What does Mother Teresa being an Atheist in private and a Catholic in public tell you?

Question

read this... and then Google it for more information
http://j-walkblog.com/index.php?/weblog/posts/mother_teresa_an_atheist

In more than 40 communications, many of which have never before been published, she bemoans the "dryness," "darkness," "loneliness" and "torture" she is undergoing. She compares the experience to hell and at one point says it has driven her to doubt the existence of heaven and even of God.

"doubt the existence of heaven and even of God." is arguably atheist or agnostic

Answer 1

Mother Theresa was not a Atheist, she believed in God and loved him, somtimes we have doubts about Religion and question it, but that does not make us Atheists

Answer 2

Mother Teresa was not an Atheist. Atheists do not write honestly to their spiritual guides things like, "In my soul, I can't tell you how dark it is, how painful, how terrible -- I feel like refusing God."

And this is not new. Here is a story from 2001: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/09/06/teresa.letters/

Mother Teresa was not perfect and did not have it easy. She was a real human being with real thoughts and feelings. Just like the rest of us, sometimes she felt close to God and, at times, felt abandoned by God.

She wrote in one of her letters, "I am told God lives in me -- and yet the reality of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul."

Her letters show a real human struggle with her own spirituality and shows her humanity.

Even Jesus cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

God understands this. He created us this way.

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/23/eveningnews/main3199062.shtml

If you are talking about the recent news articles where Mother Teresa allegedly questioned her faith, I think you are twisting it out of proportion.

Having doubts doesn't make you an atheist. An athiest firmly and intractibly says that a supreme being does not exist. She did not say that. If anything, she may had been leaning toward agnosticism, which of course, questions at times if a supreme being exist but leaves the door open.

Besides, Mother Theresa would not be unique in her thoughts and emotions in this sense. History is full of very religious men and women who had questioned or doubted from time to time. Even in the Bible, you can read of people who sometimes questioned or doubted. Jesus Christ himself on the crucifix said "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (from Psalm 22) but it doesn't mean he became an atheist at that moment!

I wonder if anyone has considered the possibility that Mother Theresa may had been suffering from depression brought on by overwork and burnout...such type of depressive and doubting thoughts are very common when in that kind of psychological state...and in light of the daily conditions she saw living in India, I could see how she might have become depressed or discouraged. The same thing happens to other aid workers and missionaries, too, not to mention those in the military serving overseas or those who work in the diplomatic corps.

With Mother Theresa being so high-profile, I can imagine she may have felt pressured to "keep up appearances" as well because she would've became a source of scorn and ridicule by those who didn't agree with her mission or what have you...and have the work of a lifetime torn down in the process.

At any rate, I think it's a shame that people have to diss on Mother Theresa on the upcoming 10th anniversary of her death. What is wrong with this world today that we have to tear down all of our heroes and role models, instead of aspiring to lift ourselves up to their level? Way I see it, God knows her heart and we aren't to judge Mother Theresa or anyone else for that matter.

Answer 4

You need to do some research on Mother Teresa. She was a lifelong Catholic.. She helped desperately poor and sick people in Calcutta. So, no doubt she had moments of despair and questioning which anyone would in those circumstances. She was never an atheist..

Answer 5

Wow, you must feel real proud of yourself to trash a dead person.

Mother Theresa was not an atheist. In fact, she remained faithful to God even though she could not feel His presence for the last 50 years of her life. I think most people WOULD have given up on their faith, but she did not.

That is what you call perseverence. That is what you call a saint!

Answer 6

You should have read the linked article before you assumed she was atheist.

Please destroy any letters or anything I have written.
— to Picachy, April 1959
Consistent with her ongoing fight against pride, Teresa's rationale for suppressing her personal correspondence was "I want the work to remain only His." If the letters became public, she explained to Picachy, "people will think more of me — less of Jesus."

Hardly the words of an atheist.

Answer 7

Of course Mother Teresa was unable to detect Jesus in her life. It's because he isn't there!


If he ever lived at all, he's long since dead. Dead, dead, dead! Crucified, dead, and buried. Dead and never coming back, despite bragging about how he would. Didn't come back then, hasn't come back since, isn't back now, and won't be coming back in the future.


Why not? Because, for those who missed the point the 1st time around, he's DEAD!

Oh, the irony of it all! Mommy Teresa, who wasn't actually a mother but wanted the title so desperately she devoted her entire life to fraudulently perpetuating the idea that a 2000-year-dead man was still alive, is now being lauded for essentially being the world's most famous liar! I would laugh, except the centuries of killing and torturing those who - just like Teresa - doubted the existence of this long dead man just make me cry.

Answer 8

I don't know if she actually was a Atheist.But certainly she questioned her faith.Something that many people of faith do.And while they might argue that questioning their faith is just part of having it, I would argue that the part of them that is questioning their faith is the part of their mind trying to grasp reason, sensibility, and reality.And usually that part of their mind loses because the delusion is reinforced with constant peer pressure and fear.

"Jesus has a very special love for you … [But] as for me-The silence and the emptiness is so great-that I look and do not see,-Listen and do not hear-the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak … I want you to pray for me-that I let Him have [a] free hand-and even if He chooses to cut me to pieces that every single piece however small be only His." - Letter to spiritual confidante the Rev. Michael Van der Peet, 1979

Answer 9

While there is evidence through her unpublished letters that she was tormented by a crisis of faith, this alone does not make her an Atheist.

Answer 10

It tells me that woman had more faith in God than the great majority of Christians do.

To carry on as she did ... in spite of such trials ... is absolutely heroic ... and even miraculous.

The woman is truly a saint.

And you sound like a schmuck.