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The Missionary Position cover art

The Missionary Position

By: Christopher Hitchens,Thomas Mallon - foreword
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Summary

"A religious fundamentalist, a political operative, a primitive sermonizer, and an accomplice of worldly secular powers. Her mission has always been of this kind. The irony is that she has never been able to induce anybody to believe her. It is past time that she was duly honored and taken at her word." Among his many books, perhaps none have sparked more outrage than The Missionary Position, Christopher Hitchens's meticulous study of the life and deeds of Mother Teresa.

A Nobel Peace Prize recipient beatified by the Catholic Church in 2003, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was celebrated by heads of state and adored by millions for her work on behalf of the poor. In his measured critique, Hitchens asks only that Mother Teresa's reputation be judged by her actions-not the other way around.

With characteristic élan and rhetorical dexterity, Hitchens eviscerates the fawning cult of Teresa, recasting the Albanian missionary as a spurious, despotic, and megalomaniacal operative of the wealthy who long opposed measures to end poverty, and fraternized, for financial gain, with tyrants and white-collar criminals throughout the world.

©1995 Christopher Hitchens (P)2012 Audible Ltd

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Government regulations required that an elevator

be installed for the use of the disabled. Mother would not allow an elevator. The city offered to pay for the elevator. Its offer was refused. After all the negotiations and plans, the project for the poor was abandoned because an elevator for the handicapped was unacceptable.”
― Christopher Hitchens, The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice



Not a saint or demon but a misguided human being venerated by the rich to do the work they are unwilling to do, exalted by a church that uses money to exercise its power over millions.

The poor came to her expecting help on their dying days and were given minimal comfort or care for the glorification of the suffering of christ and the pleasure of mother Teresa religious aesthetics and the glorification of her order and her path to sainthood.

A study of how blind the world is to the true work of the church and religions in general, those that live every moment as a preparation for death and venerate martyrdom as elevating do not understand compassion for the pain of life because they are only preparing for eternal death and the kingdom they will have there.

An exposition of all that is deplorable an unjust in the canonization of a woman that was more concerned with her path to glory than giving true relief to the poor and needy in life.

Read it and weep, read it and unmask one more lie one more putrefaction hidden under the skirts of the church; even if you only do it for yourself.

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21 people found this helpful

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Welcome to reality

I would implore anyone who at all wonders or questions to investigate the world of Mother Teresa. Just as Gandhi put his wife's life into the lap of the gods but took quinine himself when six weeks later he got malaria.
Once you open this door then further investigation will reveal much more of her belief in pain and suffering
at a 1981 press conference in which she was asked: "Do you teach the poor to endure their lot?" She replied: "I think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot, to share it with the passion of Christ. I think the world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people"

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18 people found this helpful

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The Missionary Position

Brilliantly written. Hichens deals with a shameful issue with pith and real humour. I was appalled at the observations and to learn the truth about Mother Teresa. This needed to be said.

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12 people found this helpful

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Illuminating (with a not so saintly light)

A brilliant revelation of a bizarre life, and the even more odd strivings of the Catholic church and the deluded to make her a saint, despite all evidence.

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10 people found this helpful

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A real Revelation

Hitch again delivers a stunningly eye opening myth busting assassination of an agent of the Catholic Church who is just slightly farther away from Godliness than the Morningstar.

Listen and be astounded by the hypocrisy.

Great stuff

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8 people found this helpful

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Informative and thought provoking

Based on facts and written clearly. It sheds light on things in a common sense and unsentimental manner.

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7 people found this helpful

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The Hitch at his best

Yet another Hitchens masterpiece which delivers a detailed and damming verdict on the greatest con-artist of the 20th Century.

Just a shame it wasn't narrated by the man himself.

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Very interesting book

Everyone who is interested in Mother Teresa should read this book. A lot of daylight information on her work.

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Who'd have thought it?

I've always been slightly nauseated by the media 'deification' of Mother Teresa. Now I know why!

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4 people found this helpful

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Slow down!

Good book, but read by narrator like a thriller. Slow down please, there is no rush

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3 people found this helpful