On this blog, I like to highlight exceptional women and their accomplishments in all genres but those profile pieces will normally be about women who have done a lot of positive thing to leave their mark on the world, but I am intrigued by the people who chose to embrace negativity as a way of life as well. It is a fact that no one is perfect, but this next woman I would like to talk about is viewed by most to be the kindest, most humble, compassionate and giving woman ever to walk the earth and I wonder why?

I have surmised that many people do not know the truth about Teresa Bojaxhiu. It is not that the truth is hidden, in my opinion there is a reason why people still hail her such a great person when there is another narrative to her story and deeds. So if you are ready to read another perspective about Saint Teresa of Calcutta, also referred to as Mother Teresa, read on…….

Disclaimer: The commentary I am about to give is alleged and I am giving my opinion on a public figure. I in no way intend to offend anyone religious affiliation, so if you are triggered by criticism and opinions please do not read and most definitely do not comment if you do not read this post in its entirety.

Mother Teresa says that she was moved to start homes that would help the poor and the sick. So in the 1950’s Mother Teresa founded these homes that were left in filthy, deplorable conditions, according to news reports about her houses. There were allegations of cruel and inhuman treatments of the sick including rewashing needles in cold water and reusing them. She was said to be callous in the response to allegations that pain medication was denied to people medically in need of it insisting they needed to suffer as Christ did.

All this despite receiving millions of dollars in donations intended to provide medical care and assistance to the poor. But she received top notch medical care for her heart condition while she only offered prayer to the dying. It is also alleged that while skipping on the comforts of the dying she secretly gave the money to the Catholic Church increasing its already immense wealth. This is allegedly one of the reasons the church decided to honor her by making her a saint.

She is also criticized for allegedly furthering the spread of Catholicism by baptizing the dying people in her homes against their will. Her heavy handed push of Catholicism is another alleged motivation for the church to canonize her.

What Does This Mean About The Truth Of Her Legacy?

Mother Teresa is very much a controversial figure, but despite me writing about the negative aspects of her charitable work, I would like to leave this post on somewhat of a good note.

Nobody is one hundred percent bad. The legacy that Mother Teresa leaves us is that even problematic people can inspire others to be more giving, compassionate and tolerant. Examining the image that most of the world has a bout Mother Teresa, we gain see there is a positive outcome to hailing her a great woman who helped so many unfortunate people. Because of her legacy, someone was moved to be more helpful; and in my opinion that is a very positive thing.

So while I have been critical of Mother Teresa I would like to remind us that her story also is a cautionary tale. We tend to exalt people to high status and give them power. Wealth and influence over others despite their motivations and the measures and means they use to acquire this high status. So rather than induct people into sainthood, who are just human and in fact do human things, we should focus on spreading love throughout the population. We all have a bit of Saint in us, do you agree? But what do I know? I’m just a bootleg sociologist who nobody will listen to so I started a blog………

What are your thoughts? Follow this blog:

@whenthiswomanspeaks.com

Facebook@ whenthiswomanspeaks

Instagram @ whenthiswomanspeaks

Twitter@ woman_speaking

Tumblr@whenthiswomanspeaks.com

Pinterest@whenthiswomanspeaks

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mother_Teresa&oldid=1017219667

10 Misconceptions about Mother Teresa; She was no Saint (listland.com)