Theos-Talk Archives (February 1997 Message tl00189)

I have been lurking on this list for a while and have smelled some
discontent with the TS in the air, but haven't seen it openly addressed.   I
apologise before hand, if raising an issue specific to the current TS is out
of order.  Please hit your trash button now if you are tired of TS politics.
I also apologise for the length.

I have enlisted in the Theos-buds group hoping to see some discussion about
the future of the TS there,  but have not received any mail from that group
to date.  Is it active?

I have been a member of a TS lodge for around 10 years.  I have visited
several others across two countries. (I am also a member of AMORC and am
active in many New Age forums.)

Over those ten years I have seen the society decline into bigotry and fear.
I have seen it (locally) alienate any newcomers who have arrived,
particularly the young and enthusiastic.  I have seen the average age go up
until I am just a "young thing" (which would be great under any other
circumstances).  I have seen behaviour which would make the corporate world
blush.  I have seen politics which could teach even the most corrupt
politicians something.  I have seen victimisation and brutality which would
make the US police force gasp, and dare I say it, occult activity which
would make a black coven grin with delight.  I have seen active sexism,
racism and ageism which would not be tolerated anywhere else.  Our local
Lodge is losing membership at the rate of 20-30 a year and has been losing
membership for at least as long as I have been getting annual reports.  We
have gone from over 400ish when I joined to 280ish at present.

On the other hand I have seen very little "service", very little kindness,
very little nurturing.  I have seen very few people attempting to become
self aware and work on themselves and I have seen very little of any form of
applied spirituality (whatever that may mean).  Those who are interested in
such a focus tend not to stay in the organisation, either retreating from
active membership, leaving in dismay or being driven out. ( I stress that I
am speaking locally and am not attacking any individual.)

To attempt to redress this I have roused our local membership to form a
network - without official sanction or approval - to look into a vision for
the future both for our local Lodge and for Theosophy (as it affects our
local Lodge) generally.  Our starting position is that the TS structure and
its manner of addressing spiritual issues are outmoded, and that the
organisation will collapse if it continues to refuse to change to suit the
times.   We have committed to retaining a positive focus for our group and
we are not permitting any politics in relation to the current management.
We have created several subgroups to look at aspects of management of a TS
Lodge, (physical facilities, management structure, teachings and activities,
public relations, ethics, and service).

However, I have found myself weighted down by the lack of real enthusiasm
and vision of most of the remaining members of the Lodge (despite their
words to the contrary), and by their unusually high levels of negativity and
fear.  Most of the good young talent has already left.  Any suggestion is
seen as too radical (such radical stuff as changing the tea room hours).
For my efforts I have been slandered, vilified, and ridiculed by the office
bearers and others, with all manner of gossip now flying around to try to
destroy my credibility.

I knew all of this would happen before I started, but I suppose I just
wanted to see how far I could go before it all wore me down, and whether my
efforts would lure any remaining beauty or grace in the organisation out of
hiding.

So what I want to know is this.  Are there any similar groups or movements
within the TS worldwide attempting to do anything similar?  What has been
done before along these lines, who can I hook up with to keep my morale up
while I attempt this monumental feat? Are there others who would like to
build on what we have started, or can we borrow from others?  Are their any
members of the hierarchy anywhere in the world who want to see change?  Are
they willing to work with local individuals and groups to help achieve it?

Or is it all doomed?

I quote from Chuck the Heretic
>On the other hand, I have derived some comfort from the belief that an
>organization that could survive such a collection of lunatics, scoundrels and
>sundry morons must have some great, intrinsic merit to keep it going.

Please tell me what its intrinsic merit is?

I quote from AEB
>Essentially, Wood was saying that TS had turned into a soap opera.
and then Alan
>Which it remained.

And a very vicious one at that!  Give me "Neighbours" any day.

I quote from Einar
>It's my experience that TS workers are not at all enviable of their
>Work, at least not  money-vise, and by reading the posts on this list,
>their work doesn't seem much appreciated otherwise either. Of
>course there are human problems inside the TS. In the management
>of any society there are always traces of revelry, envy, jealousy,
>etc. and it seems to be an "universal law" that those that never
>won't do anything but talk, always know best how NOT to do
>things!

There are many who have come through our Lodge at various times who would
have loved to contribute, but were only allowed to do so if they made
themselves subservient clones of the incumbent power group.  Very few see
any value in doing this.  Please do not forget that Hitler worked very hard
and was totally devoted to his cause, fully believing that he was under
divine guidance,  but did it make his actions "right"?

I am glad that the organisation is healthy in at least one country - this is
good news.  It may mean that the egregore is not totally corrupt.   If our
groups actually manage to keep going, I will certainly ask you some
questions about your local organisation, so that we can learn from your success.

I quote from Einar again
>If you are so unhappy about your position within the theosophical
>movement, as some of you seem to be, pick yourself a position or a
>field of work, and make that however small field an example for
>others to see. If you are really good at it, you will eventually end up
>being a "lamp unto others".

And Einar, tell me that it worth the monumental effort of doing this WITHIN
the TS when no amount of personal light seems to be enough and when effort
may be potentiallybetter spent elsewhere.

Somone else wrote (sorry)
>We are in an age of incredible freedom and dissemination of
>information. The leadership had better learn damn quick that the
>membership now needs them far less than they need the membership.

So - is it already too late?

If this message, or replies to it, are inappropriate for this forum I would
welcome private replies.

Christine




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