THEOSOPHY AND CHRISTIANITY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 18

THEOSOPHY AND CHRISTIANITY.

ro rat editos or tbe presi Sir, —An impartial examination of "The Key to Theosophy" (published, by tho way, over 40 years ago) makos it quite plain that the god not believed in by the writer Was the theological god of half a century ago —the jealous, angry, vindictive god of ancient Judaism. The God believed in approximates very closely to the New Testament conception. The form of prayer favoured therein is aspiratlonal rather than petitionary and the method that suggested in Matthew VI., 6. It is entirely misleading to quote portions only of certain specific "questions and answers," and then to suggest that Theosophists do not believe in God, and do not believe in prayer. There are several copies of this book in the Canterbury Public Library, so that the foregoing statement can very easily be verified.—Yotirs. etc.. THEOSOPHIST. November 27th, 1930.

to TfiE tDITOB or THE PEES 3 Sir, —I wish to assure the Rev. Tremaine Curnow that I never had any wish to escape from answering his questions, but I felt I had to have this question dealt with—that because the gnostics of old were called heretic by the dogmatic Church, their teachings Were not true; and I hope I proved that posterity owes them a great debt of gratitude. But, having dealt with this part, I found that I had already trespassed far enough oh your space. However, I shall return to the subject again if you will allow me; but in the meantime Mr Curnow'B letter makes a remark about another suhject which is a very painful one to me, and about which I only write as a matter of duty; and not a very pleasant one! As he would readily admit if he knew of the numerous anonymous threateningletters I have received. (You are free to see them.) You born in this part of the world could hardly believe it possible what is happening in my poor Italy to-day. I could not have be-lie\-cd it when I left her, poor, it is true, but hard at it, endeavouring to solve the difficult problems then confronting her, and now utterly bankrupt and on the very verge of civil war, which is tho worst curse that might befall any country. I wish it were true that posterity will acclaim Mussolini. I should wish it for the sake of those many thousands of men who are awaiting death in dungeons for tho crime of having dared to oppose a man's male ficent power; Time will give its verdict, apd very soon. Then the truth of all the accusations and views I have expressed will bo vindicated by the disclosures which are bound to follow. I shall leavo off by repeating the&<i great truth* nttertd by my noble leader,

Professor Salvenini, lecturer at Harvard University: "O blessed be England, vrheTO human life is sacred and personal freedom respected," and the following part of a speech uttered in the Italian Senate (February 26th, 1926) by Count Carlo Sforha, a diplomat and author of world-wide repute: "Of all the things which we Italians will acknowledge with shame, even more than the crimes and evil deeds committed by the Fascist regime, it is the fact that our country has been ruled for a time by a man without ideals and intellect, and who is nothing but a second-rate journalist with a great penchant for the gross and the common."—Tours, etc., H. COLONNA. November 27th, 1930.