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Collected by Kent E. Heaton Sr.:

 

Caesar Borgia: "While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die."

Thomas Hobbs: "I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."

Thomas Payne: "Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone ... O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter?"

Sir Thomas Scott: "Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty."

Voltaire: "I am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months' life." (He said this to Dr. Fochin, who told him it could not be done.)"Then I shall die and go to hell!"

Robert Ingersoll: "O God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul!" (Some say it was this way: "Oh God, if there be a God, save my soul if I have a soul, from hell, if there be a hell!")

In the last century, a well-known atheist was riding with Alexander Campbell in a buckboard. As usual, they were discussing atheism. Campbell's visitor pointed to an ox grazing in the nearly field, and said: "I have no more fear of death than that ox." To which Campbell replied: "And no more hope, either."



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Interesting quotes, Fire.  However, the only actual, professed atheist was Ingersol.  He was a superstar during his time.  I'm going to research that quote but I can almost guarantee you that he was trying to make a point in a sarcastic sort of way.  There was "no death bed conversion" for him.

As far as I know, all the others were deists or perhaps simply skeptical of all religions.  I especially take exception to Thomas Paine being listed in there.  He was certainly a deist and believed in a higher power but despised the control that religion places on the hearts and minds of men.  Much of his words certainly sound "atheistic" but if you believe in a god, any god, you are denied access to the club,

Interesting, Fire.  I can find no reference whatsoever of Ingersol saying those words.  I do soo plenty of Christian website devoted to the "Last words of atheists" and they all seem to come from a single source that cannot be determined.

I cannot find the full quote that you are attributing to Ingersol but the jest of it is contained here.  This book is called the "Letters of Robert Browning"  and references much of that quote as coming from a book called "Kings Memoirs."  I can't find that book.


That kind of calls into question the sources and context of all the other quotes, doesn't it?

Unob, I wonder how those atheists would respond to your claim they are delusional...the same insult you have used to describe others all your life can now be used against you by other atheists as you face the reality of death.  Does what they viewed as proof that there is no God now fall short of proving anything?  Does facing death force a person to drop a stubborn rebellion against and rather instead look for the first time with an open mind at God?  When they go back over the reasons to believe and the reasons to not believe, do they evaluate those reasons with complete honesty when it's now or never?

 

Unfortunately, not everybody gets that chance.  Morbid thought, but true.

Originally Posted by rimshot:

Old Faithful asks a good question.Most of us atheists  live solitary lives and resent the intrusions of people who keep trying to "save" us. I have always wondered if their local church assigns quotas for each person.

 

 

 

 


People can't save you.  We believe you are going to hell and actually care.  I can see why you'd be offended by that. 

Originally Posted by FirenzeVeritas:

As for the quotes, I was actually looking for Oscar Wilde's and could not find it. It's said he asked his long time lover, named Robbie I believe, to call for a priest and stated there wasn't enough blood to save him. Anyone know where to find this?


****************************************************************************************************************

 

Never heard of his saying that. Depending own which source you believe he either said "those drapes are atrocious, one of us will have to go" or he said "that wallpaper is atrocious, one of us will have to go", or different variations.  It's like all other "deathbed" quotes, unless you were there anyone can say that a person said or did anything. Bogart has a "deathbed" declaration attributed to him, but I read Bacall's book and he died (alone) while she was out running a quick errand.

Here is the entire account of his death, FV.

Yes, atheists,  it comes from a magazine. Believe or not.

 

http://www.poetrymagazines.org...e/record.asp?id=9404

Rev. Edmund Burke, C. P.

Oscar Wilde: The Final Scene    

    The fact of Oscar Wilde’s death-bed conversion to the Roman Catholic Church has been well known for more than sixty years. But there has been argument about the exact circumstances under which this event took place, and in particular about Wilde’s mental condition during the final scenes. This account, the first by an eye-witness, comes from the papers of Father Cuthbert Dunne, C.P., the priest who ministered to Wilde.

 When De Profundis was published by Methuen early in 1905 interest in Wilde quickly revived. In an article on ‘Wilde in the St James’s Gazette in the first months of 1905 the following passage appeared: ‘He did not become a Roman Catholic before he died. He was, at the instance of a great friend of his, himself a devout Catholic, “received into the Church” a few hours before he died; but he had then been unconscious for many hours, and he died without ever having had any idea of the liberty which had been taken with his unconscious body.’ The article was signed ‘A’ and was presumably written or inspired by Lord Alfred Douglas.

 

************************************************************************************************************

 

And once again, unless a person was there they can't know what really happened. Every day people that don't believe die, and in many many cases family members bring in priests or preachers or whatever because THEY wish it. So who knows if he actually "converted", and if he did I don't see how it would matter in the scheme of things.

Nice cherry picking Jenn.

 

The very next paragraph is:

 

 

Such a gratuitous statement, unsupported by any evidence, could be confirmed or denied only by eye-witnesses. Two such witnesses were available. One was Robert Ross; the other was Fr Cuthbert Dunne, C.P., then attached to St Joseph’s Church, Paris, who had ministered to Wilde in his last hours.

 

Originally Posted by b50m:

Nice cherry picking Jenn.

 

The very next paragraph is:

 

 

Such a gratuitous statement, unsupported by any evidence, could be confirmed or denied only by eye-witnesses. Two such witnesses were available. One was Robert Ross; the other was Fr Cuthbert Dunne, C.P., then attached to St Joseph’s Church, Paris, who had ministered to Wilde in his last hours.

 

B-it's not "cherry picking". It was in the article and I pointed it out and said-once more- it depends on who you believe as to what happened. I honestly could not care less whether he converted or not, and you can read all sorts of accounts of his death and find as many that state he did not convert or even know the priest was there, as you can the ones like you posted. Another "deathbed" quote attributed to him was "And now I am dying outside my means". Did he even say that? Did he say that on his deathbed? Who knows. Again it depends on which source you believe. It doesn't make one bit of difference to me and I wonder why it would matter to anyone else. I don't get the point of all the "deathbed" conversion stories. 

 

Quick PS here: Wilde was a homosexual so I wonder if he did "convert", how he figured your god would let him into heaven. 

Originally Posted by rimshot:

Old Faithful asks a good question.Most of us atheists  live solitary lives and resent the intrusions of people who keep trying to "save" us. I have always wondered if their local church assigns quotas for each person.

 

 

 

 


===========================================================

I don't live a solitary life. I HAVE lived alone, but no more.

 

I do resent GZs trying to save me. They tell me to "repent!" all the time.

 

I wasn't "pent" in the first place. I see no need to repent.

 

  For me to need saving-I'd first have to be lost.  I don't think I am.

 

"Lost" is a pretty relative term.

Originally Posted by Road Puppy:
Originally Posted by rimshot:

Old Faithful asks a good question.Most of us atheists  live solitary lives and resent the intrusions of people who keep trying to "save" us. I have always wondered if their local church assigns quotas for each person.

 

 

 

 


===========================================================

I don't live a solitary life. I HAVE lived alone, but no more.

 

I do resent GZs trying to save me. They tell me to "repent!" all the time.

 

I wasn't "pent" in the first place. I see no need to repent.

 

  For me to need saving-I'd first have to be lost.  I don't think I am.

 

"Lost" is a pretty relative term.

 

 

Hahaha! I can just hear YOUR last words..."Hold my beer...an' watch this"...

The nurse's oath is: If I can do no good, I will do no harm.

 

I have no idea who breaks what. I would assume any nurse doing harm to a patient is doing so in error...or the "harm" is necessary as in painful procedures.  You do read of the occasional Angels of Death, but none around here I would hope.

 

Some other probable last words: I think I'll try car surfing...

He wasn't an atheist but on the subject of famous last words:

 

John Sedgwick was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He saw many engagements and was wounded by bullets three times - but was seemingly immune to fear.

In his last moments on earth, he said:

They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance.

Originally Posted by FirenzeVeritas:

The nurse's oath is: If I can do no good, I will do no harm.

 

I have no idea who breaks what. I would assume any nurse doing harm to a patient is doing so in error...or the "harm" is necessary as in painful procedures.  You do read of the occasional Angels of Death, but none around here I would hope.

 

Some other probable last words: I think I'll try car surfing...


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Birdie: "Angels of Death" are usually health care professionals who take it upon themselves to kill (usually) terminally ill people under their care. (Like.Kevorkian, I guess). Only they do it without the patient's consent.  probably has a lot to do with Munchausen's syndrome.

 

FV: I've car-surfed-or more accurately van surfed plenty of times. Those famous last words would either be "Well, THAT didn't turn out like I planned" or just plain "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

 

Trust me.

quote:  Originally Posted by Jennifer:

Well goodness, if the argument is that all atheists change their minds and start believing on their death beds why all the nagging at them from Christians to "choose" to believe before then?


Hi Jennifer,

 

One very good reason -- can you say exactly when you will breathe your last breath?  Can you say, with certainty, that you will not be killed in an accident -- or have a massive heart attact -- and have no chance to make a last second conversion?  Would it not be better to be prepared ahead of time -- just in case?

 

That, my Friend, is why Christians never stop witnessing.  Well, that, and the fact that our Lord commands us to be His witnesses in all the world (Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20) -- and He put no time limit on that command.

 

So, we will always be here -- telling folks about our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But, we will not twist you arm -- and He will not twist your arm.  The choice has to be, and is, yours alone.  You choose where you will spend eternity -- heaven or hell.  Simple as that.  And, salvation is just as simple.  Would you like to discuss it?

 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

 

Bill

quote:     Originally Posted by rimshot:
Old Faithful asks a good question.Most of us atheists live solitary lives and resent the intrusions of people who keep trying to "save" us. I have always wondered if their local church assigns quotas for each person. 

Hi Rim,

 

If you live a reclusive life and do not want to hear about God -- why are you on the Religion Forum?  You and I both know that, in spite of the small atheist population here -- God will be discussed.

 

I don't know about you -- but, if I dislike noise, you would never see me at a Nascar race or a rock concert.  I don't like hockey, so, when it comes on the Sports News, I change the channel.  So, I have to ask once more -- if you do not like God and you do not want to hear about Him -- why are you on the Religion Forum? 

 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

 

Bill

Originally Posted by Bill Gray:
quote:     Originally Posted by rimshot:
Old Faithful asks a good question.Most of us atheists live solitary lives and resent the intrusions of people who keep trying to "save" us. I have always wondered if their local church assigns quotas for each person. 

Hi Rim,

 

If you live a reclusive life and do not want to hear about God -- why are you on the Religion Forum?  You and I both know that, in spite of the small atheist population here -- God will be discussed.

 

I don't know about you -- but, if I dislike noise, you would never see me at a Nascar race or a rock concert.  I don't like hockey, so, when it comes on the Sports News, I change the channel.  So, I have to ask once more -- if you do not like God and you do not want to hear about Him -- why are you on the Religion Forum? 

 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

 

Bill

Somebody has to give you something to do on a regular basis. We don't want you to get bored,

 

or comfortable.

Originally Posted by Magpie:

I’ve never read about the angels of death. What’s that?

 

.................and you failed to answer all my questions. Perhaps in a PM.

_____________________________

 

No need for a private message. I work in a psychiatric hospital for the criminally and terminally insane. My particular ward specializes in patients who have multiple personality disorders, specifically on Internet forums, often using the names of other posters. There is no known cure.

 

Since you're interested in my work, I'll tell you of a conversation I had with the Director of the Alabama Board of Nursing last week. We were discussing the worst cases she had ever observed. They were, in no particular order: those who abuse cats, those who accuse loving wives of being unfaithful to their husbands, and those who accuse innocent 17 year-old girls of exposing themselves. Those nurses the director liked best? The ones who mentioned on another forum that if the thoughts of the girl's family could kill, her accuser would be dead.

 

Now, have I ever actually wished anyone dead? I can honestly say I have not. I do wish certain individuals would seek psychiatric help.

 

Originally Posted by _Joy_:

Unob, I wonder how those atheists would respond to your claim they are delusional...

Probably the same as I to them: I understand.  Imminent death is an absence of hope. I can imagine that  "hoping" there is more to come after we power down is a very powerful psychological coping mechanism.  Our brains can play all sorts of tricks on us given the proper stimuli.  They were deluded just as I once was.  I would not put it past me to become delusional again.


Does what they viewed as proof that there is no God now fall short of proving anything? 

 

Correction: There is (not can there be) "proof there is no god."  There is either proof for gods or there is not.  I see no evidence - at least none that cannot be explained via natural means,

Does facing death force a person to drop a stubborn rebellion against and rather instead look for the first time with an open mind at God?  When they go back over the reasons to believe and the reasons to not believe, do they evaluate those reasons with complete honesty when it's now or never?

Joy, I (an I imagine most atheists) DO have an open mind for the possibility.  Only a fool would reject the coolenss factor of there being life after death or a loving, friendly sky father that awaits us with open arms.  We are simply being honest with ourselves that the possibility of that being true is almost (almost!) non-existent.   

Originally Posted by FirenzeVeritas:

As for the quotes, I was actually looking for Oscar Wilde's and could not find it. It's said he asked his long time lover, named Robbie I believe, to call for a priest and stated there wasn't enough blood to save him. Anyone know where to find this?

 

 

Hmm. The only reference I can find is this: “God gave us a ***** and a brain, but not enough blood to use both at the same time.”

Originally Posted by Unobtanium:

Interesting, Fire.  I can find no reference whatsoever of Ingersol saying those words.  I do soo plenty of Christian website devoted to the "Last words of atheists" and they all seem to come from a single source that cannot be determined.

I cannot find the full quote that you are attributing to Ingersol but the jest of it is contained here.  This book is called the "Letters of Robert Browning"  and references much of that quote as coming from a book called "Kings Memoirs."  I can't find that book.


That kind of calls into question the sources and context of all the other quotes, doesn't it?


 

Ingersol:

 

The night before his death had been a restless one. He suffered considerably from indigestion, but recovered sufficiently to be able to join his family at breakfast in the morning. After breakfast he sat in his easy chair on the broad piazza enjoying the soft summer air and viewing the landscape with the Hudson River placidly flowing at his feet. He sat thus for more than an hour, gazing, reading and quietly conversing with those of his family who were about him. No portent of the swiftly advancing shadow appeared in either his look or manner. Beginning to feel a little drowsy, he rose from his chair at half-past ten o'clock, saying that he felt like taking a nap up-stairs, but that he would be down before luncheon and challenge his son-in-law, Mr. Brown, and his brother- inlaw, Mr. Farrell, to a game of pool in the billiard room. He retired to his own chamber, his wife accompanying him. He slept naturally and peacefully for nearly an hour; Mrs. Ingersoll watching by his side while he slept. About a quarter before noon he awoke and left his bed to dress, and needing no assistance sat in his chair to put on his shoes. Mrs. Farrell, his sister-in-law, and Miss Sharkey, a life-long and devoted member of his household, entered the room. Mrs. Ingersoll said: "Do not dress, papa, to go down to luncheon; I will eat here with you." "Oh, no," he replied, "I don't want to put you to that trouble." "How foolish, Robert," said Mrs. Farrell, smiling; "you know it's never a trouble to us; you know you have often eaten up-stairs with Eva." The Colonel did not speak, but looked his grateful reply. Mrs. Farrell and Miss Sharkey then left the room. Mrs. Ingersoll, returning to her husband, said: "Papa, you are not feeling well; let me see your tongue." He put it out with a smile, saying, "You are always wanting to see my tongue!" "Why, papa, it is coated; I must give you some medicine." He looked at her with a loving gaze, slowly closed his eyes, dropped his head upon his breast, and without a struggle, without a tremor, or the slightest sign of suffering, like one falling peacefully to sleep, passed away.

 

http://www.infidels.org/librar...imate_view.html#12.1

 

This site has everything you'd ever want to know about the man.

Jen, you fool. Ingersol was a RELIGIONS man!  It says so right here:

 

"In a beautiful tribute by one of his grandchildren, Eva Ingersoll-Brown, that "daughter's babe upon his knees," -- we may read a faithful record, a true echo of his own voice. In a preface to "The Ingersoll Birthday Book," published by The Truth Seeker Company, this "babe," while yet a maiden, wrote:

 

""Ingersoll was, I believe, the most profound ethical, the most deeply spiritual, the most truly religious of men. His was the only real religion, -- the religion of goodness, of justice and of mercy, -- the religion of Humanity and His whole life was one heroic consecration to the furtherance of his religion. I beg leave to repeat this all-important fact: Ingersoll was a religious man -- religious in the highest and holiest, the only true sense of the term, -- religious in his irrepressible and matchless zeal for truth, -- religious in his love for and trust in humanity, -- religious in his fine, intrepid fealty to facts, to justice and to rectitude, -- religious in his temperament of storm and fire, -- religious in his splendid scorn of wrong, in his superb capacity for wrath and for rebellion, -- and religious in his peerless power for tenderness, for pity, and for love; religious even in his fearless enmity to creed and cant, to every form of futile dogma, ignorant theology and childish faith -- to base hypocrisy that masquerades as virtue and as truth."

 

Quoting his own words which we have already given, but which cannot be too often repeated or emphasized, she gives us this summary of what he believed true religion to be:

 

<cite>"To love justice, to long for the right, to love mercy, to pity the suffering, to assist the weak, to forget wrongs and remember benefits -- to love the truth, to be sincere, to utter honest words, to love liberty, to wage relentless war against slavery in all its forms, to love wife and child and friend, to make a happy home, to love the beautiful in art, in nature, to cultivate the mind, to be familiar with the mighty thoughts that genius has expressed, the noble deeds of all the world, to cultivate courage and cheerfulness, to make others happy, to fill life with the splendor of generous deeds, the warmth of loving words, to discard error, to destroy prejudice, to receive new truths in gladness, to cultivate hope, to see the calm beyond the storm, the dawn beyond the night, to do the best that can be done and then to be resigned -- this is the religion of reason, the creed of science. This satisfies the brain and heart."

</cite>
<cite>I love this man. </cite>


This is a rather silly topic unless you are very convinced that believing one particular way is the only "right and happy" way to die.  Being atheist is no different than being any other religion at death...sorry to disappoint anyone who believes that only his/her peers at church will die securely.

 

I used to work in a hospital and I saw many people die and almost die since I was often part of the code team.  I also ended up sitting with and giving respiratory treatments throughout long illnesses to many who thought they were about to die.  I met patients who were so busy trying to convert everyone around them to Christianity that they seemed not to notice they needed to be concerned with their own readiness to die, and frankly they were some of the loudest, most afraid, unprepared to die people I have ever met.  It surprised me since they were asking all the staff if we were ready to meet their wonderful savior and so forth, but then they would be terrified at the last moment.  Interesting.

 

Then there were those who really didn't talk to us about our beliefs, and they seemed much more peaceful generally at the end of their lives.  I talked to people and watched those from many religions, and I spoke with those who didn't believe they were going to heaven, hell, or anywhere in particular.  I never once heard anyone suddenly crying for Jesus or God if that wasn't their belief, and I did hear and see many seeing their loved ones or talking to them ready to go to them on the other side.

 

I'm not saying it's never happened for a person to change beliefs at the last minute, but I assure you it isn't all the atheists running to God.  That is a bit silly to envision unless you have to belong to a religion that happens to be one of the "only" ones where people would supposedly die peacefully.  It just wasn't the way it was...sorry to disappoint anyone who wanted to see it that way.  A person's choice of belief system is personal, and anyone who says people "always" do this or that at death hasn't watched many people die.  It isn't a ****ing contest of who is right...it is just the way things are and it is personal.

Firenze,

 

Even though I an skeptical about Robt. G. Ingersoll's last words, as you present them, I will grant you the veracity of such.  Regard well the word "if".

 

Compare it to his lucid, healthy, erudite writings when he was in his right mind: http://www.positiveatheism.org...quotes/ingersoll.htm

 

It is not to the credit of the religious to use deathbed confessions to discredit religious skeptics.  In the first place many of them are untrue.  To wit, the deathbed confession of Darwin is patently untrue.

 

But let's say that there was a deathbed confession, and conversion, of an atheist.  Under what circumstances would that confession be considered?  At her pinnacle of mental health?  At the zenith of her intellectual powers?  Or in the desperate confusion of her mental and physical breakdown?

 

Please.  The premise of this thread is cheesy, to say the very least.  If you want to take the entire measure of anyone in the moments of his death, feel free.  I would recommend you to Christopher Hitchens.  He suffers a cancer that is fatal in 95% of cases over five years.  He has not backed down one speck from his brilliant refutations of religion in general and Christianity in particular.  He will likely die soon, and, if so, he will do so in courageous rationalism.

 

My parents, all my uncles and aunts, are gone.  It's pretty ****ing clear I'm next.  I don't mind, and I'm not looking for Jesus to pave my way to any Bronze Age paradise with golden streets and an unending worship of an impossible god.

 

I'm not afraid of dying.  Anytime will do.  In the meantime, I've lived an honest life, which I cannot accuse the religious of having done so. 

 

DF

I believe the publisher of your article, Jen, meant anonymously collected. You will notice that I offered a name with the collection I published. The quotes themselves are not attributed as to who recorded them. It would be quite an undertaking, I'm sure, to find the original sources for all.

 

I did a brief search for Ingersoll last night and found an interesting article on his life published by an atheist foundation. This article stated he died from angina. You see, atheists too seem to take things for granted without checking them out. Ingersoll may have died from an infarction, but he did not die from angina. No one has ever died from angina.

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