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[from http://www.radio-free-setian.com/_history/walter.html ]

Subject: Temple of Set Situation 
   by Walter Radtke
   
   I'm posting this e-mail to publicize with more clarity the problems you are
   all witnessing within the Temple of Set. This is the response to a II*
   Adept in the Temple who has been observing recent changes in the Temple,
   and wanted to know the reasons for my recent departure from the ToS.
   Walter
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   I'd be interested in hearing your impressions of the change in atmosphere
   subsequent to Craig's expulsion. If things are getting down to the II*
   level, one can imagine the cauldron brewing within the Priesthood and
   Magistry.
   
   The situation that caused displeasure was the fact that I gave the
   Schreck's post office box number to a person who inquired about Nikolas'
   highly collectible vinyl LP "Radio Werewolf". Being one of the webmasters
   of the Temple website, I received a copy of all e-mail directed to the
   Temple and answered or forwarded various comments and questions from the
   public to the appropriate Setian. I thought that the Schrecks would
   appreciate this since it meant income to them. We are all counseled to open
   a post office box for snail mail so that our home address is never
   compromised. For precisely this reason I naturally assumed that there would
   be no problem in giving out the PO Box address.
   
   Well, the shit hit the fan and Nikolas complained to the Council of 9,
   dredging up every past infraction of mine he could conjure up in his
   imagination, including wild distortions such as I was supporting ex-member
   traitors and trying to convert Setians to Scientology. Dr. Aquino himself
   interceded on my behalf and diplomatically assuaged the Council of 9 and
   Magister Schreck, requiring that I write an apology to the Council and the
   Schrecks, which I did.
   
   I could have remained in the Temple if I wanted but several factors
   mitigated towards my leaving, primarily that I was using far too much time
   administering and redesigning the Temple Intranet, organizing an art show
   and a music program for Conclave, handling usually 3 recognitions at any
   given time and trying to introduce reforms into Temple policy such as
   improving communication lines between entering I*'s and the higher grades
   whom they are encouraged to contact, yet are often met with silence or an
   arrogant, controlling manner. I also wanted to create a route by which
   complaints and grievances from the I* and II* could be aired and argued
   strenuously for objective standards of involvement by the Priesthood to
   increase their activity levels and get some of the lazy, hermit Priests and
   Priestesses off their butts.
   
   But the mother of all issues that I championed was the lack of growth of
   the Temple over the past 7 years. It's membership has remained static at
   about 300 and no one copped to the fact that this is not a healthy
   statistic for any organization. (Editors note- the Temple's membership has
   dropped drastically since the time of this writing. It continues to plunge,
   and no leveling off seems in site.) The Temple takes in a half dozen or so
   new members a month and loses a half dozen members a month, mostly from the
   I*. Naturally, this was never assumed to be the fault of the Temple, yet
   myself and others, including the Schrecks with whom I was on a friendly
   basis, had received report after report of I* and II* dissatisfaction with
   various aspects of interaction with mainly the Priesthood.
   
   None of this activism made me popular, needless to say.
   
   Also factored in was the fact that the High Priest had offered my name for
   recognition to the IV* and presented me with a list of initiatory tasks all
   of which I completed within 3 months time, one of which was to mail an
   information and essay packet to every member of the IV* and above. I had
   expected to be questioned and tested by the Magistry much as I had been
   during my recognition to the III*. Instead I heard from only two of them,
   Magister Menschel who had several brief questions and Magister Severson who
   seemed agitated by my past advocacy for increasing the Temple's online
   presence and (the horror, ...the horror...), making the owning of an e-mail
   account a requirement for membership in the Temple. He and I had extensive
   interaction by e-mail and telephone and I felt that I quelled his concerns
   and had begun a Temple friendship. These were the only two inquiries or
   interactive challenges to my candidacy to the IV*. Needless to say I was
   somewhat let down by the lack of interest or involvement from my future
   peers.
   
   After a month of waiting, Magus Webb informed me that he had received more
   negative comments than positive ones on my candidacy and that the general
   argument against my recognition to the IV* seemed to be that my insistence
   on involving the Temple with Internet policy would result in a lower
   quality of membership! I was dismayed at this twisted logic, since I felt
   that the quality of those members who came to us after Internet interaction
   either with our websites or on Xepera list was uniformly higher than any
   time previous.
   
   We were getting many bright people inquiring about membership, perhaps too
   bright, since they never seemed to stay around very long. Information that
   came my way about this tide of attrition boiled down to new members running
   into either "attitude" flack or being insulted by not getting replies to
   discussions they attempted to initiate (as per instructions in the Crystal
   Tablet, the I* handbook) with the Priesthood. I still feel that these
   communication pathologies are crippling, if not killing, the Temple.
   
   I hope this clears things up. Let me know your impressions.
   
   Sincerely,
   Walter
   
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