Mother Theresa's Masochism: Does Religion Demand Suffering to Keep People Passive?

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/belief/mother-theresas-masochism-does-religion-demand-suffering-keep-people-passive



With a new Pope at the helm, the Catholic hierarchy has set about to polish its tarnished image. Can an increased focus on the poor make up for the Church’s opposition to contraception and marriage equality or its sordid financial and sexual affairs? The Bishops can only hope. And pray. And perhaps accelerate the sainthood of Agnes Gonxha, better known as Mother Teresa.

In the last century, no one icon has improved the Catholic brand as much as the small woman who founded the Missionaries of Charity, whose image aligns beautifully with that of the new pope. In March a team of Canadian researchers noted the opportunity: “What could be better than beatification followed by canonization of [Mother Teresa] to revitalize the Church and inspire the faithful, especially at a time when churches are empty and the Roman authority is in decline?”

The question, however, was more than a little ironic. The team of academics from the Universities of Montreal and Ottawa set out to do research on altruism. In the process, they reviewed over 500 documents about Mother Teresa’s life and compiled an array of disturbing details about the soon-to-be saint, including dubious political connections and questionable management of funds—and, in particular, an attitude toward suffering that could give pause to even her biggest fans.

Passive acceptance or even glorification of suffering can be adaptive when people have no choice. As the much loved Serenity Prayer says, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” This attitude of embracing the inevitable is built into not only Christianity but also other religions, especially Buddhism. But passive acceptance of avoidable suffering is another thing altogether, which is why the prayer continues, “. . . the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”


***disclaimer: i am a church goer -- the life of christs was/is supposed to the path to ending suffering. my understanding.

[get the red out]

1. Image

I think the Catholic Church was more about using her to create a positive image, truth be damned, than anything else. Of course your "image" is something an organization shouldn't need to worry about if it is truly operating in a moral and caring way.

[xchrom]

2. well, i think the old saying goes: image is everything. nt

[madrchsod]

3. well she only human and far from being a saint

[hue]

5. teresa was evil & self serving...read more:

"A report in German magazine Stern, revealed that in 1991 only seven percent of the donations received at Missionaries of Charity were used for charity.[4]"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Mother_Teresa

[hue]

4. Mother Teresa was a hypocrite, accepting morphine when she had cardiac problems but refusing to give

it to those in her houses for the ill & dying. There are many testimonials around the web of the cruelty and lack of empathy she had for the suffering in her houses for the poor. She seemed to love to be in the limelight. Many of the Sisters of Charity have left after witnessing her hypocrisy, for example the many millions of dollars that was given to her charity and how little of it was actually spent on the poor whilst funneling the money to the Vatican. Here are a few links but there are many:
In Mother Teresa’s words: “The most beautiful gift for a person is that he can participate in the sufferings of Christ.”
Mother Teresa: Blessed Billionaire, Holy Hypocrite

http://filipinofreethinkers.org/2011/12/31/mother-teresa-blessed-billionaire-holy-hypocrite/


Mother Teresa- Catholic Saint, Hypocrite, Pedophile Protector, Disgrace
http://blogs.alternet.org/witchjoey/2012/01/10/mother-teresa-catholic-saint-hypocrite-pedophile-protector-disgrace/

[okasha]

6. Perhaps you're not aware that your sources

are not exactly unbiased?

Morphine is usually given in cardiac failure to ease breathing, not for pain control.

[LiberalAndProud]

7. What would you consider to be an unbiased source?

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-02/uk/37389641_1_mother-teresa-vatican-study

[cleanhippie]

10. Any source that supports okasha's point.

Those that don't are biased. Simple, really.

[hue]

11. Not so simple. M teresa's own web site is biased. Her own letters are full of doubts.

Go to the death houses yourself--they are a living testament to the facts. Read teresa's letters. The Vatican does not dispute this information.

http://www.vatileaks.com/_blog/Vati_Leaks/post/Shock_new_revelations_about_Mother_Teresa/

The facts show she only gave 7% of money donated to her charity to the poor.

Furthermore okasha's point that morphine is given to relieve shortness of breath in heart failure should be supported by facts as that point is totally wrong.

[hue]

8. chest pain is the # 1 symptom of a heart attack & morphine is given to relieve it

In heart failure diuretics, oxygen and breathing treatments are given for breathing problems. Morphine for heart failure has been linked to a higher mortality rate and lowering of blood pressure is not given to relieve breathing in heart failure. There are many ways to ease breathing in heart failure and teresa did not have to have it as difficulty breathing is another way of suffering that she promoted and enforced on those in her death houses in Kolkutta and elsewhere.
There are many, many sources, some anecdotal, some historical studies that support teresa's hypocritical life.
The least factual are those that portray her as a saint.

[dimbear]

9. Actually a deep question. I'm not sure why religion demands suffering. One thing is

for sure, suffering sells. Dante wrote three big books, only one still read. The one full of suffering.