Mother Teresa

[Koala]

Well, lots of people, namely lots of Catholics, don't have great experiences with Catholic nuns. Ask nearly anyone who went to Catholic school in the 1950s and 1960s (like my husband). Some were very nice people, and some were just outright bitches.

There are good and kind people in the world - a lot of them. They just aren't famous.

My biological father lost both of his parents within 6 months of each other when he was eight. His father committed suicide and his mother died of cancer. Family took him in for a while, but when they fell on hard financial times he was surrendered to a Catholic Orphanage. He once told me that he was beaten unmercifully until he finally ran away. He ended up living under a bridge, eating garbage out of a bakery's dumpster, but he said it was a hell of a lot better than being beaten by the nuns.

I'll be honest and say I don't trust anyone claiming to operate on purely religious motives. I've seen more evil come from religion than anything else in my life. There are good people out there for sure, and some of them are religious, but in my experience religion brings the bad ones out in droves and gives them a solid crutch for the vile behavior.

[Austin]

My biological father lost both of his parents within 6 months of each other when he was eight. His father committed suicide and his mother died of cancer. Family took him in for a while, but when they fell on hard financial times he was surrendered to a Catholic Orphanage. He once told me that he was beaten unmercifully until he finally ran away. He ended up living under a bridge, eating garbage out of a bakery's dumpster, but he said it was a hell of a lot better than being beaten by the nuns.

I'll be honest and say I don't trust anyone claiming to operate on purely religious motives. I've seen more evil come from religion than anything else in my life. There are good people out there for sure, and some of them are religious, but in my experience religion brings the bad ones out in droves and gives them a solid crutch for the vile behavior.

Unfortunately, an all too common experience, especially in a certain time period (like before there were agencies to protect children). My grandfather was born in 1917 and his mother perished in the Spanish flu epidemic 9 months later, in early September of 1918. He had four older brothers and since their father was a drunk who could not care for six children (there was a sister, too) and keep his foundry job, the boys were all sent to a Catholic orphanage. The sister went to live with an aunt in Philadelphia.

It was hell. on. earth. My grandfather was literally scarred for life (I saw the scars) and the evil that was perpetrated on him and the other children there rivaled the evil of despots. Papa didn't talk about this much. My Uncle Joseph was more forthcoming about the details, and of course, as a kid I was both horrified and fascinated. As I look back on what they and so many other children endured at the hands of a religious order, I feel sick.

[theologygeek]

Well, lots of people, namely lots of Catholics, don't have great experiences with Catholic nuns. Ask nearly anyone who went to Catholic school in the 1950s and 1960s (like my husband). Some were very nice people, and some were just outright bitches.

There are good and kind people in the world - a lot of them. They just aren't famous.

Every time I read one of your posts, it was just what I was going to say. lol From now on, I'm just going to copy whatever you say and reply with ditto. It's crazy how much we think alike.

[theologygeek]

the boys were all sent to a Catholic orphanage.

Okay get out of my brain. I have a Catholic orphanage story too about one of my relatives. LOL

[Austin]

Every time I read one of your posts, it was just what I was going to say. lol From now on, I'm just going to copy whatever you say and reply with ditto. It's crazy how much we think alike.

I've noticed the reverse in terms of you and me, as you often post what I was thinking. :D

[theologygeek]

Watch all five parts. It's a documentary about the Magdalene laundries. I do not like nuns. I realize they are not all the same, and it's my own problem that I have lumped them together. But I can't help it. I do not like nuns at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJs-4cncGmk

Edited to add and explain further: I will even stick up for nuns. Some of them do a lot of good. It's the weirdest thing. If someone of another faith disses them, I want to say "Bitch, don't diss the nuns because you don't do one quarter of the hard work that they do." But if I think about nuns too much, it raises my blood pressure because I really don't like them. This is so contradictory and it makes no sense, but it's how I feel. I don't understand how I can stick up for them and can't stand them at the same time. Odd. I have issues when it comes to nuns.

[theologygeek]

I've noticed the reverse in terms of you and me, as you often post what I was thinking. :D

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[apple1]

I used to be a big fan until I read more about her. I will say she was a very hard worker, she never asked the other sisters to do anything she wouldn't or hadn't already done. She cared deeply for the poor. She couldn't have spent that many years living in abject poverty herself. I've heard from people who volunteered time with her that she a will of iron and was very tough on everyone who worked with her. It bothers me as a nurse that pain medications were not given, if indeed they were available, to those who needed them. She did feel suffering brought one closer to God and she herself suffered. However, one should not be made to suffer terrible pain if there is relief possible. Yes, she kept patients clean, fed them, clothed them, performed corporal works of mercy. But apparently withheld pain meds. Not OK. I do admire her for the good that she did do, and she devoted her entire life to helping others

Someone said she betrayed her country. In what way? Wasn't she from Yugoslavia?

Another personal experience/connection?

There is no prohibition against saying, "I read on the internet..."

[theologygeek]

omg, this is mental rape. Is there no one in this world who is kind and generous? I have such good experiences with Catholic nuns, but this is so disturbing.

Nuns screwed with my head. See previous post that I just edited where I spilled my guts out.

[prairiemuffin]

There are good and kind people in the world - a lot of them. They just aren't famous.

This. Thanks for posting this-makes a girl think.

[lilwriter85]

I am in agreement with others saying no one is perfect. The media just tends to gloss over like the Duggars. We see a perfect happy family on TV but you never what goes on behind closed doors. Before long, you refuse to believe anything bad about them. Other celebs are far from being painted perfect.

I agree too. Mother Teresa did have her flaws and there are quite of bit of Catholics who dislike her, but she did do some good in the world.

I have been annoyed lately with the media and Duggar fans glossing over the family. Yes the family seems happy and perfect on TV, but there is a lot of evidence that some of the things are staged for the show. Nobody ever knows what goes on behind closed doors.

[LilMissMetaphor]

I recall reading a TIME article a few years ago, detailing some of her letters and the fact that she admitted to not believing the faith she was peddling. (Obviously that alone doesn't mean she couldn't still do good deeds--but the hypocrisy revealed is interesting).

Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 20,00.html

...one of the great human icons of the past 100 years, whose remarkable deeds seemed inextricably connected to her closeness to God and who was routinely observed in silent and seemingly peaceful prayer by her associates as well as the television camera, was living out a very different spiritual reality privately, an arid landscape from which the deity had disappeared.

[Kishiria]

+1

+2

[Terrie]

There are good and kind people in the world - a lot of them. They just aren't famous.

[lizzy]

This is why it was a mistake to beatify her so quickly. Traditionally, a person must be dead at least 50 years before a cause for beatification is opened. This is to ensure the "cult of personality" dies off, and the person's life and attributed miracles can be investigated more objectively. Hopefully they do not rush to officially canonize her sometime soon.

[latraviata]

On the FB 19 Kids page, someone posted quotes from mother Teresa. Everyone talked about what a saint she was. I learned not long ago she wasnt the saint from googling after reading something on here. What does everyone think? Did the media paint her the saint she wasn't? Noone believes me if I say otherwise.

I think (for many years now) she was absolutely horrible.

[Terrie]

I'm another one who is generally disgusted by her treatment of the ill. However, I will give her credit that she did more with her beliefs than most people. I just find those beliefs completely wrong.

[Kelya]

Unfortunately, an all too common experience, especially in a certain time period (like before there were agencies to protect children). My grandfather was born in 1917 and his mother perished in the Spanish flu epidemic 9 months later, in early September of 1918. He had four older brothers and since their father was a drunk who could not care for six children (there was a sister, too) and keep his foundry job, the boys were all sent to a Catholic orphanage. The sister went to live with an aunt in Philadelphia.

It was hell. on. earth. My grandfather was literally scarred for life (I saw the scars) and the evil that was perpetrated on him and the other children there rivaled the evil of despots. Papa didn't talk about this much. My Uncle Joseph was more forthcoming about the details, and of course, as a kid I was both horrified and fascinated. As I look back on what they and so many other children endured at the hands of a religious order, I feel sick.

Similar results for my grandpa and other male relatives. And when I learned about the Christian Brothers and the Magdalene Laundries...unspeakable.

I'm culturally Catholic (its hard to be 1st/2nd generation Irish-American and not be!) but its sickening and a lot of my relatives have a Stockholm Syndrome to the religion, in my opinion. They were hurt badly but don't know how to leave. I was at my grandpa's funeral last week just looking around like, wow. I was so sad over his death but so angry to be in a church with such a long and developed history of brutality and abuse.

So yeah, not a big fan of Theresa.

[NurseNell]

Another personal experience/connection?

There is no prohibition against saying, "I read on the internet..."

If I'd learned it from something I read on the internet I'd say that. And sorry, for every personal thing I've commented with there are 10 experiences/things posted here that I've no personal connection to. From now on I guess the safest thing is to share nothing personal what-so-ever. Anything personal I've posted is true. I could care less what you chose to believe, I don't know you. Plenty of others here share a variety of personal experiences in multiple posts. :shock:

edited to correct format error

[latraviata]

If I'd learned it from something I read on the internet I'd say that. And sorry, for every personal thing I've commented with there are 10 experiences/things posted here that I've no personal connection to. From now on I guess the safest thing is to share nothing personal what-so-ever. Anything personal I've posted is true. I could care less what you chose to believe, I don't know you. Plenty of others here share a variety of personal experiences in multiple posts. :shock:

edited to correct format error

Good for you Nell I second that! You don't want to know how people responded to me when I shared personal info here.

Did you know I am not the only who lost a child?? Well that was a quote of one of the charming posters here.

[NurseNell]

Good for you Nell I second that! You don't want to know how people responded to me when I shared personal info here.

Did you know I am not the only who lost a child?? Well that was a quote of one of the charming posters here.

I don't get it. This is the only forum I've participated in that doesn't seem to want personal experiences shared, unless it involves meeting fundie royalty.

I'm sorry you lost a child. I can't even imagine how hard that must be.

I think we can learn from one another when we do share personal experiences.

[Austin]

I don't get it. This is the only forum I've participated in that doesn't seem to want personal experiences shared, unless it involves meeting fundie royalty.

Firstly, please don't lump all FJers together. You've been here long enough to know that we are not a hive. I don't care to read accounts of reading fundie royalty, actually, so those are threads I usually skip. ;) And many (most?) regular posters share personal experiences. I know I do. So I really don't think that's the problem. There are others who can speak to what their issues may be with you, but I just wanted to say that it has nothing to do with this forum "doesn't seem to want personal experiences shared". At all.

[NurseNell]

And many (most?) regular posters share personal experiences. I know I do. So I really don't think that's the problem. There are others who can speak to what their issues may be with you, but I just wanted to say that it has nothing to do with this forum "doesn't seem to want personal experiences shared". At all.

That's good to know. I have actually seen many others share personal experiences and it's usually OK with most posters but when I do I'm told I've experienced every situation known to mankind, which simply isn't true. For example, I've never had family members living in Japan. 8-) I've shared personal experiences in perhaps 10-15 % of my posts so I don't consider that excessive.

[kpmom]

What do you suppose it was about MT that captured the media's attention? I imagine there are people all over the world doing good works. I wonder why MT?

And she was always portrayed as nothing less than a living saint (those exact words). Even winning a Nobel Peace Prize as I recall.

[emmiedahl]

I love the idea of a person sacrificing themself for their ideals. I won't do it to that extent, but I really respect that. I think that is what gets the public attention for MT.

The Nobel Peace Prize is way too political anymore.