Theos-Talk Archives (August 2001 Message tt00086)

Katinka Hesselink wrote:
> As for the influence of Theosophy on Decisions?
> I am afraid (and happy to say) that based on practical experience,
> theosophists make very different dicisions. Among the American members of
> theos-l for instance we had both conservatives and democrats. To me that
> shows that theosophy leaves each person to find out for themselves what
> the true way is. If there were easy and clear ways of making decisions,
> life would not be so complicated.

It also shows that, contrary to what both the conservatives and the
liberals state, theirs are not the only positions possible. No issue
stands in a vacuum. If money and effort goes to one project, then it
does not go to another. There are many solutions to any given problem,
and have varying possibilities of success. In addition, most decisions
are multifactored, and some people consider some factors more important
than others. 

And, finally, far too many people confuse "better" and "worse"
(relative terms) with "good" and "bad" (absolute terms). There are some
problems (the question of abortion comes to mind immediately), for which
there are "better" and "worse" solutions, but no "good" solutions. 

Theosophists are supposed to come to the decision that, in the long
run, will make this world a better place in which to live and evolve.
Our inability to accurately predict the future is the key to our
differences.

Bart Lidofsky