• In total there are 26 users online :: 2 registered, 0 hidden and 24 guests (based on users active over the past 60 minutes)
    Most users ever online was 789 on Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:08 am

Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Engage in conversations about worldwide religions, cults, philosophy, atheism, freethought, critical thinking, and skepticism in this forum.
Forum rules
Do not promote books in this forum. Instead, promote your books in either Authors: Tell us about your FICTION book! or Authors: Tell us about your NON-FICTION book!.

All other Community Rules apply in this and all other forums.
User avatar
Chris OConnor

1A - OWNER
BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
Posts: 17016
Joined: Sun May 05, 2002 2:43 pm
21
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 3509 times
Been thanked: 1309 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

The other day I went to the BookTalk.org post office box to pick up our mail and ship off some books. One book that was sent to me was about the good deeds and contributions of Mother Teresa.

After opening the package and seeing the book about Mother Teresa I then needed to head into the main part of the post office to ship some books.

As I was walking towards the line I suddenly felt embarrassed to be holding a book by Mother Teresa. First of all I'm an atheist and secondly I'm sold on the idea that she wasn't such a good person.

I'm wondering if any of you are ever embarrassed to be seen with something that might misrepresent who you are as a person or perhaps give a false impression of your beliefs.

Or am I being petty?

If you're a liberal would you be comfortable walking around with the book "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder?"

Or are you so secure in yourself that you genuinely don't care what sort of assumptions people make about you, your lifestyle or beliefs?
User avatar
LanDroid

2A - MOD & BRONZE
Comandante Literario Supreme
Posts: 2800
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2002 9:51 am
21
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Has thanked: 195 times
Been thanked: 1166 times
United States of America

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

OK I'll play along... I went to a local gay pride parade two months ago just to see what happens and take pictures. Never been to one before. I'm straight, but am what they sometimes call a "straight ally." I was by myself since taking hundreds of photos aggravates most non-photographers. I picked up some rainbow bracelets and so forth and wore them in support. Did I care if anyone thought I was LGBT? Hell naw! However gotta admit - would I wear anything like that at work or in my neighborhood? Oh Hell Naw! :lol:

Let's see if attaching photos works - here's one FINE group of fellas I ran into... :RockOn:
Dang it, don't know how to rotate this so it's vertical! Oh well, don't hurt your neck, but you get the idea... :lol:
Attachments
DSC_1804.JPG
DSC_1804.JPG (2.99 MiB) Viewed 5890 times
User avatar
Murmur
Internet Sage
Posts: 347
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:13 pm
8
Location: Tarrytown, NY, USA
Has thanked: 30 times
Been thanked: 128 times
Gender:
Ukraine

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

Chris OConnor wrote: As I was walking towards the line I suddenly felt embarrassed to be holding a book by Mother Teresa. First of all I'm an atheist and secondly I'm sold on the idea that she wasn't such a good person.

I'm wondering if any of you are ever embarrassed to be seen with something that might misrepresent who you are as a person or perhaps give a false impression of your beliefs.
Mother Teresa wasn't a good person.

I too feel embarrassed when I'm carrying things that would grab attention.
User avatar
DWill

1H - GOLD CONTRIBUTOR
BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
Posts: 6966
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:05 am
16
Location: Luray, Virginia
Has thanked: 2262 times
Been thanked: 2470 times

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

One of my wife's favorite books in college was called "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life," by Irving Goffman. I tried reading it but found in pretty punishing. But it is a big deal, the way we present ourselves to others, and I think if we say we don't care what people think, we're fooling ourselves. While we may sometimes be okay with making a bold statement of our beliefs, going against the general grain, it's a different thing when we fear we may making an inadvertent statement. Then we're going to make sure that everyone knows we're not really like that. So it would be entirely natural for Chris to slip the Mother Teresa book to the bottom of the pile.

I know I must have been in a similar situation, but have wracked my brain and can't come up with one just now.
User avatar
Robert Tulip

2B - MOD & SILVER
BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
Posts: 6499
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:16 pm
18
Location: Canberra
Has thanked: 2719 times
Been thanked: 2662 times
Contact:
Australia

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

Chris OConnor wrote:I'm wondering if any of you are ever embarrassed to be seen with something that might misrepresent who you are as a person or perhaps give a false impression of your beliefs.

Or am I being petty?

If you're a liberal would you be comfortable walking around with the book "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder?"

Or are you so secure in yourself that you genuinely don't care what sort of assumptions people make about you, your lifestyle or beliefs?
I would avoid carrying around a book supporting Mother Teresa, after reading the biography of her by Christopher Hitchens which illustrates the weak ethical framework among such simple pious Catholics. This illustrates how religion is an emotionally sensitive topic. I remember years ago at work when I discovered that a colleague was a fundamentalist Christian and my esteem for him immediately went down. On reflection that was an unduly prejudicial attitude on my part, but I regularly see people who act in very biased ways toward people who have strong religious faith. Just seeing someone wearing a cross or carrying a pious book can lead many people to jump to negative conclusions. There are people who laugh at anyone who is interested in religion, even from a philosophical angle, but that is their problem.

The Bible has a term 'shibboleth' which means a revealing symbol. Displaying Trumpite literature is a shibboleth, a sign of identity, as is Mother Teresa literature, or a flag. With society becoming more politically polarised, there are many people who will react emotionally to seeing any sign of views that they hate and despise.

Clothes maketh the man. So only a person with no concern for reputation will be indifferent to appearances, whether in style, tone or content.
User avatar
DB Roy
Beyond Awesome
Posts: 1011
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 10:37 am
9
Has thanked: 43 times
Been thanked: 602 times

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

I carry around whatever books I want to catch up on or not fall behind on. I wouldn't carry one around about Mother Theresa only because I simply have no interest in her. I've gotten very weird looks from people who have seen me in public reading "The Psychopath's Bible." Another time, when I was in the service, I had a copy of "The Satanic Bible" sitting around and this one guy really got upset which was strange because he wasn't overtly Christian in anyway that I could see. Even when I explained that I was reading it simply to read it and that I had no interest in becoming a Satanist, that wasn't good enough. I should not be reading Satanic literature no matter what. Well, I can't abide by that kind of mentality. I will read whatever the hell I want to read and fuck anybody who doesn't like it. So I long ago stopped caring what anybody sees me reading. If someone asks why I'm reading that, I reply, "Because I want to" and that's all the answer they get and it's completely the truth.
User avatar
Chris OConnor

1A - OWNER
BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
Posts: 17016
Joined: Sun May 05, 2002 2:43 pm
21
Location: Florida
Has thanked: 3509 times
Been thanked: 1309 times
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

Let me add some extra info. I was embarrassed sufficiently that I walked the Mother Teresa book out to my car, set it on my front seat, and then went back in to ship the books I needed to shit.
User avatar
Cattleman
Way Beyond Awesome
Posts: 1141
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:19 pm
11
Location: Texas
Has thanked: 474 times
Been thanked: 507 times

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

:chatsmilies_com_92: I guess I am a pretty secure person. I have carried in public (in no particular order) A Christian Bible, Darwin's "Origin of the Species," .Saraj Palin's "America," Karl Marx's "The Communist Manifesto," Even Bill O'Reilly's "Killing Lincoln." :blush: Okay, for that last one, I was reviewing it for our local library's newsletter.

The only book I would be embarqassed to be seen carrying in pubic wold be a Harlequin Romance. :lol:
Love what you do, and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. -Ray Bradbury

Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it. -Robert A. Heinlein
User avatar
Murmur
Internet Sage
Posts: 347
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:13 pm
8
Location: Tarrytown, NY, USA
Has thanked: 30 times
Been thanked: 128 times
Gender:
Ukraine

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

Chris OConnor wrote:Let me add some extra info. I was embarrassed sufficiently that I walked the Mother Teresa book out to my car, set it on my front seat, and then went back in to ship the books I needed to shit.
The P and T are really far apart on the keyboard. How'd you make that mistake?
User avatar
Cattleman
Way Beyond Awesome
Posts: 1141
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:19 pm
11
Location: Texas
Has thanked: 474 times
Been thanked: 507 times

Re: Embarrassed to be seen with Mother Teresa

Unread post

To Chris and Murmur: :hmm: I wonder, could this have been a Freudian slip? :lol:
Last edited by Cattleman on Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Love what you do, and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. -Ray Bradbury

Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it. -Robert A. Heinlein
Post Reply

Return to “Religion & Philosophy”