Chicken broth, caution and common sense Each and every proposal of doctrinarian revision should be studied and analyzed in depth
Guaraci Lima Silveira

 
There are spiritists who propose an update in some topics of the Codification. They are based on scientific advancements and Kardec’s own words in which he states how the doctrine needs to keep abreast of science. That’s quite fair. It’s common sense preached by the Decoder. However, there are situations in which we must be very cautious. The Decodification has just completed 155 years on April 18^th. During this time many other works have come about, mainly of Andre Luiz and the fellows dedicated to scientific studies, which have demonstrated how up-to-date Kardec was. If we need to adjust here and there, within the concepts that are available now, we may have to do it all over again, for science hasn’t always has the final word about the subjects it studies. A truth now can change tomorrow, as the history of science shows us. Among the proposals of revision shown, let’s analyze a fact that may well justify our words above.

In the book Genesis, chapter VI, item 36, they cite the existing natural satellites in our solar system. We researched three translations. First Guillon Ribeiro’s translation: “The number of satellites of each planet has varied according to the special conditions in which they were formed. Some planets, such as Mercury, Venus and Mars haven’t led to the creation of any secondary heavenly bodies, while others, such as the Earth, Jupiter and Saturn have bred quite a few.” Let’s go now to the translation done by Albertina Escudeiro Seco, from CELD publishing:  “the number and the situation of satellites of each planet vary according to the specific conditions in which they were formed. Some planets like Mercury, Venus and Mars haven’t bred any secondary planets, while others like the Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, etc., have bred one or more”. At last, let’s mention Vitor Tollendal’s translation with footnotes by Jose Herculano Pires, from LAKE Publishing: “The amount and state of satellites of each planet, vary according to the special conditions in which they were formed. Some planets such as Mercury, Venus and Mars haven’t bred any secondary planets, while others such as the Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, etc. have formed many.”

In the issues of FEB and CELD footnotes were placed saying: FEB: “In 1877, two satellites were discovered around Mars: Fobos and Deimos”. And by CELD Publlishing: “In 1877, two satellites were discovered around Mars: Fobos and Deimos. See photos of Mars on pages 680/681 and also on pages 682, 683 and 684. (N.R.)”. 

According to science, there are today three hypothesis surrounding the formation of our Moon 

What’s interesting is that Jose Herculano Pires hasn’t put any footnotes. To him the information was correct and why wouldn’t it be? That’s the question. Let’s remember that J. Herculano Pires was considered one of the greatest interpreters of Kardec’s thinking and was defined by Emmanuel, through Chico Xavier, as “The best measurement of Kardec’s work”.

We understand the value and dedication of these fellows who are dedicated to translate and/or publish works of masters of foreign lands. It is, in fact, an arduous task to adequate to our language something that was written using different grammar, even if being French a Latin language. If out of three, one is different, a bell rings, and we need to find out.

According to science, there are three hypotheses for the formation of the Moon, namely: 

• Cocreation. Proposes that the Moon was created at the same time as the Earth from the Solar Proto-Planetary Nebula. 
• Fission. Proposes that the material that formed the Moon got detached from the Earth still in fission as an effect of rotation.
• Capture. Proposes that the Moon was a small planet caputred by the gravitational Field of the Earth. Maybe a planet that disappeared called Theia, with an approximate size like Mars. It would have happened around the time of the creation of the Earth.

We see that science hasn’t yet arrived at a conclusion. They are still debating and examining. Therefore, it’s up to us spiritists to resort to spirituality in order to clarify the subject. Let’s see what Emmanuel says in the book “A Caminho da Luz”, chapter 1, Planetary Genesis: “Under the processing of cosmic values in which workers of the spiritual world operate under the merciful guidance of Christ, the earthly satellite is formed. The programming to be accomplished on the Earth demanded the existence of the Moon, in its most intimate details. It is the anchor of earthly balance in the movements the Earth does around the Sun, in the many kingdoms of Nature”. 

Fobos is, in the Solar System, the satellite that
orbits the nearest around the Sun 

Emmanuel says: “... we discuss the formation of the earth’s satellite”. We may conclude that the Moon was created from the Earth and that the collision of Theia did not take place. It’s only a proposal that hasn’t been proved yet.

Well, why are we referring to the Moon, if the citation is about Mars? Let’s go back to the texts of the “Genesis” and pick this out: “… Some planets haven’t bred any secondary planets as seen in Mercury, Venus and Mars…”, FEB Publishing.  Some planets like Mercury, Venus and Mars haven’t bred any secondary planets, CED Publishing and “planets like Mercury, Venus and Mars haven’t bred any secondary planets, LAKE Publishing. Note that in every one there’s this citation: Did not breed.

We did a comparative research about our Moon and Fobos and Deimos, the Moons of Mars. There are some interesting facts about that: the diameter of our Moon is 3.480km, while the diameter of Fobos is 7.5km and Deimos 10km. We know that the distance between Earth and the Moon is about 384.405km. Fobos is, in all Solar System, the satellite that orbits closest to the Sun: less than six thousand kilometers above the surface of Mars and Deimos, which hovers around 20.000 km above the surface of that planet. Deimos is the smallest satellite known in the Solar system. Its low density (1.8) is about the same as Fobos (1.9), which indicates they have similar compositions – probably a mixture of silica and ice, different from type C satellites. Scientists say that our Moon is, proportionally, the biggest natural satellite in the Solar System.

Astronomers of today are not so sure that the satellites of Mars were formed on that planet, like our Moon was originated on Earth. Notice that Camille Flammarion, when receiveing Galileu in a medium communication, wrote that some planets like Mercury, Venus or Mars haven’t bred any secondary stars. Therefore, Demos and Fobos being asteroids caught up in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, like current science believes, were not formed in Mars, don’t you agree? So, I can’t understand where there’s a mistake in the book “The Genesis” by Allan Kardec. Is it lacking a better interpretation of the text?  

We know that the Moons of Mars were discovered
in 1877 by Asaph Hall

Some fellows are advertising the fact as a lack of control of Kardec in his spiritual communication or even animism of the medium or even a mistake of Galileu (Spirit) who dictated the text to Camille Flammarion.

We know that the Codification was supervised by the Spirit of Truth who, certainly, would not allow such a mistake. It’d be three entities of notorious sensibility and knowledge to make this mistake: Galileu, Flammarion and Kardec. We know that the Moons of Mars were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall, therefore, only 9 years after the launching of “The Genesis”. For sure, the Spirit of Truth was aware of that and would avoid at any cost any mistake by the Decoders. Under the screening of the master of Lyon, countless communications were rebutted. Why were they dismissed? It’s easy to point out other people’s mistake, isn’t it? In some cases even enjoyable.

We suggest therefore that the “chicken broth” of time and assertions when hastily spreading facts or postulates that are still under scrutiny. In this case, there’s no doubt that Fobos and Deimos may have been captured asteroids and not formed on Mars. There’s even the hypothesis 50 million years from now, Fobos will crash against the planet, maybe forming a ring. We realize, thus, that this subject is still in the realm of surveying. That being, nobody has the final word. On our side, we stick to the Genesis by Kardec and reassure today, with him, that Mars has created satellites, such as the Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, etc., until it gets proven otherwise.

We are today worthy representatives of the Codification in the physical plane. We still find ourselves in the 2^nd Century of Spiritualism, so, we make up the primitive spiritualists. There mustn’t be, therefore, differences between us. It’s good that scientist spiritualists have opinions about it, it’s good that the subject is being discussed not in order to find out who is right, but to avoid these kinds of doubts to linger within the movement. We’re receiving many brothers coming from different creeds daily. They should not feel we’re of two minds about things. 

We must not forget that science changes its mind all the time 

If a brother or sister is sure the “The Genesis” or any other book of the Codification at any point is outdated, he or she should speak out in a scientific based manner, showing facts and data in the fashion of scholars who have a love for the spiritualist cause.

When I decided for the doctrine, in 1978, I read the introduction to “The Book of Spirits” and stuck for a long time on item VII, when Kardec proposes: “Let’s assume that the study of a doctrine, such as the spiritualist one, can only be successfully done by men who are serious, persevering and free of pre-conceived ideas, driven by a a firm and honest aim to reach a result.

He warned that we need to evolve with science, however incites us to be cautious, to study relentlessly and to recoil. Not only with subjects related to Mars and its Moons, but also other topics questioned nowadays by many scholars. We mustn’t forget that science is moving and changing its concepts all the time. Who would refute Newton before Niels Bohr, Albert Einstein and others? Let’s allow scientific research to thrive. Certainly the spirituality is aware and, at the right time, will guide us, in a way there will be no doubts anymore.

In the seventies, some fellows with spiritualistic inclination edited the work, revising Kardec’s masterpiece “The Gospel According to Spiritualism” and sold over thirty thousand copies. 

We shouldn’t be spreading concepts that confuse our minds 

Let’s remember Bezerra de Menezes when saying: “But Kardec is unsurpassable! Was there a mistake when interpreting “The Genesis”? Today we have the mediumship of Divaldo Pereira Franco and other mediums of irrefutable reputation as coherent and unharmed interpreters. Why don’t we use them?

Friends and brothers, this is only a proposition for a reflection. We are now sharing this with everyone. And far from trying to own the truth, we don’t think we should even bother. Whoever has a more actual proposal that does not generate controversy, please speak up. Only then we can edify the bases of our doctrine.

If, in fact, the Codification is outdated by science in a few points that may cause discomfort to the ones who soldier in the academic realm, why not create a council of spiritists linked to science under the watch of the spirituality? We must take care of ourselves. We conclude by suggesting that the ideal situation would be a consensus of notable scholars, based on the doctrinarian texts.