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Ethics Homepage > Textbook > Foote |
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Philosophy 302: Ethics G. W. Foote, "It Doesn't Pay to Be Religious" Abstract: Foote argues that the appeal to death-bed conversions does not prove the case that persons should maintain their faith out of fear; in fact, such conversions provide little evidence for any conclusion about the validity of religious belief. 1. What is the argument behind the appeal to "infidel death-beds'? 3. Are the beliefs of most persons limited to ideas they were taught as children?
Some religious authorities argue that those persons who live their lives without religious faith die in terror and agony from the lack of belief in a higher power. Foote believes this is an ad baculum appeal. Foote points out that one popular series of such death-bed accounts by a minister has turned out to be fraudulent.
Most persons believe in the faith that they are exposed to as children. When people die, it is natural that they would return to the beliefs that used to comfort them as children. A specific representative of a religion might maintain that such a person is "returning to religion." Foote claims that some people are converted on their death-beds because they are weak, sick, and feeble and are taken advantage of by those who hold power over them at death.
If there were limited changes in religious beliefs over time, there would be few changes in the history of religions. Religious insight changes to some degree over time.
No doubt it is an ad hominem appeal, but the critical question is whether or not it is fallacious. Heine's claim that death-bed conversions of free-thinkers belong at best to pathology is indeed an ad hominem fallacy. The fact that many persons revert to early beliefs when near death could very well be do good reasons as well as fear and dread. Hence, Foote's claim is not accurate in all cases.
The implication is that an authentic individual dies as that individual lives. We do what's right because it's right, not because of the fear of a revengeful God. Something is not right because God says so, God says so because it's right. Recommended Sources The Freethinker: Access to current articles from the controversial English magazine as well as archival material, news, and links. |
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