Changes

The existing strength and established membership of the Theosophical Society were essential to the initial rapid growth of the Liberal Catholic Church. But protest and opposition arose in Australia and spread to the USA. On hearing that Leadbeater, [[rumor]]ed to be a notorious [[Pedophilia|paedophile]], had moved from India to Sydney, in Australia his long-time adversaries advised authorities there that an evil man had entered their jurisdiction. A police investigation was initiated with a view to gathering evidence against him. Then, a newspaper campaign directed scorn and innuendo at the new church and its leaders, fueled in part by Theosophical Society members hostile to the Liberal Catholic Church. There is also no established certain connection of Leadbeater with British [[Occultism|occultist]] [[Aleister Crowley]], the founder of [[Thelema]], other than as a possible acquaintance. Police enquiries and press attacks continued intermittently for some years before the police stopped looking for evidence and the newspapers lost interest. Liberal Catholic Church membership remains small wherever its churches are found, yet it maintains a nominal presence in almost every country around the world.  

The existing strength and established membership of the Theosophical Society were essential to the initial rapid growth of the Liberal Catholic Church. But protest and opposition arose in Australia and spread to the USA. On hearing that Leadbeater, [[rumor]]ed to be a notorious [[Pedophilia|paedophile]], had moved from India to Sydney, in Australia his long-time adversaries advised authorities there that an evil man had entered their jurisdiction. A police investigation was initiated with a view to gathering evidence against him. Then, a newspaper campaign directed scorn and innuendo at the new church and its leaders, fueled in part by Theosophical Society members hostile to the Liberal Catholic Church. There is also no established certain connection of Leadbeater with British [[Occultism|occultist]] [[Aleister Crowley]], the founder of [[Thelema]], other than as a possible acquaintance. Police enquiries and press attacks continued intermittently for some years before the police stopped looking for evidence and the newspapers lost interest. Liberal Catholic Church membership remains small wherever its churches are found, yet it maintains a nominal presence in almost every country around the world.  

[[Walter Martin]]'s ''[[The Kingdom of the Cults]]'' lists the Liberal Catholic Church as a [[cult]], and states that wherever the Liberal Catholic Church boasts publicly of hundreds of members it can in fact claim only registers of tens of members.<ref>Walter Martin, ''Kingdom of the Cults'', page</ref>

[[Walter Martin]]'s ''[[The Kingdom of the Cults]]'' lists the Liberal Catholic Church as a [[cult]], and states that wherever the Liberal Catholic Church boasts publicly of hundreds of members it can in fact claim only registers of tens of members.<ref>[https://believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=587 Walter Martin, ''Kingdom of the Cults'', Part B]</ref>

==Current Doctrine==

==Current Doctrine==

Lay members are free to interpret Scripture and all matters of doctrine as they choose, informed by the theosophical Wisdom Tradition as the prevailing approach within the Liberal Catholic community. A wide range of viewpoints is found in most congregations but not to the extent of displacing Christian [[esoteric]]ism. Members are free to believe as they choose, unity of purpose arising from sharing a common [[liturgy]]. Nevertheless most are informally comfortable with the Church’s brief ''Summary of Doctrine''.  

Lay members are free to interpret Scripture and all matters of doctrine as they choose, informed by the theosophical Wisdom Tradition as the prevailing approach within the Liberal Catholic community. A wide range of viewpoints is found in most congregations but not to the extent of displacing Christian [[esoteric]]ism. Members are free to believe as they choose, unity of purpose arising from sharing a common [[liturgy]]. Nevertheless most are informally comfortable with the Church’s brief ''Summary of Doctrine''.