Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00090)

At 08:57 AM 4/9/96 -0500, you wrote:
>In message <m0u6XFT-000McDC@slip.net>, alexis dolgorukii
><alexei@slip.net> writes

>If that long.  At least until 325 there was a large degree of freedom of
>interpretation.  With Constantine threatening unpleasant deaths to the
>bishops he ordered to meet at Nicea, it was conform or else.
>
Alan: I agree but then Constantine has clearly discovered how useful a
Church could be for him if he utterly controlled it, and Bishop Athanasius
was his Himmler.

>>>>>cut<<<<<<
>
>H.P.B. was soooo respectable!  Huh!  I still don't know what "Science"
>is - there are individual sciences, but biology has little in common
>with philology.  Theosophy can at least be defined, albeit loosely.

As to HPB: people of her social position don't have to care about being
repectable that is a fixation of the Middle classes. And concern with
"science" as a generic term only, was a Blavatsky fixation. But then the
world of academic sciences was totally different in her day. Theosophists
fear that "science" will disprove their ideas", it can't, but then if all
your interested in is "technical theosophy" then of course "science" can
disprove it. If your belief in Theosophy is predicated on the length of a
Manvantara, then if Science proves Blavatsky and the SD wrong on that
subject, there goes your "faith". But if theosophy is, as I beieve, simply
an approach to philosophy, religion, paranormality, and science, then what
possibly can negate an approach?
>
>> What the world needs now is good livable answers to peoples
>>existential questions. They don't get them, and right now, today, they don't
>>get them from Theosophy at all. And I may be wrong but I really think that's
>>what theosophy was really intended to do, answer people's existenial
>>questions and alleviate their pain and fear.
>
>The *former* members of my old Bristol UK lodge who walked away after
>the recent witch-hunting debacle are all people who were/are looking for
>just that.  AND - they are still meeting with a view to finding answers
>for and within themselves.  At the moment most of them won't sign up
>even for TI because it contains the word "theosophy" in it, bar two of
>us.

That then, Alan: Is something we have to think about, all of us. Is
theosophy too "tainted"? Is it too late? Should we do something new.
entirely new?
>
>> And, as far as I see it, most
>>of what folks argue about here and elsewhere has nothing at all to do with
>>that. People are afraid they're going to die, and guess what? They are!
>>Theosophy could help with that, but it doesn't. Shamanism does actually help
>>with that,but it's far too obscure at present to help many people. Theosphy
>>is far too much like the Shakers. How to prevent the same thing from
>>happening? Theosophy as it is represented by the intellectual sterility that
>>regularly appears on this list and in theosophical publications, is not
>>going to do anything but drive young folk away! Discussions on "devachan"
>>and Manvantaras, and Nirmanakaya Buddhas, may be fun for elderly
>>Theosophists but the young say "So What?" and go their merry way. If they
>>all say "so What?" and go their merry way, theosophy is a very dead duck.
>
>Actually, I think the young just say "What?" when they hear these jargon
>(to them) words.  The technical "theosophical" terms mean nothing when
>the are simply produced like rabbits out of a hat as "explanations."

Actually I think the progression goes as follows: The young say "what?", and
then when told what. say "So What?" and off they go! What they're actually
saying is: "What relevance does that nonsense have in my life, how does it
help me?" The kind of Technical Theologic Theoosophy that is so typical of
the institutional movements is of no real relevance in anyone's actual life,
especially the young people.
>
>Tell people there is "somewhere" you go to when you die, and they will
>be interested to at least ask "Where?" - and we *then* have a chance to
>be of service.

Of course, as a Shaman I tell people that they don't actually die, just shed
the body, and that interests them plenty! It's also a service,


>>
>>alexis
>>
>Alan
>---------
>THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL:
>Ancient Wisdom for a New Age
>TI@nellie2.demon.co.uk
>
Alexis>