Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl00106)

At 04:01 AM 5/3/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Alan:
>>Clearly, the use of the 19th century language is one of the things that
>>TI sees as an obstacle to attracting new people to theosophy - a known
>>fact; I have spoken to many people who have been put off by it, and at
>>least one woman who *resigned* in protest at being regarded as a
>>"fellow" and a "brother."

The problem Kim, is that in this country at least the state of education is
so bad that for most American's 19th Century English might as well be Greek.
They are totally incapable of seeing the grandeur of the phraseology. Have
you seen what American Bowdlerizers have done to the King James Bible? They
have taken one of the most magnificent manifestations of the English
language and made it as prosaic as a shopping list. If we want to reach
people, especially the young, we have to speak to them in their own
language, and sometimes it's really hard to ascertain what that is.
>
>Dear Alan, I understand perfectly the objections against the terms.It
>however conveys a certain idea though which seems grander, more
>all-inclusive. But perhaps I have spend too much time with old writings.
>The term "universal brotherhood of humanity" has an important double
>meaning lost in the new text. Never mind, never mind.

If you mean what I think you mean by referring to the double entendre of
"Universal Brotherhood of Humanity" then I agree with you it is a very grand
concept, but perhaps one which it would be politic to avoid.
>
>> To suddenly find the outdated language
>>appearing on putative TI Web page was quite alarming, and also
>>depressing.
>
>   I actually missed that detail. Could it be a mistake by Rudy? If not he
>must feel strongly about it. Like me he probably refrained from joining the
>discussion to avoid endless hair-splitting discussions.
>
>> Surely we do not have to debate all over again one of the
>>reasons we came into being in the first place?
>
>   Of course not, Alan. When half mankind :-) would be less than satisfied
>with the term, it is not satisfactory.  But many of these words loaded with
>gender meanings are the results of defects in the english language!

Kim what can you expect when English is such a compound language. Some
linguistic experts refer to it as a Bastard Language because it is a
compendium of so many languages and therefore of so many "laws" Welsh, Celt,
Briton, Latin, French, Danish, Old German, all tossed into a bowl and tossed
like a salad: what can one expect but difficulty? My Grandfather who spoke
14 languages fluently always said that "English is a Stupid language"...but
it's the one we're stuck with on this list and in Theosophy International
because it's the most, if not the only, common language. It's also the
language used by the founders in their statements and declarations so we're
doubly stuck.

>   I think I will refrain from describing why "Law" is another favorite
>term of mine (but a hint, hmm... dharma/karma, sssshhhh...).>
>In friendship,
>
>Kim
>
In friendship

alexis d.>
>