November 15, 2009
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Atheist Turn to God
I was reading an article about people who lived their lives as atheists and then turned to God toward the end of their lives.
One of the women was 68 years old when she turned to God. Here is the link: Link
Is it hypocritical for an atheist to turn to God at the end of his/her life?
Comments (150)
I think so. To me, that’s fear, not true conversion. If you’re going to be an atheist, don’t you dare chicken out in your old age.
Shameful.
I think it’s silly, but I wouldn’t call it hypocritical. People tend to get scared–and therefore superstition–when death looms.
I don’t know, but I say it’s really lucky of them. Because turning to God = being reborn with a clean slate… no sins, no nothing. And turning to God right before dying? That’s like dying with NO sins recorded. Super lucky.
I think it’s just a waste of time. Stick to your guns or don’t, but don’t be fuckin’ wishy-washy.
I’d say it’s not hypocritical as much as it is just plain sillyness and lack of ration.
I think older people need something ot believe in, as death and mortality becomes more of a reality. It’s obviously hypocritical, but nobody really has room to judge them. It would be hypocritical of a religious person to scrutinize an atheist for becoming a believer.
But it depends on whether they turn to God with a true heart.
Depends on the sincerity of their belief. It is possible to become fully convinced of the gospel at a very old age.
No, not hypocritical.
It is if they only do it ’cause they’re scared of not going to heaven. But I’m sure there are cases where it’s more spiritual than that, like wisdom a person only realizes after experiencing so much.
No, I don’t think it’s hypocritical. They’re just changing their mind. If they want to become Christians after spending life as atheists, Mormons, Muslims, what-have-you, why should anyone think less of them? It’s more hypocritical if we Christians judge people for making that change.
“Welcome aboard,” I say.
Interesting post. I don’t think its hypocritical for an atheist to turn to God at the end of his/her life, I think its all about personal choices and freewill is available to everybody regardless of the faith they choose to follow or not in this case. Atheists or “non-believers” as some prefer to be called can change their minds at any time in their lives, not just when its drawing to an end. Your post made me think of a few instances that I have heard about where murders who are sent to death sentences or are terminally ill turn to God as they are about to die. Is that hypocritical? Maybe. That they should be granted a passage to heaven when they commited such hellish acts in life. Its something to think about and you certainly got me thinking Dan. Good post!
No… anyone who wants to turn to God is making an awesome decision, not a hypocritical one. No one knows whats in their hearts.
When tortured enough, people will say anything.
Yes.
What about the hypocrisy of following a religion you don’t truly believe or the integrity of converting only when you truly believe and understand the faith? It’s like asking is it too late to fall in love at the near end of your life, love is love. Faith is faith.
We all know that the only real hypocrites ARE Christians,
@seedsower - lol
What’s worse is when Christians are too scared to give up God– even through their most lucid periods of their lives.
It’s cheating. It’s like saying “screw being a Christian, I’ll just pray before I die so I don’t go to hell”, unless they were truly converted from a non-believer.
If they actually believe? No.
If they’re doing it out of fear? Yes.
I don’t think it’s hypocritical. As long as they find God, good for them! Were in no place to judge their motives, that’s God’s job.
If they’re just doing it to “cover the bases” then yeah, it’s hypocritical. But if they are genuine then it’s a conversion . . . I don’t see how that’s hypocritical.
Sort of, it’s like that old saying “there are no atheists in a fox hole”. Old age is its own foxhole in a way, for death lurks near and it’s suddenly very comforting to believe there is God watching over you.
No… would it be hypocritical to do the reverse?
You have to live life in others’ shoes to understand their actions; and you cannot, so you will not, unless they tell you the truth. And even then, you only know half the story.
Absolutely not, God loves you even if you don’t love him….so regardless of when you come to understand that fact, God will welcome you into his Kingdom.
everyone is a hypocrite get over it!
God will know whether they are turning to Him because they are scared or because they are serious so it really doesn’t matter if we think its hypocritical or not.
Kind of. I mean, for the first part of your life, you laugh at people who believe in God, and then you become one of those people that you ridiculed?
Doesn’t matter. It’s not my place to judge anyone for decisions they make when we all have freewill.
Nope. Some people take awhile to finally find God. Who cares when it is.
No. Because if they are a real atheist, they genuinely don’t believe He exists. So if they turn to Him, it’s not because they knew He was there all along. It’s because they discovered Him.
@Queen_of_You188 - I can see your point, but you have to remember that most atheists don’t laugh at and ridicule us; they just believe their own thing, like we do.
@DirtyAndShaken - Ditto!
@OhItWontBeForever - I agree…I aint laughing.
I don’t know them so I can’t say.
For me it would be about fear. Not true belief.
@QueenOfOreos - Good to hear.
I think by the end of your life you’re scared of death so you want something good to look forward to.
Honestly, it just supports my theory that religion is just another word for hope. It’s why less wealthy area’s and countries tend to have higher levels of religiosity and why you hear a lot about prisoners “finding Jesus” in jail.
People are just scared and they want something to make them feel better.
@OhItWontBeForever - I know. I’m talking about the atheists that do, because then it’d be even MORE hypocritical. Y’know?
@mathematicalbagpiper - dumbdiddleydumdum
@Queen_of_You188 - Definitely.
@OhItWontBeForever - cool. =)
It depends on your point of view, but I would say if you are “finding God” that late in life, it may be out of fear than true conversion.
God can call on you anytime, just b/c its toward the end of your life doesn’t mean it’s any less significant.
No, it is not hypocritical. Just as a Christian should not be afraid to leave the church, so should an atheist not be afraid to take up faith. This is a personal thing. Peer pressure has no place in it.
In addition, ditto what @razzle_dazzle_lip_gloss said.
@CelestialTeapot - I’m going to put burning matches under your fingernails, dude.
Ssssss [stench of burning flesh] Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Most religious people are converted against their will at birth. People “turn to god” in adulthood the same way they turn to drugs or alcohol. In fact they usually try drugs and alcohol first, then use religion as a last ditch effort (e.g. george bush and countless others).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEPUn__hYso
You might find this relevant.
Not if it’s a sincere change of heart.
68 isn’t that old.
@saintvi - yeah 68 is kind of old. most people die around their 70′s.
Why wouldn’t you convert near death? If you stay an athiest, and die to find out there’s really a god, you go to Hell. If you convert, and die to find there’s not a god, nothing happens anyway. Why not up your chances? hahah, we talked about this in philosophy. I can’t remember who, but one philosopher explained this as his reasoning for finally converting from agnostic to Christian.
@Queen_of_You188 - Not all atheists laugh and ridicule Christians. That’s just the bad stigma around them (btw, I’m not an atheist, before I get accused of defending them simply because I am one).
@Xm0shXgaZmX - I know, I’m talking about the ones who do, because then it’s even more hypocritical. Y’know?
No. I would reasonably question their motivation and if fear of death played a role. But CS Lewis is a powerful template for this ideal…
@mathematicalbagpiper - Chicken out? It isn’t a game to most people. I’m agnostic, so I’m not sticking up for christianity at all, but if people feel like they need to straighten something out then who gives a crap if it makes them more at peace with the thought of dying. My husband is an atheist and I honestly could see him changing his beliefs with more study, but at least he has faith in something. I have faith in nothing except for air. =p
Whatever it takes.
I don’t think it’s hypocritical. It’s kind of like a smoker – aware of all the health risks – who finally quits once they have been diagnosed with cancer. The damage has already been done, but once “reality” sets it, it makes very little sense to continue doing something that’s no longer “probably” not good, but instead “definitely” not good.
I’m sure many atheists don’t convert late in life. Of those that do, I’m sure some are quite genuinely enlightened, and some are changing their minds “just in case”.
@BellaNeiSogni - It’s the other way around:
The Christian is the life-long smoker– perpetually drowned in that nicotine high. The atheist is only taking a few fun puffs before he goes.
@CelestialTeapot - Weird. It took me a moment to figure out why you commented this to me. Then I realized what you meant.
But I wasn’t comparing “smokers” to “atheists” in an attempt to say that atheism is wrong… I was just trying to say that a CONVERTED atheist is usually someone who claims to have ‘finally seen the light’, even though that same light hadf probably shone on them all their lives.
@bamzilicious26 - Agreed.
@BellaNeiSogni - I understood your metaphor. I was only being a snarky atheist.
No. Some people take their whole lives to find God.
Just like some people take their whole lives to decide there is no god.
Who cares what it is? If people never changed faiths or ideas, the idea of ‘conversion’ wouldn’t even exist.Â
@CelestialTeapot - Snarky is good in moderation. :P
@mathematicalbagpiper - Should similar things be said for people who convert to atheism in the prime of their lives when they have nothing to fear?
@soccerdadforlife - I’m going to put burning matches under your fingernails, dude. Ssssss [stench of burning flesh] Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Hmm, I wonder if that strategy worked– like spiritually. Oh wellz, probably not worth the bad press.
I dont think so at all, however, I would like to hear what made them believe, you know? I’d be happy for them (as a christian myself) and would love to hear what inspired them to christianity (or whatever religion they turned to). I think its wonderful to have a spiritual relationship, but not everyone agrees.
No. People grow, opinions change. ♥
I have been thinking about this topic lately. Or rather, I did think about it. This has always been a problem for atheists, though we have our symbols (like David Hume) who stayed true until the end.
I pity these people, but do not think that anyone should be so firm in their beliefs that they would not change. At the same time, changing your beliefs out of convenience (out of a reason rather than the one you perceive as a truth) is pathetic.
Since it is absurd to think that these old people had any major revelations, and more than likely could not face death without crutches, they attain the label of being weak minded.
@PseudoLeben - Summed up nicely.
No, not hypocritical. She was just never really, truly an atheist in the first place. A real atheist wouldn’t change their mind.
If it was only then when God decided to open her eyes at 68, then no, how can it be hypocritical? If it was hypocritical, it is better than being stupid and ignoring the truth
no, of course not. they’re probably happier and more fulfilled. i say as long as you find god, it doesn’t matter how late it happens.
@Queen_of_You188 - I might label myself an atheist, and I don’t laugh at those who are religious. I respect their views.
Just to clear that up.
Isn’t the whole point of Christianity accepting that God is the judge? So I don’t know. I’m not the one to say.
no, it’s just changing their mind. I think most people would like the idea that something happens to them when they die besides just laying in the ground.
Its stupid to wait till old age if you’re gonna do it. Theres no gurantee you won’t get killed in a hit and run sometime before then, so if you’re gonna do it, do it while you can.
@schallerbrandon - It’s confusing to say the least that any religious person would reply with such words against atheists.
In my life, I’ve been encountered by many people who have wanted me to convert to their religion.
Those people treated me with kindness and tried to defend their positions as people who practiced religion in a respectful manner.
Yet I find those same people would probably answer this question in the way that you did- without the same kindness and respect for the atheist.
The funny part is that the atheists at first believed in nothing at all.
And they wouldn’t convert to any religion without actually truly believing it- or they wouldn’t be atheists to begin with, and it wouldn’t have been a conversion. How can you convert out of fear when you don’t believe that thing you supposedly fear exists?
Suddenly, these people who truly believe in God are hypocritical… fearful, pathetic and almost liars.
That, I find, is the most hypocritical behavior of all.
Beliefs change. There is nothing hypocritical about it. It’s nothing to change one’s perception of life. It’s no different than giving up smoking after 30 years.
@CuriousiTea - There needs to be more atheists like you.
@frozencherries - I agree with you 100%.
@MsKittyCatty - Agreed
No.
@mathematicalbagpiper - you can’t really know the reason for turning back to God. Is her age the only fact necessary to conclude that it was out of fear?
that’s like galileo renouncing his discoveries before he died!
Fear of the unknown(death) will move you to do shit you sworn you’d never do.
Nope. Why would it be? It’s definitely a big change, but I see nothing hypocritical about making break from your past as long as you are consistent. If you try to hold on to your past life and your present life at the same time, then you will run into problems. But I really don’t see why anyone would say that converting one way or the other is hypocritical.
I don’t find it hypocritical. some people reach a point in their lives where they’ve finally learned enough and matured enough to turn to the Truth(God’s word, and His love). others get stuck in their ways and never reach that point of intelligence, maturity, and acceptance, and remain stagnant in their denial.
In a way I think it is, because you spent your whole life denying god then when your on your death bed you want to turn to him? However I think it’s better to have turn to him late v.s. never accepting him at all. But then what’s the whole point of being atheist?
~Alexx
good for her.
If it wasn’t for the Good Thief, then I don’t think death bed conversions or any conversion close to death is hypocritical so long as it is genuine and not a C.Y.A. maneuver. God knows the heart.
whats wrong with converting when you get older
it just means they didn’t get scared til later.
most people are raised to be scared. told they need to be saved. told to fear their god. told they are sheep.
scared? go to church!!!!
People’s beliefs change.
Seems like a moot question.
@CuriousiTea - I must agree. I think the reason a religious person would flaunt such a concept is that they are often frustrated by the current state of affairs. How does a Christian (or other) convert an atheist?
1) Convince them that god exists
2) Convince them that they will die alone
I attended church for 10 years before irrevocably disappointing my elders, and in that time, I never saw a single one of attendees die without recognition and support from the congregation. I think religion has a rarely targeted hedonistic quality. If all forms of religion were proven not to exist tomorrow, by Tuesday, there would be new churches in operation. It is painful to acknowledge that for many, life would not go on. Something must exist. And I’d be a cold bastard for saying: So be it, let them die, let humanity move forward as it should.
Better late then never, some say.
They didn’t really give enough detail to cleanse my skepticism of Sara Weiss. She was raised an atheist and raised atheists, supposedly. I’m betting at the very least she attended church like I did at a very young age which in itself would influence someone to find god at an older age. I just can’t believe that someone who was never in a religious environment growing up would suddenly convert at the age of 56. I guess anything is possible when one is really desperate, but it just doesn’t seem like she would have chosen to convert to Judaism to deal with her loss.
But to answer your question Dan, that’s not hypocritical. Everyone is allowed to change their mind if they find themselves in the wrong. Hypocrisy is “…professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.” Clearly that’s not the case in the linked article because she stopped being an atheist when she converted. There wasn’t a point where she believed in god but professed atheism or vice-versa.
I don’t think so. It’s a matter of whose standards we’re weighing this against. I would want to say it is, but God is ultimately the one who decides those things.
It would seem very unChristian like to snub someone who turned to God, regardless of the circumstances. A soul is a soul, right? To judge them seems to me to be hypocritical in itself; like your some sort of religious elitist. God is allegedly all for that whole “forgiveness” thing, so past should be irrelevant.
Is it hypocritical to turn to god while in prison. If its hypocritical to turn to god when deathly ill. Is it hypocritical to turn to god because you feel the need for salvation. Christianity didn’t get popular by keeping people out. Its a religion built on the idea that salvation is qick and easy, all you have to do is accept jesus christ. The relgion itself is hypocritical but people turning to it when they feel there end coming, thats just people being people…
I think it’s odd and funny. Oh no, I’m dying, but I don’t want to go to Hell or just perish into dirt!
Hahaha, I live like 30 minutes from Sarah Heiss..or Weiss, whatever it is.
@quicksandbuddy - I couldn’t have said it better myself. If someone turns to God, it doesn’t matter what their age is and it is not our place to judge them. God knows their motives better then anyone. As Christians it is our responsibility to welcome those who turn to God and support them; not judge them. We need to rejoice in lost souls coming to God and who are making the decision to turn their life around.
Just when they become aware of their own mortality, they turn to god? Yeah, that’s hypocrisy there.
- Kunoichi
@mathematicalbagpiper - Maybe the logic to show that there is a god really takes that long to work out.
No it is not, if she found God so be it. It’s hypocritical to to fake a relationship with God.
Anything with god is not hypocritical if you’re true.
We cant judge their motives only their actions.
Which God/god/higher power/supreme being did she find?
No, not if they have genuinely changed their minds. But, to me, being hypocritical is saying one thing and then doing another at the same time. But changing your mind is totally different. Why? Well, because that means you have completely changed your stance. What you say AND what you do.
My friend once told me about a guy she knew who used to illegally download music, but then later he changed his stance on that and stopped doing it and said that others shouldn’t do it either. To me, that is not hypocritical, but changing your mind. To be hypocritical, he would have had to still be downloading the illegal music while at the same time condemning it and telling people to stop doing it.
So, if these atheist-turned-religious people have genuinely changed their outlook and their stance, how is that hypocritical? They’ve just simply changed their minds.
It doesn’t surprise me that some people would do this at the end of their life, though. I think religion itself, no matter what kind of religion, sort of came about to help us understand things and explain things hat we couldn’t explain or that scared us. Such as death. A lot of religions do talk about life after death. Some don’t. But, they all kind of tell you what to expect. Some of them have guidelines, but it still gives you something to expect.
The fear of the unknown, especially in the face of one’s own mortality, can often make someone think “well, what if I’m wrong…?” and the fear of death is potent for many. You don’t have to be religious to be afraid of dying. Wanting to believe that you will either go somewhere good and continue to have some kind of good existence is very appealing to a lot of people in their later years or when they become ill and feel that their time might be short no matter if they are young or old. And even if they decide to believe in a religion that doesn’t support a life-after-death scenario, it still takes away the fear of the unknown to believe that you know what is going to happen. Even if it is ceasing to exist or whatever else it might be. At least you know.
And likewise, I don’t think religious people who lose their faith and become atheists are hypocritical, either. There are always reasons, but so long as they are genuine in their decision it isn’t hypocritical, but rather a change of mind/stance on something.
At least, that’s how I see it. :p
@phantomFive - There is no logic in the stance that there exists a god/gods. There’s nothing to work out.
Yes it’s hypocritical. Drakonskyr makes a valid point, and I’m going to add to that – if an atheist will spend his/her life being persercuted(sp?) against for being an atheist, then why stop now? Why be a pussy and stand with your belief for 68 years and THEN turn around and say…oh, I’m Christian now. What if there was a man who sexually abuses women who came out 68 years later and said “oh, I’m changed now”…but he’s been sexually abusing women for 40 years. Does that mean that it’s okay now that he decided to change after 40 years? Or a better example…that’s like a woman or man coming out of the closet 68 years later. Doesn’t make sense. It’s not socially acceptable because it just doesn’t make sense. An atheist who decides to go Christian after 68 years is like…why now? You can die at any moment, and there are people who say that God doesn’t exist…the only difference now at 68 years old is that you have a even higher percentage of dieing. So, stick to your guns. Don’t be a pussy and chicken out from something that you’ve lived with for a long ass time.
It’s called being crazy and old.
I think its never too late to change. How sad..
No. Late is better than never.
She’s just hedging her bets. Deathbed repentance basically takes the moral obligation out of Christianity. You can do whatever the fuck you want your whole life, and then turn around and repent in your last days without penalty. She noticed the loophole, good for her!
Ha. No, I’d say it’s smart!
It doesn’t matter, it’s all the same in the end.
@seedsower - hooo rah!
I think each person is entitled to believe or not as they see fit and age has no bearing on it. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. The 12 year old who get saved might easily die before the 80 year old. Salvation isn’t about age.
No. God allows people to have a change of heart – a heart for Him – at any time during their life, no matter what they believed or did wrong before that point.
People go through several stages when they are faced with death. One of these stages is “bargaining,” or trying to make compromises or promises that you think will postpone death or make you feel better about it. This could include a religious revelation. Is it hypocritical? I suppose, but elders often find themselves in a tender position before they die.
Yes.
But that door is always open for a reason.
No…I don’t I just think that they are finally coming to their senses. And are being humbled by Death in a very powerful way.
Maybe, but it shows that even they get so overwhelmed that they must turn to a higher power. That should be seen as evidence of God’s existence.
Well, that’s for God to decide. But what if there is no God? Then it doesn’t matter because ultimately a person’s choice of cosmology is quite irrelevant given the scope of eternity compared to a single human life. On the other hand, what if there is a God but that God doesn’t turn out to be the God that the (near) end-of-life converter comes to believe in? Once more, that person’s choice of God or Gods doesn’t really matter because they got it wrong.
Then again, the vast majority of believers past have, from the viewpoint of whatever system of belief or disbelief one adheres to today, been off the mark. What this means to me is not whether one’s beliefs about the hereafter or other serious issues matches ultimate reality but whether they lived their lives in a way that helped to make the world a better place than they were born into. And I think (and this is just conjecture) that if there is a God which is concerned with individual human behavior, then this has to have greater importance rather than whether one’s beliefs were spot on about the ultimate nature of reality.
So, to answer your question, I think it is irrelevant whether such behavior is hypocritical because it reflects a person’s views on reality which is guided by their conscience.
Forgot to add. This question seems more about potential for jealousy than anything else. The reason I say that is because people seem to believe that others are getting something they don’t deserve.
I don’t think it is ever a bad time to turn to God. Thank God he is not as judgemental and critical as humans are.
Nah, it’s not hypocritical. Not to me at least. I think it’s awesome, honestly. And people change their minds daily. Being hypocritical is doing something that you don’t believe in. This lady wasn’t an atheist but still worshipped God. When she was an atheist, she didn’t believe in God. That’s more hypocritical. I think that when an atheist turns to God, they never were a true atheist in the first place. There was some still doubt in them saying, “but maybe there is a God.” I believe in God. I love God. I’m a Christian. But there was a point of time where I wasn’t. But I’m glad I chose my relationship with God.
@mathematicalbagpiper - oh really? So are you saying you’ve taken every proposition of God and worked through every single one of them to make sure they are not correct? Because that’s what you’d have to do to assert that God doesn’t exist and it isn’t logical. Because if there is even one thread of logic out of a million that leads to God, then showing all the others to be false won’t help you at all.
@phantomFive - The idea of there existing a deity goes against the fundamental laws of natural science. Since there is absolutely not one shred of evidence for supernatural occurrences, the only logical conclusion is that deities/supernatural phenomena do not exist.
@mathematicalbagpiper - ‘fundamental laws of natural science’ are nothing more than formalized observation. You can’t use them to prove anything other than ‘X is what we have observed’ or ‘X is not true according to what we have observed.’
Have you examined all the evidence for God? Seems you can’t definitively state there is no God unless you do so, and even then the most you can say is “we have found no evidence for a God.” Which of course does not preclude the possibility that one exists.
@phantomFive - Lack of evidence implies evidence of lack, and there absolutely is a lack of evidence. The so-called “evidence” for god/gods/creationism has been shredded by today’s top scientists.
@mathematicalbagpiper - You are, by far, the funniest troll I’ve seen on this blog. Props, good sir.
@Floating_Above_the_Dance_Floor - Uhhh, I’m on topic. That’s not trolling, you dumbass.
@mathematicalbagpiper - No, I mean how you are almost never civil to people who often, if not always, treat you with respect for holding different opinions. It’s hiLARious. ROFL
@Floating_Above_the_Dance_Floor - May I ask how I’m not being civil? I haven’t cussed anyone out now have I?
@mathematicalbagpiper - So you reject out of hand all evidence of God? That is not very scientific approach, you know. And if by “today’s top scientists” you mean Richard Dawkins, you are being silly.
@Floating_Above_the_Dance_Floor - He is being 100% serious in his beliefs, I am pretty sure of that.
@phantomFive - Richard Dawkins among others. All of today’s top scientists are atheists, hmm, I wonder why…..
@phantomFive - I am a bit disappointed. I only get to check in every once in a while, but every time I read up I find him making some sort of inflammatory statements or being belligerently unwilling to concede that anyone is allowed to hold different opinions. I was really hoping it was someone with a similar sense of humour to myself. (no offense to you, mathematicalbagpiper)
@mathematicalbagpiper@xanga – All the top scientists of today are atheists because of the scientific society is atheist. A creationist, however smart, would not get their endorsement. All the past scientists like Newton were Christian.
@mathematicalbagpiper - So in other words, you are basing your ideas on the beliefs of other men who you consider to be quite smart, but you have not actually examined all the evidence for yourself. This is alternately known as faith: you are demonstrating fine faith in these people, but faith is something that flies in the face of science. Science is about evidence and demonstrability, you are making an appeal to authority. In other words, you have no basis whatsoever for your argument that God doesn’t exist. I hope eventually you can learn to not rely on other people’s beliefs, and enter the world of science.
That’s the way it works.
They should make the church by birth only. If you aren’t born a Christian, you should never be able to be one!
I don’t think it’s hypocritical if they’ve truly converted from their former selves. If a person is saved after years of a sense of hopelessness, praise God. But if they aren’t being true to themselves then we should hope this is just another step to salvation before they do finally die instead of questioning their legitimacy of the gift we too have freely and graciously been given.
It’s like that parable of the workers in the field. The ones hired even at the very last hour were paid the same amount as the ones who worked all day, just as the man promised.
When death comes knocking on your doors, i can totally understand someone switching from a religion(or lack of) to another.Older people want to believe there is something out there when their time is up.And then, it depends on the person themselves whether or not to be devoted to their god.
98% of the ‘Christians’ I know act no better than an Atheist. A lot of ‘Christians’ would actually turn to God at the end of their lives too. So I don’t think its hypocritical for an Atheist too. A lot of ‘Christians’ I know preach their little mouths off and then go get drunk and have sex with random people.
Plus, its not our place to judge, nor does it matter what we think about this. God will decide, not us.
Hypocritical? Not by definition.
it’s not hypocritical when you have a change of heart.
a hypocrit says one thing and then does another, probably because you never meant what you said. one can be sincere about a belief, and then believe in something else at a later time.
People are allowed to change their minds… it’s their decision, not mine, anyway.
In your question you are implying that atheists avoid god so that they can be immoral. But once they reach old age they have to clean up their act and ask for forgiveness? I am an atheist, a woman, and I’m the prudiest woman I know! I think the way you posed the question makes you seem sort of judgmental.
Either she really did find God at her age or she was never really a true Atheist. It’s not uncommon for people to convert, it works both ways.
@mathematicalbagpiper - You piqued my curiosity, so I went to see if indeed all the top notch scientists are actually atheists. ’Top scientist’ is of course a rather ambiguous category, but Freeman Dyson is probably as good as any other scientist. http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2007/09/29/freeman_dyson/index.html He claims there are lots of religious scientists.
In any case whether you agree with him or not, I think you will like the interview, it is an interesting one; to me, anyway.