A situation I have absolutely no patience for is the condition esotericists everywhere find themselves in. What has been the main obstacle to simple propagation of Theosophy, without any elaborate spiritual explanation? This is gossip, instigation, inner conflict, mass paranoia (an intrinsic feature to American politics), pre-established religious conditioning, hoaxes and the flaws of human psychology.
The maxim of Ion of Chios, “Man, Know Thyself” is very important to us, and to understand these writings, one must consider its immediate self-application.
The work of an individual may be a mark of great erudition, and to certain degree, an individual can possess skill in a number of thought processes, that will enable them to interpret esoteric symbolism. In the case of Pike, and we will use Pike, his racism does not entirely cripple his pattern recognition. In his writings on esotericism, he does not express his racism, but in life, business and politics, there we find his thoughts on the place of slaves and Black people in the world.
We have many non-segregationist White people in American History in the South and North who were anti-racist and anti-slavery. The difference is that these persons were not esotericists, and the history of esotericism for the public is unfortunately wrapped up in the controversies of ethnocentrism, racism, colonialism and so forth.
Why do I speak of Freemasonry in a manner that evades the racism of Freemasons and the violence of the American Revolution? I do not know many Theosophists who directly have written about Freemasonry. Leadbeater, Besant, Blavatsky, Crosbie and several others wrote extensively about Masonry and its “degeneration.” When they do speak of Freemasonry, they avoid the history of racism and slavery.
It is only Blavatsky who addresses W.Q. Judge on whether the adepts and secret sponsors associated with the Theosophical Movement were involved in the American Revolution. Blavatsky says no, but that the Revolution, its success, origin and ideas owe itself to the independent efforts of Freemasons and Rosicrucians.
It is within this context, that the Americans must search deeply to understand the peculiar expression of Christianity the U.S. carries, and its relation to the Republican ideal of Fraternity (includes the Brotherhood of Man) and ancient Philosophy (such as Stoicism). You have everything already in the ideal to combat its flaws and overcome them; and it will fall if you cannot, or deliberately accelerate it.
The history of Christian mystics, Rosicrucians and Masons as detailed in this Timeline (Timeline of Templars-Enlightenment, 1075-1875 and Modern Theosophists, 1875-1935) are important to the context and success of the American Revolution, and the ideas which flow through it. The ideas, which flow through it reaches us from antiquity, and lay in them the antidote to the American condition. Evading them or ignoring them can only lead to the sense of loss, degeneration, materialism and superficiality that has overrun us. The United States still remains a very unique experiment, as Barack Obama recently explained.
Dogmatic theology, contrary to the plans of the American Right have no foundation in any part of the Declaration of Independence.
Theosophist William Q. Judge explained, that although the Puritans and others came to America for religious freedom, and though still very dogmatic towards their own peculiar theories and religion, we should be astonished by the principles outlined in the documents.
It is because the public is not made well-acquainted with this history and the ideas, that many among them have not risen to express it in its highest sense. Instead, the public is vulnerable to the efforts of religious conservatism and traditionalism. The American public later developed a strong Anti-Masonic attitude. The public have developed on all political sides very contradictory and conflicting attitudes about U.S. history, that are mutually contributing to our decline.
Many of these attitudes against our interests, e.g., were born out of paranoia and conspiracy through hoaxes and instigation. No politician today would dare get on stage and explain the history of Religion in America, because perhaps, it would open the gates to religious conspiracy that they are not well-equipped to handle.
Soon, we are going to need someone not afraid to explain these things to the public, so that you can openly express and embody a more ennobling, unifying campaign that can effectively counter the forces of Christian Nationalism.
Conversation about Religion has been ceded to the Right, while again, the Liberal and so forth are forced to remain on the wall in defense. We live in a terrible time of superficial political opinion. We are in need of champions of a different mind and inclination who can explain these complexities, because I believe it is part of the key to destroying the power and networks of political racism in this country. I believe it opens a path in aiding in the general repute of Religious Philosophy once more, and that within American culture.
The American Minervan 
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