Happy Atheist Forum

Religion => Religion => Topic started by: Recusant on December 19, 2015, 10:53:49 AM

Title: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Recusant on December 19, 2015, 10:53:49 AM
It was pretty much inevitable, despite the revelations of the recent past. She wasn't the kind, generous person she's portrayed as, and the "miracles" associated with her are bogus, but the Catholic church knows that most people are still unaware of the dark side of the money-grubbing* lover of suffering.**

* Only a small percentage of the money she got actually went to helping the poor.

QuoteShe raised almost $100 million before 1980. What happened is that around 5 to 7 per cent went to the charity for medicines, things like that. The other money went to build some houses for the missionaries. Just five per cent went to the cause.

[source (http://www.outlookindia.com/article/i-dont-think-she-deserved-the-nobel/284270)]

** She purposely withheld pain medications from those in her "care" because suffering supposedly made them closer to Jesus.

QuoteAt the time of her death, Mother Teresa had opened 517 missions welcoming the poor and sick in more than 100 countries. The missions have been described as "homes for the dying" by doctors visiting several of these establishments in Calcutta. Two-thirds of the people coming to these missions hoped to a find a doctor to treat them, while the other third lay dying without receiving appropriate care. The doctors observed a significant lack of hygiene, even unfit conditions, as well as a shortage of actual care, inadequate food, and no painkillers. The problem is not a lack of money—the Foundation created by Mother Teresa has raised hundreds of millions of dollars—but rather a particular conception of suffering and death: "There is something beautiful in seeing the poor accept their lot, to suffer it like Christ's Passion. The world gains much from their suffering," was her reply to criticism, cites the journalist Christopher Hitchens. Nevertheless, when Mother Teresa required palliative care, she received it in a modern American hospital.

[source (https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/a-new-expose-on-mother-teresa-shows-that-she-and-the-vatican-were-even-worse-than-we-thought/)]
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Theresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Tank on December 19, 2015, 11:20:11 AM
A sickening person glorified by a sickening institution. I'm surprised the Pope backed this given his attitude.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Theresa" to be a Saint
Post by: xSilverPhinx on December 19, 2015, 11:54:35 AM
A truly disgusting individual.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Theresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Bluenose on December 19, 2015, 12:15:24 PM
Pretty much demonstrates the contempt with which the roman catholic church holds for the truth. Of course the rc church is not alone in this, the same criticism can and should be made for all other denominations and religions. Truth is the one thing they don't want to discuss.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Waski_the_Squirrel on December 22, 2015, 01:21:46 AM
Even when I was a devout Christian, I was not Catholic. So, I had big trouble with the whole notion of a saint, especially since miracles are part of declaring a saint. Back then I believed in the whole "Original Sin" argument, so I didn't like seeing people declared saints.

I never liked the idea of asking a saint to intercede. Why not call up God directly by prayer?

But my biggest problem with sainthood was the miracles. I may have been Christian, but I was a scientific thinker. There was just no scientific way to prove a miracle. They're all anecdotal with no real evidence of supernatural cause. Now that I'm an atheist, I just have that much more trouble.

But, the other thing atheism has done for me is that I don't care as much. It's propaganda. I don't care anymore about asking a saint to intercede or the lack of evidence for miracles. But, whether I'm an atheist or a Christian, I still think the whole saint thing is silly.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Icarus on December 25, 2015, 02:03:45 AM
In the theocratic scheme of things, I doubt that it is permissible for a mortal to elevate another mortal to sainthood. 
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Recusant on March 15, 2016, 10:52:51 AM
The date has been set. "Mother Teresa to Be Made a Saint on Sept. 4" | ABC (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/mother-teresa-made-saint-sept-37652309)
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Nam on March 15, 2016, 02:21:56 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 19, 2015, 11:20:11 AM
A sickening person glorified by a sickening institution. I'm surprised the Pope backed this given his attitude.

He's still a Christian. Christians are the most selfish people out there.

-Nam
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: chimp3 on March 16, 2016, 10:22:19 AM
It is all propaganda. Trying to take the flocks minds off the sodomy of children.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Sandra Craft on March 16, 2016, 07:14:31 PM
I was very confused about the whole idea of miracles, so went looking for an explanation.  This article, How the Vatican identifies miracles (http://www.livescience.com/38033-how-vatican-identifies-miracles.html), wasn't much help until I got to this bit at the end:

QuoteAnd as science has explained more and more over the years, many things that would have been considered miracles in the past are no longer seen that way, Bevans said. [Jesus vs. Scientists: Who's Better at Miracles?]

Although miracles are still technically required, "I think they've receded in importance" as criteria for sainthood, Bevans told LiveScience. "It's the holiness of the life of the person that counts."

This seems to me a concession that miracles are woo, but the idea of saints makes believers happy so just adjust the goalposts a little.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Nam on March 16, 2016, 11:37:32 PM
"Mother" Teresa didn't live a "holy" life unless "holy" now means: steal millions of dollars from people, and then make people suffer in agony for it.

-Nam
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Sandra Craft on March 17, 2016, 12:13:36 AM
Quote from: Nam on March 16, 2016, 11:37:32 PM
"Mother" Teresa didn't live a "holy" life unless "holy" now means: steal millions of dollars from people, and then make people suffer in agony for it.

-Nam

Holiness is a matter of interpretation.  I get the feeling some people think the mere fact that she went to India as a nun qualifies her for sainthood.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Nam on March 17, 2016, 03:57:23 AM
I can't believe a person like her got the Nobel Peace Prize. In her speech she cited hatred as one of the foundations of her "good work". (Aids as a good thing toward sexual deviances aka homosexuals)

-Nam
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Sandra Craft on March 17, 2016, 06:07:04 AM
Quote from: Nam on March 17, 2016, 03:57:23 AM
I can't believe a person like her got the Nobel Peace Prize. In her speech she cited hatred as one of the foundations of her "good work". (Aids as a good thing toward sexual deviances aka homosexuals)

-Nam

Yasser Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize too.  Watcha gonna do?
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Firebird on March 17, 2016, 01:28:39 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on March 17, 2016, 06:07:04 AM
Quote from: Nam on March 17, 2016, 03:57:23 AM
I can't believe a person like her got the Nobel Peace Prize. In her speech she cited hatred as one of the foundations of her "good work". (Aids as a good thing toward sexual deviances aka homosexuals)

-Nam

Yasser Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize too.  Watcha gonna do?

Hell, Obama won the award for simply not being Bush. Even he seemed pretty embarrassed by it.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: xSilverPhinx on March 17, 2016, 01:37:55 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on March 17, 2016, 06:07:04 AM
Quote from: Nam on March 17, 2016, 03:57:23 AM
I can't believe a person like her got the Nobel Peace Prize. In her speech she cited hatred as one of the foundations of her "good work". (Aids as a good thing toward sexual deviances aka homosexuals)

-Nam

Yasser Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize too.  Watcha gonna do?

:eyebrow: I think the prize should be renamed...Nobel Peace Bribe?
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Sandra Craft on March 17, 2016, 02:06:07 PM
Quote from: Firebird on March 17, 2016, 01:28:39 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on March 17, 2016, 06:07:04 AM
Quote from: Nam on March 17, 2016, 03:57:23 AM
I can't believe a person like her got the Nobel Peace Prize. In her speech she cited hatred as one of the foundations of her "good work". (Aids as a good thing toward sexual deviances aka homosexuals)

-Nam

Yasser Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize too.  Watcha gonna do?

Hell, Obama won the award for simply not being Bush. Even he seemed pretty embarrassed by it.

Yeah, that was a little weird tho I have to say that not being Bush does seem like a fairly good reason.  Probably esp. to Europeans.  Even the exceedingly proper Queen Elizabeth practically fell into the Obamas arms when she first met them, I imagine out of sheer relief at not having to put up with Bush II anymore.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Sandra Craft on March 17, 2016, 02:07:16 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on March 17, 2016, 01:37:55 PM
:eyebrow: I think the prize should be renamed...Nobel Peace Bribe?

Nobel please don't burn our country to the ground Bribe.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Nam on March 19, 2016, 12:02:13 AM
Yeah, Obama shouldn't have gotten it. NPP is like the Oscars: political and stupid.

-Nam
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Tom62 on March 19, 2016, 10:41:49 AM
Angela Merkel will probably be the next one to receive the Peace Nobel Price  :(. 
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Firebird on March 19, 2016, 04:25:23 PM
I nominate Bill and Ted,  prehumously
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Theresa" to be a Saint
Post by: MadBomr101 on March 20, 2016, 01:56:04 AM
Quote from: Tank on December 19, 2015, 11:20:11 AM
A sickening person glorified by a sickening institution. I'm surprised the Pope backed this given his attitude.

The Pope's smart enough to know the shitstorm that would've resulted if he hadn't backed this. It's easier to just go along with it. 
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Theresa" to be a Saint
Post by: MadBomr101 on March 20, 2016, 01:57:53 AM
Quote from: Bluenose on December 19, 2015, 12:15:24 PM
Pretty much demonstrates the contempt with which the roman catholic church holds for the truth. Of course the rc church is not alone in this, the same criticism can and should be made for all other denominations and religions. Truth is the one thing they don't want to discuss.

Truth and religion go together like pickles and milk.
Title: Re: Agnes Gonxha "Mother Teresa" to be a Saint
Post by: Nam on March 20, 2016, 07:51:27 AM
Quote from: MadBomr101 on March 20, 2016, 01:57:53 AM
Quote from: Bluenose on December 19, 2015, 12:15:24 PM
Pretty much demonstrates the contempt with which the roman catholic church holds for the truth. Of course the rc church is not alone in this, the same criticism can and should be made for all other denominations and religions. Truth is the one thing they don't want to discuss.

Truth and religion go together like pickles and milk.

I love pickles and milk!



Wait...what?

-Nam