Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00190)

Members are afraid to criticize Radha in public?  This list has been  having 
roast Radha for dinner since its inception!  
 
The truth is that the TS is growing less and less about Ancient Wisdom and  
more about the ancients.  Now in and of itself that is not a bad thing as  much 
of what is called Ancient Wisdom is ancient baloney but what happens when  we 
die off?  I looked, or rather tried to look, at one of the lectures on  
Google last night and two things struck me.  First, the audience was so old  that 
being in it would qualify as a near-death experience and second, the  talk was 
so god-awful boring that listening to the whole thing was going to feel  like 
the post death experience!  If that is the image we present to the  world, we 
is sunk.
 
Not only do we need to improve the quality of our literature, we need to  
improve the quality of the video!
 
And we really must be more honest in our treatment of our history.   Twenty 
years ago, at the annual convention, the subject of Theosophical history  came 
up and I said that whatever is written should stop being hagiography.   And 
the loudest agreement came from John Algeo!  
 
Chuck the Heretic
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 10/8/2008 9:23:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
sampsakuukasjarvi@yahoo.com writes:

 
 
 
It is true that Warwick Key's position is unclear. We can see that he  
nominated Algeo in the election, but that doesn't have to make 
him  "Algeoan" (spelling?). We all should think independently. Like 
many  others, I myself support changes to be made, but oppose removing 
the  direct vote.

I think Erica said wise words about non-political nature  of the TS. 
It is also true that concentrating into producing inspiring  
literature is more important than changin the international  rules.

But I disagree with Erica that Radha is the only leader who can  
inspire members. To claim this is an attachment. We have heard this  
song in the TS at least a decade too long; we need fresh blood. Come  
on, Erica, do you want that she will be presidential candidate again  
after seven years if she is still alive and 91 years old 
then "because  there are no others"?

There ARE younger international people who could  lead the TS, but 
they should be encouraged to step forward: Vicente Hao  Chin Jr., 
Pedro Oliveira, and Terezinha Kind, for example.

The main  problem in the TS is the wrong attitude which opposes 
changes. There is a  big mental wall which prevents free discussion 
and changing old people  away and I am afraid that Radha is one reason 
for that; her being still  the head of the TS and head of the Esoteric 
School. Because of her  positions, members dare not to oppose her and 
her ideas in  public.

It is good that leaders are noticing the importance of the  internet. 
The Adyar web pages are at this moment updated and much better  than a 
year ago.

As for modernizising our literature, I think Algeo  has done a 
remarkable work with his Oz and Harry Potter writings, for  example. 
Of course much more must be done in order to get young people's  
attention.

How about "The Theosophist"How about "The Theosophist"<WBR>? It should 
not at all a modern magazine. Articles are  uncritical towards the 
theosophical history and much too long to read and  there are no 
pictures. Media theories say that readers are not able to  read over 
four pages long texts fluently; so why are there 6-10 pages long  
articles in this magazine? Long texts belong to books, not magazines.  
Instead, "The Theosophical Digest" by the TS in the Philippines is a  
very nice modern magazine.


 




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