Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00686)

On Wed, 17 Apr 1996, Porreco, Nick - CPMQ wrote:
>
> Easier it is to say nothing.  If the process of conveying ones opinion is
> preaching to your eyes, then why communicate.
	Actually, I wasn't referring to you, or what you wrote, as
preaching. I believe, however, that there is an odd problem in
Theosophical circles: The charge that people are not being
"compassionate", or are acting in an "unbrotherly fashion" is often used
in the same way critics of the government are called "unAmerican", or
Christians call one another "unloving" or "unChristian" - as a means of
defending a status quo and marginalizing any criticism. If the fact that
our headquarters, for instance, used *our* money to sue one of our own
branches over an ideological dispute distrubs me, and I write a post
sharply critisizing such activity, and Doss very agressively pursues a
campaign attempting to make HQ fully accountable ... we will both be
called, by anyone who is a supporters of HQ, "needing to be
compassionate", and lectured about our lack of it.
	I guess I sort of think all the discussion about "we should be
resprctful and compassionate" that takes place in general terms is pretty
much meaningless - I mean, its all very well and good to say, but few
here accept the categorizations of their activities by others. Who
*doesn't* think they are acting with compassion? Eldon speaks wonderful
words about how we should respect the views of others and strive for
compassion, but once a month or so takes a purely gratutitous, dismissive
and condescending shot at "psychic" powers, for no apparent reason, and
often not even vaguely related to the issue at hand. If I periodically
answer that (and *I've* never *started* it), I'm hardly inclined to
listen to him responding by saying *I* ought to be more "respectful" of
the opinions of others.
						Regards, -JRC