Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00322)

Paul:

As I was just mentioning to Katinka, a flexible organization would allow a 
variety of views to be expressed, including those that question the group's 
fundamental concepts. No particular type of dissenting view should be shut 
out simply because it does not go along with the party line.

Even so, if a group is dedicated to presenting particular ideas, it's only 
natural for the group to focus on promoting and sharing those ideas. A 
preponderance of the group's resources would be dedicated to its perceived 
agenda.

Should any of us challenge any key idea, seeking not only to have our view 
heard but additionally to sway others and change the course of the 
organization, politics would come into play and we could be attacked or 
shunned, with our active participation no longer welcome. This is unless 
our ideas win out and the organization changes direction.

We remain free of most of the politics as independents, maintaining 
friendly ties and working closely with people in the various theosophical 
groups. Or, alternately, we become members of all the groups and use that 
associate to facilitate cooperation.

There's the question where can we share our ideas with a broad spectrum of 
theosophical students and not be hampered by politics and the specific 
slant on theosophical that any particular group wants to impose on 
discourse among its members? One place is on an unmoderated mailing list 
where fellow students are actively sharing their thoughts.

-- Eldon