Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl01119)

On Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:39:21 -0400 (EDT) "K. Paul Johnson"
<pjohnson@leo.vsla.edu> writes:
>
>Unfortunately, the anti-CWL forces were so nutty in their
>denuncations of masturbation that the real issues in the case
>have been obscured.  Katherine Tingley was IMO rendering as
>much harm by putting children to bed in devices to prevent
>masturbation (on the order of straitjackets) as CWL was in
>providing hands-on instruction.  Both practices were child
>abuse and could have grave consquences in later life.
>
>Masturbation is not the issue, and homosexuality is not the
>issue.  Taking sexual advantage of minors, swearing them to
>secrecy, telling them this was for their own spiritual welfare,
>and doing so under the guise of a spiritual organization-- those
>are the real issues.  And the TS has done absolutely nothing to
>face them, or even admit what they are.  Tillett's book was not
>reviewed in the AT or the Theosophist, both of which made vague
>references to unnamed "biased attacks."  So perhaps the most
>important issue of all is like that facing the Catholic
>Church.  The sacrifice of truth and the welfare of children in
>order to save the reputation of a corrupt priest and a corrupt
>religious institution.

Your use of the term "taking sexual advantage of minors" implies that CWL
was motivated by personal gratification in what he did.  I see no reason
to believe that.  On what basis do you say that this was not intended to
be and/or actually resulted in the children's spiritual
welfare?  Why are the possibilities that this training was intended to be
and/or actually was beneficial to the children, but that CWL was afraid
that the parents, not being capable of understanding that it was
beneficial for them, would have objected to it had they known about it,
ruled out?

By what passes for "abuse," I was "abused" once by a babysitter as a
child, also, but I am not aware of any ill effects.  Even assuming the
worst, what's the big deal, anyway?  Maybe the sacrifice of truth is
being done by those who go out of their way to see something against
which to crusade.