Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00119)

Anand, friends,

> Like almost all other countries America first serves her own 
> interests. However they understand law of collective karma.
When I have visited other countries, I have been amazed at the strange 
ideas non-Americans have about America. However, this is the first time 
I have ever had a non-American tell me that our American leaders 
"understand the law of collective karma." Not only do they not 
understand it, but they would not believe in it if they did. Anand, 
please understand that the United States is a "Christian country." 
While there are some non-Christian people who live here, the leaders of 
this country are either Christian or Jewish--or at least pretend to be 
so if they want to remain in office. In their eyes, Karma is just 
another one of those "heathen superstitions" coming from a lot of 
ignorant people who believe in thousands of hideous looking gods. In 
the eyes of a Christian, the fact that Hindus actually believe in these 
grotesque "false gods" and bow to their idols is proof of their ignorance. 
Any good, true believing Evangelical Christian will tell you that 
everything that happens to a person, or to a community or to a country 
is ultimately in the hands of God. God ultimately decides the fate of 
other countries and other people--not the United States. The good 
Christian leader merely tries to carry out God's will. 
Do you think that President Bush is not a believing Evangelical 
Christian? Do you really think that President Bush knows anything 
about--let alone believes in "collective karma?" Are you aware that 
President Bush speaks to God every day? So does his close advisers like 
Conoleezza Rice, Tom DeLay, and Karl Rove. Richard Cheney, by the way, 
is a Methodist. Bush's closest staff members have morning prayer 
meetings in the White House before starting work. Are you aware that 
Tom Delay, the Senate Majority whip, is under investigation and being 
charged for widespread political corruption? Delay knows that he is 
innocent of any wrong doing because he had told the country that "God 
guides him in every decision he makes." Further, President Bush 
believes that the end-of-times is very near, and one of the things that 
will happen before the end time comes is that there will be a great war 
in the Middle East. The good people (Americans) will have an all out 
war with the evil people (the heathens, especially the Muslims in the 
Middle East, where the war will be centered). It will be the final 
battle of Good against Evil. Good will win, and the evil people 
(Muslins, Hindus, and other non-Christians) will all burn in agony for 
eternity in Hell because they did not accept Jesus as their savior. The 
good people (Americans who have accepted Jesus as their savior) will go 
to heaven and be with God. Under the Bush Administration, all policies 
are made in context of beliefs of this nature. They are not based upon 
come non-Christian notions about "collective karma." 
It is not just the White House where this kind of thinking goes on. It 
is everywhere in middle America. In this town (where I live) we have 
city council meeting twice a month. I attend the meetings. At the very 
beginning of each meeting, everyone present stands and faces the 
American flag and puts their right hand over their heart. They then in 
unison pledge their loyalty to the flag and to the United States. They 
affirm in unison that the United States is "One Nation *Under God.* 
After they finish reciting the pledge (which is broadcast on 
television), they sit down and bow their heads and join in a ten minute 
prayer, led by a Christian Minister from a local church. During this 
prayer, the Minister thanks God for all the good things that has come to 
the city, and thanks God for being present and for guiding City Council 
members in their decisions. He then thanks God for sending his only 
begotten son, Jesus Christ, to earth in order to suffer on the cross and 
die in order to atone for our sins. 
It is very important that you understand that Evangelical Christians are 
already saved. Those who run this country don't have to worry about the 
consequences of decisions which may inadvertently kill a few thousand 
innocent people, or to inadvertently create a famine somewhere in the 
world. If people are starving, or are unsuccessful, it is not about 
their "karma." It is not about Congress making a bad decision. It is 
because the people in that country were probably not "right with God" in 
the first place. When they become right with God, then they will have 
everything they want and need. The United States, therefore, has no 
obligation to provide for India or any other country--especially 
non-Christian ones. Think about it. 
> So they are wise enough to understand that if all countries progress America 
> would automatically benefit.
This is not correct. Any Evangelical Christian will tell you that 
America is the most powerful and the richest country in the world 
because God favors America. This country will remain the wealthiest and 
most powerful country as long as God wills it to be so. God will 
continue to make it so as long as there are enough Americans who are 
"right with God." The Pilgrims who came here in the seventeenth century 
made a covenant with God. God keeps that covenant with America and 
America keeps that covenant with God. It has nothing to do with how we 
treat other countries--especially "heathen countries" who "worship false 
gods." On the other hand, if a heathen country has cheap labor to 
offer--why not? Think about it. 
> So many of America's policies take into account interests of other nations, especially countries friendly to 
> the US. All political, economic and other policies of the US are guided by these principles. 
I'm beginning to realize that the things you believe about this country 
are more fantastic than the romantic myths the people of this country 
create for themselves. In the case of Great Britain, you are right. 
The United States and Great Britain do work very closely together. But 
they do so in order to assure that world policies work in *their* 
favor. However, Great Britain is the only country I can think of, off 
hand, which might fit your statement. 
> I have my own idea about 'good English' but I would like to know what 
> do you mean by 'good English'
By "good English" you must mean "good writing." Otherwise, what is 
today called "good English" is also known as the "Queen's English." I 
do not speak the Queen's English. Rather, I speak a mid-South dialect 
of American English. 
Regarding what constitutes "good writing," I took several graduate 
courses where we primarily engaged this question. It is not a question 
which can be answered in a sentence or two. I would have to spend a 
great deal of time discussing the process of writing itself; the 
different kinds of discourse; different rules which apply and don't 
apply to those different kinds of discourse; issues of style which also 
takes into account the audience, occasion, purpose etc. After 
considering these, we still have not begun to engage issues concerning 
literary elements such as, genre, symbol, metaphor, irony, paradox etc. 
Nor have we considered the linguistic elements such as grammar, syntax, 
structure, semantics, and the use of phonology and morphology. I'm not 
trying to snow you with a lot of jargon--rather, I am just trying to get 
across to you that there is far more to your question than what appears 
on the surface. Instead, allow me to give you a generalized and partial 
answer to your question:

First of all, what constitutes good writing depends upon the purpose the 
writer wishes to accomplish. A poem, a business letter, a fictional 
narrative, a descriptive technical paper, an expository essay etc. all 
require different modes of writings--different applications of rules.

If you want to explore this topic further in light of Theosophical 
discourse, I suggest that you carefully re-read (in light of the new 
information I give here), the two posts I previously sent you which 
analyzed Blavatsky's writing. I also noticed that Dr. Tillett recently 
posted some comments on the subject, which are also worth carefully 
re-reading. Perhaps, you might wish to try your hand at it and post an 
analysis of Leadbeater's writing. If so, I would read it with great 
interest. 

> > The most popular program at the time was a series called "Beverly Hills 90210." It was a fictional series about the sex lives of teenage kids growing up in Beverly Hills. 
> Perhaps most people in the world like this subject. TV programs are 
> made according to demand from people. There is huge demand for such 
> programs and so producers make and show such programs.
Precisely. And what does this say about "most people's" values?

Best wishes,

Jerry












Anand Gholap wrote:

> Jerry,
> I wonder if you also 
>
> > believe other popular American myths, like: "Anyone can become 
> > President" or, "There are no poor people in America" or, "In 
> American, 
>
> > anyone can get rich." 
> I don't believe in these American myths.
>
> I would add that: If you think that American 
>
> > policy makers cares about the welfare of India, you are also sadly 
> > mistaken. Policies which allow American jobs to go to India is 
> solely 
>
> > done to serve the interests of American corporations which are 
> seeking 
>
> > cheap labor to manufacture, and provides services for their 
> products, 
>
> > and to avoid paying taxes.
> Like almost all other countries America first serves her own 
> interests. However they understand law of collective karma. So they 
> are wise enough to understand that if all countries progress America 
> would automatically benefit. So many of America's policies take into 
> account interests of other nations, especially countries friendly to 
> the US. All political, economic and other policies of the US are 
> guided by these principles. 
> I have my own idea about 'good English' but I would like to know what 
> do you mean by 'good English'
>
>
>
> > > However in newspapers I find that there are articles on large 
> number of topics including 
>
> > > spirituality.
> > Only a small minority of Americans subscribe to or read newspapers.
> This is strange. I will comment after getting actual statistics.
>
>
>
> > > Other media also expose people to many other subjects which are 
> not covered in schools and 
>
> > > universities. 
>
>
> > Unfortunately, the Majority of Americans do not have cable access 
> (which 
>
> > is too expensive for most people) and, therefore, never see those 
> rare 
>
> > quality programs, let alone the awful ones.
> This is also unbelievable. I will comment after getting statistics.
>
>
> One of the questions I asked was what was their favorite 
>
> > program. The most popular program at the time was a series called 
> > "Beverly Hills 90210." It was a fictional series about the sex 
> lives of 
>
> > teenage kids growing up in Beverly Hills. 
> Perhaps most people in the world like this subject. TV programs are 
> made according to demand from people. There is huge demand for such 
> programs and so producers make and show such programs.
>
>
>
> > > It is only in Theosophy related things that America 
> > > disappointed me. I hope they will improve.
> > You might take that issue up with TSA and tell me how far you get 
> with 
>
> > them. I tried to work with them for about thirty years and gave 
> up. 
>
> > Perhaps you will succeed where all others have failed.
> If I was staying in America it would have been much easier to do 
> Theosophical work there. Still I will try my best to help.
>
> Best wishes,
> Anand Gholap
>
>
>
>
>
>
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