but he will have made a moral compromise that could have consequences later on. If Paul rejects the drug, he might lose his starting position but will have stayed true to his morals. Should his teammates be caught for using the drug, Paul will not face the consequences that they will.

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