The late “Dilbert” cartoonist Scott Adams took closer look at Christianity as he faced terminal cancer, made death-bed confession
A diagnosis of terminal prostate cancer led the late Scott Adams, creator of the popular “Dilbert” comic strip, to explore Christianity. However, his recent comments indicate that he believed eternal life is something that must be earned.
Adams, who passed away January 13 at the age of 68, said his view of Christianity means that he will “wake up in heaven if I have a good life. Although Adams has long identified as a non-believer, he had voiced respect for Christians urging his conversion.
“I have not been a believer,” he said. “But I also have respect for any Christian who goes out of their way to try to convert me, because how would I believe you wouldn’t believe your own religion if you’re not trying to convert me?”
He said he was committed to converting before his passing and expected to have his lingering skepticism “instantly answered if I wake up in heaven.”
“I’m now convinced that the risk-reward is completely smart,” Adams said. “If it turns out that there’s nothing there, I’ve lost nothing, but I’ve respected your wishes, and I like doing that. If it turns out there is something there, and the Christian model is the closest to it, I win.”
He thanked his supporters recently in a social media post but set boundaries on further discussion.
“I appreciate the outpouring of suggestions and questions, but what happens next is between me and Jesus,” he wrote. “I won’t be responding to your well-intentioned messages on this topic. (There are a lot!) I hope you understand. And thank you.”
Adams’ condition worsened in December, leading to hospitalization for constipation and lower-body paralysis. As his health deteriorated, he livestreamed his podcast from his hospital bed for about a week before transitioning back to home broadcasts, right up until the end.
Adams’ ex-wife made a statement after his death that he accepted Jesus.
“Unfortunately this isn’t good news,” Shelly Miles, who was previously married to the cartoonist, said on his “Real Coffee” podcast. “Of course he waited until just before the show started, and he’s not with us anymore,” Miles said, before reading what she described as a “final message” from her ex-husband.
“If you are reading this, things did not go well for me,” Miles read.
“I had an amazing life. I gave it everything I had,” she continued.
He also asked people who had benefited from his work “to pay it forward as best you can. That’s the legacy I want: Be useful.”
In the statement, Adams also fulfilled a promise he made to Christian friends: that he would convert to Christianity, even though he still identified as a nonbeliever.
“I’m not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for (converting) looks attractive to me. So here I go: I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior and look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be completely resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won’t need any more convincing than that. I hope I’m still qualified for entry,” he said.
Although his comments about living a “good life” to receive eternal life may be antithetical to the gospel, such sentiments align with new research showing that most self-identified Christians believe doing “good things” for others is enough to secure them a spot in heaven. One leading researcher called this the latest example of a widespread embrace of “unbiblical beliefs” among American Christians.
–Metro Voice staff
Photo: Scott Adams – youtube channel
