Theos-Talk Archives (February 1997 Message tl00205)

Christine Kent's was one of the most affecting posts I have
ever read on this list.  It echoes the same sentiments about
the TS/Wheaton/Adyar that have been heard from such different
places and over such a long time.  But the conversations never
seem to go beyond a certain point.  We lament the situation,
and have TI as a 60-member Internet group, but an alternative
to the existing power arrangement is rarely proposed.

If 1000 new people have joined the TSA every year for the last
twenty, but only 100 stayed on as longterm members, there are
200,000 ex-Theosophists out there in the US alone.  Even if we
assume 50,000 are dead, that still leaves five times the
current *international* membership as *ex-members* in just this
country!  (Somebody check my math, though.)  How many just
lost interest in the material, and how many were turned off by the
organization?  I'm certainly in the latter group.  How many
would return to some kind of Theosophical affiliation that
imposed none of the hassles imposed by Wheaton/Adyar?  Yet
provided some real international concord and networking,
cooperation in publishing, etc.?

If one of the European independent Theosophical groups (and I
don't know their approaches very well) decided to look for
disaffected current and ex-Adyar members to form a North
American section, there are probably hundreds who would be
immediately interested in such a proposal.  The situation looks
ripe for some sort of competitor to Adyar to reach out to the
many many people who have been alienated.

Cheers
Paul

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