Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00512)

--- In theos-talk@y..., "kpauljohnson" <kpauljohnson@y...> wrote:
> This is still too elliptical for me; somehow the conflicting urges
> to avoid being personal and yet to criticize persons leaves your
> message rather muddled.

I don't know Brigitte well enough to make a personal judgment. 
Understand that I'm not judging her as a person but her lack of 
integrity. Big difference.

I have been following the controversy surrounding the articles on her 
web site. Her lack of integrity regarding two authors soured me on 
studying any of her other articles seriously. After that, I haven't 
been to her web site at all. When I want to find some reputable 
Theosophical sources, I go elsewhere. I don't trust her research. 
How complicated is it to understand that?

> Rather than ignoring criticism of a certain kind (that is,
> relentless accusations and personal abuse) I allowed it to drive me
> out of a movement in which I'd spent two productive decades. I
> allowed it to scare me out of doing any further research or writing
> on a subject that continues to hold great interest.

That's where you and I differ. I use my critics' opinion of me as a 
source of vitamins but then again, not all of us are meant to be 
warriors.

> But I do indeed regret having been so traumatized by a handful of
> mean Theosophists that I became too avoidant of controversy, too
> cautious of the possibility of offending powers that be and getting
> attacked as a result.

Theosophists can be mean. It's human nature. We're no better than 
the rest of unenlightened humanity. However, I can see you and I had 
different reactions to this type of behavior. It just brought out 
the warrior in me. I used to be a softie too until I realized I had 
a backbone.

> Only those who have what you call conceit could possibly keep going
> when they're receiving personal criticism for their ideas about
> history.

Maybe, but they don't necessarily make the best scholarly minds.

Cheers,
MNS