Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt01179)

I am responding to John's recent posting:

While I am happy to answer all your questions, and to make copies of all
correspondence available, I cannot do so at present. I teach in a
University Law School and we are at the end of a teaching semester, with
assignments for marking piled up all over my study ? and course materials
for 2007 requiring re-writing, and another book for Oxford University
Press requiring completion! When I move into calmer times, I will pull out
the substantial files on this matter and undertake a summary of the whole
unpleasant process.

I propose putting all the material together in due course so that there is
a public record what happened.

As for the committee ? I have no idea of its status, and wrote to its
members in the hope that they might have some influence, even if no formal
power.

I would note: John?s family asked NOTHING (including money) in return for
the rights to publish or use his work, and in return for the free gift of
copies of his entire research collection on the Blavatsky correspondence
(subsequently presented as a gift to the National Library of Australia)
BUT the conditions I outlined: (a) acknowledge and the protection of their
rights, and (b) no changes to the work without approval. John, by the way,
had been anxious about Wheaton/Adyar ideological editing and told me (and
others) that he had included a specific clause in the contract he had with
the TPH to give him final editorial control. The family sought to preserve
this as he had wanted, but did not refuse to allow any changes, only to
require that changes be approved by them.

As to who are ?thieves?, my own moral position is that anyone who takes,
or facilitates or cooperates in the taking of, the property of another, or
who knowingly makes use of that property or allows him or herself to be
associated with such taking or using such property is a ?thief?. This is a
wider definition than that given by most legal systems ? but the law is
always narrower than morality. Assume that I am a mechanic and a friend
asks me to undertake repairs on a motor vehicle. I know that vehicle to
have been stolen by my friend. Am I acting morally if I undertake the
repairs? Can I assist my friend to prepare the vehicle for sale (even if I
receive no benefit from the sale)?

Dr Gregory Tillett