Theos-Talk Archives (May 2011 Message tt00072)

Dear MKR and readers

My views are:

"Cult" tendencies like pictured in the below video ???


"Cult Tactics & Mind Control - B.I.T.E." 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3FO0pAj528

I will tell you why I ask like I do...
Our present time have Exit Counsellors, which are special Psychologist etc., which honestly seek to help Cult victims (those who sufferers and those volunterily willing)  in a humanistic and empathic manner. 

One of the foremost tasks in deluded Sects and Cults gone astray, and, a task which according to Exit Counsellors characterizes a clear secterian behaviour, is, when one says: the promulgated teaching must NOT be criticised or viewed critically, (especially when seeking comparative studying ). This is an important point of view.

I ASK:
--- I do not hope that, you, and the readers organisation or group are following such a Secterian or Cult-like behaviour as mentioned in the above - and then go and cheat people that this is the core of Altruism and the so-called Psychological Key on how to promulgate it?
---- And the theosophical FORUMS you are a member of, what about their behaviour? Do any of them have self-elected "popes"?

- - - - - - -
>From Exit Counsellor Steve Hassan's teachings we have the following which characterizes a Secterian group or a so-called "spiritual teacher" or Channel. The words are in agreement with most Exit Counseelor psychologists and similar:

BEHAVIOUR CONTROL
1. Continous reminders about the leaders or the various leaders authority.
2. Obedience to human presentations are the most important. Only believe. Do not ask questions.
(I add: Answer will not be given.)
3. THEIR exemplary behavior makes the group feel particularly spiritual and that they appear spiritual to outsiders.
4. Link their behavioral control of "special"spiritual insight into the scriptures.
5. If a person has difficulty to cooperate, they can be invited to become something more like older members of the group; to follow the leader's "example".

The words have been taken from the first part of the above video on the same.
I do however not agree with all that is given in the video, but I find its content might be healthy for any honest theospophical seeker to know about. Especially since the Theosophical Society fra its start was given as a non-secterian body (See CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
The Theosophist - January 1891--- http://www.global-theosophy.net/ts_constitution_rules.php --- "The Theosophical Society is absolutely unsectarian")

- - -
Now I posed some questions.
You could copy this e-mail and ask your the leaders of your groups and organisations about the same.
Well, you could, could you not?

And you could throw yourselves into the effort of taking secterian versus non-secterian behaviour seriously in your hearts. Seriously in the name of altruism. There are as far as I know plenty of victims to secterian and cult-like behaviour on the planet right now. Let us not promote such a thing - I beg you all.

- - -

THE AIMS OF THEOS-TALK FORUM has CHANGED
The aims of Theos-Talk forum has been changed recently: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/ - and now follow the aims given in the Theosopshical Society Constitutions after 1896 - and the line given in 1891 saying: "The Theosophical Society is absolutely unsectarian" has for reasons unknown been deleted. And saying that one is "completely independant" of other theosophical organizations is as I see it therefore not quite true. I do hope that the almost completely "self-elected" moderator of the forum do not mind me saying so?

So when Theos-talk forums front page is saying that "Theosophists, and theosophists, agree with at least three principles.", I find that it might only cover a certain group of theosophists and not other groups of theosophists. Do you not agree?
So which theosophical group or groups are Theos-talk forum then mainly referring to after all? 
And why have the persons behind Theos-Talk forum found it important to deviate from the 1891 Theosophical constitution when we consider avoiding Secterian behaviour?

I merely ask question from the heart and I suggest, that we seek to be honest and not the opposite.

Some will call this semantics, but others will most certainly not.
And the blurred business about whether Theos-Talk forum is a hidden agenda for a political party, need to beclairified on the forums front page, or in an attached file, as far as I am concerned. And I do hope that the readers understand why?

These were my questions and views.
They were written to be of service to us all as far as possible.
No answer on the above, is of course also an answer.



M. Sufilight


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: MKR 
  To: theos-talk 
  Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2011 7:44 AM
  Subject: theos-talk Is TS in America a Cult????


    
  When anyone reads the recent statement of TS in America regarding its action
  to cancel the charter and seize the assets that appeared in the recent issue
  of Messenger, the official magazine of Theosophical Society in America,
  there is a high likelyhood that the reader will come to the conclusion that
  TS is a Cult.

  The effort of the Section to cancel the charter being not accepted by the
  International President drew the following response:

  âThis decision creates an "island" of a renegade lodge functioning within
  our midst, falsely representing the Society and its principles.â

  To this day, membership has not been told about the specific violations of
  the rules of TS or that of the bylaws of the Section. Members are in the
  dark as to what are the real reasons behind the decision. Secrecy in the old
  days worked. Today, with Internet, great transparency is needed if members
  are to believe in the seriousness of the lapses or violations and fairness
  of the serious decision to cancel the charter, which should be the action of
  last resort.

  The allegation that the lodge is a ârenegade functioning within our midstâ
  and that it is âfalsely representing the Society and its principlesâ looks
  like what we used to hear from cults when someone crosses the line on its
  beliefs.

  Already very few in the pubic understand what TS stands for and its Objects.
  Reading the above allegation raises the simple question - in what way the
  Orlando lodge falsely represented the Society and what is the correct
  representation as viewed from Olcott. Also what way the lodge made false
  representation of the principles and what are the correct representation of
  the principles.

  If the TS in America can get away with such vague (unsubstantiated)
  allegations against a 75 year old functioning lodge, similar charges can be
  brought about any lodge in the country which has assets, at the whim of the
  leadership and for wrong reasons.

  The issues raised by the decision of the Section should be transparently
  explained to the membership without delay as continued silence is going to
  hurt theosophy and TS in this country. The saying - Silence is golden - is
  not going to work in todayâs Internet environment.

  MKR

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