Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00436)

----------
> From: Lmhem111@aol.com
> 
> . . . BEACON Magazine talks unabashedly about the Masters, Shamballa and
the
Devas
> which are subjects that are avoided for the most part in Wheaton's
financial
> lemon, QUEST magazine. After all, we don't want to scare off the
> academicians, do we? Goodness, those Ph.D's the TS is constantly courting
> might think we're a bunch of New Age loonies! 
> 
BEACON is pretty heavy stuff.  If one wasn't a Baileyite or something
in that neighborhood, one's reaction might be one of confusion as to
terminology
and philosophy.

My impression of QUEST is that it not only leans toward the academic
intellectuals,
but strictly caters to them.  Unfortunately, there aren't that many
academic intellectuals
buying magazines en masse.  They are probably purchasing university
published
periodicals that cater even more to their specialty.  Most of down-trodden
humanity is reading Cosmopolitan, Globe, National Enquirer, People,
Reader's
Digest, etc.  Some are reading Yoga Journal, New Age Journal, Magical
Blend,
Gnosis and Venture Inward. The rest are illiterate and possibly watching
sitcoms on television.

It's kind of hard to keep a magazine financially afloat when it is pitching
to
such a narrow audience.  I wonder if most university magazines are
subsidized
by the institution that prints them?  Perhaps that is the way TS will have
to
keep QUEST alive, if they want to keep the writing at the current PhD
level.  Also, a lot of the above mentioned magazines rely heavily on
advertising.
Lots of advertising.

I used to belong to a group in which the leader used to court people
with letters after their names.  MBA,MD,RN,BS,etc.  Members used
to snicker behind the leader's back, but also with a twinge of sarcasm.
The leader made no effort not to show his preference for the lettered
people, kissing their educated butts, while the degree-less members
plodded on, doing most of the organization's work.

Over the years that I was there, the letter
people abandoned the group for more fertile fields and who
who was left to carry on?  The regular guys and gals.

I think there's a lesson there someplace.  Look at the heart, not at the
letters after the name.

-AEB