Deathbed conversion

A deathbed conversion is the adoption of a particular religious faith shortly before dying. Making a conversion on one's deathbed may reflect an immediate change of belief, a desire to formalize longer-term beliefs, or to complete a process of conversion already underway. Many believe that the imminence of death concentrates the mind, and propels a desire for people to put their lives aright in preparation for what they consider to await them after death.

History

Deathbed conversions have been most prominent within Christianity. Indeed, a deathbed conversion appears in the Gospel of Luke with the confession of the good thief who is crucified alongside Jesus. (Luke 23:39-43) Jesus accepts his conversion, saying “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise".

Perhaps the most momentous conversion in Western history is that of Constantine I, Roman Emperor. He was baptised only shortly before his death in 337.

Controversy

Many religious leaders disapprove of deathbed conversion, considering it based on fear rather than true belief. Many deathbed converts lived in violation of the tenets of the religion to which they wish to convert. This can be considered a form of "hedging one's bets," similar to Pascal's Wager.

The deathbed conversion has also been a target of humor. Voltaire, on his own deathbed, was asked by a priest to renounce Satan. Voltaire replied, "This is no time to be making new enemies." Those turned out to be his last words.

Debated individual claims

Charles Darwin

One famous example is Charles Darwin in the Lady Hope urban legend, in which it was claimed Darwin said: "How I wish I had not expressed my theory of evolution as I have done." He went on to say that he would like her to gather a congregation since he "would like to speak to them of Christ Jesus and His salvation, being in a state where he was eagerly savoring the heavenly anticipation of bliss." Lady Hope's story was printed in the Boston Watchman Examiner. The story spread, and the claims were republished as late as October 1955 in the Reformation Review and in the Monthly Record of the Free Church of Scotland in February 1957.

From Darwin's son: "Lady Hope's account of my father's views on religion is quite untrue. I have publicly accused her of falsehood, but have not seen any reply."

From Darwin's daughter: "I was present at his deathbed. Lady Hope was not present during his last illness, or any illness. I believe he never even saw her, but in any case she had no influence over him in any department of thought or belief. He never recanted any of his scientific views, either then or earlier. We think the story of his conversion was fabricated in the U.S.A. The whole story has no foundation whatever."

Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre's atheism was foundational for his style of existentialist philosophy. In March 1980, about a month before his death, he was interviewed by his assistant, Benny Lévy, and within these interviews he expressed his interest in Judaism which was inspired by Levy's renewed interest in the faith. Through Sartre's study of Jewish history he became particularly interested in the messianic idea of the faith. Some people apparently took this to indicate a deathbed conversion; however, the text of the interviews makes it clear that he did not consider himself a Jew, and was interested in the ethical and "metaphysical character" of the Jewish religion, while continuing to reject the idea of an existing God.

References