Theos-Talk Archives (December 2006 Message tt00388)

Example of Distorting the Historical Record about Robert Crosbie
by U.L.T./Theosophy Company Writers
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In the first edition of "The United Lodge of Theosophists: Its Mission
and its Future" (published by the Theosophy Company, Los Angeles,
California), the reader will find on page 7 the following
statements.

This text is a very good example of how to IGNORE and SUPPRESS
historic facts and create what can be called an IMAGINARY account of
Robert Crosbie's involvement with Mrs. Katherine Tingley.

See some of Dr. H.N. Stoke's important comments AFTER the following
account.

First the ULT/TC account:

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On the death of Mr. Judge in 1896, Mr. Crosbie did what was possible
to induce those most prominent in the T.S.A. to heed the dying words
of Judge - 'There should be calmness. Hold fast; go slow.' But the
same influences held sway as had produced all former wrong courses.
Ambition and the desire to lead on the part of the few caused Mrs.
Katherine Tingley to be heralded to the membership as the 'successor'
of Mr. Judge, as Mrs. Besant had claimed to be the 'successor' of
H.P.B. As ninety-eight per cent of the members accepted the
representations made, Mr. Crosbie could only go with the majority if
he would not desert the work built up by the sacrifices of H.P.B. and
Mr. Judge before him.

Then ensued two painful years of rivalry - first between the T.S.A.,
under the leadership of Mrs. Tingley, and the Olcott-Besant society;
then of violent dissentions between Mrs. Tingley and those who had
been responsible for foisting her upon the confidence of the members
of the T.S.A. This latter war of clashing ambitions and pretensions
to apostolic authority, culminated in the Chicago convention in
February, 1898, where by the vote of more than ninety per cent of the
delegates, the name of T.S.A. was changed to that of 'The Universal
Brotherhood and Theosophical Society' and a new constitution adopted
giving to Madame Tingley absolute autocratic control over all the
activities of the society. A handful of the delegates - those who
had originally vouched for Madame Tingley - 'bolted' the
Convention, and thereafter called themselves the T.S.A.

Of all these events Mr. Crosbie was a witness and, as before, found
no way open but to abide by the decision of the majority. For the
ensuing six years he worked to the fullest extent possible to keep
alive the spirit of fraternity and theosophical propagandum. By 1904
the once strong membership had dwindled away under the lurid
management of Mrs. Tingley until there remained but a few hundred out
of thousands Further efforts being useless, Mr. Crosbie left the
Tingley society and removed to Los Angeles, California.
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I now give BELOW some of Dr. H.N. Stokes' critical comments on the
above U.L.T./TC statement. These are strong words from Stokes who
was also a vocal critic of the Leadbeater-Besant "misleading mayavic
ideations":

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How entirely false is the impression which the above [statement]
appears designed to create will be seen from an article published by
Mr. Crosbie in THE SEARCH LIGHT, Vo. 1, No. 1, April, 1898, pages
3,4, two months after the Chicago convention referred to [above]. It
is only one of several that could be cited. One can see [from Mr.
Crosbie's article] that Mr. Crosbie was not only heart and soul with
Mrs. Tingley, but entertained a very poor opinion of her opponents
who, he claimed, were being sifted out for the good of the Movement.
His "propagandum" was the "propagandum" of Mrs. Tingley....

It is inconceivable that the writers of the official but anonymous
U.L.T. pamphlet [see statement above]... were unacquainted with the
fact that Mr. Crosbie was for fully eight years an ardent Tingleyite,
and it is inconceivable that so honorable a man should have made
false pretenses to the members of the association which he founded.
Why, then, have they used such evasions and misrepresentations which
can only reflect on his character, while they place at its head the
words "There is no Religion higher than Truth"?
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Quoted from: O. E. LIBRARY CRITIC, March 1933, pp. [8] and [10].

Daniel
http://hpb.cc