Talk:Deathbed conversion
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This article should be summarized in death and conversion. As a form of conversion, it could possibly be merged into the latter.
[edit] Christian Orientation
This is all so opinionated and Christian-oriented that it's hard to take seriously. The topic exists, for sure, but someone needs to improve this and stand OUTSIDE of a particular religion to do so.
i love the fact that the 'variety' of reasons to convert are limited to a fear of hell or a want to go to heaven.
- Deathbed conversions historically are not significant in implications and/or debate as they are in Christianity. This was largely due to the great influence of the Catholic church but the reasons are irrelevent as this orientation makes the most sense given the nature of the topic. Also, the reasons for conversion in general may not be limited to going to heaven or hell, but it typically, those are the reasons. It is also one of the criticisms of deathbed conversions.
159.242.10.215 12:39, 26 April 2007 (UTC)
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- Why is "visitations by an angel" included, as if this is something that is objectively known to happen? -69.47.186.226 00:35, 25 June 2007 (UTC)
- PLEASE. A deathbed conversion "suggests one has believed in the religion's tenets for a long time but did not wish to follow its laws" is straight out of the atheist's handbook. The person who put/allows that in the article: "I'LL never have a deathbed conversion because I never believed in a religion's 'tenets' EVER, man." Give me a break....Christian orientation??? This is Wikipedia you're talking about here. I've known 100% hardcore atheists who despised religion, and then wept like little girls at the end of their lives, praying to any god out of sheer desperation.
- And what the hell does the picture of that monument have to do with deathbed conversions? Wikipedia you've done it again!
[edit] POV fork
- "Unless supported by evidence, these stories are almost invariably false and created to lend credence to one's own religious beliefs"
- Well, yes, the ones not supported by evidence are often false, but what about the ones that are? Are we supposed to restrict this article to false claims of deathbed conversions? Is there a non-POV-pushing reason for this article? Why shouldn't this material just go into the respective articles for each person? Djcastel 18:42, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Constantine
It is doubtful that Constantine had a deathbed conversion. While he didn't go as far as later Emperors would (e.g., Theodosius making Christianity the official state religion), he clearly preferred some form of Christianity (though often semi-arianism) throughout his reign. The reason for his being baptized on his deathbed (by a semi-arian) was because that was a common practice in those times, especially for those in, shall we say, professions that required getting your hands dirty. Even in the mid to late 4th century, Christians like Gregory the Theologian (Oration 40) were still pleading with people to get baptized early (Gregory himself, whose father was a bishop, only decided to get baptized after he almost died at sea). If a "deathbed conversion" is about accepting a religion/philosophy when you are about to die, when you had previously rejected that religion/philosophy, then Constantine doesn't really fit the bill.
