Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1907 — Mrs. Besant Against Moral Code. [ARTICLE]

Mrs. Besant Against Moral Code.

In her address before the twenty-first annual convention of the American section of the Theosophical Society a Chicago, Mrs. Annie Besant, the new world president of the organization, took a pronounced stand against the adoption of a fixed moral code, - and against the imposition of penalties by tho society for any individual action. She held, that The-' osophists are at one in their desire to raise the moral tone of society, and they differ only as to whether their ideas should be enforced by penalties. For herself, she would stand for the affirmation of their ideals and for efforts to live up to them. She said: “I appeal to the unfolding divinity in man, and not to the beggarly elements of coercive laws; I gladly affirm my brotherhood with the lowest, as I reverently hope to be accepted as brother by the highest.” She said further that none of the great religions had a penalty enforcing its commandments by exclusion, but, on the contrary, they regarded it as a primary duty to try to improve their evil-doers. She thought the Theosophical Society ‘would not wish to copy the example of those churches which employ heresy trials and excommunications. Such a code would be the denial of brotherhood. In illustrating her point of view in one of her talks, Mrs. Besant used the personality of John D. Rockefeller as an example, saying that in his next incarnation he would probably reappear as a highly developed, and perfected individual; in fact, almost an angel. She explained that he would probably retain ail of his capacity for doing things, and slough off the baser motives and aims actuating his present career. The society voted by a large majority against the proposed code.