Q: The Rosicrucian Order sounds like a religion. Is it?
No, it may appear that way because of the high regard that Rosicrucians hold all sincere religious beliefs, and the fact that the Rosicrucian Order deals in depth with mysticism, something which lies at the heart of all major religions. However, the Order is not a religion itself, just as mysticism is not the exclusive domain of any particular religious belief system.
Rosicrucians are not be required to adopt any specific code of beliefs or conduct other than what is quite obvious, like respecting the standard norms of decency which is in any event enshrined in the laws of most countries. They come from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds, and while some have no particular religious beliefs at all, most do. A golden thread running through the Rosicrucian system of instruction is tolerance for the views, opinions and beliefs of others insofar as those beliefs are not manifestly harmful to society at large.
If you were a Rosicrucian you would not be expected to accept anything on faith. Far from it, you would be expected to think for yourself and draw upon the inner wisdom you already possess. That wisdom is already within you, it is part of your deeper life experience and can be brought to the fore whenever needed. What we provide is an easy to understand philosophical basis for living in a manner that can bring you lasting peace and tranquillity, as well as fulfilment in whatever endeavour is your calling in life. And most importantly, we provide the tools, techniques and methods necessary for accomplishing this, and for bringing to fruition your already substantially evolved spiritual awareness.
To ensure you succeed, you are given simple techniques to enable you to reach your cherished goals through the development and flowering of your deeper self, the ultimate source of your true potential. The Rosicrucian teachings have an intellectual content which will support your personal beliefs so far as they are helpful to you and allow you to express your innate goodness in all life situations. Most importantly though, the teachings contain practical exercises that allow you to demonstrate for yourself the veracity or otherwise of your beliefs and the well-worn ways in which you have been leading your life. Where changes are needed, the Rosicrucian teachings will guide you to accomplishing those changes with minimum disruption and maximum efficiency.
The principles presented in the Rosicrucian curriculum allow you to access your own source of inner wisdom and guidance. And as you do this, you begin developing natural abilities that may have been left dormant throughout your life. Very soon you will begin to see your life in a different light, while change for the better is often quick to emerge.
There are a number of publications you can select and download if you wish, or you can read them online.