Theos-Talk Archives (August 1995 Message tl00265)

LIESEL:

Nothing to be upset about. Opinions are just opinions.

John Algeo and I are great friends, we e-mail a few times a week, exchange
publications. He just sent me a copy of his excellent review of Paul
Johnson's book THE MASTERS REVEALED. I didn't disparage Presidents, either
particular ones or the Presidency in general. What I said, and I hope John
Algeo reads this post and can chime in with agreement, is that the Presidency
is an OFFICE and confers no particular spiritual status. The President may
or may not be an advanced student. That is all.

You say Leadbetter was a spiritual being, I say he was self-deceived and
deceived others. So what? There it lies. The only caution I would say is
that when people hold up Leadbetter as a role model, others will respond "You
have GOT to be kidding!"

It is curious to me that many other notable students, including William Q.
Judge and HPB, were much attacked in their lifetime, but with the passage of
years seem to look better and better. In fact, I would be interested in
anyone who held that Mr. Judge or HPB did any wrong in any way. Meanwhile,
Leadbetter comes under more and more fire as the years goes by, and I would
venture to say that disagreements about Leadbetter and Besant are one of the
very fundamental things that keep Theosophists of various stripes apart in
the modern world.

Finally, I would simply say, relax. As Ann has pointed out, we all work
within the associations and circles wherein we best harmonize. This board is
a real opportunity for me to learn something, I already have. It would be
great it we could all approach it that way.

Rich