Mother Teresa attacked by Atheist/Anostic group -

by james_woods 205 Replies latest jw experiences

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  rather be in hades

  Why even take in people you cannot care for?

  if they're dying i'm not going to leave them out in the cold. if i have floor space and a blanket for the night, i'd do that.

  all i'm saying is, let's say she stretched too thin to give every single patient good medical care. at the very least, couldn't she have provided new needles and aspirin? is that too much to ask? or how about letting the sick LEAVE so that they can be treated in a hospital with antibiotics that you can't afford because you are stretched too thin?

  house of the dying should at least mean house where the dying can pass away in dignity with a cheap cot, toilet, aspirin, clean needles when necessary and a nun to comfort you. even if they couldn't afford enough food because they were stretched too thin, that's still far better than letting someone die in the streets.

  but it's sounding like mother teresa didn't even do that.

  no cheap cot. no aspirin. no clean needles. i dunno about the toiolet/outhouse/whatever they used...the video didn't look like they were sitting in their own filth at least.

  i know you're not arguing in her defense btw.
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  EntirelyPossible

  if they're dying i'm not going to leave them out in the cold. if i have floor space and a blanket for the night, i'd do that.

  Sorry, I should have phrased that "won't care for".
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  Sauerkraut

  Seems to me that there is plenty of valid criticism regarding MT. Whether one is a "believer" or atheist it should be clear that MT wasn't the shining example for humanity that many believe. Did she do good? Yes. But shouldn't she be measured by what she could have, should have done? Let's say she did do good, but was it possible for her to do better? Seems that way.

  And if it turns out that someone has rather twisted views and motivations it can hardly be character assassination to bring that to the fore. Some criticize the college atheist group for their stance, but it gives people the opportunity to look at the bigger picture and hopefully get rid of some illusions. I wish people would learn to be more sceptical and take a closer look at seemingly noble public figures. They seldom deserve the hero worship they get.
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  glenster

  "But primary health care is not what Mother Teresa’s order was founded to
  do. There are hundreds of Catholic medical orders which generously fill that
  need (the Medical Missionaries of Mary, who operate overseas, and the
  Daughters of Charity, who have for decades run numerous hospitals in this
  country, to name but two). Rather, the charism of the Missionaries of Charity
  (with whom I have worked) is, quite specifically, to provide solace to the
  very many poor patients who would otherwise die alone."
  http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1996/sep/19/in-defense-of-mother-teresa/

  "And so far, this much seems to have been undeniable: that Mother Teresa
  and her Sisters do pick up the poor from the pavements of Calcutta, give them
  shelter, food to eat and, if need be, the possibility of a dignified death."
  http://www.lrb.co.uk/v18/n01/amit-chaudhuri/why-calcutta
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8w81qOc5nU

  I don't claim a lot of research on it, but is this the perspective? She had
  some conservative stances--while I'd recommend liberal, that didn't enter into
  her primary efforts. It sounds like she ran a lower income version of something
  like a Salvation Army outlet. If you're homeless, you get a place to stay over-
  night and get something to eat. Somebody might lead a prayer. I wouldn't go
  there for medical care any more than to a plumber, and someone might hazard
  something basic if at all in that way--others had the expertise to make those
  decisions. But if I was homeless, I'd rather have them there than not.
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  NewChapter

  Yes, but if you were homeless and you showed up at the Salvation Army in need of medical care, I think they would direct you to get the medical care instead of offering a panacea. Did these people believe she had their best interests at heart? Did they believe that she would allow them to die a preventable death? Did she give them options? Did she say she could provide them a place to die, but let's make sure you are dying? They had some meds. The nurses gave injections. Perhaps they thought they would receive what they were never going to receive.

  Look, I will help anybody in the ways that I can, but if they need something I am unable or unwilling to provide, then I have to make sure they understand that. If a child is dying of a treatable kidney infection, I'm not going to just give him a cot. I'm am going to warn him that accepting that cot is accepting his death, and that is not necessary. If he refuses, or there truly are no other options, of course he gets the cot. But she actually discouraged more appropriate care---and the people trusted her judgement. She stood in the way. She valued suffering (of others) and she misrepresented what she was really doing and the world, and the Catholic Church allowed her to do so.
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  tec

  This is one of the reasons that i do not involve myself in things like this.

  The woman is dead. Of course she will have made mistakes. That just seems like an obvious fact to me. I personally do not care if someone names her a saint or not. Though if she did have victims of her work, then for their sake, wrongs should be acknowledged and admitted to, to aid in their healing.

  Allegations have come and will come by those who think she should have done differently than what she did. Maybe she should have. Personal attacks will also come in to play. From all of which you and I cannot know the truth of, because the media is just not as unbiased as it should be.

  The bigger and more known a person is, the more controversy is going to surround them, especially after they die. The more a person does, the more mistakes a person is open to making.

  Maybe she just did the best that she could for the people she cared for. At least she did something. I'm sure those who were comforted thought she was a saint.

  Peace,

  tammy
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  NewChapter

  It hasn't ended with her death. She has trained others to continue her cult of suffering. She did NOT do her best by them, because she believed that other people's suffering was good for her. And now she has trained up a gaggle of nuns who see it the same way.
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  snare&racket

  Sorry..... I just wanted to clarify....

  My biggest crime is my typos's (on my ipad), though I am sorry if my post upset you Charliko, but that is what I feel.

  I think you want to fight. I think you say mean and personal things to get attention when you dont have it. I think you are not really interested in the questions you ask, you just seek to muddy any waters that prove your beliefs wrong.

  Yes this is a fun, free for all forum. But the internet is a real place, with real people and real feelings even if some here choose anonymity.

  I am happy to communicate with you as long as it is not a one way discussion, where you dominate a thread demanding responses to personal ideas and misunderstandings, laced with personal jibes in order to ensure you do get a response. Lets try again and talk like adults... (apart from Outlaw and the monkey... they make me laugh)

  Snare
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  EntirelyPossible

  What about to those who she denied family visits, medicine and proper medical to?
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  tec

  because she believed that other people's suffering was good for her

  You know, this sentiment feels as though it has been twisted from whatever was originally said.

  She might not be on the far end of the saint spectrum (regardless of your definition of saint).... but i doubt she is on the opposite end of the spectrum as monster.

  Speaking up against those mistakes that were made is a good thing, because it allows people the opportunity to put procedures in place to help ensure that these are lessened.

  But as for her character... most of it is speculation or bias or whatever the media wants to paint it as, imo. Same as most other assignations of people in the spotlight.

  Peace,

  tammy