Death bed conversions.

[Chris Cunningham]

How many of these "an atheist on his deathbed suddenly decided god exists!" stories are actually true?

Also. Am I the only one that gets pissed off when someone "used to be" an atheist?  

[Kidrahs]

The stories of death bed conversions are most likely true, cause lets fase it, Death is scary. You could live the rest of your life beliving that you have only one life to live, but when you come to the point where it comes close to the end, you may start to belive, or hope, that there might be another life after this, no matter how absured you thought of it while you where healthy. Humans will try their best to adapt to stress, and if beliving there is another life after this one will ease that stress, they will go for it. You may say that you will never go to faith on your deathbed, but when you realise its almost over, you might start to think, or hope otherwise. Or not, but it all depends on the person. I hope that helps.
Oh, and about your other quwstion. I get VERY pissed! scream  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

Yet another example of conversion out of fear. I'm of the opinion that a belief based on fear is no belief at all.  

[imported_atheist]

totally agree with you all, fear can make people do things and think things they normally wouldn't...

if you have a gun to your head, and the man with the gun says bark like a dog...

damn right ur gonna bark like a dog! lol

death is the end, and im sure many people subconsciously figure well, i might as well act like i believe just to be safe, and if there isn't a god, it wont matter

right?  

[deactivatedfedcba]

I guess I can understand that, but I don't think a last-minute conversion due to fear of the afterlife exactly counts as belief. o.o  

[CLR3]

Well the whole "Darwin deciding on that his theory of evolution is wrong while on his deathbed," story is basically false, so there might be some false accusations to the atheist turn theist on their deathbed story as well (and some truth as well). I'm just going to take Richard Dawkins idea and place a tape recorder near my deathbed to prove that I didn't convert.  

[Sanguvixen]

I would have to say that due to so many of those stories floating around, some of them are probably true and others are probably false.

I personally see no reason to get angry when a person who "used to be an atheist" turns into a theist. What a person chooses to believe or disbelieve is up to them, it's their choice, and their freedom.

As long as a person chooses to side with something of their own free will, and after doing their own research, I'm happy, even if the choice happens to be theism.  

[Alucard2021]

The Amazing Diet Coke

How many of these "an atheist on his deathbed suddenly decided god exists!" stories are actually true?

Also. Am I the only one that gets pissed off when someone "used to be" an atheist?

It's the same idiotic theme as the "Born again" BS!

Beside's you really know that someone's crazy when they have "born again" before any religion, but I Digress.

Whatever, if they change right in the pressence of death than their loss and who the hell cares. They suck and they're going to die so oh well.

We don't need them anyway right?  

[fhbnfghnbfgbsnbg]

Just curious, what reason is there for one to be angry if someone "used to be" an atheist?
It rolls both ways; they have every right to believe in whatever god/gods of their choosing just as everyone else has the right not to believe in those god/gods, and if they decided to convert what right does someone else have to be angry at their personal desicion?  

[Alucard2021]

hey, it's cool if they do that. Change all of a sudden. But one #1 they're off they're rocker if they're one of those "born again" whatever. Obviously some bad experience made them change I believe that people should stick to their beliefe's no matter what. It's just a simple thing as being hipocritical or not.

#2 look at number one  

[Dirty Dirty Shisno]

I don't think many if any of those stories are true. It's just not concieveable to me that someone would convert to a belief they didn't actually believe out of pure fear of death. And there are just as many used to be Christians/Hindus/Buddhists/catholics/whatever else so I'm not very pissed at all. Humans change their minds.  

[Atheistic]

I would have to say it's just fear. This topic makes me think of the song "Thoughts of a Dying Atheist" by Muse.

And yeah that bugs me too. Especially when they think they know everything about their religion after converting. They'll try to use "Well as a former Atheist, I know how they think blahh blah and this is why I was wrong as an Atheist, blah, blah"  

[Mr woman]

i think you've bee a fake all along if you suddenly find jesus in a situation like that.
i mean, if hes not there, the hes not there. he doesn't just appear suddenly like "hey sorry, i've been on vacation"
if your a true atheist, your not going to go spouting off about how you'll be saved when your afraid to die.
a real athiest is going to stick to their beliefs till the end.