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When I was a devout Christian - in my teens and early 20's, I believed that my religion was superior to others. I believed it was the only 'right' one.

As I matured, I changed this opinion. I recognized all religions, all beliefs as being right for those persons to whom they were sacred. But I myself became an agnostic, then I looked into Buddhism and liked what I read about its teachings - its philosophy.

I no longer believe in God, or Satan, or Heaven, or Hell. I do not believe that Jesus was God, but I love and respect him as a person.

I do not believe that anyone knows the 'truth' - we are all seeking the truth, but none of us has the answers.

I respect what is sacred to others, and I would hope that they show me the same respect. Sadly, that is rarely the case with most fundamentalist Christians.


Patience.

I would also like to suggest the 'deathbed conversions' are usually the result of 'deathbed threats'.

When a person is dying, all they need to help them through that transition is love and kindness - not threats of what will happen to them if they don't embrace the Christian religion.

Such urgings are not loving. They are cruel.

Patience.

Do deathbead conversions happen?

Yes, they do - at least, Christains claim that they do.

Patience.

How do they do that? By approaching a dying person?

While I was taking my Hospice classes, there were several Christians who left the classes after the first one. The reason was because in Hospice we are interfaith. We do not influence someone at all about their religious beliefs or lack of them. We are there to sit with the person, read to them if they wish, listen to them and moniter their progress. If they are Christian we may read to them from the Bible if they wish. If they are Buddhist we may chant with them, etc.

I have no problem with that at all. But, some of the Christians among our class group really had an issue. Their faith demands that they "witness" to anyone who will listen to them, and the dying are prime targets. So, if they were not allowed to "persuade" the dying people to become Christian, they could not become Hospice workers.

Many Catholics like to have last rites ministered to them by a priest if they are or have been Catholics in their lives. But, I have yet to see a Priest come into a Jewish or Buddhist home and insist on doing last rites. The Catholics are good about that....lol.. and I could say the same about a Rabbi.. they don't go where they are not called.

When I am doing Hospice work and someone asks me what my beliefs are.. I simply say.. My beliefs don't matter here..it is what YOU believe that is important. If pressured I will say that I am an Interfaith Minister. But, when someone is dying it is their belief that is vitally important to them, whatever that faith may be.

There have been times when someone would ask me to find them a Christian Minister, and I would do so. There have been times when people denounced their faith, or renewed their faith. Death is a funny thing. At the end of life, people just seem to "know" where they are going.

A very devout atheist kept getting out of bed and going into his closet the last days of his life. When we asked him where he was going, he said... "To the light of course." When his Catholic wife asked him if he finally believed in God, he said, "NO, but I do believe in the light." I thought that was a fascinating answer.

Love and Light...

I know exactly what you are saying Linda.

As far as those Christians go, the ones who walked out of class, have no genuine interest in the care of others, just that the classes meet their own agenda.

As a Christian, I would of course like to see everyone turn to God, however their own welfare is important too.

I have a friend from church who is a volunteer chaplain at the hospital and when he went through training, they told him that he couldn't talk about Christianity or God or anything religious unless they specifically asked for it.

I asked him what he talks about to them about and he just said that he has to be a comfort to them, a shoulder if someone needed to cry on it or get them things that they may want like coffee, water, etc...

The care and comfort of those in need should be first and formost on a Christian's mind. Especially someone or a family suffering through a traumatic event.

We recently had a shooting in our town where a woman was shot in theparking lot of her workplace by her estranged husband. Short range with a shotgun. Firtst she ran to her vehicle when she saw him and he rammed into it with his vehicle and flipped her over. Then he got out and shot her.

My friend got the page from the hospital to come in and comfort the family. I don't know if they were Christians or not and I didn't ask him about it too much, but I know if I wasn't a Christian and my mother or sister or whatever was just shot to death, the last thing I would want to hear, probably, is that God loves me.

We are supposed to talk withpeople about Jesus but we are also supposed to love evryone else no matter what their beliefs are.

When I was close to death five years ago, in a cancer ward, I made the mistake of telling the nurses, when asked, that I would welcome a visitor to 'meditate' with me.

A chaplain came to me and asked me if I had 'made my peace with God'. I replied that I was at peace with myself, and that was all that mattered.

The reply I received was "It's never too late to confess your sins before God and seek forgiveness while you live. - Many have and have been saved before it was too late."

I won't tell you what my answer was!

Patience.

Yes, I understand now.

Ahhh.. I think that you have made a wonderful point Amadeus with your story about your friend the Chaplain. He keeps his peace when he is ministering to those in crisis.. allowing them to work through the experience on their own level of spirituality. But, I am sure that if they asked him to tell them more about his faith he would do so. And, it they wanted to find out more, I am sure he would supply them with information. But, only if they asked him to do so.

I am sure you must consider him to be a good Christian, and yet according to your posts, he is not doing what God wants him to do ... and that would be to talk about Jesus. You say that it is your "duty" as a Christian to talk about Jesus and God, and yet here is your friend ministering quietly and compassionately without witnessing to others. How wonderful!

I am sure that he is making the lives of those in trouble, regardless of their faith, much more comfortable. And, he is doing it in the name of Jesus!

To my way of thinking.. that is a true follower of the way of Jesus.

Love and Light..