My evangelical cousin is at death's door.

[NNadir]

58. I usually defer to family wishes in these situations.

I doesn't hurt me to pretend to pray although I'm fully aware that doing so is meaningless. In so doing, I hurt no one and if it gives the believers comfort, so much the better.

I had an issue with this many years ago when my father was dying and my stepmother was very upset because in attempting to discredit my advice on the discontinuance of treatment my brother yelled to my stepmother during a very tense meeting with a social worker, a nun, that I was an atheist. My stepmother seemed shattered. Later, as she needed peace in a time of pain, I joined her in the hospital chapel and pretended to join her in prayer.

I am very glad I did. It helped her, and I love her very much. It didn't make me a believer, but I believe it made me a good stepson.