Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00165)

N.Malcom wrote:
>
> How would one go about defending these shelters? Would defence be to the
> death? To kill another human being for our own survival...is this
> theosophy?

Is it anti-theosophical to have an army for defensive purposes? Was it
untheosophical to fight against Hitler? Is it untheosophical to defend your
family, with guns if required, if a madman comes and tries to kill you all?

> Compassion, indifference to individuality in defference to all?
> Would the same thoughts lead to turning away the sick and injured from
> treatment, if the amount of medicine were limited?

If the medical supplies are limited you use them till they run out, then you do
the best you can without them.

> to take such pains to save
> oneself and ones own close companions, to encourage spending money to
> promote one's own survival

This is NOT done at anybody else's expense. If I did not build a shelter there
would not be a shelter there to save anybody in times of need. If I build a
shelter, enough for the needs of my family and even more, i could not only save
those I am responsible to protect, but additionl people who had no shelters of
their own. But once the shelter capacity is used up the necessity to defend
might arise.

> and being armed to shoot those who might hinder
> my survival over their own, does not seem very theosophical, nor
> charitible.

To save, lets say 100 people, seems to me to be a lot more charitable than not
to save anybody.

> Yes, we live in this world, and it is a violent one, but we are supposed to
> be aware of the broader picture. To die in a nucluar war would be better
> than to watch others die around us while we sit safely "dug in" and heap
> karma around us.

There is failing logic here. Because other people die I should die also? NO, by
surviving and thriving can I support life after the war, not by letting myself
be killed.

--
Bjorn

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