Theos-Talk Archives (February 1998 Message tl00217)

In message <34EF6F5E.FB37DA3E@gate.net>, Ken Malkin
<malkin@gate.net> writes (in response to Bart)
>Answer questions put to you in a straight forward way! Are you or are
>you not a member of the Esoteric Section? are you a member of the
>liberal Catholic Church?  are you a member of the Co-Masonic Order? are
>you a member of La Draught Humanne? are you a member of the Egyptian
>Rite? All of these organizations are a shadow part of the TSA
>hierachical makeup.

At a time when the UK Government are *instructing* the United Grand
Lodge of England to state whether around some 160 police officers are
Freemasons, and planning to require a declaration with regard to such
membership for future members of the judiciary, it might be a useful
question to ask of everyone on this and the other lists if they will
volunteer the information you mention, as without doubt these things are
relevant to theosophy via its history, and thus can influence its present
and its future, so, although the question was not addressed to me, I for
one would like to answer it (again in some insatnces).

1. I am not and never have been a member of the TS Esoteric Section.

2. I was ordained a bishop in an offshoot of the Liberal Catholic Church
(via Canada) and can trace a direct line of apostolic succession to dear
ol' Chas. Leadbeater himself.  I have since lapsed into heresy and
apostasy, and have little or no time for the LCC and its related
ecclesiastical affiliations.  I cannot however, owing to the nature of the
process, be "unbishoped".

3. I am an inactive Master Mason of the Co-Masonic Order (NB, it's
"Le Droite Humaine") and has HQ in Paris.  In my time with it it had
long ceased (in my area) to have any real connection with the TS, and
hardly any of the local members were theosophists, paid up or not.  I
have no criticism of this organisation as such, though it may be argued
that some of its members in the higher degrees *may* have at different
times exerted an strong influence on TS policies, but I have never seen
any evidence for any kind of "conspiracy" theory in this connection, and
would not suppose that such influence had any connection with their
masonic affiliations.  I have met (in the Co-M lodge) more than a few
high officers who were also members or even officials in the National
TS Society.  This connection was *never* made use of or mentioned in
lodge meetings, and some of those who knew me (or mostly "of" me)
were surprised to find me there.  This has never, to the best of my
knowledge, affected me adversely in any way.

4. I have no idea what "The Egyptian Rite" is.

Phew!

Alan
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