I like to think he's all good now because then other people are justified in the way they are treating him, trusting him at an arms length because they beleive he can change. (I think I might just have forgiveness and redemption issues with humanity as a whole, so the idea that Lionel goes from complete evil to good appeals to me personally, even if not entirely supported by the text/canon).

I would LOVE if Lionel were redeemed. (But I would want BOTH he and Lex to be redeemed, not Lionel at Lex's expense.)

(For the most part, I think they (the writers) are simply turning Lionel inorganically good so that when Lex eventually kills him it will be *so* horrific to the other characters.)

Yeah, that's probably my biggest fear, with this whole Lionel arc.