Politics and Religion

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What is the origin of kingship? It used to be the case that an eldest son was sacrificed to avert calamity, but ancient peoples sought to unify their tribal structure by choosing the best of all their young men and marking him as their chosen one. He was a sacrifice on behalf of all, and until the deed had to be done, the chosen one led a life of privilege and luxury. In this way, no one family suffered from the loss of several bread-winners. The young man's brow was encircled with gold to show that he now lived by divine grace. At first, the title was not hereditary and no political power attached to the role. That came later when kings plotted to achieve the status of gods.

Are religion and politics linked? They always have been, ever since power-seekers realised how people can be subdued by priests. This first occurred during the period when the first cities developed since they could only exist by virtue of slavery. It was then that religion became 'nationalised'. Our notion of the gods were then altered or adapted so that religious doctrine gave legitimacy to political power and the status quo. Henry VIII broke with the Church of Rome, whereas Mussolini, Franco, Hitler and South American dictators came to an understanding with it. Most of the trouble in the Middle East is caused by Islamic Fundamentalists rather than by nationalism.

Why are some religions persecuted? This happens whenever the establishment perceives them as a threat to the status quo. This is why Christians were martyred in ancient Rome, and why Jews were persecuted in Europe. Nowadays it is why the Israelis distrust the Arabs, and it even explains why Occultism first went underground and became 'occult'. It had to hide from other religions, mainly Christianity, in order to survive. Each religion seems ideally suited to a specific type of social system. Catholicism favours a feudal, peasant economy whereas Protestantism favours an industrial one. Occultism of the type fostered by Orders and Secret Societies would give power to an elite and has Fascist overtones. This explains why many modern countries are set against Occultism. It is not that they are truly religious, or find themselves horrified by our beliefs, but they make use of laws that are based on Christian tenets to hamper us. One student was interrogated by the police for three days, because he tried to hire a room at a community centre for organising a public talk on Occultism.

What is wrong with modern politics? The science of politics, like the minds of men, has become far too concerned with goods and production. The European Community, remember, began as a zone of economic co-operation or a market. Yes, lives in many places have been improved, but that will count for little if the process continues its relentless way until there is no point in living. I am willing to prophesy that Europe will become a political power, a military power, and then a player in the global game. If we are blinded so as only to think about creature comforts - food, house, cars, leisure and sex - then in effect we are no different from animals. They have precisely those same aims. Rather than allow politics to reduce us to the level of beasts again, I recommend that we continue to cultivate man's unique qualities and follow the path that was laid down for us towards our sacred destiny.

Why is nationalism so violent and explosive? In the historical process, large states swallowed smaller ones and, in time, some geographical areas became deprived or stagnant. Seeing no hope of improvement, people strove for some romantic image of the past. They foment a crisis to do with roots, origins and national identity. It can happen even today in Australia or the USA where there is a sense of social guilt to do with native peoples or former slaves. The dominant race cannot purge its past actions or avoid hatred.

From an occult viewpoint, extreme nationalism or racism are both blinkered versions of a narrow historical period. All men, with the possible exception of the Swiss, share a common ancestry. Where our ancestors lacked writing, 'records' were transposed into myths, dreams and unconscious memories. I favour world government and the disappearance of nation states.

Is it wrong to be a patriot? No, not wrong, but politicians play with patriotism, invoking it when they want to fight a war, or to distract people from serious internal problems. Be proud of your homeland, but people are people wherever they happen to live. Culture is just a lick of paint on top of our nature. There are 'pockets'-particular kinds of people-who develop within the human race in the same way that malignant cells develop in the body. Like cancerous tumours, they threaten the survival of the whole unless they are radically excised.

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