Sunday, March 8, 2015
Mother Teresa
A Hindu cleric suggested that the main reason for Mother Teresa doing her mission was to convert a person to Christianity. You don't say? While many a Hindu often did nothing for the dying person, a leper, even a baby lying in the street, Mother Teresa and her group took the baby and others in and gave them a dignified way to die with love and care. I don't think the baby was old enough to accept the Catholic faith and convert. The reason Mother Teresa did what she did is because India would not do enough. Too often, for me, reincarnation is just an excuse to ignore overwhelming suffering. Indifference can lead to apathy. A spiritual path of indifference is no spiritual path at all. Christians can do this too with private devotions and/or self-centered petitions to God to get stuff or avoid something. In the Eastern philosophies, meditation that does not lead to action on behalf of helping others in their suffering, is just navel gazing.
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You got something wrong with this post Father Terry. There are naysayers and nay doers of all faiths. It is the person or speaker - not the religion that is mistaken. It isn't the Hindu religion that fails - it's the practitioner. Just as there are lots of Catholics who think that because they get their babies baptized, they are saved.
ReplyDeleteLots of talk - or meditation - or whatever - but no action.
Just saying, it's the actions not the appearance - no matter what the faith.
I don't have problems with Hinduism or any particular path, but do have problems with the fellow, a Hindu, and his belief in why Mother Teresa did what she did. There are compassionate Hindus, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteThank you Father. I'm probably a bit sensitive about labeling religions with the actions of a few outliers. I've been listening to a program on Muslims in the United States. I must admit I've developed a strong bias against them in recent years. But listening to the articulate voices of some of the young practitioners has made me realize my bias. Their faith is being ill affected by the actions of some extremists. In the same vein, I'd hate to paint all the Hindus with the callous words of one bad teacher.
ReplyDeleteWe are sensitive to criticism for those we esteem.
Mother Teresa is a beacon of hope and charity in our modern age. In that I agree.