Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00163)

It abundantly clear from HPB's writings that the problem she has with
Christianity is the DOGMATIC Christianity expounded by "The Church" and its
"pernicious dogma of Vicarious Atonement" . ISIS UNVEILED is filled with a
litany of the crimes of the church throughout its history, those crimes
committed in the name of God and for his greater glory (and told with her
most humorous biting sarcasm!). She specifically devotes substantial space
answering the Inquirer's questions about the difference between Theosophy and
Christianity and its accompanying blind faith in KEY TO THEOSOPHY, calling it
(Christianity) a "lip religion" only.

At the same time, she refers to the teacher called Jesus as an "innocent
victim" (KEY) and saying that people should follow the ethics Jesus taught
and his example of love and forgiveness. The Mahatma Letters refers to Jesus
as "one of the greatest among us."

In the great length devoted to this topic, HPB shows that what was taught by
the great Adept Jesus has little to do with the Church supposedly built on
his teaching and what is commonly refered to as "Christianity", and herein
lies her difficulty with these.

One comment made in a post stated that HPB's writings were much more Gnostic
and Neo-Platonic in nature. I would say that HPB, in her synthesizing SD,
demonstrated how the Gnosis and Neo-Platonic philosophy are both valid
traditions within the Wisdom-Religion.

In another vein, I have been watching these posts for awhile now, and I can't
help but think how the Masters must shake their wise heads at the dissension
that exists among we who should know better. While pleas for sanity and
impersonality are made, there is a distinct tone of that favorite adolescent
anatomy game, "My Mahatma is Bigger than Your Mahatma." It is so difficult
to live these noble teachings and walk the damn path (as so well put by one
contributor) that no one is exempt -- not any group I've seen, from the
smallest of study groups, of which I am a part, to the students of ULT, to
the multiple TS's, and any and all factions, fractions and sub-groups of the
foregoing. I guess the best we can hope for is sincere effort and bright,
shiny mirrors for us to look into at every moment so that we may KNOW
OURSELVES. We would do well to remember what HPB told an inquirer when asked
what was the one thing that was needed to become an occultist, to which she
replied, "A sense of Humor."