Mother Teresa and evangelism

[Simca]

Does anyone know what Mother Teresa could have meant when she said, “I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, p. 29)

Did she try to evangelize and bring people to Christ?

What about verses like ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except by me’ (John 14:6)

or ‘He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son does not have life’ (I John 5:12)

Thanks everyone!

 

[christofirst]

Perhaps it is the belief that, if one fully embraces only and all that is genuinely true in these other faith traditions, they will necessarily be drawn closer to the ultimate truth, which is the truth of Christianity.

 

[RPRPsych]

Does anyone know what Mother Teresa could have meant when she said, “I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, p. 29)

Did she try to evangelize and bring people to Christ?

What about verses like ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except by me’ (John 14:6)

or ‘He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son does not have life’ (I John 5:12)

Thanks everyone!

She was dealing with people who were destitute, terminally ill, and often mentally ill or disabled. Obviously, a hard sell isn’t possible in such cases. She was not preaching Hinduism or Islam (I’ve worked briefly with one of her homes, so I know what goes on there), but rather, helping them to understand and turn to God in the way that they knew best.

 

[christofirst]

She was dealing with people who were destitute, terminally ill, and often mentally ill or disabled. Obviously, a hard sell isn’t possible in such cases. She was not preaching Hinduism or Islam (I’ve worked briefly with one of her homes, so I know what goes on there), but rather, helping them to understand and turn to God in the way that they knew best.

That’s wonderful that you had experience with the Missionaries of Charity. Thank you! Is it not true that the Hindu caste system demanded that many of these sick, poor and destitute people be left in the streets to fend for themselves? What better way of evangelization could Mother Teresa do than to show these good people a better way, by her loving example?

 

[RPRPsych]

That’s wonderful that you had experience with the Missionaries of Charity. Thank you! Is it not true that the Hindu caste system demanded that many of these sick, poor and destitute people be left in the streets to fend for themselves?

As much as I dislike the caste system, in most cases, it was a combination of poverty, indifference, and stigma against the mentally ill. (But then, the home I visited was specifically for mentally ill women; I don’t know if this is true of other facilities.)

What better way of evangelization could Mother Teresa do than to show these good people a better way, by her loving example?

Absolutely.

 

[fred_conty]

I read somewhere where her group baptised thousands, and if I’m not mistaken, all those who came to her before they died. I don’t know the details, just that they did.

The saying, “making a muslem a better muslem” might have meant catholic in her mind. Who knows?

Her order also has given away about a million and a half of miraculous medals. They are always giving one to people they meet.

One time she got up before the united nations and gave a speech for the award she received, and prayed the hail mary aloud and asked those there to join her.