in life Mother Teresa's was an icon for believers of God's work on Earth. Her ministry to the poor of Calcutta was a world-renowned symbol of religious compassion. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mother Teresa had a calling, she told CBS News in a rare interview, based on unquestioned faith.

But now. it emerges that Mother Teresa was so doubtful of her own faith that she feared she was being a hypocrite, reports CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT MARK PHILLIPS in a new book that compiles letters she wrote to friends, superiors and confessors, her doudts are obvious.

Shortly after beginning work in Calcutta's slums the spirit leaves her.

Where is my faith she writes Even deep down there is nothing but emptiness and darkness if there be God please forgive me.

Eight years later she still looking for the belief she's lost.

Such deep longing for God she writes... repulsed empty, no faith, no love, no zeal.

As her fame increased, her faith refused to return. her smile, she says, is a mask.

What do i labor for she asks. if there be no God, there can be no soul. if there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true.

According to her letters, Mother Teresa died with her doubts. She had even stopped praying, she once said.
The church decided to keep her letters, even though one of HER DYING WISHES WAS THAT THEY BE DESTROYED. The end of CBS news report.

WD-40
Mother Teresa,s wanted these letters to be destroyed at her death.
I personally believe the church has violated the confidential personal private code of confessions. this information should had been kept private that was MOTHER TERESA,S WISHES AT HER DEATH. The church shouldn't never had published Mother Teresa's letters in a book.

To me, the best part of this is the realization that she made her accomplishments regardless of the possibility of no heavenly reward.

I look at her in a new light. One that shows a human of great compassion toward others, not a religious fanatic that only functioned for the church.

Well said, Dan. I agree.

Some don't think as much of her. http://slate.com/id/2090083

To me, the best part of this is the realization that she made her accomplishments regardless of the possibility of no heavenly reward.
Exactly. To have been motivated by some notion of a mansion on streets of gold would have been self-interest. To do what is decent in the face of doubt is the real miracle, in this day and age. We've got folks who aren't even willing to wait till the big what-if of the after-life; they think Jesus is gonna put an Escalade in the driveway right here and now. Mother Teresa is a saint in the way my grandmas used the word, Pope or not, miracle or no, fast track or no track. Haters and all.

in life Mother Teresa's was an icon for believers of God's work on Earth. Her ministry to the poor of Calcutta was a world-renowned symbol of religious compassion. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mother Teresa had a calling, she told CBS News in a rare interview, based on unquestioned faith. Hm, here's where I have the first problem "unquestioned faith". Now where did that claim come from and what was meant by it?

But now. it emerges that Mother Teresa was so doubtful of her own faith that she feared she was being a hypocrite, reports CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT MARK PHILLIPS in a new book that compiles letters she wrote to friends, superiors and confessors, her doudts are obvious. Next, in what context were these letters written?

I can not imagine working for all those years in the slums of Calcutta and not having doubts about one's faith or about God or about the nature of a Higher Power. Could one be human and not have such doubts while being surrounded by the starving and suffering. I doubt it.

Shortly after beginning work in Calcutta's slums the spirit leaves her
Where is my faith she writes Even deep down there is nothing but emptiness and darkness if there be God please forgive me.

Eight years later she still looking for the belief she's lost.

Such deep longing for God she writes... repulsed empty, no faith, no love, no zeal.

As her fame increased, her faith refused to return. her smile, she says, is a mask. I want to see a link for this. Although even if true I would have no problem with such feelings or writings.
What do i labor for she asks. if there be no God, there can be no soul. if there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true. What do I labour for? She knew what she laboured for. Her devotion to the sick and dying were not about heavenly rewards, so why would she ask such a question.
According to her letters, Mother Teresa died with her doubts. She had even stopped praying, she once said.I doubt there is a single person out there that has half a brain who would not have questioned their belief at some point. I would be more inclined to see her as mindless and robotic if she had not. How can someone who is mindless, robotic and unquestioning be an inspiration to anyone? They can not. And what would be the problem with her ceasing to pray "at ONE point".



The church decided to keep her letters, even though one of HER DYING WISHES WAS THAT THEY BE DESTROYED. The end of CBS news report. If such correspondence exists and she had wanted to destroy it she would have. She was not taken at a young age. She had been in poor health for a long time. She would have destroyed them or at least the portion she had. She would no longer have letters that she sent, those would be the property of the receiver.

But why would she want to? Questioning is viewed by the Catholic church as a positive not as a negative. The existence of such writings would be more inspirational. Could be used if the church so wished to lure more people. As they would show that even someone as great as she was had her struggles so to struggle with faith is fine. Even Christ had his struggles. She was not a glory hunter and would not think she had done such wonderful things that she would be eclipsed on the world stage, so why would she see her struggles as something to be used against her or the Church? Thus what possible reason to destroy them?
WD-40
Mother Teresa,s wanted these letters to be destroyed at her death.
I personally believe the church has violated the confidential personal private code of confessions. this information should had been kept private that was MOTHER TERESA,S WISHES AT HER DEATH. The church shouldn't never had published Mother Teresa's letters in a book Baloney. The church hasn't violated anything. And if such records exist and if they had been destroyed everyone would be whining about "THE COVER-UP".

So far, I see no problem with any of this.

Please show us the links. Your post is full of accusations but no proof.

Exactly. To have been motivated by some notion of a mansion on streets of gold would have been self-interest. To do what is decent in the face of doubt is the real miracle, in this day and age. We've got folks who aren't even willing to wait till the big what-if of the after-life; they think Jesus is gonna put an Escalade in the driveway right here and now. Mother Teresa is a saint in the way my grandmas used the word, Pope or not, miracle or no, fast track or no track. Haters and all.

Although I felt saddened by this report, I believe Dan and Shiloh are right. She overcame her doubts to live for others. And I'm encouraged by the fact that she did feel the presence of God at one point in her life... which was enough to make her long to feel it again.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html

But why is it being viewed as a negative.

It is not a negative and takes nothing away from her life, her works or her devotion. A struggle of faith is not a bad thing.

How can one not question the nature of God or the existence of God while being surrounded daily by such profound suffering. Suffering she dedicated her life to relieving.

I do not find it sad in the least. Only human and honest and actually triumphant.

I tend to look at things from different angles; what I would like to know is if something happened in the Church to begin her doubt.
I am sure that, because of her age and position, she was privilidged to information from or at the Vatican.
I would like to know where she was at during the period of time that she began to have doubts. Could be that she visited or was visited shortly before any dates on letters showing her questions.

Just a thought.

I tend to look at things from different angles; what I would like to know is if something happened in the Church to begin her doubt.
I am sure that, because of her age and position, she was privilidged to information from or at the Vatican.
I would like to know where she was at during the period of time that she began to have doubts. Could be that she visited or was visited shortly before any dates on letters showing her questions.

Just a thought.
I thought it said she was in Calcutta when she began to have her doubts. Being amongst all those teeming masses of starving and dying would certainly change ones' perspective about God I would think.

Hm, here's where I have the first problem "unquestioned faith". Now where did that claim come from and what was meant by it?

Next, in what context were these letters written?

I can not imagine working for all those years in the slums of Calcutta and not having doubts about one's faith or about God or about the nature of a Higher Power. Could one be human and not have such doubts while being surrounded by the starving and suffering. I doubt it.

I want to see a link for this. Although even if true I would have no problem with such feelings or writings.
What do I labour for? She knew what she laboured for. Her devotion to the sick and dying were not about heavenly rewards, so why would she ask such a question.
I doubt there is a single person out there that has half a brain who would not have questioned their belief at some point. I would be more inclined to see her as mindless and robotic if she had not. How can someone who is mindless, robotic and unquestioning be an inspiration to anyone? They can not. And what would be the problem with her ceasing to pray "at ONE point".



If such correspondence exists and she had wanted to destroy it she would have. She was not taken at a young age. She had been in poor health for a long time. She would have destroyed them or at least the portion she had. She would no longer have letters that she sent, those would be the property of the receiver.

But why would she want to? Questioning is viewed by the Catholic church as a positive not as a negative. The existence of such writings would be more inspirational. Could be used if the church so wished to lure more people. As they would show that even someone as great as she was had her struggles so to struggle with faith is fine. Even Christ had his struggles. She was not a glory hunter and would not think she had done such wonderful things that she would be eclipsed on the world stage, so why would she see her struggles as something to be used against her or the Church? Thus what possible reason to destroy them?
Baloney. The church hasn't violated anything. And if such records exist and if they had been destroyed everyone would be whining about "THE COVER-UP".

So far, I see no problem with any of this.

Please show us the links. Your post is full of accusations but no proof.www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/23/eveningnews/main3199062.shtml

So, CBS wanted to write a negative story about her. You could take the same data and write a heart-warming positive human story.

"After years of working in the slums of Calcutta, she began to suffer from the all too human doubting of her faith. Despite these doubts she continued to serve etc. ..."

Why did CBS choose the negative? Perhaps the media just likes negatives.

So, CBS wanted to write a negative story about her. You could take the same data and write a heart-warming positive human story.

"After years of working in the slums of Calcutta, she began to suffer from the all too human doubting of her faith. Despite these doubts she continued to serve etc. ..."

Why did CBS choose the negative? Perhaps the media just likes negatives.

That's true. The press are merely nattering nabobs of negativism.

I knew there must have been a real doggone reason the
Catholic Church has yet to formally Canonize Mother Teresa
a Saint.I realize it takes a Minimum of 5 years,and a few strict
accordance must be met.
- Visible signs of a Miracle in their presence or intercession.
- Notable Heroic Virtue as in a " Martyr".

Mother Teresa already was given waive of the mandatory 5 year
wait before formal investigation into her Life by Pope John Paul II.
She was beatified following her death by Pope John in 1997.

Be VERY leary of the Doctrine Atheist like Christopher Hitchens
who literally Hated Mother Teresa and literally said as much.
Based entirely on their Hated notion of a God or Jesus.
Hithcens considers all that The Roman Catholic Church
and stands for as mere ... White Noise.
He failed to even give citation for all the Hospice work and
even Clinics funded by The Little Sisters of Charity for Aids patients.

Lest we forget,that Mother Teresa is 2nd only to Gandhi as The most
revered abd respected human to grace the dry soils of India.

I don't find this a negative story at all. It shows the perseverance of a woman that dedicated her life to help others. It also showed the doubts that often appear in most any believer's mind.

The fact that she continued on with her work in Calcutta even with her faith in question only speaks volumes for her as a person. If the Catholic Church cannonizes her is of little interest to me. The years of work with the people in India is the "monument" that she leaves to the world.

Well she certainly was not without criticism! www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/mother-teresa (http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/mother-teresa)

Let he who is without sin..............

Well she certainly was not without criticism! www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/mother-teresa (http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/mother-teresa)
Quoting from rotten.com. Now there's a thinking man's site!

I'm appalled, AFT. Thought you had more class.

:(
SMW

Well I for one don't having a problem with someone being anti-catholic or not seeing Mother Tersea as a saint or even care if she had doubt about some supernatural being!

I don't find this a negative story at all. It shows the perseverance of a woman that dedicated her life to help others. It also showed the doubts that often appear in most any believer's mind.

The fact that she continued on with her work in Calcutta even with her faith in question only speaks volumes for her as a person. If the Catholic Church cannonizes her is of little interest to me. The years of work with the people in India is the "monument" that she leaves to the world.

Exactly.

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

Thanks WD, I looked for this link and couldn't find one.

Still don't agree with it, but at least now I can argue the source.

All christians have doubts and questions in thier lives about thier faith. Any one who never questions or doubts is lying, it is part of human nature.

I don't find this a negative story at all. It shows the perseverance of a woman that dedicated her life to help others. It also showed the doubts that often appear in most any believer's mind.

The fact that she continued on with her work in Calcutta even with her faith in question only speaks volumes for her as a person. If the Catholic Church cannonizes her is of little interest to me. The years of work with the people in India is the "monument" that she leaves to the world.

Your post reminds me of this quote...

“When I gave food to the poor, they called me a saint. When I asked why the poor were hungry, they called me a communist.”

I don't view it as a negative story either, every believer should question their faith, and I agree with Travh20, it is human nature.

I saw a little blurb on Penn and Teller's Bullshit about how Mother Theresa was not a good person. She raised millions, I think 50 million in one year, and used the money to create monastery's in her name and not actually help the people in Calcutta. People didn't actually get any advanced treatment. Instead of dying on the floor, they died in beds.

I don't know, watch the episode. It's titled something like "Religious Leaders".