Been seeing this gem of a chain letter passed around on Facebook.

[AtheistCrusader]

To be clear; this thing is utter bullshit. But hopefully someone else can track down the origins.

LIGHT IN A DOCTOR'S DARKEST NIGHTMARE.

“From Dr. Julian Urban, a 38 year-old serving in a hospital in Lombardy, Italy:


Never in my darkest nightmares did I imagine that I would see and experience what has been going on in Italy in our hospital the past three weeks. The nightmare flows, and the river gets bigger and bigger. At first, a few patients came, then dozens, and then hundreds. Now, we are no longer doctors, but sorters who decide who should live and who should be sent home to die, though all these patients paid Italian health taxes throughout their lives.

Until two weeks ago, my colleagues and I were atheists. It was normal because we are doctors. We learned that science excludes the presence of God. I laughed at my parents going to church.

Nine days ago, a 75-year-old pastor was admitted into the hospital. He was a kind man. He had serious breathing problems. He had a Bible with him and impressed us by how he read it to the dying as he held their hand. We doctors were all tired, discouraged, psychologically and physically finished. When we had time, we listened to him.

We have reached our limits. We can do no more. People are dying every day. We are exhausted. We have two colleagues who have died, and others that have been infected. We realized that we needed to start asking God for help. We do this when we have a few free minutes. When we talk to each other, we cannot believe that, though we were once fierce atheists, we are now daily in search of peace, asking the Lord to help us continue so that we can take care of the sick.

Yesterday, the 75-year-old pastor died. Despite having had over 120 deaths here in 3 weeks, we were destroyed. He had managed, despite his condition and our difficulties, to bring us a PEACE that we no longer had hoped to find. The pastor went to the Lord, and soon we will follow him if matters continue like this.

I haven’t been home for 6 days. I don’t know when I ate last. I realize my worthlessness on this earth. I want to use my last breath to help others. I am happy to have returned to God while I am surrounded by the suffering and death of my fellow men.

Please pray for Italy

It's getting passed around a lot in Catholic sites, and facebook. Clearly filled to the gills with all the 'no atheists in foxholes' tropes all the 'lying for jesus' witnesses usually employ. If anyone can find the origins, that will help with debunking this shit. (I did my best, it's not much more than 1 day old.)

(I did find a doctor by that name... in Poland.)

[Just_Vote_Dem]

1. Two of my family members gave up their religion on their deathbeds

That's why I'm always amused by "no atheists in foxholes"

[customerserviceguy]

2. Desperate times

make people turn to desperate solutions, such as fish tank cleaner.

[Aquaria]

3. xian liars always make up these deathbed conversion lies

That's why Richard Dawkins has said that he will have cameras rolling when he's on his deathbed, so that there's evidence he didn't convert while dying.

There isn't any lie that the cult members won't trot out there to prop up their delusion.

[Cartoonist]

4. Didn't do that priest much good.

This is supposed to convert me?

[Pope George Ringo II]

5. I always thought we should have been building more hospitals and fewer churches.

As far as I'm concerned, this is just proof we were right all along.

[Christ-and-Christ-al]

6. A Journalist is researching...

Is it fake news, can't tell yet. Have atheists turn to God? Yes, many and became wise. When hopelessness comes then pride is cast down, blessed are those who can turn. Whenever the heart is turned to The Lord the veil shall be taken away. C.S. Lewis was an atheist, he turned. Blessed is he.

[The Magistrate]

7. And Many Believers Have Lost Faith And Ceased Belief In God, Sir

What is your point?

To anyone with much experience of hospitals and intensive care wards, this story rings false.

I have read reliable account from Italy of a priest who refused a respirator so another person could have it, and have immense respect for the man.

On a couple of occasions when a hospital chaplain has ventured near my bed, I have thanked his concern, and urged him to spend his time with people who desire the comfort he can offer them

[Major Nikon]

8. Considerably more have wised up

The worm has turned for far more people in that regard. Organized religion is dying a slow death in the US just as it has in many other civilized places and despite those who wish to make up obviously nonsense stories and spread them on social media, statistics paint a much clearer image of what's actually happening. As usual, reason triumphs over superstition, willful deceit, and wishful thinking.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Ah, more 'no atheists in foxholes' bigotry.

Do tell me more about how a bout of hopelessness will fundamentally change who I have been my entire life, as if I have not already weathered adversity without 'becoming wise'.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. Go away

[oja]

10. Dr. Julian Urban

I also tend to believe that this is a hoax but how can you be sure that this is fake?

[The Magistrate]

12. Anyone With Much Experience Of Hospitals And Intensive Care Wards, Sir

Can readily see through it. Like much propagada and preaching, it depends for its effect on an ignorant audience. Patients do not wander about hospital wards mingling with other patients, nurses will not allow it. An older man in hospital with so severe a case of this plague as to die soon after admittance will be spending most of his time inturbated, which renders one incapable of speech. and confined to bed, even if conscious, which is not awfully likely either.

[AtheistCrusader]

15. I really wanted to make this point in the original FB venue I spotted the story in

but my wife advertises her business in the same location, and it has been respectfully requested that I NOT start a religious war in that location.

[Eugene]

13. This letter was the bulk of our local Archbishop's homily in today's livestreamed mass.

True or not, this story might become an article of faith.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. It's definitely got legs.