Posted on 08/24/2007 8:40:01 AM PDT by HarleyD
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who has been put on the “fast track” to sainthood, was so tormented by doubts about her faith that she felt “a hypocrite,” it has emerged from a book of her letters to friends and confessors. Shortly after beginning her work in the slums of Calcutta, she wrote: “Where is my faith? Even deep down there is nothing but emptiness and darkness. If there be a God — please forgive me.” In letters eight years later she was still expressing “such deep longing for God,” adding that she felt “repulsed, empty, no faith, no love, no zeal.” Her smile to the world from her familiar weather-beaten face was a “mask” or a “cloak,” she said. “What do I labor for? If there be no God, there can be no soul. If there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true.” Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 and was beatified in record time only six years later, felt abandoned by God from the very start of the work that made her a global figure, in her sandals and blue and white sari. The doubts persisted until her death.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I don't have a "beef" with Mother Teresa. I find it interesting that she would privately voice doubts when we have been given a perception that she was a very devout lady of God.
I would think you would want to know who you might be praying to in the near future.
Absolutely!! And that is what is wrong with Christianity today.
BTW-Quite a while back I posted an article, "Don't Call Me An Evangelical". I have come to the conclusion late in my life that there is too much emotion and not enough serious study within Christianity.
God allows us to be tested but never beyond our strength. He always provides a way out. That is one way in which we grow.
We have been ever since Adam and Eve sinned. We still are. Although the battle has been won, Satan is still allowed to smack us around
Not without God's permission, and then God places conditions on it. As you pointed out, look at Job. Satan had to ask permission from God prior to doing anything to him. God had to grant that permission. It is the same way in our lives. That is the love God has for His children. He leads us besides still waters. He restore our souls. Though we walk through the valley of the shadows of death, we will fear no evil for He is with us.
I'll wager Mother Teresa couldn't convert one soul-and she'd be the first to have said so.
You're getting into mysteries of the Trinity. How could Christ, being God, be raised by God? How could He descend into hell? How could God the Father turn His back on God the Son? These, and more, have always been a mystery within Christianity. All we know is that it happened and this has always been the teaching of the Church.
For us, however, God's presences is all around us. We just have to open our eyes.
“I can’t believe people are here trashing Mother Teresa. It’s appalling. She was everything a Christian ought to be.”
I’ve found it true that many people who tear the body of Christ and the workers in it do so because they are afraid what they believe is lacking.
It isn’t that they aren’t Christians. It is because they cannot abide the idea that there are people who are chosen to do great things in the Name of Jesus, have accomplished this mission, have given all, and they haven’t.
It is what we call envy of another’s spiritual good, and it is a sin. It is a grave sin. It is a sin against the Holy Spirit because the spiritual good is from the Holy Spirit. Mother Teresa questioned, she did not DESPAIR.
It is also a sin against Justice because of this and because motives and thoughts and words are ascribed to her that no one could possibly know other than calumny. Justice is of God, no one else. No one know the Mind the God.
I am a very small person. This is my role in the world. I was born to be what I am, doing what I do, but I do know that the mission I was given is small and even then, I refused until a few years ago until Mother Teresa’s and the prayers of many nuns helped me through cancer and changed my life.
Blessed Teresa is a saint.
Everything else is just the noise of envy and deceit.
Lesson ~
Never put anything in writing which you wouldn’t want exposed when you expire.
It's alwyas personal with you Catholics, isn't it?
I am not a Bible-thumper, but give me an hour, and I could destroy your "salvation by faith alone" theology. Easily
I would agree that you could destroy me in an hour if I were to say that we are saved by Faith alone.
That is because salvation is by GRACE ALONE, not faith alone. Justification is by faith alone. We are saved by grace. We are justified by faith. We are sanctified by works.
This is the order Steve:
By Grace alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ alone, not by works, lest any man should boast.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
There, argue with THAT! Take an hour and destroy St. Paul. I'm sure you can do it EASILY.
It's always personal with you Catholics, isn't it?
I don’t share his theology, but I admire him. He is a real Christian; you aren’t.
It's always personal with you Catholics, isn't it?
He “gets” Jesus; you don’t.
It's always personal with you Catholics, isn't it?
He abhors praise, he abhors self-righteousness, he loves his disabled wife, and has stuck by her for many years. He is a true Christian.
I'm sure he is. There are a lot of wonderful Christians in this forum. I see no reason to doubt his faith in Christ or his commitment to Christ. I don't know. I've never heard of him before. But the way you describe him, he sounds like a wonderful Christian to me. I don 't think I've ever posted to him and I don't think he's ever posted to me.
I'm pinging him to see if he agrees with your own personal assessment of me. (YOPAOM)
Hi cva66snipe. Do you agree with Steve that I'm not a real Christian?
It's always personal with you Catholics, isn't it"
And No, I did not accuse anyone of not addressing my issues. I said that no one seems to be able to give a yes/no answer on this thread. I didn't say nobody answered my questions. They answered my yes/no questions in roundabout ways, without giving a straight yes/no answer. Ok, I admit they were tough questions.
Generally when a yes/no question is asked, a yes/no response is indicated.
I asked how it was possible for Jesus to experience separation from God if he himself was God. I asked how God could think that he was forsaken by God.... You had no reply.
You did not address that question to me. You addressed it to HarleyD.
I asked why Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." ...You had no reply.
That "question" was a rhetorical statement addressed to Running on Empty. It was not addressed to me. Therefore I was not compelled to answer
Plus, you are a liar.
Would you like to retract that accusation?
Discuss the issues all you want, but do NOT make it personal.
I don’t think Steve-Seattle is Catholic. Neither is cva66snipe.
In that case I will revise my rhetorical question:
It's always personal with you Catholics "Steve_Seattleists," isn't it?
Neither is cva66snipe.
But I think we are all in agreement that cva66snipe is a Christian.
Some people don't think that about me. Maybe it's because I'm a lawyer.
But I'm also a musician. That should count for something, shouldn't it?
My late, great mother was a professional, classical musician.(pianist)
I guess it helps your image a little to be a musician. :-)
Do you blow the trumpet? play the harp? or do you fiddle?
Just curious
Some of my best friends are lawyers.
Even some of my grandchildren are lawyers.
Sigh
When JESUS took on the sins of the world was he still connected to God the Father?
Mark ch 9: 36. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, 37. Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 38. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. 40. For he that is not against us is on our part. 41. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. 42. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
I usually don't use KJV but my Living Bible CD is wore out. Some will call the Living Bible wrong and I know that. What good is the KJV if it is too difficult for someone like me at this point in my wife to wade through? It isn't. Meaning what then? Meaning I read The Living Bible or a NCV which a beloved friend actually a Seventh Day Adventist gave me where I worked. She was my shift supervisor in a nursing home I worked in.
People as one who at one time in my life was literally hounded by a highly misguided charismatic who questioned my salvation daily I do not like to try and convert other believers nor especially to cast doubts in their heart. The man hounded me on baptism simply because the preacher Baptized me in The Name of The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, told me I was going to hell because he did not say in the name of Jesus Christ instead. Who saved me? Christ. When? Certainly not when I went under water as you can go under an unforgiven sinner and come up the same. He saved me the very second I called on his name and surrendered my life and future to his will. The thief on the cross was saved by faith he called unto the Lord for his salvation much like Peter did when Christ commanded him to come to him on the water.
As for Christ words on the cross among his final ones "My GOD My GOD why have you forsaken me?" Christ is several things. He is a being in his own soul and was flesh on earth. He existed as a being before he came to be born by woman. Christ says so in a prayer to GOD. But to understand the cross a person needs to understand the Passover and the Feast of The Pass Over namely the Lamb without Blemish required.
By why did Christ say those words if he was GOD? He said them because he is Jesus Christ the Son of GOD given all authority given his Fathers seal. What Christ said was his fathers Word as he had his fathers authority.
Christ walked the perfect life without sin. The words he uttered were because GOD his Father could not look upon sin. It is said in the Bible by the cousin of Christ Behold the Lamb of GOD who takes away all sin. A lamb indeed in accordance with the Law. The lamb was required to take our sins away. That was OT Law.
Christ knew all things here on earth. He as well felt all emotions. There was one emotion one feeling however he knew not. He had never experienced separation from his father. On the cross GOD because of our sins that his son took upon it that the law be fulfilled could not look upon sin. Christ felt his father turn away. A fear or terror came over him as he did not understand the emotion and the emptiness and so the words were said.
The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. A Holy Trinity of Three Divine beings of one accord just as the chosen 12 were at Pentecost. They existed before the creation and exist forever.
I learned a long time ago mainly due to a diverse family from many churches that my aunts cousins and even my wife's one of whom was raised a Jehovah Witness believed in Christ for their salvation. This is true for my aunts and cousins who are Baptist, Roman Catholic, and even some Mormons amongst the batch. My RC Priest cousin presided over my first wife's funeral. Nobody thought nothing as he knew her and this was family. When my uncle who at the end of his lived found his salvation suddenly passed although he was not in any church my cousin presided his funeral as well. The cousin is now a Vicar General and I will not say in what city. We get along fine.
What purpose does any man do another believer if he questions his faith and causes him to fall? Some may have the strength to discuss different theologies amongst the churches but it should NEVER lead into discord and heated arguments. This is a very serious passage on the Bible and can cover many things including perverts as well as spiritual attacks And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
In this forum the person is banned now and rightfully so a poster used to say the Pope was going to hell. When he got the boot her he went to another one. His user name was very ironic for the love and compassion of Christ did not show in his work or witness. It was vile and hate filled. I won't mention names but Believers are supposed to do better.
If you are a Baptist when Christ find you remain one unless the Holt Spirit convict you otherwise to do so. The same with Catholics, Methodist, and yes even Mormons whom BTW other churches could learn from their ministry namely their missionaries. My cousins who are Mormons I didn't know it till they left for their year in the field.
As for Mother Theresa? In reading the TIME interview I see nothing wrong no Blasphemy. If you want to win souls and change hearts sometimes it is best to do the work and keep the mouth closed and let the deeds be the preacher then they see the peace being a believer brings. The sister didn't preach to her patients that was not her ministry that was the Priest. Hers was to serve them in Jesus name. If she had doubts she was human. I write down notes and trains of thoughts of which if someone read them may come to wrong conclusions about what I am doing. I have to write them down or they are lost.
I know every poster on this thread is sincere in their beliefs and faith. But for the sake of the Gospel and Kingdom watch where you go and what you say. Your faith may be capable of standing to debate. A younger less mature in the walk believer may not. If GOD wants us all to be in one church which will not happen here but in the hereafter He will do it through the Holy Spirit which leads us into truth.
Every person is given a different task or mission in life. Some need the rigidity and strict disciplines of charismatic churches some need a more calm and serene church. If I went back to church tomorrow it saddens me I can not go back to the church I felt most comfortable. That was in a country Independent Missionary Baptist church where the preacher yelled and walked the pews. If you didn't know what was going on when people came to the alter you would think they were speaking in tongues as so many are praying different prayers. He has gone on to heaven. I saw him as a kid and he sacred the living daylights out of me with the yelling LOL. I came to know him later in life as he was my second wife's preacher. He too had his walk through very dark valleys. The darkest was watching his best friend since childhood the Minister of music suffer a long time with colon cancer. He was so shook up he could not visit the man. Some persons never forgave him. Few offered him any compassion and understanding during that time.
Feel free to come after me now LOL. It won't take but a few minutes to find where I have sinned and lost my temper in FR. I have a short fuse sometimes myself especially in debating politics. But it wasn't on this thread. I try a lot harder to control the urge when the Gospel is the topic. But I should try harder anyway in all places.
Lutheran here (LCMS) - I don't pray to Saints. First commandment and somesuch.
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