Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00495)

Hi,

Everyone knows now that Paul Johnson's ideas about HPB and Masters are completely wrong, from the start.  

Yet, interestingly enough,  Daniel does not discuss Johnson's  ideas about the methods actually used by J. Algeo and himself.     


Carlos. 


De:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com

Para:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com

Cópia:

Data:Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:20:53 -0000

Assunto:Theos-World My 2003 Theos-Talk Posting on "Ad Hominem" Arguments

> It is unfortunate that many critics of (as well as many supporters of)
> Paul Johnson's historical research must resort to "name calling"
> and "ad hominem" arguments instead of dealing with the historical
> issues to be found in Johnson's works and those critiques of his work.
> 
> Jerome Wheeler's labelling of Johnson as a "fraudulent historian" and 
> Steve Stubb's reference to Johnson's "dishonest and untalented 
> detractors" only DISTRACT readers and inquirers from exploring the 
> REAL historical issues and problems surrounding what Johnson has 
> written about Blavatsky's Masters and what some of Johnson's critics 
> have written in rebuttal.
> 
> Although I disagree with a number of statements made by Jerome in his
> letter to the editor of FOHAT, I certainly think Jerome gives good
> advice when he writes:
> 
> =====================================================
> In the case of K. Paul Johnson when we are asked our opinion of his
> book, THE MASTERS REVEALED, we mail the enquirer a copy of Daniel
> Caldwell's K. PAUL JOHNSON'S HOUSE OF CARDS, along with David
> Pratt's "The Theosophical Mahatmas, a Critique of Paul Johnson's New
> Myth" with the suggestion: 'Here, read this and compare. You are
> the jury." As theosophists we are philanthropic investigators and
> must by our own efforts discover which party purveys diamonds and
> which cut-glass.
> =====================================================
> 
> When Bart observes that Johnson's "TMR makes people think. This is
> annoying to people who don't want to think, and anathema to people
> who don't want others to think," I would add that I wrote my critique
> on Johnson's thesis about the Masters M. and K.H. as a result of
> trying to grapple with and think through the issues raised in
> Johnson's TMR. 
> 
> I had found that far too many readers, reviewers and
> scholars had accepted at face value many of Johnson's assertions
> without knowing enough about the subject and/or without thinking
> through some of statements set forth in TMR.
> 
> A good example of "trying to think through the issues" can be found
> in what I wrote in the following essay:
> 
> http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/johnsonparanormal3.htm
> 
> So I agree with both Jerome and Bart and urge interested readers to:
> 
> Read. . . compare. . . think thru the issues. . . .
> 
> Daniel H. Caldwell
> BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER/BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
> http://blavatskyarchives.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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