Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00536)

Daniel:

Continuing to discuss some of your ideas that you've expressed ...

>All very strongly indicate that Jesus was more than a man, more than a master,
>but THE KURIOUS, THE MASTER and CREATOR of the universe. NOT a part
>of the universe but Creator.

We would say that in the lower part of our natures we are mortal,
impermanent, and corruptible. But in the higher parts we are rooted in
the divine. Each of us partakes of being creator of the universe in
the same manner as a flower in the field, a stranger you meet on the
bus, or Jesus or other religious figure does.

>The Theosophical approach is that Jesus drew nearer to the Truth than others
>and was able to say that He embodied TRUTH, or became TRUTH, or presented
>TRUTH...but these are not biblical teachings. Jesus said He was the Truth,
>and that the only way to the FATHER was by Him.

We would have to study the Bible carefully to see what basic philosophical
truths are readily contained in it. It certainly does not contain all truth,
only what its human writers were able to capture in words. And it's not
always necessarily correct in what it says.

Jesus was one of many Avataras, divinely-inspired spiritual teachers with
the mission to spiritually reform the people of a certain culture and time.
Whatever of his original message that is still useful in these different
times is that which *has changed* to speak to the people of today.

>What does theosophy have to say about Paternalistic Anthropomorphism? Is it
>misplaced spiritual discernment by the traditional students of that time
and period as Eldon and others espouse?

The work of the spiritual in the world, carried out by the holiest of
mankind and the archangels (Dhyani-Chohans), could be considered as
paternalistic, since part of the spiritual work is like "parenting".
It would be inaccurate to consider this collective host of beings as
a deity. Some people, though, may perfer to consider the holy work as
being done by "my parent" or "my father" rather than by "my schoolteachers".
Either way of considering it, though, it by using mental images that we
have constructed to explain things that go beyond our personal experience.

>Why is it that 99% of all recorded societies are Paternal?

Until people arrive at a point where there is civilized respect for
the rights of others -- material, monetary, political, and religious
rights -- there will be conflict. This conflict needs to be controlled
by society for the common good. That common good must be defined by
laws and enforced by police.

>There is a difference between the pre-incarnate Christ and the
>incarante Christ and also the resurrected Christ, yet He remains
>Christ. Not a christ. But singular Christ. The term Christ means
>annointed ONE.

That is how you put it. We might put it differently. We are all children
of "God", if you use the term "God" to mean the divine root of all things.
We are self-annointed, when we take a postive action in our lives to
partake of the spirit. Our experience of divinity, when looking within,
is singular, our inner spirituall root is not a multitude of beings. But
there is not an external singular being that somehow represents Divinity
and its actions for all beings.

>He did not come to create a new religion. He came to fulfill the Law of
>Moses and the religion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We might disagree on this point, without further discussion as to
what you mean regarding "fulfilling the Law".

-- Eldon