User:Eaglizard/Alice Bailey Controversies (proposed)

• This is my first try at making a project page in user space, so if I muck it up at first, please bear with me. Thanks.

Anyway, here's my proposed 'Controversies' section. It will differ significantly from some versions, but I am starting from the version on the page right now, and I believe it includes everyone's input to some degree.

Note, please respect this as my personal project, in my user space (although I do not WP:OWN it); please comment on the talk page.

• Please do not edit this page yourself. Thanks for your cooperation. :)

NB: I know it's long; James has proposed a "Teachings" section which I hope to help with; that will balance the length some.

Controversies

Writing during the first half of the Twentieth century, Bailey (like some contemporaries) commented extensively on what was then viewed as "The Jewish Problem". Many critics have considered her comments overtly racist and antisemitic. In addition, references to orthodox belief systems such as Christianity or Bhuddism (couched in their adopted terminology) have been criticized for non-conformity to those system's established doctrines.

Dr. Victor Shnirelman, a cultural anthropologist and ethnographer, wrote that "racist and antisemitic trends are explicit [...] in the occult teachings of Alice Bailey and her followers. He also likened Bailey's cosmology to that of the Italian fascist and occultist Julius Evola.

Chassidic author Rabbi Yonassan Gershom, in his article "Antisemitic Stereotypes in Alice Bailey's Writings," wrote of Bailey's plan for a New World Order, saying her call for "the gradual dissolution - again if in any way possible - of the Orthodox Jewish faith" indicated "her goal is nothing less than the destruction of Judaism itself." Monica Sjöö, an advocate of the Goddess movement, also wrote of Bailey's "reactionary and racist influence on the whole New Age movement."

Accusations of overt antisemitism contrast with some statements in her books; for instance, in Problems of Humanity (1947) she writes

The fate of the Jews in the world war is a terrible tale of cruelty, torture and wholesale murder and the treatment of the Jews down the ages is one of the blackest chapters in human history. For it there is no excuse or condonation, and right thinking people everywhere are aware of this and are eagerly demanding that these persecutions end. (italics Bailey's)

Bailey addressed this issue later in life, writing in her autobiography:

“I have no anti-Jewish feeling; some of my most beloved friends such as Dr. Assagioli, Regina Keller and Victor Fox I love devotedly, and they know it. There are few people in the world as close to me as they are, and I depend upon them for counsel and understanding and they do not fail me. I have been officially on Hitler's "blacklist" because of my defense of the Jews whilst lecturing up and down western Europe. In spite, however, of knowing full well the wonderful qualities of the Jew, his contribution to western culture and learning and his wonderful assets and gifts along the line of the creative arts I still fail to see any immediate solution of their crucial and appalling problem.” (Unfinished Biography pp118-9)

In addition, it has been noted that her books call for the gradual elimination of all extant world religions, considering them "outmoded" presentations of the truth, to be replaced with a new "World Religion" -- Judaism is not singled out in this regard.

Bailey's works are also criticized by Christian groups. Lucis Trust was originally incorporated as "Lucifer Trust"; although Bailey's followers claim the sense is "Light Bringer", the name tends to produce criticism and accusations of satanism from Christians (for instance, Douglas Groothuis in his book Unmasking the New Age). The conservative Christian Watchman Fellowship also notes that, although her texts deal extensively with the role and person of Jesus, her teachings are actually contrary to much of orthodox and traditional Christian doctrine.

Additionally, her books have been criticized by other Theosophists, who consider her writings to be borrowed from Theosophy, yet including perspectives that were not part of the original teachings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. Bailey's books mention Blavatsky frequently, and claim to be a direct amplification of and addition to that author's major work, The Secret Doctrine.

Controversies

Writing during the first half of the Twentieth century, Bailey (like some contemporaries) commented extensively on what was then viewed as "The Jewish Problem". Many critics have considered her comments overtly racist and antisemitic. In addition, references to orthodox belief systems such as Christianity or Bhuddism (couched in their adopted terminology) have been criticized for non-conformity to those system's established doctrines.

Dr. Victor Shnirelman, a cultural anthropologist and ethnographer, wrote that "racist and antisemitic trends are explicit [...] in the occult teachings of Alice Bailey and her followers. He also likened Bailey's cosmology to that of the Italian fascist and occultist Julius Evola.

Chassidic author Rabbi Yonassan Gershom, in his article "Antisemitic Stereotypes in Alice Bailey's Writings," wrote of Bailey's plan for a New World Order, saying her call for "the gradual dissolution - again if in any way possible - of the Orthodox Jewish faith" indicated "her goal is nothing less than the destruction of Judaism itself." Monica Sjöö, an advocate of the Goddess movement, also wrote of Bailey's "reactionary and racist influence on the whole New Age movement."

Although Bailey never responded directly to charges of antisemitism, she does discuss what she calls "anti-Semitic feeling". For instance, in Problems of Humanity (1947) she writes

God has made all men equal; the Jew is a man and a brother, and every right that the Gentile owns is his also, inalienably and intrinsically his. This the Gentile has forgotten and great is his responsibility for wrong doing and cruel action.

A few paragraphs later, she adds

The fate of the Jews in the world war is a terrible tale of cruelty, torture and wholesale murder and the treatment of the Jews down the ages is one of the blackest chapters in human history. For it there is no excuse or condonation, and right thinking people everywhere are aware of this and are eagerly demanding that these persecutions end. (italics Bailey's)

Her defenders have cited passages such as these as clear denunciations of antisemitism. In addition, it has been noted that her books call for the gradual elimination of all extant world religions, considering them "outmoded" presentations of the truth, to be replaced with a new "World Religion" -- Judaism is not singled out in this regard.

Bailey's works are also criticized by some Christian groups. For instance, Lucis Trust was originally incorporated as "Lucifer Trust" -- in his book Unmasking the New Age, Christian writer Douglas Groothuis states the name change was due to "controversy". The conservative Christian Watchman Fellowship notes that, although her texts deal extensively with the role and person of Jesus, her teachings are actually contrary to much of orthodox and traditional Christian doctrine.

Additionally, her books have been criticized by other Theosophists, who consider her writings as borrowed from Theosophy yet including perspectives that were not part of the original teachings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.