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Jesus told the thief on the cross next to him, "This day you will be with me in paradise."
Should the thief have believed that and accepted it at face value,
or should he have equivocated and been full of doubt?

Well, I would like to ignore your non-sensical analogy, but God had other plans, and does enjoy having fun with his creatures. Just when I thought I was out….

Re-Read that part in Luke if you would.
Do you see that the good thief, known as Dismas, ASKED of Christ to be remembered when Christ entered his Kingdom?
So why, as You say of Dismas,” would he equivocated and been full of doubt?”
for something he asked of Jesus in the first place?
Ask not, want not.

Today is marked as the Annunciation of Christ
being conceived by the Holy Spirit into Mary.
But guess what ? Today is also the Feast day of another as well!!
Guess who ?
THE GOOD THIEF, Dismas…!!! But I bet you already knew that.. sneaky..
you were just punking me …. and now I oblige…

Actually, I was gonna write about this to my correspondees here back in the 600s, something along the lines of the good thief as an example of probably one of the most overlooked works in the Bible- just not enough time…. It doesn’t help that Dismas probably doesn’t get the love either by being overshadowed on March 25th all the time.
But with his last breath, his last words, he finds (or is filled with) the loving desire to give Glory to God, recognizing Christ the King, as being the innocent Sacrifice on the Cross, and rebuking the bad unbelieving thief.
With all he had left in his life- all he could use of his flesh – was his mind and voice – and he used it to exalt Christ. He would die in this last act, with Christ within him.

This dying good thief on his cross (remember “take up your cross, and follow me”) gives us a lifetime of the Christian faith packed into in a very short time interval.
What you miss in your analogy’s attempt is that the Good Thief shows Christ his humility, abiding love, through a selfless contrition, (and what we miss) for the purpose that he then desires to conform himself into Christ’s death as well.
This faith, is the same faith you see in the martyr’s throughout the centuries- conforming their lives to Christ unto their deaths. The Grace is, the Life of Christ itself.
This the Good thief goes through justification- sanctification- into glorification in a matter of minutes perhaps. What he begins on his cross, is what God wants accomplished in us, in our lives as well.

To understand why your analogy doesn’t work look what takes place in those few verses. A lot was going on there- mucho.

35And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him,

The authority of the material world, rejects and mock Christ authority and his Kingdom.

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Christ again is tempted, by satan’s sinfulness in man, by the unbelievers, to disobey God’s Will.

40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

Dismas now displays a changed heart, the desire for Obedience to God into death, In the eyes of the Lord

41 And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds;

Humility, Confession to God.

but this man has done nothing wrong.

Dismas, selflessness in death, shows Love for the other...

42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power.”

Have Mercy on me ! (Remember the Tax collector in the Temple parable I mentioned) A rebuke of the rulers, and soldiers, of this world, to join Christ in his Kingdom of Heaven.

43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

From the Priestly King, Your sins are Forgiven you.
Saved by God’s Grace.
It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me….

I had no idea today was anyone’s feast day. I don’t keep track of those things.

A lot of words to give an error riddled account. Glorification comes when the Lord Himself descends from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God, transforming all believers, alive or dead, into glorified bodies qand a trip to the Father's House.

Catholic mythology is sooo convoluted!

Do you see that the good thief, known as Dismas, ASKED of Christ to be remembered when Christ entered his Kingdom?

KNOWN?

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=114

There is an assumption that you seem to be making through all of your posts that is extremely irritating.

I believe that I’m guaranteed salvation because of the promises of Christ.

Do you seriously think that I let myself sin freely then?