"It's like saying there are too many flowers!"

[snickerz]

Children = Flowers is idiotic. Children need to be talked to, loved, taken care of, taught, taken places, etc. etc. etc. Most of all, they need their parents' TIME on a DAILY basis. Flowers you can just look at & enjoy for a minute and be done with. (Wait a minute, that sounds like how fundies treat their kids. Maybe there's something to this!)

[Bookworm]

I'm so glad to find out that I'm not the only person who doesn't think very highly of Mother Theresa.

Me too. I have not even read Hitchens's book about her, but what I have read disgusts me. She was a terrible person.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I absolutely do not agree that suffering or being in pain brings one closer to God or makes someone a better Christian or a better human being. When you're in pain, all you think about is how lousy you feel and what do you need to do to make it go away. Nothing else matters, no one else matters. You become completely self-absorbed. If you spill scalding hot coffee all over yourself while the TV is showing one of those sad-dog Humane Society ads, you're not going to give a rat's behind about those poor puppies and kitties, not until your mind can think of something other than ow, owww, OWWWWW.

As for human suffering at the most extreme level, I suggest that you read "Night" by Elie Wiesel, where the starving prisoners in the Nazi death camps got to the point where they cared about nothing except doing whatever they had to do to survive another day. If that meant stealing a crust of bread from someone too weak to defend himself, then so be it. Wiesel himself describes one point where he thought of his own father as "dead weight" because he was old and sick and couldn't take care of himself. Suffering brought out the worst in these prisoners, not the best. It was social Darwinism in its purest form.

[darkplumaged]

I absolutely do not agree that suffering or being in pain brings one closer to God or makes someone a better Christian or a better human being. When you're in pain, all you think about is how lousy you feel and what do you need to do to make it go away. Nothing else matters, no one else matters. You become completely self-absorbed.

'Tis true. At two different times in my life, I have suffered from chronic pain for the better part of a year, and I was totally absorbed with my condition: Do I feel better or worse today? Is the pain different in some way? Is it EVER going to go away? Should I go to the doctor again? What did I do to deserve this?

Pain is not noble or ennobling. It can be all-consuming, drawing people away from loved ones, work, and interests.

[margiebargie]

I'm glad that so many here are well-informed about MT. I was a big fan growing up. Then the shocking truth came out.

The flower comparison just goes to show how cavalier and irresponsible fundies can be with childrens' lives. No, children are not in the least like flowers. Only a woman who pawns off her parenting responsibilities to others could believe such a thing. It always looks easy when you're not doing the work.

[Cassandra]

Wow!

I'd never really delved deeper into Mother Theresa other than the media image. This is really interesting to read about. :goes to google:

[koolmom]

As a cancer patient who's enduring constant pain right now, I find this extremely brutal. Did she even order children who were hurt to suffer as well? A part of my love for her died just knowing this...shame on you, MT!

[Austin]

As a cancer patient who's enduring constant pain right now, I find this extremely brutal. Did she even order children who were hurt to suffer as well? A part of my love for her died just knowing this...shame on you, MT!

I'm sorry to hear about you being in pain, koolmom, and about the cancer.

[JesusFightClub]

I'm so glad to find out that I'm not the only person who doesn't think very highly of Mother Theresa.

You most definitely are not.

[Bella99]

Koolmom, I'm sorry you are in pain. I hope you get better soon.

Abrazos,

Bella99

[cindyluvs24]

Koolmom, I'm sorry to hear aby yr cancer and that yr in pain. My hubby was dx'd with stage 3B renal . i've already done one appeal with the insurance co. He's not in any pain yet but Dr.s say it doesn't respond to chemo or rad. This is hell. I hope you get better.