Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00563)

Tom Robertson wrote:

> The TS should be more like a cult.  In arriving at the optimal balance,
> destructive extremes must be moved toward.

[Cringe]

Tom,

Though I think your minority opinions have a certain admirable passion to them
and compensate some one-sided attitudes prevalent today, I have to say this is
going too far. Having come from a pure and good teaching that became a cult
after the founder died, the words cult and extreme produce a literal gut
reaction in me. I have personally seen and heard too many horror stories of
the damage cults have done. Even more stomach wrenching for me than the
damage done to members is the desecration and twisting of pure truths.

> I do not consider it to be a coincidence that the peak membership of the TS
> was immediately before Annie Besant's death.  We need strong leaders like
> her.

If leaders are selfless and good, then being strong is an asset. Even strong
leadership, however, should be as a scaffolding to erect strong members and
then taken down. Otherwise the group follows the demise we have witnessed
over and over in religions: one to three generations after the avatar
has come, his or her teachings are made of no effect.