The Daily Show: Dan Barker
Needs Plugin: Flash |
Not Working?
Email This
Should Mother Theresa be on a postage stamp? The Freedom From Religion Foundation president is reviewed by Jason Jones.
Mar 9, 2010 7:28 PM
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
Our friends in Canada?
http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/full-episodes/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart---march-8-2010/#clip274185
Other countries?
http://www.hotspotshield.com/
or MODIFY HEADERS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8rdpF1qZs
http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/full-episodes/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart---march-8-2010/#clip274185
Other countries?
http://www.hotspotshield.com/
or MODIFY HEADERS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8rdpF1qZs
By: spam_vigilante
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
Documentary by Christopher Hitchens, "Hell's Angel: Mother Teresa":
Part 1: http://mcooki.es/186752
Part 2: http://mcooki.es/186753
Part 3: http://mcooki.es/186759
Part 1: http://mcooki.es/186752
Part 2: http://mcooki.es/186753
Part 3: http://mcooki.es/186759
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
...and Gandhi was a terrible father as well as the one who allowed partition to happen, which resulted in the deaths of millions and the political tensions we see today. His socialist policies throttled India's economy for decades.
And anyway, India would have become independent without Gandhi, since Britain had been ravaged by two world wars which made sustaining an empire untenable.
In response to Hitler and the Holocaust, Gandhi said that the Jews should give themselves willingly up to death, and what's more even commit suicide as a gesture of protest against the Nazis! He truly believed that a violent campaign against even the Nazi regime was as bad as committing genocide.
I'm not even really kidding here. The only reason I respect him is for his example of non-violence. I'm waiting for Christopher Hutchen's expose on him as well. Wait... he's refraining only because Gandhi wasn't a Christian? What a shame, what a shame... I thought he was a voice of reason, not just against Christian irrationality but against irrationality in all forms...
And anyway, India would have become independent without Gandhi, since Britain had been ravaged by two world wars which made sustaining an empire untenable.
In response to Hitler and the Holocaust, Gandhi said that the Jews should give themselves willingly up to death, and what's more even commit suicide as a gesture of protest against the Nazis! He truly believed that a violent campaign against even the Nazi regime was as bad as committing genocide.
I'm not even really kidding here. The only reason I respect him is for his example of non-violence. I'm waiting for Christopher Hutchen's expose on him as well. Wait... he's refraining only because Gandhi wasn't a Christian? What a shame, what a shame... I thought he was a voice of reason, not just against Christian irrationality but against irrationality in all forms...
By: Deh_Dude
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
I forgot to add, what's worse here: telling the Bhopal victims to forgive, or telling the Jews experiencing the Holocaust to commit suicide by "throw[ing] themselves into the sea from cliffs" or "offer[ing] themselves up to the butcher's knife," as Gandhi said?
By: Deh_Dude
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
You are just a wealth of knowledge. I had never heard this story.
I think Hitchens might be refraining from his "expose" because Ghandi practiced what he preached. Ghandi nearly starved himself to death to gain national and international attention to the plight of the Indian people, and it worked. Favor turned against the British occupation, who were seen as slaughterers of helpless victims, and between that and being broke, they left.
It looks to me like Ghandi was simply suggesting the same strategy for the Holocaust jews. Would it have worked? Who knows?
I think Hitchens might be refraining from his "expose" because Ghandi practiced what he preached. Ghandi nearly starved himself to death to gain national and international attention to the plight of the Indian people, and it worked. Favor turned against the British occupation, who were seen as slaughterers of helpless victims, and between that and being broke, they left.
It looks to me like Ghandi was simply suggesting the same strategy for the Holocaust jews. Would it have worked? Who knows?
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
Yes, as I said, Gandhi's value was as a symbol, but I should have added that he was a symbol both for non-violent protest (emulated by REAL heroes like Martin Luther King) and a symbol for an independent, self-determining Indian people.
On the other hand, the actual IDEAS that he put into practice were mostly god-awful. One exception would be how he set into motion the official dissolution of the caste system, but for most of Gandhi's life he was in favor of it! It was truly Ambedkar and NOT Gandhi that started the movement to abolish the caste system! Ambedkar had to convince Gandhi that this was right, just as he had to convince the rest of India! If it was up to Gandhi alone, he would have advocated keeping a "modernized" but still repressive version of the caste system in practice!
And no, Gandhi was not suggesting the same strategy for the Jews as he used. He suggested that all the Jews should kill themselves rather than being killed in concentration camps or fighting for freedom.
As for the message Gandhi preached, Mother Theresa said that "most people in the world do not starve for bread; they starve for love." (And yes, it's true that most people in the world are not starving.) Now, I think that's a beautiful message, in addition to her message of charity. She also made the poor of Calcutta visible in the media, just like Gandhi brought the struggle for Indian independence into the international spotlight.
And yes the value of Mother Theresa as a symbol and as the woman who turned the world's attention to "the poorest of the poor" certainly didn't prevent Hitchens from telling the whole story of her work, and rightly so. Now the same should be done with Gandhi, another erroneously lionized figure.
On the other hand, the actual IDEAS that he put into practice were mostly god-awful. One exception would be how he set into motion the official dissolution of the caste system, but for most of Gandhi's life he was in favor of it! It was truly Ambedkar and NOT Gandhi that started the movement to abolish the caste system! Ambedkar had to convince Gandhi that this was right, just as he had to convince the rest of India! If it was up to Gandhi alone, he would have advocated keeping a "modernized" but still repressive version of the caste system in practice!
And no, Gandhi was not suggesting the same strategy for the Jews as he used. He suggested that all the Jews should kill themselves rather than being killed in concentration camps or fighting for freedom.
As for the message Gandhi preached, Mother Theresa said that "most people in the world do not starve for bread; they starve for love." (And yes, it's true that most people in the world are not starving.) Now, I think that's a beautiful message, in addition to her message of charity. She also made the poor of Calcutta visible in the media, just like Gandhi brought the struggle for Indian independence into the international spotlight.
And yes the value of Mother Theresa as a symbol and as the woman who turned the world's attention to "the poorest of the poor" certainly didn't prevent Hitchens from telling the whole story of her work, and rightly so. Now the same should be done with Gandhi, another erroneously lionized figure.
By: Deh_Dude
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
Before you pin horns and tail on this woman here is one of her prayers
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
I would say she is a religious figure, as according to the rules should not be on a stamp.
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
I would say she is a religious figure, as according to the rules should not be on a stamp.
By: imkoan
Re: The Daily Show: Dan Barker
That's a nice prayer for devotees of non-human beings. For me the line at the end speaks of being removed from humanity.. no one matters but god. On the other hand, if christians generally acted in the fashion described in this prayer, I'd probably want to be part of their club regardless of their strange motivation. I'd rush to discover their unique power and make it my own. Well, maybe not, but I'd certainly be tempted.
By: wadadde
Do Good Anyway
I liked that quote so much I googled it and found the not-so-different, original version attributed to a motivational speaker named Kent Keith. Paradoxical Commandments. MT just edited it a bit to make it more religious.
By: athomascrawley
Re: Do Good Anyway
Cool, you are right and here it is
" Mother Teresa put the Paradoxical Commandments up on the wall of her children's home in Calcutta. The fact that the commandments were on her wall was reported in a book compiled by Lucinda Vardey, Mother Teresa: A Simple Path, which was published in 1995. As a result, some people have attributed the Paradoxical Commandments to Mother Teresa. " from his website.
So now we have 2 people who seem to share similar beliefs. I think if there were more that would be better.
" Mother Teresa put the Paradoxical Commandments up on the wall of her children's home in Calcutta. The fact that the commandments were on her wall was reported in a book compiled by Lucinda Vardey, Mother Teresa: A Simple Path, which was published in 1995. As a result, some people have attributed the Paradoxical Commandments to Mother Teresa. " from his website.
So now we have 2 people who seem to share similar beliefs. I think if there were more that would be better.
By: imkoan
