Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00029)

Bjorn writes>
>I am new to this list and am shocked at the level and type of discussions
>going on here. I am also a student (chela) of the Masters and can't see that
>this list serves the cause of the Brotherhood. I would suggest that the list
>owner either
>
>1. cut off the most destructive participants
>
>or
>
>2. close the list
>
>

Richard Ihle writes>
Belated welcome to you, Bjorn!   Let us somber Swedes (my grandparents are
from Varmland) stick together, at least, against all these other more
fortunate genetic types on the list who ~naturally~ smile, talk, touch one
another, etc. . . .

My compliments to you for quick apprehension of the basic problem on theos-l:
 what to do about individuals who seem to be unwilling and/or unable to put a
personal limit on how damaging they will allow themselves to be to others.

My opinion on this seems to reverse itself every other day:  On the day
someone tells an older lady she is senile and does not have much time left to
live, I say, "We simply must get rid of someone who is so cruel."  On the
following day when the person apologizes, I say, "No, it would be a great
impoverishment of the list to lose such a valuable contributor."

What to do?  I'm sure I don't know.

In a way, the whole situation almost reminds me of Edward Bulwer-Lytton's
novel VRIL (it has been several decades, so don't depend on the following
details) where universal amity was accomplished by having people carry around
"vril-rods" by means of which they could easily destroy one another any time
they wished.  Since everyone had one, nobody used them; therefore, the people
behaved themselves.

Yes, sometimes this seems just like theos-l--with the unfortunate difference
that a few individuals seem to have picked up on the fact that the majority
on the list are simply not willing to be as personally destructive with the
vril as they might be just to win an argument.  The old story:  the more
gentle at the mercy of the less gentle again.

What to do?  I'm sure I don't know.

Welcome, anyway, brother Bjorn.

Godspeed,

Richard Ihle