Theos-Talk Archives (July 2004 Message tt00124)

Respect and Regard for the writers......

Bart, you wrote:

=====================================================

The problem is that, if you base your belief in 
the concepts that have been promulgated in Blavatsky's 
works and the Mahatma letters on the genuity of the 
phenomena, then any fakery in the latter implies 
falsehood of the former. Except that gets one into 
a conundrum, as the former emphasize that acceptance 
of the concepts should NOT be based on the authority 
of the writers, but on their own merits.

=====================================================

I certainly agree that "acceptance 
of the concepts should NOT be based on the authority 
of the writers, but on their own merits."

But at the same time, one can also consider who
is the writer and what can one determine about the
writer from what they write.

For example consider Blavatsky and her writings
and Elizabeth Prophet and her writings.

No doubt, Prophet's writings contains some gems
of truth. Also much of what I believe to be alot of nonsense.
Where did the good ideas come from? Did Prophet
"copy" the ideas from other sources? Did Prophet
occasionally have a few good insights of her own?

But all in all, I consider most of what she writes
as twaddle. So I am not inclined to read many of her
writings having to wade thru the twaddle for the supposed
gems of truth.

I had much rather spend my time on, let us say,
the Blavatsky or Mahatma writings. I certainly
don't blindly accept what Blavatsky or the Mahatmas
write as some gospel truth but as a result of
what I had studied and researched over many years
I have a high regard for the ideas found in their
writings and most of it seems to make alot of sense
when one considers it in its proper context.

As a result of this study, one does gain respect
for the writers although never considering them
infallible whatever that may exactly mean.

I fail to have a similar respect/regard for Prophet although
she may have written her books in good faith and with
the best of intentions. 

Daniel
http://hpb.cc
http://theosophy.info