Monday, April 28, 2008

Is Mother Teresa’s gospel Christian?

I expected some degree of resistance when I published my book but the responses I have received even shock me. It seems that even among professing Christians of all backgrounds a war has erupted. Most bloggers are not able to discuss the virtues and vices of Mother Teresa without foaming at the mouth and firing vicious personal attacks against those who disagree with them. My concern is that Christians, especially, know the whole truth about Mother Teresa before they place her in the hall of holiness for the world to see her as the model Christian, the effects of which could be harmful to how Christianity and Christians are perceived by an unbelieving world. At the same time, I believe it is important to reflect on the virtues and vices of Mother Teresa, not just vices.

I came across this blog by a Buddhist monk on the web (http://dharmadude.multiply.com/journal/item/518). He paraphrases the gospel of Mother Teresa. He said:

“It does not matter to me what religious path a person chooses to follow. Inspired by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, my resolve is to help the Christian be the best Christian they can be... to help the Muslim or Sikh to be the best Muslim or Sikh they can be... to help the Buddhist or Pagan be the best Buddhist or Pagan they can be... and to help the atheist, agnostic, or deist to be the best atheist, agnostic or deist they can be.”

Mother Teresa taught:

“I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, 29).

“I convert you to be a better Hindu, a better Catholic, Muslim, Jain, or Buddhist” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, 4).

To me, this demonstrates how incompatible Mother Teresa’s gospel is with the gospel of the Saints. The monk follows Mother Teresa but has little compatibility with St. Thomas Aquinas. I doubt the monk has a lot in common with Luther or Calvin either. Saints are hated by the world and are witnesses against the world. Jesus said, "If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (Jn. 15:19). If Mother Teresa is a Saint who followed the gospel of Jesus, why does the world love and follow her gospel?

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