Mother Teresa to be beatified

Midnite Toker

This was a story I missed last year:

"Mother Teresa to be beatified in 2003"

The nun from Albania (supporter of the fascist Hoxha regime in her youth) is, on the strength of a "miracle" performed after her death on an Indian woman with ovarian cancer, to be made a saint this year.

Here's the story from CNN, while the Indian Rationalists Association have another take on the "miracle" story.

My favourite narrator on the hidden sides of Agnes Gonxha Bojahxiu ("Mother" Teresa's Albanian name) is Christopher Hitchens, who records something of his encounter with the Missionaries Of Charity and the "Mother" herself.

A quotation from the front of Hitchen's book "The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice" which I like:

Thus we call a belief an illusion when a wish-fulfilment is a prominent factor in its motivation, and in doing so we disregard its relations to reality just as the illusion itself sets no store by verification
- Sigmund Freud

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anonymous

Years ago I watched Sinead O'Connor on Saturday Night Live tearing up a picture of the pope. I laughed my ass off watching her ridiculous self-indulgent display. She was led off the stage in tears accompanied by vigorous booing from a hip New York audience. I wondered to myself just why on earth she cared so much about the pope. As an ex-Catholic myself - I became an atheist when I reached the age of reason - I couldn't care less about the pope or the Catholic religion.
The answer is obvious to anyone who's heard about Sinead's
shenanigans in the past - dressing up as a nun, calling herself Sister something-or-other. She's got a hangup with religion.
So what's the story with Mother Teresa? Why should anybody give a sh*t about her either? Because she supported a fascist? Strange, I always thought Enver Hoxha was a communist but perhaps I've been misinformed.
As far as Christopher Hitchens is concerned - well MT, I'd be curious to find out what you think about his views on Iraq.

Tomi

Beatified isn't yet canonized, it's the step before it. To become a saint she will need another miracle or two.
Mother Teresa was into teaching people to enjoy their suffering, which was going a bit beyond the actual taking care of sufferers.
And she was an apologist for the current reactionary pope, giving speeches in front of thousands of nuns on how they should be good girls and not want equality. So I have no use for her.
I have no doubt that she started out with good intentions, but soon got caught up and swallowed by the worst aspects of her religion.
All that said, Mother Teresa has a big following in India, and her good side is what's likely to be remembered many years from now.
The current pope is also trying to canonize Pope Pius IX and Pope Pius XII, two amoral politicians with anti-semitic leanings.

Midnite Toker

Tomi, I stand corrected about "beatified;" you are quite right that another "miracle" will be needed. However, Sanal Edamaruku in the article about the Indian Rationalists suggests this will be a mere formality with the 34,000+ pages of dossier on her wonderworks already submitted to the Vatican.

You say, anonymous, that you couldn't care less about the Catholic religion or the Pope. Yet the very act of replying to this topic seems to suggest otherwise, doesn't it? I realise, of course, that you are also implying that I have some hangups about religion to be concerned about the prospect for MT's (that's her, not me, in case you're puzzled) impending beatification. Not true, there are no hangups there, simply a resigned sadness that the world is so screwed up due to politics and power draped in "spirtual" or "religious" garbs.

A glance on the LP Throne Tree during an average week will turn up at least one question about "volunteering for the Missionaries of Charity while I'm in India." (None that I remember on this board, but then indiamike does have a more discerning readership). At a rough guess, I would say less than half of these people would describe themselves as Catholics or adhering to a faith. Yet the name Mother Teresa of Calcutta has become established as an icon of selfless caring and charity, almost like a brand name. Very few dare criticise her or point out her dealings with convicted swindler Charles Keating (she wrote to the court asking for clemency), or why the "Gift of Love" hostel for homeless men with HIV in San Francisco, supported by her organisation, is, on the accounts of inmates, more like a detention camp than a place of care.

Millions of dollars are donated to the Missionaries of Charity each year, yet they give injections in the Mother Teresa Home for the Dying with needles rinsed under cold water and reused dozens of times. One volunteer in Calcutta said; "It looked a bit like the photos of Belsen."

I gave the link to Christopher Hitchens' book because I think his research has done a lot to uncover the collective blindspot maintained on MT's credibility. He lived in Calcutta for 18 months, so he knows a bit about India and the city in question. Yes, I know he supports a war on Iraq. But I think he also is fairly disparaging about vegetarianism. I never presented him as a fount of universal wisdom, and in avoiding this I underscore my point: There are no saints - no human is 100% stainless, not Gandhi, nor Nelson Mandela, nor Florence Nightingale. "Mother" Teresa, however, comes out as having more than a few flakes of rust on her character.

Midnite Toker

Another good link for the "alternative dossier" on "Mother" Teresa by Mark Cook , a freelance journalist based in New York.

If that doesn't set you to thinking about a woman who appears to have had no scruples, perhaps this picture might:

Attached Thumbnails

 

maree

Thanks for the links, M_T.... interesting reading.

Hank

Hi all,
Though I don't post much on this board I feel I cannot let this thread pass by without comment.
It's so easy and fulfilling to knock certain other folks in this world isn't it?Even if they are in the wrong,they make very,very easy targets.

It appears to me that there is the usual degree of self rightiousness going on here from some of the posters re MT.
I have a few complaints to make to those concerned about what I regard as hypocracy.
I am a catholic but that has nothing to do with the price of carrots.
I don't go to church anymore,not because I am 'lapsed' or because I am making some grand statement but simply because I think churches should be temples of spiritual learning and not the venue for another groundhog day.So I don't go because I feel that the established church cannot increase my level of spiritual awareness/education.
Having said that I also believe that all churches/temples of every faith have a role to play within society in the sense that they can help some people who might otherwise be alone to have a sense of belonging to a wider family and to the local community.
In this respect they can fulfill a social role which might otherwise not be available to some.

I do not agree that MT should be cannonised because I don't think she is a suitable candidate for sainthood.
I read CH's article in the British press a few months ago on MT when he was invited by the vatican to be devil's advocate in regard to MT and submit a report as to why she should not be cannonised.
I agree with some of it but even in that well written article there was a lot of,for want of a better word,conjecture,2+2=5.
I am not defending MT,I don't agree with any cannonisation at all because it is to my mind the most monumental act of presumption one can make and is therefore against the teachings of the church!?!
I think the whole business is a waste of time,energy and money when there are far more important things to be getting on with.

I note the poster who claims he/she is an atheist.
I have had many net chats with professed atheists who in reality turn out not to be atheist at all but as Mike pointed out they often have a problem with the concept of religion.
Do all professed atheists actually believe that they are the end product of a chance occurance of the correct temperature,moisture,energy and amino acids coming together in a freak moment billions of years ago?
And if so,then where did these vital ingredients come form?
Are all your hopes,dreams,emotions that are individual to you and you alone just a by product of this event?
I don't think so and I doubt that you do too!
Maybe most atheists do not believe in religion and usually this is the established,dogmatic religions but that does not necessarily mean they do not believe in any concept of a spirit or higher intelligence.
Most people claim to be atheist because of the crimes committed in the name of all religion down through the ages and from this they conclude there can be no God.
A classic example of hoisting the crimes of humanity onto God,the ultimate scapecoat,just as is the devil.
Not much effort has gone into this thinking I can assure you.
But I'm digressing.
To get back to the opening point.
I read the article from CH given in the link.
It is interesting reading but it is nothing more than a reporting of a few facts about travel etc and of one womans rather repressive views on poverty and her personal doctrine.
It would never stand up in court as they say.
The knockers have taken one mans view and made it 'gospel'
Ditto,the picture of MT with the Reagans and the accompanying caption that if the reader is not convinced of her immorality then this pic will leave them in no doubt.
I have never read such rubbish in my life,well actually and sadly I have.Proof that people are pretty much the same the world over.
Likewise the view of a poster asking if we have read CH's views on Iraq.
I take it that means that the war in Iraq was an act of evil.
Why?
Do you know how many wars are going on in the world right now?
I doubt it.Over 100 at the most recent count.
But you will not see massive street protests over any of these wars because a western country and mainly the bette noir of all 'peace' people are not involved,namely the USA.
You will not see school kids in the street protesting any of these wars because lets face it,no one really cares,it's not on the TV screens and it's 'not in my name' so they won't know about or want to know about it.
I wonder if any one of those schoolkids if questioned could actually follow up on their opening statement that the war is all about oil?
Last week the vatican admitted that it's anti war campaign had been hijacked by the 'professional' marchers,the marxists,anti globalists/capitalists and the 'permanently outraged.'
I wonder how many of those who were flaggelating themselves over their countries involvement with removing this maniac from power actually travelled to Baghdad,ever,to make their protestations regarding human rights abuses and plain old mass murder known to the regime there?
10?...5?...3?...1?...ZERO?.... More likely I think.

What does all this have to do with MT?
To my mind some of the above are guilty of what they are condemning.They condemn the church for being dogmatic etc and MT in particular but I am detecting the whiff of hypocracy here.
I am hearing double speak as can usually be found on this type of subject.All the popular causes are espoused without any real thought as to how they will be implented,the usual politicians are harangued as evil,mainly right of centre ones,the pic of Reagan being the classic example,I honestly didn't think people did this kind of old hat thing any more.
If you really think that a man such as Reagan belongs in the 'worlds most evil' museum then you are not as educated as you might like to think you are.
Same as Iraq,1 million dead at the hands of their own government,including death by slow electrocution,vats of acid,meat and plastic grinders(sometimes feet first)to end up as fish food for the Hussein's tropical fish.But all this is overlooked because there is no mileage in it.
There were no painted faces over this over the last 20 years,no money wasted on silly costumes on marches,no people lying down in the street pretending to be dead outside the US & UK embassies.

How strange this selective morality is eh?
Maybe in condemning MT you recognise a kindred spirit???????

And that is the whole point I am making,in condemning her out of hand you are guilty of your own blindness,the same blindess or cruelty you see in her.
Think as I think,do as I do is a well worn phrase and how true.
I imagine many who hold views similar to the posters above will see the church or any faith as repressors of individual freedom and liberty,they will condemn these always but offer no alternative.Maybe they advocate that it is their right to do what they want,whenever they want,a recipe for anarchy.
I have lost count of the number of folks I have seen and heard,the usual 'hippy' type,all for peace and good will,until that is if you play devils advocate to their view and then they can get very nasty indeed.
They will have the usual list of western inspired/backed atrocities that have taken place in the world.Any nations involved with anything like this who are not western then they will have details of how the west was 'behind it' without recognising the fact that the peoples involved have a free will of their own and chose to slaughter each other,it's not their fault they did this,it's the wests fault for providing them with more effiecient means to do so.
Just as their knowledge of non western atrocity is strangely lacking,this makes their non political claims into very political claims indeed.
I wonder if they actually see the irony?
Same as prominent homosexuals will make a great play of taking a bible on stage and tearing out the pages that condemn this behaviour and like minded people and libertarians will procalim them as brave etc.
No,sorry,don't think so.Christianity will always be the easiest target.Just to remind you all,I'm actually against the established church,I think if Jesus walked the earth now then he would be throwing the money changers out of the temples again.
But I have even less time for all the hypocrates that I see in the world.
The day I see a famous gay actor/libertarian stand on stage and tear a page from the Koran then I will have more respect for them.
But they know what will happen if they do that so they are not really very brave at all are they?
So,I'm very disappointed at some of the views on here,it is such a shame to see that the bandwagon is still well and is rolling on.


I personally believe that the teachings of the man,Jesus of Nazareth,cannot really be equalled as regards a correct way to live one's life and to interact with others,I'm not talking about established Christianity but about the words the man spoke himself.
Many atheists have said the same,that it is the best moral code available even if one does not believe in any God.
The only other who equals this and in all honesty surpasses this is Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
I assume you are all aware of this 'man' seeing the nature of this forum.

To quote from the man himself.Lets all look in the mirror first when we feel the overwhelming urge to critisise and when we have finished there with what is staring us in the face the urge will have usually passed by.

Good luck,peace and a true open mind to all.

Hank.

Tagore

Much noise about nothing.
She's no saint at all.

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