Theos-Talk Archives (October 1996 Message tl00051)

In message <199610050136.VAA22704@ultra1.dreamscape.com>, "liesel f.
deutsch" <liesel@dreamscape.com> writes
>I have a young cusin with whom I had a
>long conversation about this just this PM. He has a friend who's an
>evangelist, and believes in the verbatim meaning of the Bible, and that one
>can only be saved through the intercession of Jesus Christ. AND SHE KNOWS
>SHE'S RIGHT.
>
>my cusin and I believe that the Bible is a mix of allegory, history, poetry
>and etc., awhich sometimes contradicts itself, and my cusin says he can
>prove it by quoting. We also believe that the way we save ourselves is
>through our own efforts ... maybe with the help of Jesus or some other
>religious leader whom we find wise. AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE RIGHT.
>
>What course does anyone on this list suggest should we take to acquire
>harmony and reconciliation.

All you can do is offer *evidence* in support of your case, for it is
certain that the kind of evangelist you mention cannot match it.  While
it is unlikely that the evangelist will take notice of or accept your
evidence, you will have done your bit for "the cause" - and who knows,
one day maybe your words will strike a chord ... but don't get entangled
in an ongoing "debate".  All that happens then is an endless of "battle
by quotes" not dissimilar from the posting to the list of Abrantes.

> We both proselite, the former more than the
>latter, and to me, if the former ever are the ones who dictate our mores, I
>will feel very abrogated.

In a truly theosophical environment, no one would need to dictate anyone
else's mores, as if the Teaching is correct, all such matter will be
taken care of by karma.  If my understanding of TS history has anything
to commend it, then just such attempts by the Theosophical Societies
down the years is producing just such a karma in the form of falling
membership, protest meetings, alternative approaches (such as TI) and so
on.  But that's another subject, although I feel moved to say that the
TS which *I* support does not appear to support *me* in return.  In fact
their own imposition of non-existent rules to dismiss me from my own
Lodge Committee *because* I promote TI (described as a "rival
organisation") and a different point of view amounts to just such
dictatorship.

Alan
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