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I think I've mentioned this before. My brother died after a long illness back in 2006. He was an atheist, probably since childhood, even though my parents were religious and the protestant church in which we were raised was a regular part of our lives.
But the night before he died, a Catholic priest came to visit the man in the next bed. When the priest had finished with him, he turned to my brother and asked him if he was Catholic. My brother said no, and the priest asked if he was Christian. My brother said yes. Now my mother and sister were present, and my sister, who dumped Christianity 50 years ago, laughed and said, "You are not." But the priest asked my brother if he would like to receive communion, and my brother said yes and the priest gave it to him along with whatever prayers Catholics say over people who are obviously at death's door.
My mother was so happy. Further, my brother's daughter, who was not present, IS Catholic, as she was raised in the home of her very Catholic Italian grandmother.
I do not believe for one minute that my brother had a deathbed conversion. He'd known for some time that he was terminal, had made jokes about it the week before, and both my sister and I agree that he seemed to just want it all to be over.
I believe he took the opportunity presented and did it for the comfort of my mother and more importantly, his daughter (she was about 21 at the time of his death), whom he knew would surely hear the story from my mother.
Interesting story. I wonder whether, in the same circumstances, I would say "What's the harm, just to cheer the folks up?" Godddammnit, I have even sung Hymns at weddings and funerals of family just not to rock the boat (hypocrite ) In prof. Hawking's position (if I ever finish this damn ' book, which should earn me either a Nobel prize or a lynching) I might permit them to bury me next to the greats, but i would forbid any of those dress -wearing hemulens to mump a prayer over me. Cheek
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 10-31-2018 at 11:35 AM..
Interesting story. I wonder whether, in the same circumstances, I would say "What's the harm, just to cheer the folks up?" Godddammnit, I have even sung Hymns at weddings and funerals of family just not to rock the boat (hypocrite ) In prof. Hawking's position (if I ever finish this damn ' book, which should earn me either a Nobel prize or a lynching) I might permit them to bury me next to the greats, but i would forbid any of those dress -wearing hemulens to mump a prayer over me. Cheek
i was just wondering why an objectively convinced atheist---which i define as a non-believer---would suddenly become convinced of a potential god or creator. i dont judge atheist, agnostic or secularist, nor do i have a problem with an atheist, agnostic or secularist expressing their constitutional right to pray . i was just wondering how an objective richard dawkins type atheist can succumb to prayer during a financial crisis or a hurricane storm blowing feirce winds. i may not be perfect but i am not opposed to people of different ethnicities, races, religious or non-religious beliefs
i was just wondering why an objectively convinced atheist---which i define as a non-believer---would suddenly become convinced of a potential god or creator. i dont judge atheist, agnostic or secularist, nor do i have a problem with an atheist, agnostic or secularist expressing their constitutional right to pray . i was just wondering how an objective richard dawkins type atheist can succumb to prayer during a financial crisis or a hurricane storm blowing feirce winds. i may not be perfect but i am not opposed to people of different ethnicities, races, religious or non-religious beliefs
That's why we rather doubt that any such deathbed conversion really happens. Some theists (probably the majority don't - I'm willing to credit that - it's not a blanket accusation of All Christians) make the claim, but whether or not they really believe it, they know they are safe in making the claim because they know it can't be disproved. Even a last hours message "I am NOT going to repent, recant and convert on my deathbed" will be dismissed "In his last moment, he recanted, repented and deconverted". And even those who don't claim that say that the atheist found out he was wrong when he came face to face with God.
Though how they know that the dead Christian didn't find out that he was wrong when he came face to face with Allah is ...well yes it is explicable. It's Faith. faith - not in Giod, but in their own Rightness.
But as to Foxholes. I can't recall any 'I converted under fire' stories. Though I am sure there are some, just as there are of people who lost Faith after they went through war and wondered "How can God allow this?"
It's 'tyre' and 'kerb' my dear old thing as Trans will confirm.
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) In prof. Hawking's position (if I ever finish this damn ' book, which should earn me either a Nobel prize or a lynching) I might permit them to bury me next to the greats, but i would forbid any of those dress -wearing hemulens to mump a prayer over me. Cheek
Let's stop now before Mensa ambushes us.
