Observer 4

By John Fabius

Fanaticism can be defined in many ways, but it is perhaps best understood as the proud, inflexible, and self-righteous pursuit of an ideology divorced from compassion. Fanaticism is raging out of control in the world today. It can be seen in all areas of human endeavor. In matters of politics, religion, journalism, law, and medicine to name a few, fanatics can be found on both sides of a given issue who are bent on total victory for their personal beliefs, regardless of the cost. The most obvious examples are Muslim fundamentalists who are willing to go so far as to sacrifice their own lives to destroy their perceived enemies. But Muslim fundamentalists are by no means the only fanatics. There are many examples of fanaticism now present in the United States. There are fanatics in the government bent on democratizing the middle east by force of arms. Religious fanatics seek to provoke further confrontation in the middle east to bring about the conditions for the “Second Coming.” Many journalists have abandoned all objectivity and now use the public airwaves to promote their own political views and savage their enemies’ reputations. Judges and policy makers run roughshod over the Constitution to further their own political agendas. Under the guise of public health, many attempt to pass legislation to compel certain types of behavior at the expense of individual liberty. While open-mindedness, compromise, restraint, respect, patience, and refusing to judge others have always been qualities in short supply, it seems now that these qualities have been largely abandoned in favor of a fight to the death between warring factions. It is through such fanaticism that the Great Separation will be quickly brought about. It follows that fanaticism must be eschewed by the individual seeking spiritual advancement. The purpose of this article is to point out the errors in fanaticism and to provide guidance to those that are seeking the surest means to bring about positive change in the world.

At first blush, the qualities of a fanatic may appear appealing to many. Fanatics believe in a cause. They stand up for their beliefs. They operate from principle, and are often willing to undergo great sacrifice to accomplish their aims. These qualities in and of themselves are not bad. But when the line of self-righteousness is crossed, fanaticism invariably sets in motion forces that will lead to self-destruction. As it says in the Bible, “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matthew 26:52.

The fundamental flaw in all forms of fanaticism is pride. Fanatics are fatally convinced in the correctness of their own views. As a result, they frequently believe that “the ends justify the means”—which leads in turn to the death of compassion. The suicide bomber is so sure that he is fighting for his god and that it is his mission to destroy the enemy, he feels no compassion for the men, women, and children he slaughters. The problem, of course, is that he has come to the wrong conclusion as to how to serve god, but is so proud in the correctness of his own convictions that he can no longer see the truth. The fanatic’s vision is colored by pride, and he truly sees as “through a glass, darkly.” 1 Corinthians 13:12. Invariably, this pride will lead to the fanatic’s undoing. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12.

Benjamin Franklin, a Philosophic Initiate, wrote about his own struggles with pride in his famous autobiography. Franklin wrote:

[A] Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride show'd itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent, of which he convinc'd me by mentioning several instances; I determined endeavouring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list) giving an extensive meaning to the word.
Pausing a moment to consider Franklin’s words, think just how pervasive this attitude is in today’s world. Franklin continues, talking of his attempts to overcome pride with humility:
I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue, but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it. I made it a rule to forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiments of others, and all positive assertion of my own. I even forbid myself, agreeably to the old laws of our Junto, the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fix'd opinion, such as certainly, undoubtedly, etc., and I adopted, instead of them, I conceive, I apprehend, or I imagine a thing to be so or so; or it so appears to me at present. When another asserted something that I thought an error, I deny'd myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing immediately some absurdity in his proposition; and in answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appear'd or seem'd to me some difference, etc. I soon found the advantage of this change in my manner; the conversations I engag'd in went on more pleasantly. The modest way in which I propos'd my opinions procur'd them a readier reception and less contradiction; I had less mortification when I was found to be in the wrong, and I more easily prevail'd with others to give up their mistakes and join with me when I happened to be in the right.
Notice Franklin’s careful choice of words—“when I happened to be in the right.” It calls to mind words supposedly attributable to Abraham Lincoln when he said “I can try to be on God’s side . . . but must not presume that God is on mine.” One must always be on guard never to be too sure of himself that he knows what is right.
         Ironically, Franklin found that by practicing humility and avoiding pride, he became much more influential. Franklin wrote:
And this mode, which I at first put on with some violence to natural inclination, became at length so easy, and so habitual to me, that perhaps for these fifty years past no one has ever heard a dogmatical expression escape me. And to this habit (after my character of integrity) I think it principally owing that I had early so much weight with my fellow-citizens when I proposed new institutions, or alterations in the old, and so much influence in public councils when I became a member; for I was but a bad speaker, never eloquent, subject to much hesitation in my choice of words, hardly correct in language, and yet I generally carried my points.
         Pride of course, is a difficult thing to overcome, especially as one grows in power of any nature, even spiritually. That is why the ancient Greek tragedians wrote so much of “hubris.” It is why Napoleon Bonaparte made himself emperor of France instead of fashioning a republic. Even in the history of the Grand Fraternity, there are examples of students who, after reaching a relatively advanced stage of spiritual development, succumbed to pride and attempted to usurp control of the Fraternity because they did not believe it was being run as they, in their own prideful judgment, thought best.
         In order to avoid fanaticism, and replace pride with humility, the following are suggested:
1.         Never be too sure that you are right. Unless the heavens open up and god himself bestows knowledge upon us in a thunderous voice from on high, most of us are left with far less upon which to figure out the truth. Truth can come in many ways, such as personal experience, learning from the experiences of others, or from the divine spark within each of us. This divine spark, being a part of god, is privy to the knowledge of all creation and can be accessed in the form of intuition. Unfortunately, by whatever channel knowledge comes, the mind is the instrument that is used to make sense of all perceived truth, and it is by no means infallible. That is why, even if one receives what he believes to be direct intuitive knowledge as to how to proceed in a given situation, it is advisable to first engage the mind further, and ask whether the action will cause harm, i.e. evil.
People, even great ones, make mistakes all of the time. For example, during the Revolutionary War, General George Washington made many mistakes. Some of his mistakes were so severe that they led to the deaths of many men and nearly led to the defeat of the Colonial Army. For purposes of our discussion, however, suffice it to say that in order to avoid fanaticism and pride, and assume humility, it is always in our best interests to recognize our own infallibility, and admit the possibility that we may be wrong.
This is not to be taken that one should be paralyzed by self-doubt. It is simply a warning to always recognize our own fallibility and to keep an open mind. It sometimes happens that that the knowledge one possesses, while it may be true, has no application under the unique circumstances of a given situation, or that the truth one possesses is only one part necessary to solve a puzzle.
Neither should admitting our own fallibility be used as an excuse for inaction. We should all attempt to do our part to make the world a better place, to the best of our knowledge and ability. The advice of the Bible should be heeded, which speaks disapprovingly of the inert: “So then because thou are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16.
2.         Keep an open mind. It is said that one of George Washington’s greatest attributes was that he always listened to those around him. During the Revolutionary War, he frequently called “Councils of War” in which he openly discussed strategy with his subordinates. Washington spoke little and listened much, and frequently abandoned his own ideas in favor of others he thought better. Leaders in the British Army, on the other hand, tended to be more hierarchical and sensitive to class divisions. As a result, decisions tended to come from “the top down,” and many good ideas proffered by subordinates were ignored, to the detriment of the British.
         It is therefore always a good policy to keep an open mind. One can never tell where wisdom may be found. The Celestial Forces above can convey their messages to us in many ways, even from the lips of our perceived enemies, so it well to do as Washington did and speak little, listen much.
3.         View situations from the other person’s vantage point. This is a very useful tool in developing the divine trait of compassion. Those that have compassion can never truly be fanatics. Even if by all objective measures those that oppose you are in the wrong, it is useful to try and “walk a mile in the other’s shoes.” It is important to recognize that everyone on the earth plane, save for past masters that have come back to show their brethren the way, suffers from glaring imperfections. If not, then the person would have long since graduated from this sphere and moved on to more advanced planes for higher development. Have compassion then for your fellow human beings. It will do much to eliminate the fault of judging others. “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2.
4.         Compromise. Fanatics tend to look upon their refusal to compromise as noble, when in fact, it is nothing more than sheer stubbornness. Compromise, in many situations, is the lesser of two evils. Where ending in stalemate will result in greater harm, the preferable course is to compromise.
5.         Remain calm. Fanatics seem to be driven by their anger at the opposition. As noted, this may lead to the use of unsavory tactics, as “the ends justify the means.” The anger of the fanatic however, simply tends to foster anger in opponents, and thus results in greater opposition. This is why Franklin made it a habit to speak respectfully of other’s views. According to the law of Hermes, “as above, so below, as in the inner, so in the outer, and as in the lesser, so in the greater.” While this law has multitudinous applications, in this instance it stands for the proposition that the feelings we harbor in ourselves tend to foster similar feelings in others. Thus, as Franklin learned, by practicing humility instead of berating his opponents, he became far more influential. In fact, it is well known that Franklin often used humor to carry his ideas, which made him a legend for all time. Anger then is a poor substitute for proceeding in a calm and dignified manner.
6.         Be patient. Fanatics have a definite lack of patience. For them, change cannot come soon enough. As noted, this can lead to the use of extreme measures, even violence. A fine example of great patience is Mohandas Gandhi, who worked for the better part of thirty years to rid India of British rule. Yet, he always rejected violence as a means of achieving his goals because it was against his principles, even though some viewed violence as a quicker means to independence. Gandhi was wise enough to know that positive change is best brought about by patient and persistent work, and by refusing to abandon principle in favor of fast results. While in many cases it seems that worldly progress moves at a snail’s pace, the temptation must be resisted to sacrifice compassion for the sake of a “quick fix.” Such a measure is doomed to fail because it is as the biblical house built upon sand. Matthew 7:26.
7.         Hold to the thought “thy will not mine be done.” Finally, it is always important to keep in mind that, whatever goal one is working toward, no matter how noble, it is the will of the Father that must prevail. In this manner, the spiritual aspirant can avoid pride, practice humility, and avoid much frustration. At the same time, the aspirant can take comfort in his or her efforts to make the world a better place. Mother Teresa labored her entire life for the poor. Although she fought against poverty, she never succeeded in eliminating it. Nonetheless, she accomplished much good for others, which in the end will also work toward her own benefit under Divine Law. In short, the message here is to “fight the good fight,” but leave the results up to the Father, and you will prosper.
         In conclusion, Manisis spoke of a Second American Revolution in which the survivors of the Great Separation would be filled with a “righteous anger” and rise up toward their oppressors in high positions. Bruington, The Manisis Chronicles page 35. But the way will not be led by a group of blood thirsty fanatics bent on revenge, but by the surviving “wheat,” who will band together in brotherhood and work toward the reestablishment of the constitutional principles of government envisioned by the Founding Fathers. It is for those that will live to play a part in this great drama that this article is dedicated. That said, the methods written of here need not be reserved for some grand purpose, but have application in normal everyday life. Apply these principles and you will surely meet with greater success.

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The author takes full responsibility for the opinions expressed in this monograph.

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