Suppose you have a religious person with a terminal illness. Would you as an atheist EVER try to convince him/her that there's no heaven or afterlife? I wouldn't! (Although I have a strong suspicion Dawkins would. )

No, just like I would hope a theist wouldn't come to an atheist's deathbed and try to convert them. And I doubt Dawkins would do that.

I wouldn’t but then I don’t really try to convince anyone that their views are wrong unless they ask me to.

(November 29, 2017 at 10:11 am)Alexmahone Wrote: Suppose you have a religious person with a terminal illness. Would you as an atheist EVER try to convince him/her that there's no heaven or afterlife? I wouldn't! (Although I have a strong suspicion Dawkins would. )

Yes, I think it's important to speak your mind to your mother-in-law.

(November 29, 2017 at 10:11 am)Alexmahone Wrote: Suppose you have a religious person with a terminal illness. Would you as an atheist EVER try to convince him/her that there's no heaven or afterlife? I wouldn't! (Although I have a strong suspicion Dawkins would. )

Dawkins stupidly said that he wants his death recorded to prove he went to his death an atheist.

Problem with that is unless you die suddenly, you can suffer mental decline and defect over a period of hours, days weeks and months. If you suffer mental decline and or are doped up on drugs, you'd certainly have the potential to say things you would not say if in a healthy lucid state.

Anthony Flew is a perfect example of his religious friends and family LYING about his condition in his decline to create a false image of a death bed conversion. Some assholes have even tried that with Hitchens.


Having said that, no, I would not do that. I watched my mom decline and die over several weeks and during that time I simply comforted her, she already knew I didn't believe, I already knew she did. 

In time of decline at the last minute it is pointless. I think it is far more important to argue with someone when they are lucid and young so they don't waste the one life they have for 80 plus years on a fantasy.

I would hope anyone at my deathbed regardless of belief would simply comfort me and shut the fuck up.

(November 29, 2017 at 10:11 am)Alexmahone Wrote: Suppose you have a religious person with a terminal illness. Would you as an atheist EVER try to convince him/her that there's no heaven or afterlife? I wouldn't! (Although I have a strong suspicion Dawkins would. )

Nah, I'd even go so far as to tell them that all their kids love them and that just a minute ago their highschool sweetheart called and said they were wrong to break it off.  

(November 29, 2017 at 10:14 am)FatAndFaithless Wrote: No, just like I would hope a theist wouldn't come to an atheist's deathbed and try to convert them.  And I doubt Dawkins would do that.

Hope in one hand, shit in another.  Evangelical presence and pressure is highest at the beginning and end of life.  That's the business model.  Catch em on the way in and collect a residual, or catch em on the way out and bank on a windfall.

If I wasn't able to respect others beliefs I wouldn't have gone thru hospice training and then volunteered for several years.

Why, at the end of their life, would I try to make it more traumatic for them? Fear of death is one of their biggest selling points. Just let them check out with what ever peace they can find.

I wouldn't. At this point, they're going to pass away so it would do them no good. Also I'm not one in generally to try to convince people of things they don't want to know or to do things they don't want to do.

The only beliefs I didn't (and still don't) respect during my hospice work was the goddamn Baptist minister that did Brian's funeral service.

Yeah, bastard, citing the deceased as a negative example for the rest of us to learn from? Fuck you and your fucking pig God.