re alleged deathbed conversions was asimov stamp in article c n o panix com carlf panix com carl fink writes in sheafferc zt brs netcom com sheaffer netcom com robert sheaffer writes deletion it had to happen the old allegation of the deathbed conversion of the noted unbeliever i seem to recall similar claims being made about voltaire mencken darwin ingersoll etc indeed the literary hoax attributed to nietzsche my sister and i portrays him as trembling in fear before divine judgment and it was recently re issued by amok books with an introduction by a lutheran professor telling us why we should take it seriously what all of these deathbed conversion claims have in common is that they are utterly unsubstantiated and almost certainly untrue perhaps the least believable and most infurating alleged conversion was that of tom paine reported like most only by his devout relatives asimov was very unlikely to convert to christianity on his deathbed return to judaism perhaps if he did revert to childhood training but christianity the good doctor would more likely have converted to hinduism isaac asimov read creationist books he read the bible he had ample opportunity to kneel before his creator and savior he refused in fact he sent out a strong promotional letter urging support of the american humanist association shortly before he died excerpt from ken ham asimov meets his creator back to genesis no june p c included in acts facts vol no june from the institute for creation research this is one of the most offensive articles they ve ever published but at least it argues against a deathbed conversion there s a part of the article even worse than what i ve just quoted in which an excerpt from a reader s letter says that if asimov is burning in hell now then he certainly has had a degree change in his former beliefs about creation and the creator a post deathbed conversion jim lippard lippard ccit arizona edu dept of philosophy lippard arizvms bitnet university of arizona tucson az
