In this issue we continue the study of the book Posthumous Works, published after Allan Kardec disembodied and containing texts written by him. The present work is based on the translation made by Dr. Guillon Ribeiro, published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation.
Questions for discussion
198. How did Kardec understand the Christian Charity, which he so praised through the maximum “Without Charity there is no Salvation”?
199. What would be one of the obstacles that could prevent the Doctrine to be spread?
200. How can one achieve this purpose?
201. What instruments should contribute to the progress of Spiritism?
Answers to the proposed questions
198. How did Kardec understand the Christian Charity, which he so praised through the maximum “Without Charity there is no Salvation”?
The text below - unpublished until then - was found among his papers, in which the Encoder of Spiritism says how he understood and practiced Charity: "These principles, for me, are not just a theory, I put them into practice; I do good as much as my position allows me to; I serve when I can; have the poor ever been rejected in my house, or treated harshly? Were they not always received with kindness? I never regretted my steps and my efforts to provide service; did not householders leave prison in reason of my intercession?
Certainly it is not up to me to make the inventory of my good deeds; but at a time when everything seems to be forgotten, I am allowed, I believe, to remind you that my conscience tells me that I hurt nobody, that I did everything of good I could and this, I repeat, without asking for any opinion. In this regard, my conscience is clear and although there was some ingratitude many times, this did not become a reason for me to stop doing it; ingratitude is one of the imperfections of Mankind, and as none of us are free from reproaches, you need to be aware of it, to pass it to others, so that we can say, like Jesus, 'that which is without sin, cast the first stone”'. I will continue therefore to do all the good I can, even to my enemies, because hate does not blind me; and I will stretch my hand out hand to help remove them from a cliff, if this occasion turned up. Here's how I understand the Christian Charity; I understand a religion that orders to repay evil with good, with stronger reason repay good with good. But I would never understand one that told us to repay evil with evil". (Posthumous Works - Part Two - Out of Charity there is no Salvation).
199. What would be one of the obstacles that could prevent the Doctrine to be spread?
It would be the lack of unity. And the only way to avoid it, if not now in the present, at least for the future, is formulating it in all its parts, even the smallest details, with both precision and clarity, so that all divergent interpretation is impossible. (Posthumous Works - Part Two - Project 1868).
200. How can one achieve this purpose?
When experience shows us the drawbacks of the past, something that ended up happening within Christianity, it clearly tells us that the only way to avoid them for the future is to base Spiritism on solid foundations of a positive Doctrine, leaving nothing to interpretations. The disagreements that could arise would then merge with the main unit, which would be established on most rational basis, if those bases are clearly defined and not vague. (Posthumous Works - Part Two – Project 1868).
201. What instruments should contribute to the progress of Spiritism?
The theoretical establishment of the Doctrine and the means for it to become popular. To do so, a stronger organization was necessary, as well as other elements it did not have yet. Following these words, Kardec developed a number of considerations - a Project Outline - that he divided into the following four topics: 1. A central place; 2. Spiritism teachings; 3. Advertising, and 4. Trips. According to him, if these ideas were actually implemented, there is no doubt that a few years would be enough to make the Doctrine go forward a few centuries. (Posthumous Works - Part Two – Project 1868).
