I yesterday mentioned shortly that one reason for criticizing Mother Teresa is that she believed in pain and suffering as the way to god. She actually promoted that poverty is a sign of closeness to god. You can imagine the consequences – something which you can read about in many places: in her hospitals, painkillers were not distributed properly and not everybody received the medical help they would actually have needed. Due to a philosophy which exists in all religions but which is only a way for religion to suppress people further and exploiting them!
Yes, this is exactly what I think this idea is. Religions across the world use this thought, from Christianity to Islam to Hinduism: if you are poor, it is what god wants for you. We can help you use god’s wish in the right way so that you get better. But if it doesn’t work, that is god’s wish, too! You may need to give some more donations in our temples, mosques and churches, you may listen better to our priests and you may need some more of our brainwashing scriptures!
Suffer, cry, enjoy your pain – a sign of god’s love to you? I just always wonder how anybody can believe in such a cruel god? Why would your imaginary friend want you to be unhappy? Why would he be joyful and happy about that? And why do you deliberately enjoy suffering like that? It is your choice! You could just be happy instead!
I have a completely different philosophy. I don’t believe in god at all – but I believe in happiness. I believe in joy, I believe in love, in laughing and having fun. I decide that any cause of unhappiness in my life can be changed! If I suffer, I make a change. If I am unhappy, I make a change – on the outside or the inside!
It is in my own hands, not in the hands of some being that doesn’t even exist. I refuse to believe in any such thing. And I find it horrible to think that nurses and doctors who have the possibilities to end or at least alleviate such suffering don’t do it because of their faith in a cruel god!
No, remember that it is your choice to make a change, your choice to be happy!