India has no reason to be grateful to Mother Teresa

[LurkerBaba]

Mayawathi is a very positive thing for indian politics.Ambedkar was critical of gandhi he never hated him.Ambedkar owed his position in constitution drafting to gandhi

So Ambedkar was a Gandhi critic right ? Why not accept critical views of MT ? Let's not go offtopic

 

[Param]

So Ambedkar was a Gandhi critic right ? Why not accept critical views of MT ? Let's not go offtopic

anyone can have critical views about others. Accepting or not accepting is each one's choice.

Like I said no matter what some genius comes up with educated Indians will continue to have a soft corner for MT.

 

[LurkerBaba]

anyone can have critical views about others. Accepting or not accepting is each one's choice..

Never said it isn't, but then again this where we debate our choices with hard facts

Like I said no matter what some genius comes up with educated Indians will continue to have a soft corner for MT.

Still no factual discussion except "MT was godly" "We like MT thus she is godly"

We're still avoiding debate. The articles say that she made the problems worse and did not actually help people. Let me exract a few points


1. She actually liked poverty and suffering
2. She was against birth control, which exacerbated the problems from Bangladeshi refugees
3. Church ran a big PR campaign, and obviously we all know how political the Nobel Peace prize is

Some more extracts

Mother Teresa did not serve the poor in Calcutta, she served the rich in the West. She helped them to overcome their bad conscience by taking billions of Dollars from them.

One of the most salient examples of people's willingness to believe anything if it is garbed in the appearance of holiness is the uncritical acceptance of the idea of Mother Teresa as a saint by people who would normally be thinking - however lazily - in a secular or rational manner. In other words, in every sense it is an unexamined claim.

 

[p2prada]

Considering white people from Englishstan consistently brought problems and misery to our doorstep, MT was one of those very very few white icons who showed not everybody from the west think alike, at least during the time she existed.

There are plenty of people who have done the same as Mother Teresa, there is no doubt about it. But they aren't in the limelight because you cannot sell regular Indian folk doing good things to the west. Heck even now, with the advent of media and internet, they are quite intrigued by poverty. Imagine what it must have been like in the 19th century or early 20th century. Race sells and poverty sells more, race clubbed with poverty breaks all limits in sales. A fat rich Indian is boring after all. You could say she was one of those few white people who looked above petty differences in order to reach out to a larger more needy people and that in itself was the beauty of her existence.

However, no matter all the good things done by her and her organization she was one of the many. So I wouldn't keep her on a pedestal and say she cannot be criticized. Sure whatever she has been able to do is something that I can never do or even hope to do. Even with all the religious dogma in her mind, she was unwavering in her aim of making life better for some people and that must not be forgotten. Some critics say she did not do much to alleviate poverty. But what were they expecting, with one stroke of her pen she would wipe out poverty for good? No. Let's not forget she wasn't educated beyond Christian doctrines, that does a fat lot of good in the education department. She did what she thought was right and we must recognize and respect her for it.

 

[Adux]

Was she as great as the popular perception? No, Did she have a religious hidden agenda, Yes. Were we better of without her.NO.

So I rather have her in india, than not. Regarding, the whole she made Kolkatta into a cesspool, She was there, because it is a cesspool, always has been, the way bengali's are with the whole commie love, it is going to remain so.

 

[S.A.T.A]

Mother Teresa certainly served the poor of India,but she inadvertently was also the spiritual conduit through which the christian west would buy the indulgences,a fully paid church approved remission from all its imperial sins.Mother Teresa was the cute school girl, oozing with piety and purity, holding a donation box,tugging at the moral pangs of every Christian soul in the western world.If the church was selling indulgences,Mother Teresa was its best saleswoman.

 

[pankaj nema]

Do atheists and rationalists dont have even a conscience ?

Mother teresa started her work not for fame or attaining sainthood or any other award

Those were desperate times in 1946 with a lot of poverty, disease , death and hunger all around when she
started her work in Calcutta

Most importantly it was after 25 years ie in 70s that her work brought her laurels and awards

How much MORE selflessly should a person work ; in order to please these atheists

And atheists must know that it is BELIEF and devotion to God which makes
HUMAN beings compassionate towards other human beings

Morality does not arise in a vaccuum ,it comes from religious feelings and beliefs

 

[Energon]

Questioning the acts and impact of well known public figures (particularly with a spiritual bent) is inevitable, as is a division between those 'for' and 'against' the outcome. Hagiography aside the truth of the matter is that there is no one perfect figure who has done no wrong, and Mother Teresa is no different.

One cannot deny that she actively helped some of the most destitute group of people in the world, who were otherwise neglected. However data world over also shows that charities have their own set of problems and inevitably exacts a negative impact. One can only hope that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Being a pragmatist I do not endorse the religious orders touting a moral high ground by speaking out against abortions. Unfortunately out of control birth rates in that part of India has resulted in far too much morbidity and mortality and perpetuating it for the sake of religious dogma is impractical.

Having said that I don't find any fault in her fund raising efforts. Being born into a family that has run an orphanage since the early 1900s I can say from personal experience that no charitable organization regardless of how benign it is can be run without funds; and seeking funds is just as important as administering the institution.

 

[Energon]

How much MORE selflessly should a person work ; in order to please these atheists

And atheists must know that it is BELIEF and devotion to God which makes
HUMAN beings compassionate towards other human beings

Morality does not arise in a vaccuum ,it comes from religious feelings and beliefs

Nonsense. First, this argument has nothing to do with theism vs. atheism. Second, equating atheism or agnosticism to a lack of moral consciousness is absurd. Religious orders don't have intellectual property rights over morality.

 

[pankaj nema]

^^^ I dont agree with you .

Atheists can never be compassionate TOWARDS others They can be compassionate
ONLY towards their family members at the most

 

[Sabir]

after all criticism you will find that she dedicated her whole life for the poors...

Try to spend a week doing that.....Come back after that.....

 

[Sabir]

Mother Teresa certainly served the poor of India,but she inadvertently was also the spiritual conduit through which the christian west would buy the indulgences,a fully paid church approved remission from all its imperial sins.Mother Teresa was the cute school girl, oozing with piety and purity, holding a donation box,tugging at the moral pangs of every Christian soul in the western world.If the church was selling indulgences,Mother Teresa was its best saleswoman.

I am upset seeing your reply...

indugence or not.....effort to be free from sin or not.........sales woman or not............at the end...those amount (little or much)....help the poor

Unlike those who prefer to donate to GOD (jewellery or throne or something else).............here the attitude is also the same....making God happy....be free from sins............And even after few hundred years sit on that like a Yakha.......

 

[LurkerBaba]

Considering white people from Englishstan consistently brought problems and misery to our doorstep, MT was one of those very very few white icons who showed not everybody from the west think alike, at least during the time she existed.

There are plenty of people who have done the same as Mother Teresa, there is no doubt about it. But they aren't in the limelight because you cannot sell regular Indian folk doing good things to the west. Heck even now, with the advent of media and internet, they are quite intrigued by poverty. Imagine what it must have been like in the 19th century or early 20th century. Race sells and poverty sells more, race clubbed with poverty breaks all limits in sales. A fat rich Indian is boring after all. You could say she was one of those few white people who looked above petty differences in order to reach out to a larger more needy people and that in itself was the beauty of her existence.

However, no matter all the good things done by her and her organization she was one of the many. So I wouldn't keep her on a pedestal and say she cannot be criticized. Sure whatever she has been able to do is something that I can never do or even hope to do. Even with all the religious dogma in her mind, she was unwavering in her aim of making life better for some people and that must not be forgotten. Some critics say she did not do much to alleviate poverty. But what were they expecting, with one stroke of her pen she would wipe out poverty for good? No. Let's not forget she wasn't educated beyond Christian doctrines, that does a fat lot of good in the education department. She did what she thought was right and we must recognize and respect her for it.

Was she as great as the popular perception? No, Did she have a religious hidden agenda, Yes. Were we better of without her.NO.

So I rather have her in india, than not. Regarding, the whole she made Kolkatta into a cesspool, She was there, because it is a cesspool, always has been, the way bengali's are with the whole commie love, it is going to remain so.

Mother Teresa certainly served the poor of India,but she inadvertently was also the spiritual conduit through which the christian west would buy the indulgences,a fully paid church approved remission from all its imperial sins.Mother Teresa was the cute school girl, oozing with piety and purity, holding a donation box,tugging at the moral pangs of every Christian soul in the western world.If the church was selling indulgences,Mother Teresa was its best saleswoman.

Questioning the acts and impact of well known public figures (particularly with a spiritual bent) is inevitable, as is a division between those 'for' and 'against' the outcome. Hagiography aside the truth of the matter is that there is no one perfect figure who has done no wrong, and Mother Teresa is no different.

One cannot deny that she actively helped some of the most destitute group of people in the world, who were otherwise neglected. However data world over also shows that charities have their own set of problems and inevitably exacts a negative impact. One can only hope that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Being a pragmatist I do not endorse the religious orders touting a moral high ground by speaking out against abortions. Unfortunately out of control birth rates in that part of India has resulted in far too much morbidity and mortality and perpetuating it for the sake of religious dogma is impractical.

Having said that I don't find any fault in her fund raising efforts. Being born into a family that has run an orphanage since the early 1900s I can say from personal experience that no charitable organization regardless of how benign it is can be run without funds; and seeking funds is just as important as administering the institution.

Rational arguments !

after all criticism you will find that she dedicated her whole life for the poors...

.

For poors ? Maybe the fact she actually liked poverty, she liked poverty more than the poors themsevles ? Maybe she made their life even worse by going against birth control . Maybe her sole motivation were her bizzare religious ideals than any duty to the poors

According to Mother Teresa's bizarre philosophy, it is "the most beautiful gift for a person that he can participate in the sufferings of Christ".
Once she tried to comfort a screaming sufferer: "You are suffering, that means Jesus is kissing you!" The man got furious and screamed back: "Then tell your Jesus to stop kissing."

Do read the articles

One of the most salient examples of people's willingness to believe anything if it is garbed in the appearance of holiness is the uncritical acceptance of the idea of Mother Teresa as a saint by people who would normally be thinking - however lazily - in a secular or rational manner. In other words, in every sense it is an unexamined claim.

 

[Ray]

Mother Teresa did a lot good for the poor and disabled.

There is no denial about that.

However, she was a good Christian and her aim was to serve Jesus and she did it very well.

The poor and disable may have converted to Christianity but then that was the aim.

They got a better life.

If what Mother Teresa did is wrong, has anyone stopped any other religious bodies to do the same and save the people?

It is a very complicated issue.

Religion alone cannot feed the body even if it feeds the soul!

If one wants to stop such evangelism and harvesting of souls, then one must match up with the work of the Christian missionaries.

And other religions can always scupper up the funds if they are serious.

Say what you want, it is very heart wrenching to change religions and unless there is light beyond the tunnel, none would change.

I however do not buy the slogan that she dedicated her life for the poor.

She dedicated her life to Jesus and Jesus ordained her to harvest souls and what better was the avenue than the poor and destitute?

 

[LurkerBaba]

Mother Teresa did a lot good for the poor and disabled.

There is no denial about that.

However, she was a good Christian and her aim was to serve Jesus and she did it very well.

The poor and disable may have converted to Christianity but then that was the aim.

They got a better life.

If what Mother Teresa did is wrong, has anyone stopped any other religious bodies to do the same and save the people?

It is a very complicated issue.

Religion alone cannot feed the body even if it feeds the soul!

Sir, the articles don't criticize conversion per se. All they say is that she did more harm than good, and made people's lives worse

 

[Energon]

^^^ I dont agree with you .

Atheists can never be compassionate TOWARDS others They can be compassionate
ONLY towards their family members at the most

This is utter nonsense. What made you deduce this ludicrous conclusion? Your claim is baseless in it's entirety and defies basic logic. There is no such thing as a parameter of compassion that is sensitive to degree of familial connections.

 

[pankaj nema]

This is utter nonsense. What made you deduce this ludicrous conclusion? Your claim is baseless in it's entirety and defies basic logic. There is no such thing as a parameter of compassion that is sensitive to degree of familial connections.

It is a simple fact of human life

Go out in the real world across and across all religions and see for yourself the connection between
Atheism and Compassion

Atheism means Rationalism which means Nothing emotional

Compassion is an emotion It is NOT rationality

 

[LurkerBaba]

Okay let me re iterate some of the critical points


1. She actually liked poverty and suffering and so did little alleviate it
2. She was against birth control, which exacerbated the problems from Bangladeshi refugees. This made Calcutta's population problem worse
3. She encouraged the raped women during 1971 genocide of bangladeshis not to abort the babies
4. We have a 'soft spot' because Church ran a big PR campaign, and obviously we all know how political the Nobel Peace prize is

 

[Armand2REP]

India has every reason to be grateful for Mother Teresa. A lifetime of selfless devotion helping tens of thousands. She is what was right with the world.

 

[Ray]

Sir, the articles don't criticize conversion per se. All they say is that she did more harm than good, and made people's lives worse

I have merely expressed my views without reading the articles.

I have been to Mother House many a time since I was the one to organise the funeral ceremonies.

I would think she did a whole lot of good even though the aim was conversion.

No one stopped any other religions to do what she did.

Maybe other religions do the same, but their PR is not that prominent!

It is all a question of big money and big organisations and countries supporting the cause.

Saudis are doing a marvellous job to promote Islam!