Pensee

Fair warning to all you pervs who clicked on it because you thought it had to do with sex: this isn't about sex.

I've heard many people on ii say that they are worried they will have a death bed "conversion." Since it doesn't make one iota of difference to me whether or not I "pray" right before dying, what would be wrong with me faking a deathbed conversion just to appease my family? I know that if I don't, they will all be worried and tormented about my "soul" burning in hell for eternity. Why not save them the troubles and heartache by muttering a few meaningless words? Why not give them "hope" that they will be reunited with me some day in a much happier place, if that is what will comfort them in the time of my death?

Spaz

I thought I was a perv and I didn't even think of sex. I'd say that's the individual's call. If you feel it would make your family feel better and you don't care, then go for it. It's just an integrity thing I guess.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

Yeah, I guess it just boils down to your own integrity. Some people don't want their last moments with their loved ones to be filled with lies and deceit--even if it would make the family members feel better. In effect, they just don't want to leave this life lying to people they love.

Then again there are others who just want to make their loved ones feel more comforted. They don't want the people they love to worry about their impending torment in hell, so they might fake it in order to make everyone feel better.

I think it's really up to the person in question. I think an argument can be made supporting either decision, so it's just up to whether a person wants to give up her integrity to make her family feel better or keep their integrity at the risk of more pain on their loved ones.

-Nick

Autonemesis

You could always hope that before you die, your family converts to a religion that doesn't believe in death-bed conversions.

My family is Mormon. No way are they dragging me out of my death bed and into some faux-Mason temple ritual.

Biff the unclean

And what makes you think you are going to die in bed? Why not start lying to your family now?

braces_for_impact

IMO, it would undermine a lot of serious hard work done to educate people about atheism, not to mention perhaps one's own sense of personal intergrity. Theists would point and say "See, when faced with death, everyone believes. There really are no atheists in foxholes."

Goliath

Two words: Intellectual dishonesty.

Sincerely,

Goliath

mike_decock

I wouldn't fake it. I prefer to maintain my integrity and hope that their worrying will motivate them to question their beliefs.

-Mike...

Rhea

Exactly.

If you care about your family's anxiety, you should be caring already.

But in the meantime, you are creating an atmosphere for discrimination by lying. So I'd say it harms a lot of people.

Pensee

You got me there. I wasn't just talking about me, I meant people in general. I was trying to figure out the ethical issues behind someone faking a deathbed conversion. I can see it both ways, but I must say that the reasons presented against it seem to outweigh the reasons presented for it.

Myself, I don't think I would or could do it. But then again, I haven't been personally put into that situation. Of course, I do believe that if I tried to fake it, I may end up laughing uncontrollably in the middle of the prayer, try to re-gain my composure and say, "Let's do it again. For real this time! I mean it!" And then end up laughing again, promising to do it sincerely again, then laughing, etc. I do believe that would be a tad more traumatic for my family than just saying "HELL NO!"