Bah! Doesn't work that way. Anyone who thinks you can wallow in sin continuously for your entire life, then offer a heart felt confession in their last days or day is sadly mistaken.
Why some "Christians, Catholics or otherwise, think this just goes to show that they have never put much effort into their faith at all, not even reading the gospel once if at all.
Tossing a few bucks into a collection plate once in a while, listening to a few sermons at funerals or the rare time they did attend mass at Christmas will not reserve you a spot in heaven.
Is the Lord says, "It is not those who say to me 'Lord, Lord', who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven." (Mt.7:21).
In other words, it's not those who talk the talk, it is those who walk the walk who get into heaven, and the path is very narrow.
Some wannabe "Christians" think that the original sin, and all sins were forgiven once and forevermore, so no matter what they do, they are going to heaven. There is no need for confession, no need far baptism, no need for communion.
"Even though they ate from the rock that was Christ and even though they drank from the rock that was Christ, their corpses littered the desert because they failed to please God." (1 Cor.10:8).
"He who keeps the commandment is keeper of himself, but he who despises the word shall die." (Pr.19:16).
First, you are saved from what was certain death.
"The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned, is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." (Rom.8:1-2).
We have gone from one law to another. The new law is the Gospel of Jesus and the New Testament. It is a law that measures spiritual action rather than ritual action. And it pours out forgiveness through repentance and conversion.
Atonement, then, is a baptism, not just of water, but of contrition and reform as well. (Mt.3:11). The law of Christ requires obedience to righteousness. We must behave in Christ the way the Spirit commands, not as our unspiritual nature dictates. (Rom.8:4).
Jesus said, "Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice will never die." (Jn.8:51). And again, "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." (Mat.19:17).
Getting into Heaven is a lifelong commitment to doing your best to putting the word into practice.
Guess you never heard of the good thief.
How can you say all that? God doesn’t work that way. You might not accept a deathbed confession, but how can you tell us God would not accept a death bed conversion? How can you make God into someone so small minded?
For many hundreds of years, Christians weren’t baptized until they made their death-bed conversions. It was considered the norm. A person would live an irrascable life and then hope that he knew when he was going to die so he could ask for a Priest to come and give him “last rites” which included a baptism. Men who were going off to war would confess their sins to a priest, get baptized and last rights before they left for war . . . that’s why so many castles had their own Priest on staff.
Someone whether Church or Laymen I know not, decided that baptism should be done as soon as a child was born and that would preclude the fear of not having a Priest around when a person died. And a tradition was born (and baptized.)
When a Catholic dies, the public thinks they have all the “should do’s” and the right to tell the well established and longest Christian faith extant how to act and what to say. This is a time for learning not a time for casting stones.
Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
10 ¶ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.