re: #276 Targetpractice

Better question for them: What if I’m granted absolution before I die? If the only thing preventing me from being an amoral psychopath is the supposed fear of eternal damnation, then what if I find a priest willing to grant me absolution on my death bed? I rape, murder, and pillage for years…but find forgiveness before I croak. Am I still supposed to face an eternity of punishment if God’s Earthly middle man says the slate’s been wiped clean?

I’ve heard there was some belief in the early Catholic Church along those lines. Put off baptism until just before you die, because it is your one-time-only Get Out of Jail Free card. Sure there’s penance and forgiveness for members of the Church, but it’s not quite as sure a thing. Or something. Of course, if you misjudged when you were baptized, well, tough luck.