Nurse's are the greatest people on earth.

[Cat1981England]

Hello to all. I'm going to be honest right from the start and admit that i am not a nurse or involved in any medical practise. The reason i join this forum was so i could ask one very simple question, any response from one of you loverly lady's or gents will be greatly appreciated.

I am a member of another forum and am discussing a story about an atheist man who in his final few hours on his death bed is willing to try and believe in the existence of god and to pray to him.

The problem i am having is that one or two of the members have a problem with the idea that a person toward the end of their life and out of their own freewill may indeed turn to god and have even said that i have shown "supreme arrogance" for suggesting so. Although i don't have any first hand experience for this happening i have asked my mum about it, she herself is a nurse and has been working in care centres for the elderly and terminally ill for over twenty years and has told me that people do sometimes turn to god toward the end of their life, occasionally in their last few hours, as well as reacting in other ways such as - Aggression - Fear of being judged by god - Frustration - as well as happy and calm.

I have tried to persuade her to join the forum and confirm that some people do indeed do this, but she is not computer literate and despite trying to talk her through it over the phone, well, it's a thankless task. So what i am hoping is that somebody here will be kind enough to confirm this here with a simple 'yes some people do turn to god despite being atheist toward the end of their life' or a post of greater detail, which would be read with great interest by many of the forum members, if however you believe this not to be true, please still do post as this would be of equal interest to me and others. I will copy and paste it from this forum to the one in question as well as provide a link to here so anyone can read your replies whatever they may be in full.

This, as you will probably expect, will be my only contribution to this forum. I'm not normally one for asking favours from strangers but this seems to me to be the only way to backup my short story. Thank you, Cat.

[underpaidrn]

I have had many patients over the years that at the end turned toward religion. I have found clergy for these people since they did not attend an organized church. Most of the time, I would use the Salvation Army chaplains since they are non-denominational. In all of my years of nursing, I have witnessed many deaths. Most were peaceful but only one stands out as being frightening. She refused all offers of clergy.

[Katnip, RN]

Most certainly someone at the end of life will turn toward God or some other spiritual path.

At least to nurses and other healthcare providers it makes perfect sense that one would do so, to tie up loose ends so to speak.

[Jo Dirt]

I have seen it several times. It's kind of funny how desperation can humble people.

My 83 y/o father-in-law is a prime example. He has always boasted he is an atheist and openly ridiculed and mocked religious people. He is a very nasty person, filling over with pride.

People who are religious believe pride will get a person to hell faster than any other sin. Well, my father-in-law has a never ending supply of it.

He got sick this past summer and thought he was going to die and low and behold asked for a priest to come give him his last rites.

There is one die hard atheist I still know of in the local nursing home and I'm wondering when or if he will ever crack.

As for me, I can't say I believe for sure their is an afterlife, but I still listen to my Jimmy Swaggart tapes, just in case.

[RN1989]

I have had some people decide that they needed God and others that did not. However I have never had a person refuse to have me pray for them in their presence - even when that person was adamant that there was no God.

[Cat1981England]

Thank's to all who posted, good luck, and have fun.

[leslymill]

All the praying I do at my church for atheist or stubbornly independent family members, prisoners, missionaries...etc, I would hope somedy it will pay off. One member went to see his sister on her dying bed a week ago to try and lead her to Christ before she passed.

Many Christians sow plenty of seeds, though few get a chance to lead someone through to salvation. I would hope in the face of death some of these would sprout.

As a nurse I have seen healing and Gods blessing on his own, but no actual conversions except my grandmother. My Grandmother when she was diagnosed with cancer, agreed to a chaplain visit and in her hospital bed actual accept the plan of salvation. She lived twenty more years.

It is a unforgetable thing to see the Lords Salvation. Till I do again, I will seek to plant the seeds.