For fundamentalist Christians,?

Question

If a Catholic was dying on the side of the road and asked you to give him the last rites (with provided materials of course), would you do it? Or would you spend his last moments trying to get him to convert before it was too late?

I hope this doesn't come across as a loaded question. I was raised Lutheran and don't necessarily agree with either side. This thought just popped into my head and got me to thinking.

Answer 1

I'm an atheist.

And if he had something I could read them from I'd do it in a heartbeat.  And anyone who says they wouldn't are heartless b******s :)

It's a dying request for goodness sakes.  If nothing else it will put that person's mind at ease and let them die more peacefully.

Bunch of jerks around here I see.

Answer 2

Accept Jesus or ROT IN h**l FOREVER!

Answer 3

The only last rites I know are to have him confess his sins to God and ask God to forgive him of them all, in Jesus name amen.

Answer 4

First, I would give him whatever last rites would make him feel at peace. He will be judged on the condition of His heart in relationship to God through Christ. Now, if he told me that he did not feel 100% assurance and was still afraid, I would give him scriptures such as Hebrews 6:11,

"And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end."

If the Holy Spirit then told me to share with him the message of salvation. I would. His acceptance or rejection is up to him.

Remember, there are many Catholics who are trusting in their religion, ceremonies, rituals, and traditions to earn their way in to heaven. Then there are many Catholics who are just justified in Christ. It's up to the individual in that last day to make sure they invested their talent correctly.

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Details:

hoser - don't give trolls the attention they so crave.

Answer 5

It is actually a very good question.  The problem is that last rites can only properly be given by an ordained Catholic priest.  As a protestant pastor I would try every way to accommodate the dying person.

Now are Lutherans just Roman Catholics that flunked Latin...

Answer 6

I thought only Catholic priests could give last rites.

No, because I don't believe in the ritual. I am not going to engage in a lie.

Answer 7

If a dying person asked me to do something like that, I would do it.

And I think that anyone who refuses, is a mean-spirited, pompous creature.

And I am an atheist.

"Is that would Jesus would say to a dying man?" Pretty sure he said stuff like that, yes.

Answer 8

I'm a Catholic, and definitely wouldn't ask a fundie to give me the last rites.

Nothing personal....

Answer 9

Buddy R cracks me up.  Must be nice to be so sure of the truth.  God's personal messenger.

As for Chris, I just roll my eyes.

Answer 10

"Last rites" aren't Biblilcal, can't get anyone into heaven, and are a false gospel.  I'd never do any such thing.

I would tell the person to believe in faith alone that Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead.  Believing this about Jesus in faith alone, is the only way to get into heaven and to avoid being sent to eternal h**l.  Those are the only two possible destinations, and there is no such place as "purgatory".  It's either immediate heaven or h**l after death, and that is dependent only on whether you believed in faith alone the above truth about Jesus.

Answer 11

What? Catholics are Christians too! Catholic fundamentalists exist too!

Answer 12

I fully accept Catholics as my brothers in Christ so if it helped them have peace upon their passing I would do it. I see nothing wrong in it.

Answer 13

"Last Rites" is a term that covers a process incorporating anointing, penitential and Eucharistic elements.  This means it can only be performed by a Catholic priest.  The Catholic teaching is that any baptized Catholic that is not in a state of serious sin has nothing to worry about.  Since a fundamentalist Christian would not be capable of (or interested in) hearing the dying person's confession, the question is moot.  They might badger the dying Catholic for a specifically worded profession of faith, but they would not attempt to stand in for a Catholic priest.

Answer 14

Yes I would.....my entire family is Catholic except for me and a daughter.

Of course I would tell them about Jesus' gift of salvation.

Answer 15

huh...Catholics are Christians too...

Answer 16

I would do whatever it took to make him comfortable and help him be at peace.  I would make sure to let him know that I wasn't a Catholic and didn't believe in the rites before I gave them to him, but I would do it if he insisted.  Maybe I'm not a fundamentalist... I don't know.  How do you define a fundamentalist Christian?

Answer 17

I would just ask if he knew Jesus or not and take his word on it.  

Then I would do whatever would make him comfortable, if that means reading out of his little pamphlet and applying oil; I would.

Answer 18

Assuming medical aid was not possible/unavailable, as long as he believed in Christ and had confessed Christ with his mouth I would focus providing whatever physical comfort I could in his last moments.  If he didn't believe in Christ or had not confessed Christ with his mouth I would encourage him to do so while there was still time.

See, 'Catholic' doesn't necessarily mean believer.  Many claim to be Catholic just because their parents are Catholic or because a priest baptized them as an infant.  There are many people that claim to be Catholic that will admit they don't believe in Christ.  Those people are unbelievers who are in need of conversion.

Answer 19

First and foremost Catholics do not need to be converted, they are already believers if they've accepted Jesus into their hearts.  I would give a dying Catholic their last rights but I would also tell them that they do not need last rites if they truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  The last rites are something to make dying Catholics feel better.  I am not saying this to be mean there will be both Catholics and other Christian denominations in heaven.  As well as many Catholics and other Christian denominations in h**l.

Answer 20

I have no idea what the last rites are. This is a Catholic belief and not one that Christians know about. Of course I would ask Him if He was trusting in Christ for salvation. If He was not, then I would share the gospel with him.