384 ROSICRUCIANCOSMO-CONCEPTION
These religions were steps which it was necessary for
mankind to take to prepare for the advent of Christ. Man
must first cultivate a “self” before he can become really
unselfish and understand the higher phase of Universal
Brotherhood—unity of purpose and interest—for which
Christ laid the foundation at His first coming, and which He
will make living realities when He returns.
As the fundamental principle of a Race-religion is
separation, inculcating self-seeking at the expense of other
men and nations, it is evident that if the principle is carried
to its ultimate conclusion it must necessarily have an
increasingly destructive tendency and finally frustrate
evolution, unless succeeded by a more constructive religion.
Therefore the separative religions of the Holy Spirit
must give place to the unifying religion of the Son, which is
the Christian religion.
Law must give place to Love, and the separate Races
and Nations be united in one Universal Brotherhood, with
Christ as the Eldest Brother.
The Christian religion has not yet had time to
accomplish this great object. Man is still in the toils of the
dominant Race-spirit and the ideals of Christianity are yet
too high for him. The intellect can see some of the beauties,
and readily admits that we should love our enemies, but the
passions of the desire body are still too strong. The law of
the Race-sp irit being “An eye for an eye,” the F eeling is “I'll
get even!” The heart prays for Love; the desire body hopes
for Revenge. The intellect sees,in the abstract, the beauty of
loving one's enemies but in concrete cases it allies itself with
the vengeful feeling of the desire body, pleading, as an
excuse for “getting even,” that “the social organism must be
protected.”