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if your mother was on her deathbed and she begged you to pray with her.
would you do it, would you accept Christ as your personal savior so that she could be comforted in her last moments of life?

m16566 7 May 18
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90 comments (26 - 50)

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4

There is a big difference between praying, which is basically a wish, and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If my mother’s last wish was for me to pray with her, I absolutely would in order to give her comfort. My job in that moment is to make her comfortable and help ensure that she goes in as much peace as possible. I would feel selfish if I didn’t.

when I die, I don't want to hear any Jesus Christ bullshit.....they are just as crazy as the Muslims....

@FlyingEagle1952 and hopefully, if you have those that believe in the lie of religion near you, they will give you respect and show you their love by NOT mentioning their belief, which you find so odious.

@Leeshi My daughters are right wing fanatic evangelico Christians, they love Trump too. But they still love me. I am a spiritualist, not by wishful thinking, but by experience. I didn't know what is was in 1994, it took me years to find out.....I experienced a kundalini awakening, not fun either. I have to hear this JC bullshit all the time. I have 2 daughters and both of their husbands are studying to be ministers. I usually go to the Xmas services for my grand kids, but i've stopped that....no more. My daughters know I want no discussion of Jesus Christ over my ashes.....that's for sure. There has been nothing that has contributed more to mental illness than Christianity. There is one sick God......omg.....so sick.....end of story. BUT......there is life after death.....we are in fact beings of light.....it's all about light frequencies......and it is important to LOVE AND BE KIND. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

@FlyingEagle1952 while I respect your right to believe in whatever you choose, I find it a bit hypocritical that you, who believes in some form of higher power (if I am mistaken in my understanding of what you just posted, please let me know), are calling others that believe in a different higher power crazy. What makes your higher power so much more realistic than theirs?

@Leeshi It's not about a 'higher power"....it's physics......light frequencies......consciousness is consciousness......what makes ME ME....and YOU YOU. When our body dies, we must exit these physical bodies. It has nothing to do with what you believe, your religion. It's biological phenomenon. My mother believe there was nothing after you die. She passed in 1994. Well, .....too bad....but wrong. At the end she went into severe shock because she was not prepared for what was going on. Neither was i. There is a great book called THE JOURNEY OF SOULS, by Newton. He was a skeptic.....but just ran into too much evidence. It's a great book. So is BEYOND THE LIGHT by PMH Atwater.........i had dinner with PMH.......another one LIFE AFTER LIFE, by Dr Raymond Moody. I had dinner with Raymond Moody, the man saved my life. And Dannion Brinkley, he wrote SAVED BY THE LIGHT. I had dinner with Dannion too. Dannion was dead for almost an hour.......they made a TV movie about him and he was on Phil Donahue 4 times. Get on YOUTUBE and watch Ebin Alexander.....he is a brain doctor that died. He will blow your mind. I went IANDS meetings for 10 years, my experience was in 1994. Good luck....

4

My mom wouldn't have asked that of me but, yes, I would say what she needed to hear. They are just words...mean nothing to me and everything to her. My love for her far outweighs my tiny discomfort.

4

No. She was too mean.

Carin Level 8 May 18, 2019

Same!

If your own mother hates you, you are really fucked.

4

She is already gone. She would have never asked that. She gave me respect. I miss her.

4
4

I would most likely go through the motions but it would only be a symbolic gesture.

4

Yes o would! To make her happy on the last moment!

3

I would give love and comfort, but I would not convert!

3

Yes, my value system requires me to give Comfort to those I love. Without the dead bed part though oh, I would Stand My Ground.

3

My Mom did ask that of me when she had about a month to live from lung cancer. I told her I couldn't do that. To be fair she knew I had been an atheist since the 1970's and she didn't press the issue after I told her no.

3

No. I would probably pretend, though to give her peace of mind

3

No.

Osso Level 3 May 19, 2019
3

As both my parents were atheists it was never going to happen in my case, however as this is a purely hypothetical question anyway, I will say yes. If my mother had truly believed and I had the power to make her last minutes happy, then why would not do so. It would cost me nothing to act out this fantasy, it would change nothing except making my mother happy, it would be an act of love.

U never dissapoint me ma'am on any comment of yours . I can see kindness and I can see the wisdom .

@Pralina1 Thank you my dear...I may be getting wiser with age...I like to think so.

3

Never. Never. Never.

Let's just reverse this a minute and a dying Atheist mother insisted her child renounce their god.

Yeah. That's not going to happen.

Atheists are not insane.

3

The one and only time I heard my Mum swear was when she was dying. She told a vicar to piss off when he asked her if he could pray with her. I seriously couldn't imagine that. My Mum would never have asked me to lie to her. Saying that, if it were someone else yeah why not? Little white lies don't hurt anyone.

3

No. No I wouldn't.

3

That's certainly not accepting and respecting that your son or daughter have their own walk and choices in life they're "at peace with". That would certainly break someone at their mother's deathbed. Like your mom "putting you in a corner" even on her deathbed! It's like being choked while still breathing. They have nurtured you, loved you and protected you, but unfortunately subtly still have that iron hand which is cruel. My mother once told me, "if you don't marry this person, don't come see my face in my coffin when I die". Yes! she did, and I obeyed, even though I went through so much pain, and regardless of the abuse I faced, which she was aware of, staying in this relationship, would bring "no shame to her name". I got out if it eventually and we (my mother and I) became estranged (I distanced myself) for many many year's. I couldn't understand how your own mother could be this cruel!
Even on someone's deathbed, remain true to who you are, you'd probably regret that you perhaps "didn't please her" before she died, but I don't beat yourself up for being you. You're not guilty for not "obeying" someone trying to "save you" when you're already free and safe. No mother should put a child in that situation.

I think a lie told for the greater good is excusable.
clearly mom in my scenario is wrong.
I asked what's decision causes the least pain?

3

that would have killed my mom. we're jewish.

but pretending to pray with someone dying, someone you love, and actually accepting a nonexistent christ into your heart are not the same thing. how would anyone even know what was in your heart? you could be on your knees and saying to yourself, "i am not praying but i am on my knees to make my mother happy, and she will die peacefully because of this pose, and it hurts no one, including me." my mom on her deathbed said she thought she would be joining my dad in heaven. do you think i said "gee mom i'm sorry you're dying but guess what? there's no heaven!" i said no such thing and i did not feel like a hypocrite for not correcting her. you only die once.

g

3

probably because I would know I didnt mean it and it would mean something to her

lerlo Level 8 May 19, 2019
3

My best friend from 1st grade did that for his mom. I'm pretty much positive it didn't mean anything. But the shit fucker pastor giving the eulogy made s big deal about it. My poor friend looked so uncomfortable. If I were to do it for my mom I'd make sure no one else found out

Was it a Catholic Priest???? He was probably corn-howling the kid.

@FlyingEagle1952 Protestant Baptist. And my friend was an adult. No corn holing

@count_viceroy i hate catholic priests...... As you can see....

3

No.
I wouldn't do that for anyone, for any reason.

2

No she would know I was lying

2

Hell to the no !!!

2

Hypothetical questions are a lot of fun, aren't they?

Well, in this one we use a situation that I know something about. Been there, done that. Not my mother, but someone very close.

She asked and I said, "You know me better than that. You know how I feel about you, isn't that enough?"

She responded, "Yes, I do, and I'm sorry for asking. You are my one true and honest friend."

So, the answer is, no, I would not, but one does not have to be cruel about it.

2

Throughout my life and even in the present I have "supported" the religious acts and traditions of others. Not because I believe or even respect their religious beliefs. But rather express a level of tolerance is so much as I respect myself and how I view others.

There are of course limits, as in if said religious follower (or group, hive minds is there things go down hill) attempts to force their beliefs and customs on myself or others. If those being opposed upon do not agree, that at is then I will object. My objection and the response is directly in intensity to my perception of the offence.

That all being defined, if a loved one where in their death bed and asked for believing in a faith, a story, a fairytale to comfort them in their last moments. Yes I would act in the play so much as to comfort the dying out of love.

However, it would have as much meaning or significance as praising Donald Duck, or espousing the virtues of the Jedi and Sith. None have any hold over me as all are stories, metaphors, and fables.

I would practice in such rituals like I do paying taxes and voting. It has never benefitted me personally. But I would like to think the intent provides some benefit as a whole.

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