Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Sphere: Related Content

I praise Christopher Hitchens often. He is one of the most thoughtful, eloquent writers I have read. That said, I can't agree with all he writes. This is more of his take on Mother Teresa:

One of the curses of India, as of other poor countries, is the quack medicine man, who fleeces the sufferer by promises of miraculous healing. Sunday was a great day for these parasites, who saw their crummy methods endorsed by his holiness and given a more or less free ride in the international press. Forgotten were the elementary rules of logic, that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and that what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. More than that, we witnessed the elevation and consecration of extreme dogmatism, blinkered faith, and the cult of a mediocre human personality. Many more people are poor and sick because of the life of MT: Even more will be poor and sick if her example is followed. She was a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud, and a church that officially protects those who violate the innocent has given us another clear sign of where it truly stands on moral and ethical questions.

I am not a Catholic and do not know the requirements to be a Saint. I choose to not take a position on the right or wrong of Hitch's position until I've read more. You read it and you decide.

No comments: