Should Mother Theresa be on a Postage Stamp?

[IDrinkaRum]

The Freedom From Religion Foundation says no (http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/29/mother-teresa-should-a-saint-get-the-postal-services-stamp-of/?icid=main|aim|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politics daily.com%2F2010%2F01%2F29%2Fmother-teresa-should-a-saint-get-the-postal-services-stamp-of%2F)

They have no objection to Martin Luther King, Jr. being honored with a stamp(it's incidental that he was a Baptist Minister, he was a great civil rights hero - though he's usually revered to as the Reverand King). They also don't have a problem with Malcolm X being honored (because he's just a racist, he's not really known for being with Nation of Islam).

Mother Theresa shouldn't be honored because:

1. The Postal Service has a "law" against honoring someone with a religious background on a stamp because it might look like they are pushing the ideology of a certain religion over another.

2. Mother Theresa is a Roman Catholic and a nun, therefore she only did her good deeds because of her religion and not because she actually cared about the well-being of the poor in India.

Oh yes, they do have the Virgin Mary on a stamp, since the 1960's, but that's all good because she's a Mom. (Never mind she was a mom to a man who turned the ancient world on its ear by inadvertantly creating another religion instead of "rehabilitating" the Jewish faith, which he was trying to do).

[telecom_goddess]

Well I think their reasoning is hypocritical considering the others that are on stamps. I think I would just object because I don't see the point in putting people on stamps in the first place :rolleyes: Really what does it accomplish? It's not like people are staring at these stamps ooohing and aaaahing over it.

[jackfaire]

What are stamps? Are they a new way to send email?

Kidding. But seriously yeah put it on there. She did good work.

[Greenday]

The work she did has nothing to do with being Catholic. She was an amazingly loving woman who did tons of work to help people. Who cares what religion she was?

[IDrinkaRum]

Telecom_Goddess - if not peoples on the stamps, then what? Flowers? :D Just wondering. I never understood having a stamp of a person - to "honor" that person - usually the person they're honoring are dead, so how does Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Mother Theresa know they're being honored?

Yes, yes, I know mailing letters/bills/whatever is antiquated and whatnot (:D), but it still is around and there are people making a big to-do about it.

I'm a Roman Catholic, but even if I wasn't, she did do great work in India, for the poor, helping them out, and should be honored.

[Savannah]

When I think Mother Theresa I don't think "Catholic", I think "helped the poor". (The same idea applies to MLK.) Given who else they have on stamps, I say go for Mother Theresa (she's certainly nicer than Malcolm X).

[powerboy]

I never understood as to why have people on stamps. Seriously, why? Just have something else on there.

[Bloodsoul]

Out of curiousity, are there any stamps with pictures of stamps on them?

[BlaqueKatt]

She was an amazingly loving woman who did tons of work to help people.

Really? (http://www.slate.com/id/2090083/)

Mother teresa's crimes against humanity (http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featpostel_56_p.htm)

yup washing disposable needles in cold water because the money she collected was needed to open convents rather than buy medical supplies for the poor she was "helping"(sold donated supplies on the black market). Claiming abortion is the greatest threat to world peace, saying princess Diana had a right to divorce but not anyone else, writing letters to the court that embezzlers were "friends of the poor"(though they stole from the poor) and should be treated leniently because they sent her checks-and when she was given proof of their wrongdoing refused to return what was life savings of people bilked by these men.


yeah lovely person....

[protege]

Mother Theresa shouldn't be honored because:

1. The Postal Service has a "law" against honoring someone with a religious background on a stamp because it might look like they are pushing the ideology of a certain religion over another.

I find that "law" laughable. Why? Well, looking through my stamp collection, I see that starting in 1970, quite a few "Nativity" scenes appeared on Christmas stamps, even going so far as to print Jesus and Mary in a 1975 issue. That's actually a pretty common image, and shows up every few years. Not enough religious images for you? Well, St. Francis of Assisi was honored in 1982.

But, I do know that the US Postal Service, along with the US Mint, will *not* depict someone that is still alive. If they do, it's usually a general issue, like the stamps honoring Korea and WWI veterans in '85.

With all that said, I think the real problem here, is that this group simply doesn't like the fact...that much of her work was done in India.

[BlaqueKatt]

With all that said, I think the real problem here, is that this group simply doesn't like the fact...that much of her work was done in India.


um read the links I provided-in Calcutta her main base of operations the local populace despised her-only in America and Rome was she considered "amazing" and did sooo much good-because only the "good" things were written by the press-

the washing needles in water and reusing them she even did in Africa during an EBOLA outbreak-thus spreading the disease further faster than it would have spread on it's own.....but you won't hear about that at all.....


opening up one orphanage in Calcutta does not negate the fact that the donations she solicited "for the orphans" were actually used to open over 150 convents and NOT for the orphans.

[protege]

Uh, I didn't get that at all. What I did get, is one guy's *opinion* about her.

I also noticed, that in the link at the very beginning of this thread, that the group protesting...has problems with Mother Teresa because of some alleged skeletons in the closet, yet doesn't seem to have any with Malcolm X. The guy who wanted a civil war in the US, based on skin color? Funny how Mother Teresa is getting flak, but he isn't :rolleyes:

[Ree]

Uh, I didn't get that at all. What I did get, is one guy's *opinion* about her.Yeah, I didn't see a lot of references, links, quotes, or actual facts to back up a lot of the claims.

It's nothing I haven't heard before, though.

Anybody can skew a story to their preconceived notions if they try hard enough.

Then again, maybe a lot of it is true.

I don't know.

I just don't see what the big deal is about a postage stamp.

[elsporko]

As a nun shouldn't Mother Theresa not want attention? After all Jesus went around telling people not to tell anybody about what he did for them. Mother Theresa should have been expected to be doing good regardless of whether she got attention or not

[IDrinkaRum]

Yes, but the rest of us unwashed masses like to put people on pedestals for whatever X person did.

Actors because they can act.

Politicians because they're elected and doing "good things" for the country.

Religious figures (not just Roman Catholic figures) because they are pious and doing what is good for the people.

I don't care if Mother Theresa ever got on a stamp or not. I just thought it was interesting that people are complaining about her but not about the Reverand Martin Luther King, Jr. who was known to be a religious figure.

[HYHYBT]

elsporko: I really doubt at this point that she cares whether she's on a stamp or not.

Don't see much reason anyone else would either. If you like the stamp, buy it. If you don't, get the ones with the flag or something.

[Aethian]

[1. The Postal Service has a "law" against honoring someone with a religious background on a stamp because it might look like they are pushing the ideology of a certain religion over another.

2. Mother Theresa is a Roman Catholic and a nun, therefore she only did her good deeds because of her religion and not because she actually cared about the well-being of the poor in India.

Where is this law? Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm)

[Parrothead]

Where is this law? Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm)

Quote from your link:

9. Stamps or stationery items shall not be issued to honor religious institutions or individuals whose principal achievements are associated with religious undertakings or beliefs.

[Aethian]

But thats not a law, it's from the advisory committee. And things can be overthrown in a committee. Not honoring individual religious institutions is the same for the individual schools, communities, businesses, ect... There are too many to do.

If the committee was approached to do the idea as known people of history and not for what church they were from I can see them running at that angle. But because the USPS is a government enity just one person can have a snit that so-so is from *religion* and they are being biased against and throw up a suit against the USPS that could be won.


But again, it's not a law.

[IDrinkaRum]

That's why I put the word in quotation marks.

Also, no one in the Postal Office chain is having the snit. The Freedom From Religion or whatever it's called is the one having the snit over Mother Theresa's honor. This, after they have admitted they have no problem with Reverand Martin Luther King, Jr. or Malcolm X (head of the Church of Islam and a known racist) getting stamps in their honor.

[elsporko]

Maybe its because black people have fewer representatives who deserve to be on stamps, so they have to let the religious ones in. White people have many who deserve to be on stamps who aren't nuns

[Wingates_Hellsing]

The argument for pastor King is that his contribution to society was for the benefit of society (civil rights) whereas Theresa was more or less working to further her church in each instance.

[Fryk]

What are these "stamps"? How do you put them on your e-mail?

[Boozy]

You're cute, Fryk. :)

[Rapscallion]

What are these "stamps"? How do you put them on your e-mail?

Top right hand corner, mate.

Bugger to get off the screen afterwards, but it's the correct ettiquette.

Rapscallion

[Fryk]

Thanks for clarifying :: ) I missed that section in Emily Post.

And to Boozy, in my best Rudolph voice I say,

"She thinks I'm CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!"

[Hobbs]

The argument for pastor King is that his contribution to society was for the benefit of society (civil rights) whereas Theresa was more or less working to further her church in each instance.
One could argue that his(MLK) ideals on Civil Rights was directly derived from his religious beliefs. This is supported by the sermons that he preached at his church. Thus, he is no different than Mother Theresa, who was also carrying out her duty, as she interpreted it.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

One could argue that his(MLK) ideals on Civil Rights was directly derived from his religious beliefs. This is supported by the sermons that he preached at his church. Thus, he is no different than Mother Theresa, who was also carrying out her duty, as she interpreted it.

That religion if present is related to creed isn't enough to freeze someone out of the system. If it were, we wouldn't have had many of our presidents and other elected officials because many of them get a substantial portion of their creed from their beliefs.

The difference is that King was doing what he did for the betterment of the nation, unilaterally. Whereas Theresa only ever did anything for the further of the catholic church, and it's members. She did some things for other people, but many of those paled in comparison with what was done for Catholics.

[Hobbs]

That religion if present is related to creed isn't enough to freeze someone out of the system. If it were, we wouldn't have had many of our presidents and other elected officials because many of them get a substantial portion of their creed from their beliefs.

The difference is that King was doing what he did for the betterment of the nation, unilaterally. Whereas Theresa only ever did anything for the further of the catholic church, and it's members. She did some things for other people, but many of those paled in comparison with what was done for Catholics.
MLK only ever did anything for African-Americans. He was selective too. I don't remember him talking about Hispanic rights, even though we were persecuted then, too.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

MLK only ever did anything for African-Americans. He was selective too. I don't remember him talking about Hispanic rights, even though we were persecuted then, too.

Nor anything for gays, or muslims etc.

Most everyone who ever tackled inequality like this did it one step at a time. It's not unreasonable to say that the Civil Rights movement benefited everyone. That blacks were the focus is a result of they're being the largest group at the time.

[Hobbs]

And it's not unreasonable to think that non-Catholics contributed to famine/poverty relief as an afterthought of Mother Theresa's mission, regardless of whether or not they did it out of faith or otherwise.

[Seifer]

Mother Theresa shouldn't be placed on a stamp because she was farking evil. :/ Mother Theresa was not a good role model. Here are some things that people don't hear about:

1. In her Home for the Dying in Calcutta, India, the sick living in the facility:
* Had a communal toilet
* Weren't allowed to have their friends and relatives visit (mother Theresa believed that suffering brought you closer to Jesus, so God Damnit, you're gonna suffer in her care)
* Were frowned at if they left their beds (and the beds were more like cots or hammocks, not decent beds)
* And the nuns working there were basically told not to show any emotion toward those in their care.
2. She hung out with the Duvalier family in Haiti. (Have fun Googling that family of psychos to see what they were up to in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.)
3. She accepted over 1 million dollars from Charles Keeting, who had taken a shit ton of money from hard working people through his junk bond scams. Did the great M T give that money back to the poor, or the people it was stolen from? HELL NO.
4. Mother Theresa's money was mostly spent on religious activities and NOT on the poor. She cared more about her religion than those she was supposedly taking care of.

Seriously, look up some of the research people have done into her private life and how she actually acted throughout her "saintly" life. It's disgusting.