Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00731)

Hi Bill,

I do indeed remember some pretty stimulating conversations with you 
back in the day. 

This article is very interesting. I confess I didn't really realize 
that Christianity was so polarized concerning good and evil. The Pope 
must be in hell? This article seems to me to be a very good example 
of the dangers of reading the Bible, surely one of the most occult of 
documents of our cycle, in a literal way. Does not the real teaching 
contained in the Bible lie in a more subtle reading, taking into 
consideration symbols and references to ancient wisdom? 

The very concept of hell, and saying that the true Christians will go 
to heaven and everyone else will go to hell, seems to me to be pure 
Disintegrator talking. It is the opposite of the teaching that all 
life is one, saying instead that only "we" (not me!) will be saved, 
and all the rest suffer eternal damnation. If you 're not with us 
you're against us. There is no hope? This is not theosophy talking.

The passage about "by their fruit you will know them," is a great 
statement about karma. If we behave according to the Laws of Nature, 
we will benefit from the effects of such causes. If we break Nature's 
laws with abandon, we will suffer the consequences as Nature seeks to 
reestablish balance. Interesting that this elegant analogy is being 
used to support the idea of judging our fellow men and women. This is 
how literal reading can be used to distort the real meaning. The real 
meaning is empowering. If we do right we make a good future for 
ourselves, but if we do wrong, we will suffer. It's all up to us. 
Self-responsibility, the ultimate power of the individual. Life is 
what we make it.  The distortion produces fear and thus weakness and 
lack of independence. If we do wrong we burn eternally in hell, no 
hope. Goodness. 

Your comments about your observations of  Theosophists suggest that 
we are a collection of individuals, none perfect, but all trying. 
Naturally the doctrine will become more important than the inner 
meaning. This always happens in spiritual movements. We struggle to 
keep the line pure, but the material plane cannot really support the 
pure truth, and there is always the desire among some to profit from 
the power gained if others are confused and kept in fear. I suppose 
the best thing to do is just to go about our daily lives living the 
best we can according to our highest ideals, and forgiving ourselves 
if we fall once in awhile. Get up and try again. We are a part of a 
vast entity, the Human Race, and we each have a part to play. I'm 
very grateful to have been born in this cycle, where I have access to 
some guidelines, those given in theosophical literature, which really 
make sense and really help.

Adelasie

On 12 Nov 2006 at 12:44, Bill Meredith wrote:

> Dear Adelasie, 
> If you have time, I would like to get your views on this article: 
> http://www.apuritansmind.com/ChristianWalk/McMahonTreeAndItsFruit.htm
> If you recall, you and I have had similar discussions in the distant 
> past on BN-Study.  My thoughts over the intervening years have come to 
> be more in line with yours as I continue to seek for understanding.  It 
> seems, however, that theosophy, when defined as a collection of people 
> with various ideas, has accumulated its fair share of puritan minds.
> 
> It has often been my observation that devout Theosophists are not really 
> that different from devout Christians in behavior.  Both groups are 
> intellectually inclined to harsh judgments and intolerance.  It has 
> become clear to me in discussions with such people, no matter their 
> particular creed, that they relish perceiving themeselves as the Knowers 
> and Defenders of Truth.  Hence all evidence that supports their Beliefs 
> is evidence of Truth and all evidence that represents the antithesis of 
> their Beliefs is slander and lies used as food to sustain their 
> Beliefs.  This usually takes the form of expressing pride and happiness 
> in being "attacked" and "challenged" because being opposed in one's 
> beliefs is further evidence that one's Beliefs are the Truth.
> 
> peace within,
> 
> --bill