Theos-Talk Archives (December 2006 Message tt00013)

What is a society 
& what is propaganda??? 

To Carl Ek:

I am responding in part to your latest posting
about the ULT.

Carlos Aveline wrote in one of his Oct. postings:

--------------------------------------------
The ULT, besides being much smaller than Adyar, is not a
Theosophical Society and makes no propaganda of itself.

It does not have a corporation status. It is an informal network of
students present in 15 countries. So it cannot be compared to the
Adyar Theosophical Society, which makes a lot of public propaganda.
--------------------------------------------

Now contrary to Mr. Aveline's pronouncement, both the Theosophical 
Society Adyar and the United Lodge of Theosophist are "societies" in 
light of the following dictionary definitions:

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2 : a voluntary association of individuals for common ends;
especially : an organized group working together or periodically
meeting because of common interests, beliefs, or profession
3 a : an enduring and cooperating social group whose members have
developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction
with one another
------------------------------------------

It is true that the ULT is smaller than Adyar but that doesn't
change the fact that they are both societies.

And both of them can be considered Theosophical societies.

Again Mr. Aveline wants us to believe that the TS Adyar engages in
propaganda and the ULT does not.

But consider the dictionary definitions of "propaganda":
-------------------------------------------------------------
1 : The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of
information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating
such a doctrine or cause.
2 : the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of
helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
-------------------------------------------------------------

Although the word "propaganda" can have a negative connotation in
some situations, the word can be simply defined as:

"the spreading of ideas, information....for the purpose of
helping...a cause"

Certainly both the ULT and the TS Adyar spread ideas and information
through pamphlets, books, magazines, lectures, websites, etc.

I have seen ads/announcements in newspapers about the ULT and its
lectures and books. The ULT Los Angeles has a website. There are
other ULT websites. There are ULT leaflets, lectures, books,
magazines, etc. All of these are ways of spreading ideas and
information, propagation of information for the purpose of helping
the Theosophical cause....

No doubt, since the TS Adyar is larger than the ULT, there is more
public dissemination of info by the TS Adyar.

Still...both organizations do propaganda.

Daniel
http://hpb.cc