"Deathbed Spirituality" as a Gateway to Fascism: Why Deferred Accountability is the Ultimate Betrayal of Justice

By Ecleynne Mercy

Abstract:

In an era where the comforts of selective morality blur the line between justice and absolution, Deathbed Spirituality emerges as both a shield and a sword. This mindset, which permits repentance as a final-hour act rather than a lifelong commitment, fuels a dangerous culture of deferred accountability. Deathbed Spirituality as a Gateway to Fascism: Why Deferred Accountability is the Ultimate Betrayal of Justice dissects the insidious role that conditional empathy plays in sustaining racial injustice and shielding white supremacy from scrutiny. From Chief Justice John Marshall’s legacy to modern-day institutional evasion, this work explores how societies conditioned to defer responsibility inadvertently pave a path to authoritarianism, where lives are selectively valued and moral rigor is sacrificed in favor of expedient absolution.

This analysis delves into the psychological toll inflicted on Black communities, who bear the relentless burden of proving their humanity in a society that selectively extends compassion. It examines how structural inequities compel marginalized communities into cycles of resistance while shielding the privileged from the consequences of their actions. Ultimately, this article argues for a rejection of Deathbed Spirituality in favor of a model of justice grounded in proactive, continuous accountability. Through historical insight and a call to moral action, it presents a vision for a society that values empathy as a universal right rather than a selective privilege—a society where justice is not a closing act but a daily commitment.

I. Introduction

Definition and Relevance of Deathbed Spirituality

Deathbed Spirituality is a term I coined to describe the belief that a final, deathbed confession can cleanse a lifetime of harm, a concept that treats the moment of death not as a reckoning but as a moral release valve. Rooted in certain interpretations of Christian theology—particularly those aligned with nationalist ideals—this framework offers a veneer of forgiveness, detached from meaningful reparations or transformation. This act of absolution becomes an escape rather than an invitation to growth, replacing accountability with the illusion of redemption.

The implications of Deathbed Spirituality diverge sharply from traditional understandings of moral reckoning, particularly in the context of near-death experiences (NDEs). Scholars like Raymond Moody and Peter Fenwick have found that individuals close to death often report profound moments of transformation, glimpses into the self that compel them to confront their actions and seek genuine resolution. Deathbed Spirituality, however, twists this potential for enlightenment into a strategic deferral, where the final hour’s promise of absolution allows individuals and institutions to avoid true accountability across a lifetime. It offers a “get out of jail free” card at the end of a life spent ignoring responsibility, turning the opportunity for reckoning into a convenient loophole.

Present-Day Anchors

This mentality is no relic of history; Deathbed Spirituality permeates the present, manifesting in a culture that privileges the spectacle of repentance. High-profile figures and public officials who face public backlash for corruption, exploitation, or scandal often attempt to reclaim their reputations by seeking last-minute redemption beneath the spotlight, transforming scandal into salvation. When confronted with the consequences of their actions, these individuals frequently rely on carefully timed displays of contrition, hoping to reset public perception with visible gestures of apology. From political leaders accused of misconduct to celebrities embroiled in controversy, the act of seeking redemption in a moment of desperation signals to the public that absolution may be granted without the arduous work of reformation.

Such acts, however, are emblematic of a broader social amnesia—a willing forgetfulness that prizes appearances over substance, offering moral exoneration at the surface level while allowing injustice to remain intact beneath it. This pattern reveals the troubling implications of Deathbed Spirituality for a society that accepts symbolic apologies over genuine change, dulling our collective pursuit of accountability and diluting the integrity of justice. In valuing short-lived displays of remorse, the public perpetuates a system where reckoning is optional, where redemption is performative rather than transformative.

Deathbed Spirituality enables individuals and institutions to delay moral reckoning indefinitely, constructing a world in which real accountability is peripheral rather than fundamental. This mindset does not simply permit personal inaction; it actively undergirds structures of injustice—such as white supremacy, systemic racism, and economic inequality—that benefit from a culture of delayed responsibility. Chief Justice John Marshall’s estate practices and rulings on slavery serve as historical evidence of this phenomenon, where the deferred responsibility for societal harm strengthens systems of oppression. By undermining the collective commitment to justice, Deathbed Spirituality erodes the bedrock of moral integrity and creates a breeding ground for authoritarianism, where empathy, justice, and equity are subordinated to the hollow promise of last-minute redemption.

II. Theological and Cultural Foundations of Deathbed Spirituality

Christian Nationalism and the Absolution Loophole

Within specific branches of Christian nationalism, Deathbed Spirituality serves as a form of “clean slate” absolution—a belief that confession near death can cleanse a lifetime of harm, creating a moral detour that bypasses sustained responsibility. This theology separates actions from their consequences, permitting a moral immunity that transforms forgiveness into an escape, not an evolution. Such interpretations prioritize final-hour repentance, suggesting that absolution lies in strategically timed confessions rather than a life of ethical accountability (Moody, 1975). This “absolution loophole” fosters a culture where spiritual freedom is untethered from justice, permitting individuals to enact harm without enduring the burden of reparations.

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The theological implications of this mindset reach beyond personal absolution, influencing public morality in profound ways. As Finkelman (2021) illustrates in his critique of John Marshall, prominent figures have often employed this theology to sidestep genuine accountability. Marshall’s enduring rulings in favor of slavery exemplify a framework in which moral principles are invoked selectively—a jurisprudence steeped in convenience rather than conscience (Finkelman, 2021, p. 15). Marshall’s legacy reflects a pattern where theological pretexts serve to obscure institutional harm, casting confessions as performative rather than transformative, and faith as a shield from justice rather than an impetus toward it.

Example from God’s Not Dead

In popular media, the film God’s Not Dead crystallizes this “get out of jail free” mentality, presenting an artful reflection of Deathbed Spirituality in a contemporary, cultural context. Throughout the narrative, Kevin Sorbo’s character embodies the archetype of antagonistic denial, actively rejecting the concept of God until his life’s end. In a dramatic twist, his last-minute conversion absolves him, erasing a lifetime of disbelief. This portrayal of redemption as something attainable through swift confession—rather than a gradual journey toward transformation—resonates deeply with Christian nationalist ideals. The story suggests that denial, harm, or willful ignorance holds little consequence if salvation is ultimately pursued, reinforcing the narrative that moral reckoning is best delayed.

The cultural weight of such narratives extends beyond individual interpretation, subtly endorsing a theology that treats absolution as a checkbox, detached from the lived values of accountability. By presenting redemption as performative rather than purposeful, God’s Not Dead becomes a cultural artifact, supporting the notion that repentance can wait until death’s threshold, aligning with a Christian nationalist view that moral growth is ultimately secondary to tactical contrition.

Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn't want them turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn't seem to be any reason to leave. The door's wide open. Till one day, time runs out, and the cell door slams shut, and suddenly it's too late. “God’s Not Dead - Extended Cut.” YouTube, 12 Aug. 2024

Historical Justification for Colonization and Oppression

Deathbed Spirituality is not merely a contemporary phenomenon; it has historic roots in colonialism and the institution of slavery, where it functioned as both a spiritual and cultural rationalization for exploitation. During the colonial era, European powers weaponized Christianity to justify the subjugation of Indigenous populations, framing religious conversion as the ultimate act of salvation and using it to cleanse the moral stain of conquest. Colonizers and missionaries alike presented forced conversion as a route to salvation, implicitly absolving enslavers and conquerors of the ethical weight of their actions (Fenwick, 2001). In this framework, conversion became a symbolic means of erasure, allowing violence to proceed under the guise of benevolence.

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The legacy of John Marshall exemplifies this theology’s power to legitimize harm through last-minute redemption. Marshall, who owned hundreds of enslaved individuals and consistently ruled in favor of pro-slavery laws, upheld a system that paradoxically condemned Black individuals while promising spiritual absolution to white enslavers (Finkelman, 2021, p. 10). His rulings reveal how Deathbed Spirituality could be leveraged to avoid personal and societal reckoning, permitting a nation to thrive on racial violence without confronting its conscience. In Marshall’s jurisprudence, the notion of accountability is deferred, replaced by a theology that aligns forgiveness with evasion.

Given this history, Deathbed Spirituality presents an unsettling question: What does it mean for a society if absolution trumps accountability? This ideology not only grants individuals the freedom to ignore moral reckoning but also allows institutions to justify injustice under the auspices of eventual redemption. If our culture accepts absolution as the ultimate goal, then justice—true, transformative justice—becomes secondary, lost within a spirituality that privileges the facade of forgiveness over the pursuit of ethical truth.

III. Deathbed Spirituality in Hamlet: Shakespeare’s Take on Repentance and Redemption

Hamlet’s Father and the Consequences of Delayed Confession

In Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet haunts the stage as a symbol of deferred repentance, condemned to Purgatory for sins unconfessed, doomed to “walk the night” and “fast in fires” during the day (Shakespeare, Hamlet, I.v.10-11). His fate reflects the perils of Deathbed Spirituality, where repentance delayed to the final moment proves tragically insufficient. With a voice filled with regret, the ghost laments being “cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, / Unhous’led, disappointed, unaneled” (I.v.76-77)—a profound absence of the sacred rites that could have absolved him. Here, “unhous’led” indicates a life lived without the Eucharist, “disappointed” suggests a missed penance, and “unaneled” represents the absence of the last rites that prepare the soul for eternal peace. Stripped of these absolutions, he is left to carry “all my imperfections on my head” (I.v.79), bound to an existence between worlds.

Through the ghost’s suffering, Shakespeare crafts a portrait of a soul ensnared by unredeemed guilt, a poignant critique of the belief that absolution can await the eleventh hour. Stephen Greenblatt, in Hamlet in Purgatory, observes that Shakespeare’s use of Purgatory captures the anxieties of an era uncertain about salvation, portraying the unconfessed King as a being marked by divine justice, a being forced to reckon with every “foul crime” committed “in my days of nature” (I.v.12) (Greenblatt, 2013). The ghost’s suffering echoes the cost of deferring accountability—a warning that repentance postponed is no more than a hollow gesture, void of the power to liberate the soul. In King Hamlet’s fate, Deathbed Spirituality finds its most haunting consequence: a soul forever stalled on the threshold of redemption.

Religious Significance and Contemporary Parallel

King Hamlet’s plight reverberates as a timeless warning against society’s tendency to defer self-reflection and responsibility. In his purgatorial suffering, Shakespeare illustrates how the moral debts of the unrepentant haunt those who remain. The ghost’s plea to Hamlet—“Let not the royal bed of Denmark be / A couch for luxury and damned incest” (I.v.82-83)—carries a dual significance: it is not only a call for vengeance but an appeal for moral vigilance, urging Hamlet to confront the corruption that King Hamlet left unresolved. The younger Hamlet’s burden is thus twofold: to avenge his father’s murder and to rectify the ethical lapses his father failed to address, a testament to the lingering consequences of delayed moral action.

?In this way, Shakespeare’s ghost becomes a metaphor for societal transgressions deferred, the repercussions of which echo through generations. Much like the shadow King Hamlet casts over his son’s life, Deathbed Spirituality reflects a broader tendency within cultures to push the burden of reckoning onto future generations. The sins left unchallenged in one era become the inherited grief of the next, entrapping individuals and societies alike in cycles of retribution and unfinished redemption. Shakespeare’s vision of Purgatory warns that the cost of sidestepping accountability does not dissipate with death but instead lingers, transferring the price of justice to those who come after.

?King Hamlet’s restless spirit symbolizes the false comfort of final-hour repentance. Through him, Shakespeare confronts a cultural and religious loophole that offers absolution as a mere ritual, devoid of the transformative power that genuine self-reckoning entails. The ghost’s suffering suggests that Deathbed Spirituality is not a reprieve but a trap, a cruel irony that deceives those who trust that their sins can be erased with a single confession. Through the ghost’s tale, Shakespeare leaves us with a question that resonates across ages: What does it mean for a society to permit absolution without accountability, and who must bear the cost of such moral deferrals?

"See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:12-13

IV. The Legal Enshrinement of Deathbed Spirituality in Wills and Estates

John Marshall’s Role in Perpetuating White Supremacy through Estate Planning

Chief Justice John Marshall, widely considered a foundational figure in American jurisprudence, played a significant role in embedding racial hierarchy into the legal system, particularly through his treatment of estate law and property rights. His life and judicial record exemplify the moral deferral central to Deathbed Spirituality, where accountability is postponed indefinitely, allowing wealth and power to be preserved without ethical reckoning. Marshall was deeply invested in slavery, owning at least 175 enslaved individuals at his death, and likely close to 300 over his lifetime. His failure to emancipate any of these individuals, even in his will, ensured that racialized wealth persisted within his family lineage and upheld the institution of slavery. As Finkelman notes, “Marshall was heavily involved in slavery, and owned at least a hundred and seventy-five slaves at his death, and probably close to three hundred or more during his lifetime” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 6).

This commitment to slaveholding was in stark contrast to the actions of his hero, George Washington, who famously avoided treating enslaved individuals as mere commodities. Finkelman contrasts the two, highlighting that “Marshall’s actions here contrast with his hero, George Washington, who famously refused to buy or sell slaves ‘as you would do cattle at a market’” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 7). In refusing to emancipate those he enslaved, even at death, Marshall left behind a legacy that prioritized financial gain over moral accountability, encapsulating Deathbed Spirituality as a means of perpetuating white supremacy through estate planning.

Marshall’s Enduring Legal Legacy and Opposition to Black Freedom

Marshall’s rulings, many of which continue to be highly cited in modern legal discourse, reflect a judicial philosophy that systematically reinforced racial oppression. As Finkelman states, “Five of the ten opinions most cited by the Supreme Court itself are Marshall’s... He is often called ‘the great chief justice’” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 4). His opinions consistently denied Black individuals their freedom, strengthening the legal structures that upheld slavery and racial subjugation. Finkelman further details that “In fourteen cases involving black freedom, Marshall wrote the opinion of the court in seven, and the slaves lost in every one of them” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 10). In these cases, Marshall’s decisions were emblematic of his unwavering commitment to human bondage: “Marshall always ruled against freedom and always supported slavery and human bondage” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 14).

Marshall occasionally criticized slavery, such as his statement in The Antelope that it was “contrary to the law of nature” because “every man has a natural right to the fruits of his own labour.” But he simultaneously refused to apply natural law to the case or vigorously uphold the federal ban on the trade. His jurisprudence suggests no discomfort with slavery. This patriotic veteran of the struggle for American liberty, had no sympathy for black liberty. (“Master John Marshall and the Problem of Slavery | the University of Chicago Law Review”)

Marshall’s views on free Black individuals also reveal his intent to secure white supremacy, as he saw them as societal “pests.” He argued for their removal from Virginia, reflecting his commitment to racial exclusion as a means of maintaining social and economic hierarchies. Finkelman explains, “Like his cousin Thomas Jefferson, Marshall used the word ‘pests’ to describe free blacks, and argued free blacks should be removed from the state” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 16). His influence extended to legislative lobbying; in the wake of the rebellion, Marshall requested the Virginia legislature to fund the removal of free Blacks, proposing to send them to Liberia. “In the wake of the rebellion, Marshall asked the Virginia legislature to appropriate money to remove most (or all) of the free blacks living in the state, sending them to the ACS’s colony in Liberia” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 16). Such actions illustrate the deep-seated racial ideologies that influenced his decisions, demonstrating how his personal and legal choices intertwined to sustain systemic oppression.

Selective Application of Natural Law

Marshall’s legal philosophy selectively applied natural law to reinforce the social structures that protected white economic interests, while excluding its applicability in cases of human rights, particularly regarding slavery. Finkelman observes, “Marshall rejected natural law when applied to the African slave trade, but invoked it in cases involving property, contracts, and money, aligning his legal philosophy with his financial interests” (Finkelman, 2021, p. 15). This selective morality underscores Deathbed Spirituality, where justice is applied not as an equal principle but as a tool to entrench wealth and privilege while deferring moral accountability.

Modern Echoes in Estate Law

The legacy of Marshall’s decisions endures in modern estate practices that continue to preserve racial wealth gaps, reflecting an unbroken lineage of financial preservation and racial exclusion. Contemporary mechanisms such as trusts, tax loopholes, and “bloodline trusts” are the modern manifestations of Marshall’s legacy, allowing wealth to be transferred across generations without confronting the social obligations tied to this inheritance. Today, the racial wealth gap remains entrenched, with white families holding disproportionately more wealth than Black families. This disparity is rooted in estate practices designed to protect privilege, often avoiding accountability through legal technicalities that shield assets from taxes and redistribution.

Through the Dead Man’s Act and its restrictions on challenging wills, modern estate law further shields wealth from scrutiny and perpetuates inequality. As Mason and Weisbard describe, the Act “prevents an interested person from testifying on his own behalf concerning any conversation or event that took place in the presence of the testator if an adverse party in the contest is a representative of the testator” (Mason & Weisbard, 1983, p. 518). This provision acts as a legal barrier that keeps the deceased’s intentions unchallenged, regardless of ethical considerations, mirroring Deathbed Spirituality by deferring moral accountability indefinitely.

A Dead Man's Statute states that in a civil action, a party with an interest in the litigation may not testify against a dead party about communications with the dead party. The Federal Rules of Evidence does not contain a Dead Man's Statute, however, many states have adopted a Dead Man's Statute in their evidence rules.

This history and its legacy raise a pressing question for our society: How far will society go to ensure the moral consequences of racial injustice are delayed? As the call for reparations and accountability grows, estate laws that shield wealth from scrutiny and maintain privilege reveal a society unwilling to confront the moral debts of its own history. Marshall’s legacy, and its enduring influence in estate law, demonstrate a commitment to wealth preservation at the expense of justice, leaving a moral debt that no trust, will, or tax loophole can erase.

V. Deathbed Spirituality and the Path to Fascism

Selective Empathy and Conditional Goodwill

Deathbed Spirituality fosters a culture in which empathy and moral responsibility are meted out selectively, aligned with personal convenience rather than universal principles. This conditional goodwill creates a hierarchy of human worth, where moral absolution is reserved for those who reflect one’s own interests or affiliations. Such selective empathy fractures the social contract, carving out a worldview that values only certain lives and liberties, reinforcing divisions and undermining democratic values. In a society built on selective morality, justice becomes subjective—a tool wielded selectively, denying equal protection to those deemed lesser by race, class, or creed.

'If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.' James 4:17

Historical figures like Chief Justice John Marshall exemplify this conditional morality. His unwavering commitment to upholding slavery in both his rulings and personal choices enshrined a selective empathy that favored white wealth and security over the freedom and dignity of Black Americans. Marshall’s rulings routinely protected the slaveholding class, embedding within the law an insidious double standard that allowed his race to flourish on the backs of those his society deemed inferior (Finkelman, 2021). This ethos of Deathbed Spirituality, where moral reckoning is delayed or disregarded, enables individuals and systems to selectively apply justice, paving a path to authoritarian ideologies that value hierarchy and control over genuine human empathy.

Normalization of Fascist Tendencies

The ‘moral escape hatch’ of Deathbed Spirituality nurtures an environment where the pursuit of justice is optional, providing fertile ground for authoritarian tendencies to flourish. In a society that evades accountability, absolution becomes a performance rather than a principle, a last-minute confession that foregoes the difficult work of introspection. The selective nature of this pseudo-redemption mirrors the authoritarian preference for order over equity, allowing injustices to persist so long as they maintain the social hierarchy. When accountability is disposable, democratic ideals—equity, justice, and shared responsibility—are weakened, and in their absence, authoritarianism takes root.

Through this lens, Deathbed Spirituality parallels the authoritarian instinct to avoid scrutiny and dissent, presenting a spiritual deferral that defies the values of an inclusive society. In bypassing moral introspection, individuals and institutions alike become more inclined to endorse structures that prioritize control and conformity, with an implicit disdain for values of transparency and equity. This cultural evasion of accountability paves the way for authoritarianism, where obedience supersedes empathy, and order is prized over the moral rigor required for a truly just society.

Example of “Othering” in Military, Workplaces, and Schools

The selective empathy fostered by Deathbed Spirituality manifests most starkly in institutional settings, such as the military, workplaces, and schools, where “othering” reinforces societal hierarchies. Within these environments, white individuals may form close bonds with Black peers, sharing trust and camaraderie in the immediacy of their relationships, yet they often support policies that maintain systemic inequalities. This paradox demonstrates how Deathbed Spirituality enables a selective morality that extends compassion in individual interactions while simultaneously supporting structures that entrench racial disparity.

In the military, for instance, service members forge profound connections with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, yet outside this sphere, some may still vote for policies that undermine the very rights of their Black counterparts. Similarly, in workplaces, white employees may enjoy close friendships with Black colleagues but resist diversity initiatives that promote systemic equity. In educational institutions, teachers and students may foster genuine connections across racial lines, yet still hesitate to advocate for policies that ensure justice beyond the classroom. These examples reveal how Deathbed Spirituality fosters a selective morality that sustains the fabric of authoritarian hierarchies, where empathy is transactional, doled out only within the confines of personal proximity and convenience, rather than as a principle of justice extended to all.

This selective morality, rooted in Deathbed Spirituality, dismantles the foundational principles of democracy, engendering a society where transactional relationships prevail, and empathy is a privilege rather than a right. It paves the way for authoritarianism by reinforcing social hierarchies that subordinate collective justice to personal or group interests, devaluing those who exist outside these selective realms of empathy.

VI. Forced Reflection as a Model for Accountability: Lessons from A Christmas Carol

Scrooge and the Ghosts as Agents of Reckoning

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol illustrates the necessity of direct, often uncomfortable confrontation with one’s actions as a means to spark transformation. Ebenezer Scrooge, hardened by a lifetime of greed and isolation, is confronted by three spirits who force him to witness the full impact of his choices. This forced reflection compels him to confront his past, present, and potential future, each ghost serving as an agent of reckoning. Without these encounters, Scrooge would likely continue his miserly path, ignorant of the harm he inflicts on others and of the spiritual decay within himself.?

The first warning comes from Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner, who appears bound in heavy chains: “I wear the chain I forged in life... I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it” (Dickens, 1843, p. 35). Marley’s spectral presence is a testament to the consequences of a life lived without accountability or empathy, a fate that Scrooge risks mirroring unless he changes. The chains Marley forged “link by link” symbolize each self-serving decision and callous action, suggesting that Scrooge, too, is accumulating the weight of his choices. This haunting image sets the stage for Scrooge’s journey through forced reflection, where the spirits offer him a chance to break free from this fate.

As the Ghost of Christmas Past transports Scrooge through scenes of his youth, Scrooge begins to grasp the lost opportunities for kindness and connection that have shaped his present. One particularly painful scene reveals Scrooge’s younger self, abandoned and lonely at boarding school: “A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still” (Dickens, 1843, p. 41). This moment underscores the roots of Scrooge’s hardened nature, a reflection that begins to thaw his heart and challenge his perception of his life choices. Through these visions, Scrooge is confronted with his lost potential for compassion and joy, a painful yet necessary step toward transformation.

The Ghost of Christmas Present then brings Scrooge face-to-face with the poverty and struggle around him, illuminating the societal impact of his indifference. The spirit warns Scrooge with a somber reminder of the consequences of neglecting the poor, revealing two impoverished children—“Ignorance” and “Want”—hidden beneath his robes. When Scrooge, horrified, asks if they have refuge, the spirit throws his own earlier words back at him: “Are there no prisons?… Are there no workhouses?” (Dickens, 1843, p. 61). This moment symbolizes the dire results of Scrooge’s dismissive worldview, forcing him to see that his attitudes contribute to the suffering of others. The spirit’s reproach, quoting Scrooge’s own words, highlights the hypocrisy in his lack of empathy, driving home the message that compassion must be extended consistently, not merely when convenient.?

Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come presents a vision of Scrooge’s death, unceremonious and ungrieved. The spirit leads him to a tombstone bearing his name, a stark emblem of the inevitable isolation that awaits him if he does not change: “Spirit!… Let me see some tenderness connected with a death” (Dickens, 1843, p. 76). This plea reveals Scrooge’s dawning realization that his life has been void of meaningful connections, and without a shift in his actions, his legacy will be one of loneliness and regret. This moment serves as the ultimate reckoning, illustrating the cost of a life lived without empathy or accountability.

Through this forced reflection, Dickens suggests that the path to redemption requires not only a recognition of past faults but also an active commitment to change. The ghosts act as moral catalysts, leading Scrooge to an epiphany that reshapes his actions. Dickens underscores that true transformation arises not from passive remorse but from a willingness to confront and alter one’s behavior, a message that resonates with modern calls for systemic accountability.

Forced Reflection in Modern Society

In contemporary society, however, the kind of transformative reflection that Scrooge undergoes is often limited to symbolic gestures or ritualistic acts of goodwill. For many minorities, holiday seasons bring about a painful cycle where acts of kindness and charity are extended only briefly, creating a form of “holiday grace.” This episodic empathy, however, fails to translate into enduring support or systemic change. Minorities have become all too familiar with the temporary benevolence shown during holidays, a fleeting empathy that dissipates once the season ends. This conditional goodwill underscores a society more comfortable with performative gestures than with the enduring work of equity and justice.

Modern initiatives like reparations, truth and reconciliation commissions, or calls for restorative justice echo the necessity of sustained accountability. Without the sustained pressure from civil rights movements, community protests, and legislative reform, societies rooted in Deathbed Spirituality remain unchallenged, holding onto superficial gestures instead of engaging in true reckoning. Similar to Scrooge’s experience, meaningful societal transformation requires persistent confrontation with past injustices and present inequities. This external pressure, much like the spirits in A Christmas Carol, forces a reckoning that challenges the indifference embedded within cultural and systemic norms.

VII. The Impact of Deathbed Spirituality on Racial and Social Injustice

Deathbed Spirituality as a Tool for White Supremacy

Deathbed Spirituality functions as a moral loophole, enabling white individuals and institutions to sidestep the profound demands of racial justice. By allowing the act of repentance or reconciliation to be delayed until death, or indefinitely deferred, this mindset creates an illusion of moral rectitude without the burden of accountability. In essence, Deathbed Spirituality permits white supremacy to flourish within the framework of conditional absolution, wherein symbolic gestures of goodwill become substitutes for genuine redress. This approach to morality provides a means of maintaining dominance while offering only piecemeal gestures, token apologies, and empty acknowledgments. Without sustained accountability, white individuals and institutions can bypass the ethical demands that true racial justice requires.

Chief Justice John Marshall’s legacy is illustrative of this evasion. Despite his lifelong commitment to upholding slavery both in his rulings and personal life, Marshall’s position and influence have historically been celebrated with limited scrutiny regarding his role in preserving racial hierarchies. As Finkelman (2021) emphasizes, Marshall consistently ruled in favor of slaveholding interests, thereby enshrining a selective morality that prioritized the security of white wealth and power over Black humanity (p. 10). His refusal to address the moral consequences of his decisions exemplifies how Deathbed Spirituality shields individuals from confronting the structural harm they enable. Marshall’s actions represent a mindset in which acts of delayed repentance or outright avoidance absolve individuals from addressing the full weight of their decisions, perpetuating a racialized status quo under the guise of legal and social propriety.

The Psychological and Social Toll on Black Communities

For Black communities, the persistence of Deathbed Spirituality exacts a profound psychological and social toll. This ethos shifts the burden of proof onto Black individuals, requiring them to endlessly assert their humanity in a society that offers conditional empathy at best. Forced into a perpetual cycle of “proving” their worth, resilience, and dignity, Black Americans encounter a form of selective compassion that remains contingent upon moments of social pressure or visibility. This expectation is emotionally exhausting, as Black communities must repeatedly demand recognition and justice that are otherwise withheld or delayed. The selective goodwill extended during events like Black History Month, or following high-profile incidents of racial violence, serves as a reminder of a society that extends empathy sparingly, rendering justice an intermittent, symbolic act rather than a continuous, moral obligation.

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This conditional morality is starkly evident in the fleeting empathy shown during holidays or in response to cultural moments that spotlight racial injustice. Outside these intervals, Black communities are often met with silence, systemic neglect, or outright hostility, forced to shoulder the cost of an entrenched inequality that remains unaddressed. The expectation that Black Americans continuously validate their humanity reveals a society that treats recognition as negotiable rather than intrinsic. The societal impact of Deathbed Spirituality goes beyond individual or institutional actions; it upholds a system in which white communities evade the moral rigor required for genuine equity while burdening Black communities with the demand for constant justification.

Structural Inequities and the Perpetual Struggle for Justice

Deathbed Spirituality perpetuates structural inequities by allowing those in power to offer symbolic acts of contrition while avoiding substantive reform. Without collective responsibility to address past and present wrongs, individuals and institutions benefit from a system that shifts the economic and social costs of racism onto Black communities. The racial wealth gap, disparities in education and health care, and systemic disenfranchisement all persist within this framework, reflecting a society that refuses to hold itself accountable for the legacy of its actions. This dynamic forces Black Americans into an ongoing struggle for equality that should be self-evident, exposing the hierarchy within a culture that continues to privilege whiteness over universal justice.

?As a result, Black communities must continually demand reforms, reparations, and basic recognition in a society that selectively doles out empathy while preserving its own comfort. In perpetuating a selective morality, Deathbed Spirituality enforces a hierarchy of worth, where Black lives are seen as subjects for debate rather than as lives deserving of inherent dignity and equity. The emotional toll, combined with the systemic inequities upheld by this mindset, reinforces a social order that benefits from avoiding responsibility. The end result is a culture that insulates white communities from moral consequences, sustaining white supremacy by deferring justice and leaving Black communities in a cycle of resistance, with the weight of unaddressed harm left on their shoulders.

VIII. The Impact of Deathbed Spirituality on Racial and Social Injustice

Deathbed Spirituality as a Tool for White Supremacy

Deathbed Spirituality functions as a moral loophole, enabling white individuals and institutions to sidestep the profound demands of racial justice. By allowing the act of repentance or reconciliation to be delayed until death, or indefinitely deferred, this mindset creates an illusion of moral rectitude without the burden of accountability. In essence, Deathbed Spirituality permits white supremacy to flourish within the framework of conditional absolution, wherein symbolic gestures of goodwill become substitutes for genuine redress. This approach to morality provides a means of maintaining dominance while offering only piecemeal gestures, token apologies, and empty acknowledgments. Without sustained accountability, white individuals and institutions can bypass the ethical demands that true racial justice requires.

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."Luke 12:47-48

Chief Justice John Marshall’s legacy is illustrative of this evasion. Despite his lifelong commitment to upholding slavery both in his rulings and personal life, Marshall’s position and influence have historically been celebrated with limited scrutiny regarding his role in preserving racial hierarchies. As Finkelman (2021) emphasizes, Marshall consistently ruled in favor of slaveholding interests, thereby enshrining a selective morality that prioritized the security of white wealth and power over Black humanity (p. 10). His refusal to address the moral consequences of his decisions exemplifies how Deathbed Spirituality shields individuals from confronting the structural harm they enable. Marshall’s actions represent a mindset in which acts of delayed repentance or outright avoidance absolve individuals from addressing the full weight of their decisions, perpetuating a racialized status quo under the guise of legal and social propriety.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’Matthew 7:21-23

The Psychological and Social Toll on Black Communities

For Black communities, the persistence of Deathbed Spirituality exacts a profound psychological and social toll. This ethos shifts the burden of proof onto Black individuals, requiring them to endlessly assert their humanity in a society that offers conditional empathy at best. Forced into a perpetual cycle of “proving” their worth, resilience, and dignity, Black Americans encounter a form of selective compassion that remains contingent upon moments of social pressure or visibility. This expectation is emotionally exhausting, as Black communities must repeatedly demand recognition and justice that are otherwise withheld or delayed. The selective goodwill extended during events like Black History Month, or following high-profile incidents of racial violence, serves as a reminder of a society that extends empathy sparingly, rendering justice an intermittent, symbolic act rather than a continuous, moral obligation.

?This conditional morality is starkly evident in the fleeting empathy shown during holidays or in response to cultural moments that spotlight racial injustice. Outside these intervals, Black communities are often met with silence, systemic neglect, or outright hostility, forced to shoulder the cost of an entrenched inequality that remains unaddressed. The expectation that Black Americans continuously validate their humanity reveals a society that treats recognition as negotiable rather than intrinsic. The societal impact of Deathbed Spirituality goes beyond individual or institutional actions; it upholds a system in which white communities evade the moral rigor required for genuine equity while burdening Black communities with the demand for constant justification.

Structural Inequities and the Perpetual Struggle for Justice

Deathbed Spirituality perpetuates structural inequities by allowing those in power to offer symbolic acts of contrition while avoiding substantive reform. Without collective responsibility to address past and present wrongs, individuals and institutions benefit from a system that shifts the economic and social costs of racism onto Black communities. The racial wealth gap, disparities in education and health care, and systemic disenfranchisement all persist within this framework, reflecting a society that refuses to hold itself accountable for the legacy of its actions. This dynamic forces Black Americans into an ongoing struggle for equality that should be self-evident, exposing the hierarchy within a culture that continues to privilege whiteness over universal justice.

?As a result, Black communities must continually demand reforms, reparations, and basic recognition in a society that selectively doles out empathy while preserving its own comfort. In perpetuating a selective morality, Deathbed Spirituality enforces a hierarchy of worth, where Black lives are seen as subjects for debate rather than as lives deserving of inherent dignity and equity. The emotional toll, combined with the systemic inequities upheld by this mindset, reinforces a social order that benefits from avoiding responsibility. The end result is a culture that insulates white communities from moral consequences, sustaining white supremacy by deferring justice and leaving Black communities in a cycle of resistance, with the weight of unaddressed harm left on their shoulders.

Call to Action

Rejecting Deathbed Spirituality requires a cultural shift toward sustained accountability—a shift in which individuals and institutions alike actively engage in justice as an everyday practice. This shift calls for deliberate, proactive efforts: advocating for reparations, supporting racial and social equity policies, and challenging the double standards of conditional empathy that permeate society. By fostering a culture where accountability is embedded in daily life rather than relegated to a final hour, we lay the foundation for a more inclusive and just society.

"For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation" 2 Corinthians 6:2

?It is essential that we cultivate a world where justice is not symbolic but substantive, a world where compassion is extended universally rather than selectively. In rejecting Deathbed Spirituality, we embrace a vision of society built on moral integrity, where justice and empathy guide our actions—not as sporadic gestures but as enduring commitments. This shift is our defense against authoritarianism, a stand for democracy rooted in the inherent worth of all lives. Only by weaving responsibility into the very fabric of our lives can we hope to create a society that values every individual equally, building a future where justice is truly, and consistently, for all.

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Finkelman, P. (2021). Rethinking the Reputation of Chief Justice John Marshall. University of Chicago Law Review, 14(3), 1-20.

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