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The Externalization of the Hierarchy - Section III - Forces behind the Evolutionary Process
It is necessary also to remind ourselves that, having won the war against aggression and barbarity upon the physical plane (and it is won), humanity has now earned the right to carry that accomplishment through to psychological and actual mental victory, and to do this together and with the mustered aid of enlightened men and women from every country - hence the inauguration of this Cycle of Conferences and Councils. This cycle will prove long or short, according to the release of the will-to-good from the spiritual world, in response to the massed intent of the men and women of goodwill everywhere.

As the destroying aspect of the Will of God nears the accomplishing of divine purpose, the will-to-good can emerge with clarity and dominate human affairs. Out of the [453] immensity of planetary evil, demonstrated through the destructive war of the past few years (1914-1945), great and permanent good can come; the spiritual Hierarchy stands ready to evoke the good latent behind the work of destruction which has been done, but this can be so only if the goodwill of humanity itself is employed with adequate invocative power. If this goodwill finds expression, two things can occur: first, certain potencies and forces can be released upon the earth which will aid men's effort to attain right human relations, with its resultant effect - peace; secondly, the forces of evil will be so potently defeated that never again will they be able to wreak such universal destruction upon earth.

Years ago I said that the war which may follow this one would be waged in the field of the world religions. Such a war will not work out, however, in a similar period of extreme carnage and blood; it will be fought largely with mental weapons and in the world of thought; it will involve also the emotional realm, from the standpoint of idealistic fanaticism. This inherent fanaticism (found ever in reactionary groups) will fight against the appearance of the coming world religion and the spread of esotericism. For this struggle certain of the well-organized churches, through their conservative elements (their most powerful elements), are already girding themselves. Those sensitive to the new spiritual impacts are still far from powerful; that which is new always faces the supreme difficulty of superseding and overcoming that which is old and established. Fanaticism, entrenched theological positions, and materialistic selfishness are to be found actively organized in the churches in all continents and of all denominations. They can be expected to fight for their established ecclesiastical order, their material profit and their temporal rule, and already are making the needed preparations.

The coming struggle will emerge within the churches themselves; it will also be precipitated by the enlightened elements who exist in fair numbers already, and are rapidly growing in strength through the impact of human necessity. [454] The fight will then spread to thinking men and women everywhere who - in a protesting revolt - have denied orthodox churchianity and theology. They are not irreligious but have, through pain and sorrow, learned (without ecclesiastical help) that the spiritual values are the only values which can salvage humanity, that the Hierarchy stands, and that Christ - as the symbol of peace and the Leader of the Forces of Light - is not a negligible force but one that is evoking response from the hearts of men everywhere. True religion will come to be interpreted in terms of the will-to-good and its practical expression, goodwill. The coming world conferences and the international councils will give indication of the strength of this new spiritual response (on the part of humanity) to the over-shadowing spiritual Potencies awaiting the invocative cry of mankind. When that cry arises, these divine energies will precipitate themselves into the realm of human thinking and planning. Men will then find themselves gifted with renewed strength and with the needed insight which will enable them to drive out the entrenched materialistic forces and the power of selfish interests - banded together to prevent human freedom. If the conferences to be held in the near future demonstrate that mankind is truly striving to bring about right human relations, the forces of evil can then be driven back; the Forces of Light will then take control.
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