Re: Theos-World AnandGholap.Net - Online Theosophy
Apr 13, 2005 06:10 PM
by Jerry Hejka-Ekins
Anand,
If I may step into this conversation--I attended a New Religions
conference in Salt Lake City, Utah a couple of years ago. There was a
very interesting presentation about the deep suspicion and distrust some
European governments have concerning minority religions and so-called
new age groups. The Theosophical Society is on this list of suspicious
groups. The speaker specifically mentioned France and Greece as two
countries which are particularly problematic in this matter. As for
Greece, the Greek Orthodox church is very much part of their national
identity. To be anything else, would make you, well, different. To not
be Christian at all, would make you VERY different. The speaker
mentioned that the Islamic population in Greece fought for years to
build a Mosque in Athens. Because Athens is an international city, they
finally got permission, but only to build one mosque in Athens.
In France, the situation is in some ways even worse. Groups such as
Eckankar and ISKCON try to rent conference halls for pubic conventions,
and the Government steps in, contacts the owner of the conference hall
and asks: "Do you realized that your conference hall is scheduled to
host a subversive sect?" The conferences are immediately canceled.
The Theosophical Society in France has a main building in the Camps de
Mars, a short walk from the Eiffel tower. That building has been there
since 1914, but still there is a great deal of suspicion concerning it.
The first time I approached that building, a young man ran across the
road to warned me (in French, of course) not to go near that building
because "they perform human sacrifices in there." There is a threatre
in that building where Annie Besant and Krishnamurti used to lecture.
In the 1920s the French Section was about 10,000 members. It is now
much less than half that membership.
Even in the US, there is a very significant number of people who regard
the Theosophical Society, Besant, Leadbeater, and Blavatsky as parts of
an over all Satanist conspiracy. The word "Occult" is almost synonymous
with Satanism for most people. There is a local radio show here where
an evangelist regularly talks about different "cults" such as Theosophy,
Krishna Consciousness, Alice Bailey etc., and denounces them all as very
dangerous organizations, and one would risk eternal damnation if one
were to associate with them.
In Los Angeles, during the 1970s, about once or twice a year, someone
would storm into a Lodge meeting in progress and warn everyone that they
were going to Hell. For awhile a group of fundamentalist Christians
picketed our Theosophical Lodge with signs warning people to stay away.
In the town where I live, the Animal Control, around Halloween, used to
routinely capture and put to death all black cats they found on the
streets in order to protect them from being captured and used by
Satanists for sacrifices. Fortunately, a couple of years ago, saner
heads prevailed, and the practice was stopped. But only because someone
truthfully argued that no one has ever been identified or arrested as
being a Satanist in this town, and in spite of the many compalints, the
local Police have never found any evidence of cats of any color being
ritually sacrificed by anyone.
What I am saying Anand, is that Christian Europe is very different from
Hindu-Muslim India. I doubt if any Hindu would care if their neighbor
made a yearly pilgrimage to the Adyar Headquarters. In this country,
and particularly in the town where I live, I must be very selective
about what and to whom I speak concerning what I may or may not believe.
Jerry
Anand Gholap wrote:
Erica,
I calculated percentage and that showed very low membership as
percentage of total population, as compared to many other countries.
If you have numbers it will be interesting to see percentage in
various countries.
Anand Gholap
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Erica Letzerich <eletzerich@y...>
wrote:
Anand,
Membership here is low indeed. Greece has 10 million population and
around 80 members, Brazil has 180 million population and around 800
or 700 hundred members. In terms of % there is not much difference
between the membership of the T.S. in Greece and membership in the
T.S. in other countries. Generally membership in the T.S. is very low
all over the world. Or do you consider a society with 35 or 40
thousand members all over the world a great number?
In India how many members are there? 18 thousand or a little more?
The population of India has passed the number of one billion, do you
think in a country with 1 billion people the T.S. to have 18 thousand
members is this a great number? I know I am not referring here to
the exact numbers, but they are very close. If you think that such
numbers are all right, it is your opinion. In my opinion such numbers
are not all right and low membership in the T.S. is a reality not
only in Greece but all over the world!
Erica
Anand Gholap <AnandGholap@A...> wrote:
Erica,
Membership in Greece is ridiculously low as compared to other
countries, if I got correct figure. If you are new there then other
leaders might be Blavatskians. Church may be strong but Greece is
not
a fundamentalist country. So there must be reasons for failure.
People don't become members of TS by reading SD. Most come to
Theosophy after reading books by Leadbeater. Afterwords few unlucky
among them become diehard Blavatskians. Most others read CWL, AB
etc.
and some don't read anything.
Anand Gholap
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Erica Letzerich
wrote:
Anand,
First of all the Theosophical Society in Greece did not fail.
Second the Greek reality is very different from many countries,
the
church here is very, but very strong. For a child to join a public
school has to be baptized in the church otherwise cannot join it.
Because of the strength of the church, orthodoxy here condemns not
only the Theosophical Society but Masonry, and any other movement.
Third this is not a matter of people accepting or not Blavatsky,
because they do not only call Blavatsky Satanist but say much worst
things about Leadbeater. Nobody is trying to impose Blavatsky or
any
other kind of teachings here.
I am now only one year and three months an active member in the
Theosophical Society in Greece (but I am a member of the T.S. 15
years) so it is still too early to attribute anything related to
the
Theosophical Society here to me.
By the way my personal preferences I try do not impose it on
others
and they are exclusively mine. If you conclude that I am a
Blavatskyan it is your own conclusion I never said so. By the way
Blavatsky was not a vegetarian, and many people are not vegetarian
also,so is this a reason to judge them? Buddha's last meal was pork
he was less enlightened for that? I don't think so.
Erica
Anand Gholap wrote:
Erica,
Why do people in Greece call Theosophy satanic ? I found that
Theosophical movement failed in Greece despite favorable
conditions
there. In my opinion this is due to bad direction. I know you are
diehard Blavatskian but why do you punish whole movement in
Greece
for
that. People don't accept Blavatsky in many parts of the world
and
still you insist on her writing. Result is Theosophical movement
failed in Greece.
Anand Gholap
Yahoo! Groups Links
Erica Letzerich .'.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
Erica Letzerich .'.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Back to Top]
Theosophy World:
Dedicated to the Theosophical Philosophy and its Practical Application
