To the mods, to the users, and everyone involed with LOO.

[rva_jeremy]

youre quite right. it is wrong to charge for spiritual information.

I share your distaste for those who charge for spiritual information, but I'm not sure I can justify why it's "wrong".

I think one should be suspicious of anybody who thinks they have information that can help you - but will only do so if you pay an admission fee. I think the productization of the new age movement in general is unfortunate. To approach spiritual growth with the mindset of a consumer is to bring a set of expectations and relationships to the table that seems spectacularly unsuited to the task. I don't think it's "morally wrong" necessarily, but it is a reason to question the credibility of the person doing the charging.

Most respectable teachers charge for their _attention_ - whether it's special access via a conference, seminar, or other event, or a personal reading, etc. The idea being that the information is free, but if you want a more personal consultation, you have to pay for the scarce time being allocated to yourself (necessarily excluding others). I'm even suspicious of those scenarios, but at least it's not trying to cordon off the information itself.

Generally speaking, I think teachers teach best when they reinforce the need for an individual to go within, rather than constantly seeking spirituality outside the self, where answers can be packaged into nice, shiny products and sold by potential charlatans.