Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl01292)

Alan,
I agree with you.  There was a time in my life when I thought it great fun to
knock the crutches out from under people (and not always metaphorically I am
somewhat ashamed to admit) but as I grow older, I find that at times I need
them myself on occasion.  The purpose of even my somewhat heretical brand of
theosophy is to enable people to stand on their own, but that means they have
to be able to do it, and it is not kind to smash the thing they need at the
moment without giving them something better and sermons and books alone don't
do it.
Some of us are born with courage.  Some of us are simply born too ornery to
need anything but ourselves, but we are in the tiny minority of humanity.
 The bulk of people need some form of support structure for their lives and
sanscrit spiritbabble is no more the answer for them than someone who just
says "That's all nonsense!  Get up and walk on your own!"  Sometimes they
need a strong arm to lean on while they learn.  Sometimes they need the
spiritual equivalent of close air support.
That's where we come in, we heretics and troublemakers.  We are the ones who
stop the spiritual bullies from making life even more difficult for people
than it already is.  We act as the lightning rods and while the bullies are
wasting their energies attacking us the others can gather their strength
until they can join us.
As long as they need us, we will be there.  We may not always call ourselves
theosophists.  Maybe we will call ourselves Magicians or Gnostics or any of a
thousand labels.  But we will always be there.  As long as people are
spiritually oppressed and bullied by those who think they have the way, the
truth and the life, we will be there.
And if we fall, others will come to take our place.

Chuck the Barbarian MTI, FTSA, M G of 5
Heretic
Troublemaker

"The work of the Villain is the death of authority."  The Megalith of Dr.
Mirabilis