THE STAR IN THE EAST.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2137, 1 May 1914, Page 10

THE STAR IN THE EAST.

Sir,—As t.l\o Rev. Mr. Sola has mentioned my name in his tetter criticising theosophy and "The Qnler ol' tho jStar In the East"," I herein tell that gentleman, that, although tile two organist tioii3 are related as parent and child, tiiev have distinct individualities, totally different work, awl different pintforms, so I answer his statements about both in separate paragraphs. 1. Titcosophy needs 110 reconciliation with Christianity, because it has 110 quarrel with it; but according to tlio statements of many clcrgynKm, notftbly in tlio church journals, Christianity has a serious quarrel with thqgsojjhy. The Theosophical Society looks upon Christianity as one of the, prcai world-reli-gions, so rcspccts it. 'j'licosrtpliy never attacks any religion, but it defends itsell', its society, and its leaders when attacked by less broad-minded rehguuiists. "2. The persistency with which the journals of the Anglican Church in Xew Zealand, and many of its clergymen, have quoted Miss Jl'N'oiVr inaccurate and misleading pamphlet, is an obj«tlosson lo all interested. ospwially to those who know the utter WorlbksMtPiis o£ it, Hero are same facts:—Misa

M'Ncilc liocainc interested in theosophy, htarted oil' for I'iidia, to study it under Mrs. ISemuit; l.mt meeting some llonnin Catholic missionaries iirsi. she accepted tiieir rupresoiitatioii o.f it, iiistcucl of suulyiiiK it; then actually paid a short visit of an hour or so to iv'rs. Busaut, >n order to convert her. Mk. Besant, in writing of this interview, says: "It was very nice of tho little lady, tmt uot very wise." Tiie members of the Tlieoisuphiciil Society think it- a veiy nnnisiiiK incident. Imagine thu president of a worW-wide morcnicnt, such as the Thfcosophionl Society—a woman wiiosft wonrtcrful powers of oratory and kiiowied.u,e of social problems, aiid wortd-reli-i'ioiis draws thousands to her lectures in Britain, Europe, and America, etc., and wlm.se books have also a world-wide circulation, being converted by a woman as easily t-unicd round by the Jiist people nici, as was Miss M'Neilo, one who had not timo between her starting for India and her meeting with Mrs. fies* ant to stud,? even the ba-re outlines of theosophy, but got her inforniati-wi nopn the subject from its opponents. Vet her paißpjilst is boomed everywhere bv ths Christian clergy, aSid the qnotaticiH from it in the last paragraph -of Mr. Sola's letter has been spread throughout- tho 'Dominion in their Ohurdi "Chronicle,"- many copies of iviiicli containing this and otliei' utterly false statements concerning theosophy, are now filed at the tlieosopiiical headquarters for future reference. I have no hesitation in saying that from the words "definitely states" to the cud of that paragraph there is not one word of truth, so that if Miss M'Noilo is really "a deep student of tUeosophy," she is either utterly incapable of anderstandinc it, or is deliberately misleading 1 leave tij6 clergy, who -have advertised her and used her untruths, to decide, which. -, fl. How can theosophy, even on tho evidence of tbis "deep student," be "a devoted and selfkss propsigando." if Mr. Sola's statement, a few lines further on, be true, vis;., that in Madras Christianity is bitterly attacked by it, 'ivliilo in ' Ceylon an,-organised caHipaign uftainst Christianity is carried on (by theosophists). rival schools being run with the deliberate intention of ruining Christian schools? If Miss M'NeiJe's. ataMnfint is correct, then Mr. Sola's is übs-.urd, and as he says her ■ criticism is all thft more vainable, because site believes it is "devoted and selfless," lie lias made Iter words o»' non-effect. 4. Certainly ow policy appears different in diferent places. Wo never attack, but if attacked wo answer tlio accusations, and in doing so must quote the attacking party, and we are then again quoted by them as having made ah attack upon tlieiu. Imagine tho absurdity of tho 10-year-old 'J'lieosop.hicnl Society, with its unpaid workers, trying to ruin Christian Schools with the i!O00 years old' Christian institution funds, • and large-salaried teachers and preachers lieliind them; besides, suck ikotires are impossible u> a tlieosophist. lam not- incorrect in stating that "BO member of the Order lias ever done p-uja to Alcyone," Miss M'Neiie's pamphlet. I>p, 21 to 31 Motwitl'.stancHng. Gut if tlio Cliiiitiaii Chinch of to-day is so ina-tt-rialistie in its tcaclnug thai tlio majority of its member's caniiot tinderstand that body and soul may be separated at will even during ttte life of tJto body, and that the Ijcidy may then 'either bo vised entirely,, by another soul, or overslintfowed liy one, Thrai, of- course, they cannot possibly umlarstaml what happened when members prostrated tliomselfcs before tho β-reat Teacher who overshndawpd the body of Alcyoiie nor couM tiiey have seen anything had they been present.' ]f over frey do I'.ave such experiences it is -to ns they c<>jhb for" an explanation, nqt to thfiir own clergymen. TlScn jt mus i, uo . nwmuorcd, too, that for. sin Indian' to prostrate liimsolf Were a religious teacher means no more to him than the bowed, body and liead and raised hut of tlie Eng-lisliHiati wlien ho'Hicrts' his clergyman, I have been liottotir-ed Hi the same way m IniJia, nnd 1 am sure that no thought of p«j-i entered tlio miuds.of n;y Indmn brothers or sisters, or mine 5. AVe hiivc tiicosaphioal sdiopls in Ceylon «iifl all over India, in ivhicii Wβ give Siegftleso anel Hindu-children secular education, food, and elotlacs/- aiid teach them tiieir own religion, because wo believe that God gave tJioW Avi'a religion as He gare us outs : and if tho Christian aissioiiaries wauld joavo us a!oiKs we would never mention their names or. think of them save workers for the uplifting* of hum-an'ty.. Two years' ago thoif cry was that the JiMosophic!;! Society had iio schools' (not trsic) and did ne-l i'ee;.l or clothe tin- needy; now they cry that we aro setting up rival schools and. tryiftg io ruin weirs! • ,In cOM-chision, racmbei. , . l ? of triiy re» Jigion ur of none are 'irefeomo in the Theosopltiestl Sqeiety,. and will jiovcr there hoar tiieir, reiigioii m their ojMniatis.attack-sd. ■ ■•" Many'of ns are. Christians, for. we try to foilow Christ, and we lore and worship Him. I, as a stwtent of theosopiiy, and a. iitem'hor of the Theosophical Society of sixteen years' staiioJitig, was also far 25 years' before that an active membe-r of tine Christian Church, so I know of what I speak. My Christianity is widened and niadtt intcllectually .satisfying hy njy flieosophy, and I beli-ovo that "tkid is 3tot nicckod: aw! whatsoever a man sowrth that shall lie also reap." So lam careful not to "beiir false witness against my .lieigMiour,"', eveii Uiougli his religious opiijious dijfpr fros-n mine.—l am, CW "'CATHERINE W. CHRISTIE, Natjonal_ Lrcturer for the Now Zealand Section of the Theesopliieul Society, and Travelling Onjanisei' for the "Order qf ih© Star"in the East,"