José Herculano Pires, philosopher and writer, states in O Espírito e o Tempo (Time and Spirit) ^¹ that “The purpose of religions is to pull man from animality and lead him to morality”. It is Allan Kardec's thought that religion that does not improve man does not achieve its purpose.² The same Kardec says that Spiritism is “the most powerful auxiliary of Religion”.³ In a footnote to question 148 of O Livro dos Espíritos (The Book of Spirits), Herculano Pires reinforces the correctness of this idea when he adds: “It was thanks to the Spiritist evidence of the survival of the soul and the rational explanation of Spiritual problems that the materialist wave of the 19th century could be restrained”. ⁴

The contribution of the Spiritist Doctrine

Spiritism has recovered the essence of Jesus' moral teaching, which had been tampered with for a long time. He built his doctrinal edifice with rational arguments, through the rigorous experimental method of Allan Kardec, gathered in the works that expose its principles, information of the highest human interest as to its future state and, therefore, it can help religions in the sense of providing them with the means to face materialism and help them to fulfill their purpose, which is to Spiritualize man.

“Spiritism, says Allan Kardec, restoring to the Spirit its true role in Creation, verifying the superiority of intelligence over matter, naturally levels all the differences established between men according to bodily and mundane advantages”... “Extending the circle of family due to the plurality of existences, Spiritism establishes among men a more rational fraternity than that which is based only on the fragile bonds of matter”... , so much resignation to inspire, that in those circles (the working classes) he was welcomed as an anchor of salvation... Everywhere I saw him enter the abode of work, I saw him produce his moralizing effects”. “It is, I repeat, a moral doctrine and morality is in all religions”... ⁵

However, does not religion produce all this?

The Spiritist Doctrine goes far beyond the dogmatic, mystical and superstitious conceptions of religions. From the point of view of practical application in human relationships, which is what really matters, after all, it “has prevented countless suicides; restored peace and concord to a large number of families; he made violent and angry men meek and patient; he gave resignation to those who had none, consolation to the afflicted; he brought back to God those who did not know him, destroying their materialistic ideas, a true social wound that annihilates man's moral responsibility. Here is what it has been doing and is doing every day, which it will do more and more as it spreads.” ⁶

Then you may ask, “Does not religion produce all this?”  I fully agree, says Kardec. Why then does it not produce it always? It is because not everyone understands it (Religion). Now, Spiritism, by making clear and intelligible to everyone what is dubious, and clarifying what is not, it leads to the conclusion that no one ever feels the need for what one does not understand”. ⁷

In other words: while religions remain in the domain of the mystical, the sacred, the unquestionable, the inexplicable, leaving believers undecided about what to attend to, Spiritism penetrates the natural world, makes known the laws that govern everything and everyone and it explains them rationally. It makes you abandon doubt and acquire certainty, and from there it provokes mobilization.

As an important segment of Spiritualism⁸, Spiritism does its part objectively, disseminating ideas in the social environment through its adherents and institutions. Even fighting against the Spirit of the system (*), prejudice and bad faith – which are slowly losing strength – the Spiritist concepts gained ground and established credibility in public opinion.

Union of Spiritualists

However, just a few million adherents cannot claim to renew the world alone. The propagation of ideas will do it, but it will need the help of Spiritualists of all creeds. The Spiritist principles absorbed and applied will be fundamental for the implementation of justice on Earth. Moreover, the feeling of justice grows through Education, the key to moral progress, which tends to make good men, not just educated ones.

In a turbulent period like the one we are going through, you have to be patient and let time do its job. Even because men, as cells of the social organism, are absorbing each one in their own way, and in their own time, the Spiritist information that spreads around the world, and incorporating them into routine life, without then even realizing it.

Thus, the renewed action of each individual, here and elsewhere, will naturally process the changes. Religions, as phenomena that reflect the needs of human evolution, will also renew themselves in the wake of individual transformations.

The influence of Spiritist concepts

What has just been said seems contradictory, since it is up to religions to educate man. It happens that the religions of our time, with their irrational dogmatism, with their innocuous formalisms, with political and socioeconomic interests, do not have the moral strength to change the chaotic picture of the world, caused by the Spiritual ignorance maintained by themselves.

The religions that survive the process of evolution, driven by the force of things and by the ethical revolution of the new ideals that make up Spiritism, will tend to integrate into the general culture, to detach themselves from formalisms and conventions, to abolish as much as there is still of the pagan mentality in its structures, to abdicate temporary powers, conforming more and more its principles to the true Spiritual interests of the new man. To such an extent that very little remains of what they are today, identifying themselves only with the “Spirit that gives life”.

Joint responsibilities

The humanity of the future, as a whole, will not necessarily profess the Spiritist creed, but will live, due to the moral progress achieved, the natural principles that constitute Spiritism, then disseminated on a wide scale.

Man will no longer need to express his worship of God through outward worship, for he will have learned to worship him from the heart. Group sectarianism will yield to collective behavior. Individualism will only represent the introspective action of each one in the search to recognize their own imperfections.

Therefore, Spiritists and Conscious Spiritualists, in this moment of deep crisis that foreshadows necessary changes, have serious responsibilities. Starting with the moral obligation to live in a Christian way, taking care to preserve the moral patrimony already conquered so far in the civilizing process and increasing it with new conquests. As for the Spiritists specifically, who are coherent with the Doctrine they claim to adopt, that they take care of the doctrinal content of Spiritism so that it reaches men as it came from the intelligence of Allan Kardec and the idealization of the Spirit of Truth; and that it expands more and better, by all possible means, its range of action.

(*) In general terms, “Spirit of the system” is the mentality of resistance to new ideas and discoveries, or to changing established behavioral models that are often inadequate or already outdated.

References:

¹ Pires, J.H. The Spirit and Time. EDICEL

² Kardec, Allan. The gospel According to Spiritism. VIII, 10, LAKE.

³, ⁴ Kardec, Allan. The Book of Spirits, comments by A. Kardec to question 148, LAKE.

^{5, 6, 7} Kardec, Allan. Spiritist Magazine, “Speech by Mr. Allan Kardec”, October 1861.

⁸ The Book of Spirits. Introduction to the Study of the Spiritist Doctrine, LAKE.