Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00224)

At 01:39 AM 7/17/97 -0400, Tim Maroney wrote:
>>>we both believe that Crowley was more theosophical than
>>>either the O.T.O. or the T.S. would like to admit).
>
>>I think otherwise. Crowley was a racist pure and simple.
>
>Reductionist biography is a rather futile exercise. Crowley had the 
>failing of racism, just as Blavatsky had many character failings, which 
>even her closest associates had to admit in writing about her. Both of 
>the two also had many other aspects to their character, some positive, 
>some negative, most ambiguous.
>
>Their multidimensionality doesn't make their flaws any less worthy of 
>condemnation. It's just that trying to reduce a complex individual to a 
>single failing is not particularly good biography. It would be like 
>saying that Blavatsky was a foul-tempered faker, pure and simple. She was 
>those things, but whe was also so much more.
>
>--
>Tim Maroney    tim@maroney.org    http://www.maroney.org
>
While there may be shortcomings with everyone, I still feel his very clear
racist attitudes especially to Indians was shown when he used to refer to
Jiddu Krishnamurti as a  *nigger*. He as an Englishman should have known
better. If this has to be ignored, it is ok but not with anyone who truly in
their hearts believe in the human brotherhood/sisterhood. I also think his
shortcomings are more far reaching and fundamental and cannot be compared to
those of HPB. Just looking at her sacrifice and what she has left behind
says it all.

This was what I had in my mind when I made the comment. Hope this clarifies.
Nothing personal, BTW.

YMDMV

MKR