Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00359)

That Steiner refused to charter OSE branches in Germany is well documented.
However, condemning his actions with the freedom of belief argument is a sword that
cuts both ways. After all Besant justified her founding of the OSE to those who
opposed her by saying that she was exercising her right to have her beliefs.
Steiner was the General Secretary of the German Section of the TS, not the OSE. He
expressed his right to his beliefs by not recognizing Besant's new organization.
However, he continued his duties to the German TS lodges. If the German people
wanted to charter OSE Lodges, it would have made more sense for them to get their
charters through Besant, rather than obligating the General Secretary to support the
OSE against his beliefs. But Besant didn't see it that way, and exercised her
beliefs by going after Steiner for exercising his. It is also well documented that
Krishnamurti disbanded the OSE in 1929. That was K's expression of his right to his
beliefs, which in this case were more in line with Steiner's. It seems that
everyone got to express their beliefs, but only Steiner was penalized for it. What
is wrong with this picture?

JJHE


M K Ramadoss wrote:

> Glad you posted this. I also distinctly recall having read somewhere else
> also that Steiner's refusal to let the members of German Section joining OSE
> and expelling was the cause of Besant cancelling the Charter of the
> section. This goes to the root of the fundamental policy of TS -- freedom of
> belief and is so serious that no one has the right to restrict it in any manner.
>
> Has anyone any documented information refuting the above background? If so
> it would be very interesting to learn about.
>
> Truth does not need any defenders. It can stand by itself.
>
> my 0.0199999999999 (in floating point)
>
> mkr
>