A Theosophical Dispute Over a $100 Forfeit
A local skeptic challenges a Theosophist’s claim regarding Madame Blavatsky, arguing that the movement justifies evil under the guise of 'Karma.'
H. R. Jojiga writes to the editor to challenge a statement by Frank I. Blodgett regarding the works of Madame Blavatsky. Blodgett had offered a $100 forfeit if anyone could find a sentence in Blavatsky's books indicating her work was an invention or lacking spiritual inspiration. Jojiga claims to have found a misquotation of the Apostle Paul in Blavatsky's 'Isis Unveiled' and argues that Theosophy’s fundamental principle is the 'justification of evil.' Jojiga insists that 'Action' is as essential as 'Thought' and asserts that practical, active good should take precedence over passive contemplation or the pursuit of 'Nirvana.'
“I want Action as well as Thought, and Phenomena is a very essential thing.”
This piece captures the intense spiritual and intellectual ferment of 1890s Seattle, where high-minded occult philosophy met the 'practical Anglo-Saxon' drive for material progress. It highlights the era's obsession with debating morality through contradictory biblical interpretations.
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