Stephen T-B

MT’s organisation runs a hospice in Lusaka, Zambia, for AIDS victims.
My daughter visited it, and was shocked, sickened and outraged by what she saw there.
Especially appaling were the conditions in which the children lived - lying all day on bare beds with nothing to play with and no-one to talk to and nothing to look at except the grey walls of the gloomy rooms they were kept in.
And the reason for this harsh treatment? AIDS is a punishment from god, and they didn’t deserve any better.
You need to experience the inhumanity of religious zealots in order to believe it.

Walter_Mitty

Corgan,

You may find this book of interest:

<a href="http://www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=72" target="_blank">The Missionary Position</a>

Cheers!

-Bib

[ October 21, 2002: Message edited by: Bibliophile ]</p>

galiel

One of the most important lessons one can learn after freeing oneself from the intellectual shackles of religious dogma, is the willingness to challenge even the most sacred of sacred cows.

"Question everything" is the best motto. And the more above criticism someone is held to be, the more suspicious a skeptic should get.

Veil of Fire

Should we question our "Question Everything" motto, too?

galiel

No. As much fun as it is to think about it, there is no inconsistency in adhering "religiously" to that maxim. One is either pregnant or not.

[ October 21, 2002: Message edited by: galiel ]</p>

BigJim

Absolutely.

Ronin

Should we question our "Question Everything" motto, too?

Good question.

We should.

What's the next question?

Amos

Is there ever an end to our searching, and if there is will 'that' not be the real question we should seek to get answered?

I kind of like it that educated people begrudge her recognition and achievements.

Arrowman

What's with the "educated people"? How is that relevant, except perhaps to imply that ignorant people are the ones falling for the Teresa myth? Which I suspect is not the point you are trying to make

And yes, why should I not "begrudge" recognition which is undeserved, and "achievements" which are illusory? As galiel said above, what is so wrong about questioning sacred cows?

Amos

It is wrong for you to question sacret cows for the simple reason that they are obviously not your cows.

If you want to begrudge somebody just go to Margareth Mead, who was proven wrong by a fellow country man of yours after she had received 20 or so honorary PhD's. Hers was truly a scam and the ethical question became if they should be revoked or not.

Mother Theresa herself was not interested in the rewards but just took the money and left. Smart girl, I think. So if anything, the fame and recognition bestowed was just done by another bunch of educated people.