Theos-Talk Archives (September 1999 Message tl00109)

hesse600 wrote:
> Certainly, but I do want a TS where a person who does not
> believe in reincarnation will feel as welkom as one who
> does, and to achieve that, we need an open and therefore
> democratic environment where criticism is as possible and
> welkom as it is on this (and other) lists.

	There is criticism, and there are pot shots. I have had a lot of
experience here where some people took every thing I said and twisted my
every word into something sinister, or drew conclusions that were
completely unwarranted to the point where even a number of people on
their side of the debate started telling them to lay off.

	There was a time when, if John Algeo had come on this list and left a
message saying, "I'm happy to be participating on this list and look
forward to participating in the discussion", several regulars would
somehow take this as a sign that John Algeo was going to be spying on
them, and going to take actions against sections which disagreed with
him. Nobody likes to be in a forum where they are going to receive one
unjust attack after another, where anything they say in their defense,
up to and including solid evidence that the attacks were completely
fabricated, will be used as further evidence against them (it was only
because a few people here urging me on, including people on the "other
side" of the debate, that I didn't quit in disgust myself, much to the
disappointment of some who consider me to be the dupe of the
administration).

	There was one point, for example, when there was a proposed change in
the bylaws which would have allowed the American Section to seize and
redistribute the property of any Lodge as they saw fit. It was brought
up in this list, as evidence to the evil of the administration. I told
the board of my Lodge, and then called John Algeo. He had not realized
that important language had been removed, and I called barely in time
for the language protecting local lodges to be put back. With all the
complaining going on here, nobody even thought to complain where it
counted.

	I hope that you can see why TS officials don't participate on these
lists.

	Bart Lidofsky