Theos-Talk Archives (February 2002 Message tt00565)

At 07:13 PM 2/5/02 +0000, you wrote:
> Hey Jerry,
>
> Re the middle, you and others might be interested in the survey of
> spiritual types on the opening page of beliefnet at
> http://www.beliefnet.com
>
> which yields scores that categorize one as (from least to most
> religiously dogmatic):
>
> hardcore skeptic
> spiritual dabbler
> active spiritual seeker
> spiritual straddler
> old-fashioned seeker
> questioning believer
> confident believer
> candidate for clergy
>
> I came out as an active spiritual seeker, which seems fair. Bet
> you're around there too. However, I wonder if the test is too
> slanted to Christians, so that dogmatic Theosophists won't show up as
> such since the dogmas they adhere to aren't the standard ones.
Paul (if you're reading this):

It's a curious test. I took it yesterday and came out
a bit further down the scale. I ended up at
the "spiritual straddler" classification.

This particular scale is intended to measure how committed
one is to a particular religious approach. Whether that's
a good thing or not depends upon the organization, what
it offers, and what it is exactly that one is committing to.

If someone were committed to a particular diet program, odds
are it'll work for him or her. They'll find support from other
program members and start shedding real pounds. Or if they're
committed to AA, they may be able to give up drinking. And the
same for a self-help program to quit smoking.

I see spiritual organizations -- genuine ones -- providing the
same environment for the benefit of their participants.
There is a sangha of fellow seekers, a tried-and-proved
approach to cultivate inner development, and an established
organization to help provide a social setting for seekers and
their families.

Theosophical groups don't offer as much, because they're more
of a "do-it-yourself" approach. The student is given an
initial boost to their budding intuitions and some initial
content for their growing minds to work on. After that, what
happens? It's up to the individual student. You're on your
own, responsible to transform your live yourself and find inner
and outer contacts for a higher life without authoritative
guidance from others.

-- Eldon