Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00107)

Hi, Paul:

It seems to me what they are saying is not that truth
seekers are immoral, but rather:

"Well, yes that is true, but to admit it 'bothers' us.
I shall therefore try to distract attention with a
lot of fustian and hope that nobody notices what I am
doing. Then I can pretend that I have triumphantly
vanquished the truth, or if it is impossible to
vanquish the truth, at least to pretend that I have
vanquished the truth seeker."

I don't find this irritating at all. I find it
baffling. Why would someone want to conceal the truth
unless he thinks there is something guilty about it,
and why, if he thanks there is something guilty about
it, would he want to become an accomplice to the
guilt?

If Blavatsky studied with Randolph, as it is clear she
did, so what? If she changed her minds about things,
so what? How can someone try to prevent people from
learning the truth and simultaneously say out of the
other side of his mouth that he is encouraging them to
study it? What is this, some sort of game? Can
anyone explain it to me?

That is a problem I have with Cranston's book. From
what has been posted on these lists, Cranston
evidently was a cover upper of the truth in her own
right, and repeatedly argued for positions that were
palpably false. Why would anyone want to do that? 
Does that honor HPB or anyone else?

Another historical character I find interesting is
Moses. According to his bio, he was a volcano
worshipper. Never mind that there were and are no
volcanoes in the Sinai Desert. Scholars therefore
believe that the stories of two Hebrew heroes were
merged in ancient times into one literary character
and that the volcano worshipper was not the man who
led his people out of Egypt. That of course means
about half the story, including the Ten Commandments,
have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Moses.

One of these TWO guys went up to the summit of a
volcano, breathed all sorts of fumes, and heard
voices. I believe that makes sense. There is nothing
mysterious about it and no reason to doubt that the
story is true (even though it is not the story of
Moses). Yet hundreds of millions of people who are
NOT volcano worshippers and who would laugh out loud
at the thought of becoming one, nonetheless believe
Moses or whoever the volcano guy was had the inside
skinny. They then proceed to ignore everything he
said. Nobody makes altars of shew wood and burns his
lunch in the 21st century. Nobody worships a brazen
serpent the way he taught his people to do. You
can't, really, because King Hezekiah had the thing
thrown out and melted down 3,000 years ago. Yet they
profess to follow his every word. If anyone points
out how absurd all this is, they get very upset. How
does any of this make sense?

I guess I am condemned to be forever "etic." The
world of the inside and true believer is a deep
mystery to me.

Initiate me, O emic people,

Steve


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