Originally Posted by: Cryptic Excretions...Out of fear of what will happen if I don't - that's not faith, that's fear and no one should worship something they're afraid of...

My mom died on a Sunday morning, at about 5.30. The previous saturday, my auntie, a staunchly born again christian, had come to see my mum in the company of one of her friends(auntie's), another equally staunch one. So they'd been praying by her bed for like the whole day. Then at around 4.30 in the afternoon, she came round from her coma-like condition, talked to them, blah blah blah. They impressed on her to get saved, and I'm told she said yes, then slipped back into the coma thing. She never came back, and eventually went away.
Now, that was not true salvation, that was just fear of the unknown. And really realising that you're not gonna make it. And fools in my family have the guts to claim she got saved. Just how dumb do you suppose God is? I know we're all gonna die, but thinking about what she went through in those moments hurts me a lot. And to think that her own family aggravated the situation by all that "GET SAVED!! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!!" Really telling her that they've given up on her. It's like the call made when you'r boarding a plane or something, or you're being executed. I was in boarding school at the time, they only told me after the fact.
When I think about these things, it hurts to think about the things people put those who are dying through, like bringing some preacher man to get you to repent and all that ****. I swear if I'm ever terminally ill and someone tries to preach to me I'll tell them to go **** themselves and kick them out of the hospital ward or something. And if I'm about to be executed for killing someone, and right before the chamber they bring this preist to recite some stuff and ****, I'll ,kill him as well. I remember watching this Western about some horse thieves who were about to be hanged, and one of them is still insisting he's not guilty, and when he's given the last chance, he's asking someone to take care of his family, another one is so messed he cant' say anything, and the third just says "...get the hell on with it goddammit!..." I've never laughed that hard. Way to go.
Another neoghbour of mine was dying from HIV. He claimed he was born again, was not afraid to die, was on his way to heaven, was always reading the bible and all that ****. But you could see the fear in his eyes. He was very very afraid. I felt for him.
I'm not afraid of the concept of dying; what kinda scares me is the pain prospect and stuff. But all that eternity stuff and hell and what have you? If it's gonna happen it's gonna happen. And I'm sure God would want me to do as he says not because I'm afraid of him, but because I realise and accept it's the right thing.