deathbed conversion

Noun

deathbed conversion (countable and uncountable, plural deathbed conversions)

1. (set phrase) Acceptance of religious belief immediately before one dies, typically in a state of anxiety or fear of the insecurity of what will happen to one in and after death.
   • Mr. Hitchens discussed the possibility of a deathbed conversion, insisting that the odds were slim that he would admit the existence of God.2011 December 16, William Grimes, “Christopher Hitchens, Polemicist Who Slashed All, Freely, Dies at 62”, in New York Times, retrieved 28 May 2015
2. (idiomatic, often, sarcastic, usually) An abrupt, last-minute change in one's professed beliefs, principles, or point of view in order to escape a serious threat or to increase one's chances of success.
   • The dilemma was how to propose a big tax cut and still look credible. Dole knew that the Democrats would mock him for a deathbed conversion.1996 November 17, “Whatever”, in Newsweek, retrieved 28 May 2015
   • "A deathbed conversion" was how Representative John LaFalce of New York State described the House Republicans' change of heart.2002 July 16, Richard A. Oppel Jr., David E. Sanger, “House Passes Bill to Combat Corporate and Securities Fraud”, in New York Times, retrieved 28 May 2015