[Chinito]

I wish I had a dollar for every "jailhouse conversion". The problem is that it is largely artificially induced by their current helplessness.

Amen, Mom. Some of these Bible "Thumpers" (a name I apply to myself) seem to forget seem to forget that Dimas (so-called "good thief") had his own jailhouse conversion and was forgiven and saved by the Big Man Himself. But Dimas still had to "render unto Ceasar" the punishment given him.

[AnAmericanMother]

Exactly. The "good thief" was very frank, too, he wasn't trying to get out from under punishment. He rebuked the other who was mocking Christ - "We deserve what we are getting, but he - he has done nothing wrong," and turning to Christ, "Remember me when you come to your kingdom."

BTW, I think his name is traditionally spelled "Dismas" and means "sunset" - but his name (and the name of the "bad thief", Gesmas) don't appear until well along in the 12th century.

An interesting medieval legend that had wide currency was that on the Flight into Egypt, Mary and Joseph were held up by a couple of thieves - Dismas and Gesmas. Dismas bribed Gesmas not to harm the Holy Family, and the baby Christ then prophesized that they would be crucified along with him in Jerusalem.