First of all, being a Rosicrucian is not an end in itself. However, there is so much misery, conflict, and war in this world because people lack spirituality and are prisoners of dogmatic beliefs—both in the realms of religion and politics. One of AMORC’s specific goals is to encourage people to think freely and work actively towards the creation of a more humanistic and spiritual future. The Rosicrucian teachings, because of their philosophical depth and cultural value, are a valuable foundation for teaching and realizing such objectives.
Rosicrucian mysticism relates to the study of divine laws and their application in daily life. As experience proves, it is respect for these laws which enables people to be happy and to have meaningful and fulfilling life experiences. To be a Rosicrucian does not therefore mean being a dreamer or a person completely detached from material realities. On the contrary, it means that the individual lives in direct contact with the world and behaves towards others with all due respect—which implies cultivating a love of one’s brothers and sisters, and acting in conformity with the highest ideals.
In modern society, most people allow themselves to be controlled by their desires and to seek happiness in the pleasures offered them by the mundane world. As a general rule, this leads to excess in many areas and actually places greater distance between people and the happiness they seek. The best course for living happily is to pursue the golden mean in all matters and to lead a harmonious life. This implies turning to mysticism as the basis for one’s behavior. That is precisely what Rosicrucians do.
The Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, is a philosophical, initiatic, and traditional organization perpetuating knowledge that initiates have transmitted through the centuries. Its overall aim is to make people familiar with cosmic laws and to teach them how to live in harmony with these laws so as to achieve happiness and to acquire mastery of life, on both the material and spiritual planes. Being neither a sect nor a religion, nor a socio-political movement, the Order includes in its membership men and women of all religious faiths and all stations in life.
People seek happiness in the very depths of their beings, yet often they do not know where to find it. Most of the time they look for it in the pleasures provided by their material environment, yet their day-to-day reality shows that such pleasures are ephemeral and always leave a great void to be filled. In most individuals, this void assumes the dimension of an abyss separating the soul and the body. It is precisely to achieve a reconciliation within the individual that AMORC offers its teachings to those who seek knowledge and aspire to bring their lives into conformity with their hopes.
Its origin, nature, and purpose would indicate that AMORC has never been, nor ever will be, a religion. The fact that some of its members are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or belong to some other faith, is sufficient proof that it is not a religion, because its eclectic character and tolerance towards all beliefs is amply demonstrated. As revealed by its tradition and history, it is not a creation of some messiah or prophet, but the work of a college of initiates who are dedicated to perpetuating its knowledge through the ages—and this has been done since earliest antiquity. Furthermore, the Order imposes no dogma, allowing each Rosicrucian complete freedom in respect to the instruction he or she receives. In such matters, there is not one path of belief, but one path of understanding, based on personal research and a sincere desire for personal improvement. In short, faith is not and never has been the prerogative of any one religion, whatever it might be, nor indeed that of any mystical organization. It characterizes all individuals who are interested in spiritual values and who make these values the basis of their personal philosophy.
The Rosicrucian Order is not a secret organization. A secret organization is that whose existence is deliberately hidden from the public. However, AMORC is an organization whose existence is known and it proclaims this fact by means of public lectures, workshops, seminars, conclaves and conventions. It is therefore not secret organization but rather a discreet organization. Certainly the teachings of AMORC and some of its activities are intended exclusively for its members and are of a private nature. But this is the case with numerous other organizations without their being characterized as “secret societies.” In the final analysis, every individual and every group has the right to a private life, this right being inherent in the very notion of freedom.