When Strangers Come Knocking---Part 27

 

This is the next installment of my series to be published the first Monday of each month.

There are members of false sects, like Jehovah's Witnesses, that come knocking door-to-door hoping to convert you. Instead of ignoring them, it is we who should try and convert them. In 1 Peter 3:16, our first Pope writes, "But in thy hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks thee to give the reason for the hope that thou hast. But do this with gentleness and respect,..." Before the Great Apostasy, the Church would send missionaries to the ends of the Earth to make as many converts as possible. 

Those in false religions don't always come (literally) knocking at your door. It may be a Hindu at work who wants you to try yoga. It could be a "Christian Scientist" who lives next door and invites you to come to their reading room. Each month, I will present a false sect. Unlike the Vatican II sect, I do not see them as a "means of salvation" or possessing "elements of truth" that lead to salvation. That is heresy. They lead to damnation, and the adherents of the various sects must be converted so they may be saved.

In each month's post, I will present one false sect and give an overview of: 

• The sect's history
• Their theology
• Tips on how to share the True Faith with them

Theosophy

[For this post, I wish to credit two major sources: Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna, H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings, Compiled by Boris de Zirkoff. Vol. I: 1874–1978, (Second Edition, 1977) and Forray, Brett Alexsnder, Troubled Emissaries: How H.P. Blavatsky’s Successors Transformed the Theosophical Society from 1891 to 1896 (2016)---Introibo]

On July 7, 1873 a Russian immigrant and soon to be co-founder of the Theosophical Society, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891), arrived in New York City, explaining in a letter to Professor Hiram Corson that she was “sent by my Lodge on behalf of Truth in modern spiritualism…to unveil what is, and expose what is not." Born in Ekaterinoslav on August 12, 1831 as Helena Petrovna von Hahn, her earlier life was filled with travel and adventure. In 1848, she married a man over twenty years her elder, Nikofor Blavatsky (1809–1887), who she soon abandoned to embark on a journey. She claimed the journey was a search for esoteric truths and occult training, becoming what is sometimes labeled a magus, the shaman who lives in the modern world searching for esoteric or higher Truths. Her travels were extensive, including Asia and North America, beginning with her arrival in New York City and extending through the years 1848 to 1873.

Her self-reported adventures include fighting alongside Italian revolutionary and Freemason Giuseppe Garibaldi; pursuing Native American magicians in Quebec; and, most pertinent to her later life, studying with "mystics" in remotest Tibet. Blavatsky quickly insinuated herself into the 19th century’s booming seance circuit. Since the late 1840s, people on both sides of the Atlantic had been flocking to mediums who claimed they could channel the spirits of the dearly departed. Then, as now, ghosts (i.e., demons) thrilled the public—even when the thrills involved were a little dubious. (The two teenaged girls--Maggie and Katie Fox-- who started the spiritualist craze were later accused of having produced the sound of ghosts rapping on walls by popping their toe knuckles). In 1875, in a Manhattan drawing room, she launched a group with the grand title of the Theosophical Society. Setting ghosts aside, it would search out a higher class of supernatural beings: the “Mahatmas,” whom Blavatsky had allegedly met in Tibet.

The original purpose appearing in the Preamble and By-Laws of the Theosophical Society, “to collect and diffuse a knowledge of the laws which govern he universe,” suggested that the knowledge collected could be both theoretical and practical. That it could be practical, an assumption that is often overlooked, is suggested by Blavatsky herself, who argued that the study of occultism only through book learning was insufficient; personal experience and practice must accompany this study. Furthermore, as early as September 1875, she mentioned that a journey to the Orient would “produce more rapid, better, and far more practical results, than the most diligent study of Occultism in books.” Two years later she wrote: “We ask for truth in everything: our object is the realization of the spiritual perfectibility possible to man; the broadening of his knowledge, the exercising of the powers of his soul, of all the psychical sides of his being.” 

In 1878, the Society announced it would be a secret society of special initiates, divided into three sections, with each section subdivided into "three Degrees." The model for this secret society and its sectional divisions most likely was inspired by an older Royal Oriental Order of the Sat B’hai, a Masonic group of which several Theosophists were members. Around the same time of its conversion to a secret organization, the Society united with the Arya Samaj (founded in 1875) of Swami Dayananda Sarasvati (1824–1883), the goals of which were also perceived by the Theosophical Society as being synchronous with its own goal. In the words of Blavatsky, the Arya Samaj “was instituted to save the Hindus from exoteric idolatries, Brahmanism and Christian missionaries.” (Emphasis mine).

Blavatsky and her companion, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (d. 1907), decided to bring Theosophy to England, and most especially India, where pagan Hindus were very receptive of their views. By his own admission, Olcott was deeply into the occult. Theosophy began to have great influence, to a degree unknown by most.

Theosophy: Doctrines Exalting Satan

The Three Aims of The Theosophical Society as stated by Madame Blavatsky herself in her books Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888), look noble to the world, but are heretical and do not reveal what is truly taught. The stated aims are:

1.  To promote universal brotherhood and world peace, without distinction of race, creed, sex, color, or financial status.

2. The study of comparative religions, philosophy and science.

3. To make a systematic investigation of the mystic potencies of men and nature: 

Investigate the unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man

The first aim is taken straight from the pages of the doctrines of the Satanic Masonic Lodge. There can be no peace without the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, and the One True Church He founded. Theosophy, like Freemasonry, wants a One World Religion, where only the Truth of the Catholic Faith is rejected. The second aim is to foster religious indifferentism, and is complementary to achieving the first aim. The third aim is Gnostic and pagan. It is pantheistic as we seek the "mystic god within," which is really just making humanity into a bunch of little "gods" with the "spark of the divine within each person." 

Theosophy Unmasked

The word theosophy comes from the Greek words theos “god” and sophia “wisdom”. Literally, theosophy means “divine wisdom.” The roots of this sect can be traced back to ancient Gnosticism and the Masonic Lodge. Theosophy teaches that all religions contain elements of the “Ancient Wisdom” and that wise men throughout history have held the secret of spiritual power. Those who have been enlightened by the divine wisdom can access a transcendent spiritual reality through mystical experience.

The contents of modern Theosophy comprise the complete corpus of writings of  Blavatsky, especially her major work, The Secret Doctrine. Her writings and teachings are allegedly based upon the ancient religious, philosophical, and scientific sources containing elements of the Divine Wisdom and the teachings of her Masters. Who or what are the "Masters"? Theosophists place their trust in the Mahatmas (literally, “Great Souls”), also referred to as the Great Masters/Masters or the Adepts—those who have reached an exalted state of existence and who possess the sum of the world’s accumulated knowledge. According to theosophists, these Mahatmas are directing the "spiritual evolution" of mankind. 

What, exactly, do these "Mahatmas" teach? While the Church views Satan as the personification of evil, the esoteric teachings of the so-called Masters embrace him as an agent of intellectual and spiri­tual freedom. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky taught in her Secret Doctrine that Lucifer was “higher and older than Jehovah, and had to be sacrificed to the new dogma” of the Church. She further expressed in her “great work” that Satan, under different god-names, is really an allegory of “Good, and Sacrifice, a God of Wisdom.” Blavatsky believed that Satan was the only god of earth, “is one with the Logos,” and is the “cosmic reflection of God.” in sum it is taught the incredible blasphemy that Satan is Jesus Christ. 

This thinking is partially derived from various occult interpretations of the Bible. In Apocalypse 22:16, Jesus is called the “bright and morning star,” and in Isaiah, Lucifer is referred to as the “son of the morning." In the occult practice of astrology, the bright and morning star is Venus, which, in the teachings of occult schools, is symbolically Lucifer. In the ancient solar cults, the morning star is frequently referred to as the Sun, or “son” of the morning, and “son of god.” According to Blavatsky’s Satanic theology, “Lucifer is divine and terrestrial light, the ‘Holy Ghost’ and ‘Satan,’ at one and the same time…” Her Secret Doc­trine further stated:

And now it stands proven that Satan, or the Red Fiery Dragon, the “Lord of Phosphorus,” and Lucifer, or “Light-Bearer,” is in us: it is our Mind–our tempter and Redeemer, our intelligent liberator and Savior from pure animalism. (Vol. 2, p. 513; Emphasis mine). In addition, the pagan idea of reincarnation is also taught. These doctrines come straight from the pits of Hell. 

In 1911, the Theosophical Society proclaimed the advent of a “World Teacher”—a young Hindu named Jiddu Krishnamurthi. Theosophists heralded this messianic character as the world’s hope of enlightenment, peace, and unity. However, a few years later, Krishnamurthi renounced his position as “World Teacher” and stopped claiming to be a messiah. Moreover, Theosophy is a hodgepodge of erratic and contradictory beliefs. Three other major teachings:

• Theosophy denies the existence of a personal, infinite God. Satan is the greatest of many gods--humans who do not realize their true calling except through initiation into Theosophy

• Theosophy denies the need of forgiveness. "Gods" do not need forgiveness. Any punishments will come through being downgraded in reincarnation

•  Theosophy teaches that Christ was the “Great Soul”--Lucifer-- who inhabited the body of a man named Jesus for a few years 

Membership and Rituals

The membership numbers in Theosophy have never been large, averaging between 25,000 and 30,000 members (yet their influence has been tremendous). In 2016, the membership was 25,533. There are twenty-six National Societies and Sections, thirteen Regional Associations, and thirteen Presidential Agencies. The number of Lodges worldwide is 898.

The largest National Section is India, which has 11,323 members and 408 lodges, followed by the United States with 3,292 members, 38 lodges, and 47 centers. No other National Sections exceed 1,000 members, but Italian and English Sections have over 900 members. Italy has 934 members, twenty-nine lodges, and twenty centers; England has 908 members and thirty-five lodges ( See Annual Report of the Theosophical Society 2017). 

The rituals in the Lodge are kept secret. It no doubt mimics Freemasonry and is outright Satan worship.

Famous People Who Were Members of/Influenced by Theosophy

Writers

Lyman Frank Baum, American author of The Wizard of Oz and other children’s stories (1851 –1919)

William Butler Yeats, Anglo-Irish poet and playwright (1865 –1939)

Jack London, American novelist (1876 –1916)

D. H. Lawrence, English novelist (1885 –1930)

T. S. Eliot, Anglo-American poet and critic (1888 –1965)

Scientists

Thomas Edison, American inventor of the electric light, phonograph, etc. (1847 –1931)

Camille Flammarion, French astronomer (1842 –1925)

Jane Goodall, scientist working with chimpanzees, inspiration for the movie Gorillas in the Mist (1988); (b. 1934)

Psychology

Carl Gustav Jung, founder of analytical psychology (1875 –1961)

Politics

Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869 –1948)

Feminist

Gloria Steinem, American writer and feminist, editor of Ms magazine (b. 1934)

Sports

General Abner Doubleday, legendary father of baseball (1819 –1893)

Education

Maria Montessori, educator and founder of the Montessori Method and Schools, based on a belief in the child’s creative potential, drive to learn, and right to be treated as an individual (1870 –1952)

Rudolph Steiner, occultist founder of Anthroposophy, and founder of Waldorf Schools, to make children have "contact with the spirit world." Steiner, in turn, influenced Angelo Roncalli ("Pope" John XXIII) who was censured for teaching Steiner's tenets. (1861-1925). 

(This is only a partial listing. Most of the above taken from katinkahesselink.net/his/influence-theosophy.html--and verified independently---Introibo)

Proselytizing Theosophists

I will repeat here almost everything I said about converting Anthroposophists in part 25 of "When Strangers Come Knocking." It is important to remember what we are dealing with; namely people who wittingly make contact with demons and worship Satan. As I've written many times before, mediums are condemned by both the Bible and Church teaching. "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you." (See Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Emphasis mine.) According to theologian Jone, "Spiritism claims to be able to communicate with the spirit world and endeavors to establish such commerce with it. Although spiritism is for the most part fraud, still the intention alone to enter into communication with spirits is gravely sinful. Therefore, it is mortally sinful to conduct a spiritistic seance or to act as a medium." (See Moral Theology, pg. 100; Emphasis mine). 

Those who are already involved in Theosophy are to be prayed for and have Masses offered for them. They are under demonic influence and it will take God's intervention more than argumentation to get them away from the sect. Do not engage them unless they engage you first, and pray to St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, and St. Michael the Archangel before you do. (It is also a holy and devout practice to always keep a blessed St. Benedict Medal or St. Benedict Medal-Crucifix on you at all times. I do). 

If someone is considering going to a Lodge or joining one, the best way to stop them is to expose Theosophy as the Satanic, God-hating sect it is, and pray for them--have Masses offered so that they may have the grace necessary to stay away.

Conclusion

Theosophy hides its true nature and purpose to ensnare people into outright servitude to Satan. Helena Blavatsky was an occultist and Satanist. With few members, they have had great success in doing their infernal Master's dirty work. Expose this wicked sect at every opportunity. Theosophists claim to seek a "higher wisdom," but they fail to recognize that there is no higher wisdom than Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, Who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (St. John 14:6). [Special Note To My Readers: It was exactly 40 years ago today (November 1, 1981) that I became a Traditionalist. Please say a prayer for me that I may never waiver in my fight to promote the One True Faith, and that I may be granted the great grace of Final Perseverance. A prayer for the repose of Father DePauw's soul, the great priest who brought me into the One True Church, would also be greatly appreciated. God Bless you all, my dear readers.---Introibo].