Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00630)

Perry,

I assume you are still subscribing to Theos-Talk and also reading 
Theos-Talk postings.

I have a question or two for you.

There has been a great deal of discussion on Theos-Talk in recent 
months about the Adyar TS and some of the internal "power struggles" 
going on and which seem to revolve around the rights and freedoms of 
the indiviual member.

I have also noticed of late that Pedro Oliveira has posted to Theos-
Talk a message with the title:  "Members' freedom is the life of the 
TS".  You can read his posting at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/46501

I feel that this posting by Pedro and its appeal to "Members' 
freedom" may have some bearing and even deeper implications to what 
you experienced several years ago in your dealings with the Australia 
TS (Adyar).

In at least two different postings, you wrote about this topic.  I 
refer to these two postings of yours:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/40118
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/40128

In one of those postings, you ask the following question:

"Why was I disallowed membership from the society for my comments here
on theos-talk, if it is a society that fearlessly holds to freedom of
thought and opinion?:

And in the other posting, you give "a letter from the National EC in 
Sydney" written to you.

Perry, my question is:  do you still hold your position that you gave 
as reflected in your question above?

And can you tell us more about this letter from the "National EC in 
Sydney", who was on the National EC and how this letter and its 
decision related to your question????

I ask you this because we might all agree that "Members' freedom 
is the life of the TS" but is it really practised as preached?

It is all well and good to talk about "freedom of thought" but of 
course any of us can practice freedom of THOUGHT anytime, anywhere in 
the privacy of our own thoughts or in our homes, etc.  But does 
freedom of thought translate into the freedom to speak, the freedom 
to write, the freedom to  be published, for example in the TS's 
magazines, to be allowed to speak freely at TS meetings, TS 
conventions, etc. or as in this case apparently the freedom to 
express ones opinion on theos-talk without suffering "punishment" for 
your speaking out?

Why should you have been "disallowed membership from the society" for 
your comments on Theos-Talk which is NOT even part of the Adyar 
Theosophical Society???

Hoping to hear from you.

Daniel
http://hpb.cc