Posted by
Bob Siegel on Friday, May 02, 2008 12:20:45 AM
In the early Catholic Church, it was taught that baptism did away with
the penalty of Original Sin and that’s why babies were baptized. If one
converted to Christianity as a young adult, they too, were baptized. In such
cases, they were not only free from the penalty of Original Sin, but also any
sins they had committed since then. After baptism, however, additional offenses
against God had to be dealt with through other means, such as, confession and
penance. For this reason, many young men
postponed baptism until they could have their fill of sexual exploits and then
(supposedly) through baptism, they could put the sins behind them in one vast
sweep. Others carried that strategy even
further, postponing baptism until their deathbeds.
I am not Catholic and I do not accept a lot of Catholic theology but I do
believe in forgiveness of sins and in all fairness to Catholics, I have met
many prospective converts who try similar flake out maneuvers within the paradigm
of the Protestant Church.
“Can’t I accept Christ on my deathbed?” college students frequently ask
me. “Won’t all of my sins be forgiven at
that time?”
Sometimes they even site the Biblical example of the thief on the cross
who repented right before he died and heard Jesus promise that he would go to
paradise that very day. What bothers me
about this illustration is that it’s disingenuous. I’m convinced that if the
thief had survived, he would have served Christ for the remainder of his days
and I do not see that same kind of sincerity behind those who inquire about
“deathbed conversions.”
Theological accuracy is important to me.
So is integrity when one approaches a God who knows our true
motives. But I believe I came up with an
effective answer to the earnest question.
“Can’t I accept Christ on my deathbed?”
“Sure…Assuming you die in bed.
Assuming you don’t die today by being hit with a car or something.”
It’s fun to see the changed expression on the student’s face.
This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious, obvious.
Also by Bob Siegel
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