New ideas always meet resistance 

Among other definitions, the word interest, according to Michaelis (Melhoramentos edition), means convenience; selfish or greedy feelings; care, commitment in favor of someone or something.

An excerpt in The Gospel According to Spiritism, in chapter XXIII (which Kardec called Strange Moral), caught our attention. It is in item 14 of the subtitle I did not come to bring peace, but division. The edition, number 118 – of August 2001 – is from the Brazilian Spiritist Federation, translated by Guillon Ribeiro and is on page 340. The quoted passage is as follows: 

“(...) Now, the interest is tenacious; never yields to evidence; it gets all the more irritated the more peremptory and demonstrative of its error are the arguments that oppose it. It knows very well that it is wrong, but that does not shake it, because true faith is not in its soul. What it fears most is the light, which gives sight to the blind. Error is profitable to it; it clings to it and defends it. (...)”. (Highlights are ours).

Now, the quoted passage led us to compare day-to-day events, in everyday life. The chapter in question, in the Encoder's comments, presents meridian textual beauty and clarity of reasoning. The Encoder argues, in item 12:

“Every new idea is forcibly opposed and none is implanted without struggles. Now, in these cases, the resistance is always proportional to the importance of the predicted results, because the greater it is, the more numerous are the interests that it hurts. (...) So, then, the measure of the importance and the results of a new idea is found in the emotion that its appearance causes, in the violence of the opposition that it provokes, as well as in the degree and persistence of the rage of its adversaries (...)”. (Again, the highlight is ours.)

The chapter of the aforementioned book refers to the renewing and revolutionary ideas of Jesus, which, consequently, Spiritism also presents and lives. But the most interesting thing is that the same reasoning fits perfectly in the achievements of science and also in the relationships between human creatures.

Yes, because every new idea, every behavior that differs from the established pattern, from the current status quo, from the untouchable pattern, encounters resistance and even open or disguised contempt from opponents willing to defend tooth and nail the interests that the new idea threatens. And they never give in, because the interest is tenacious, as the excerpt transcribed above highlights.

Such interests can be linked to several causes, which can be momentary conveniences, attachment, fear, insecurity, centralization or dominance of power and even declared war to prevail the imposition of ideas or systems.

This is what happened with the Spiritist Doctrine in its beginnings, in a very severe way. The New Revelation came to hurt interests, debunking illusions... and mainly putting things in their proper places for the stage of maturation already carried by humanity.

And Kardec mentions this in the Spiritist Magazine, from April 1868 (EDICEL edition, translated by Julio Abreu Filho), presenting comments on vehement aggressions suffered by a correspondent. Under the title Intolerance and Persecution of Spiritism, the Encoder comments on the situation of violence of a priest against an adept, because “(...) that missionary who foamed with rage preaching against Spiritism, and was agitated with such fury that there was a moment they feared that he would fall from the pulpit. (...)”.

And after other quotes, for which we invite the reader to look for in the origin already mentioned, Kardec's always lucid thought:

“(...) All great ideas, all renewing ideas, both in the scientific and in the moral order, received the baptism of persecution, and this should be, because they hurt the interests of those who lived old ideas, prejudices and abuses. But since these ideas are truths, have you not seen that persecution has not stopped their course? Isn't there the history of all times to prove that, on the contrary, they grew, consolidated, propagated even by the effect of persecution? (...) Only the ideas in which the future was seen were pursued; those who were judged as inconsequential were left to die a natural death (...)”

Such persecution, often dressed in falsehood or contempt, has its origins in vanity, pride, in the arrogance of dominion over other people's ideas, as if it is not possible to admit that others can offer better ideas. This occurs in all fields of human coexistence. Imagine, however, in the field of ideas such as those presented by the Spiritist Doctrine and arising from the revelation of Spirits with the sense of observation and analysis of their Encoder?

A struggle of interests is even inevitable. One, that of the effort to bring a path of peace and security to humanity. Another, the one that tries to retain. A wasted effort, however, because with the inevitable progress that accompanies and stimulates generations, ideas without roots fall of their own accord.

The theme is very opportune, as it highlights, as in all others, the greatness of the Spiritist Doctrine and the perspicacity of its Encoder. Let us therefore study the Spiritist Doctrine, to understand these facts, including those that happen next to us, in our personal life, where, keeping the due proportions, the struggle of interests is no different. On the one hand, selfish interests, on the other, the interests of building a new order that brings more balance...