The best of all religions

There is in scientific circles - and in some spiritists circles - which make serious restrictions on religions in general, attributing to them, directly or indirectly, most of the ills that exist in the world in which we live.

In chapter XX book Evolution in Two Worlds (Evolução em Dois Mundos), which we have studied in this weekly magazine, André Luiz gives us some interesting information concerning the advent of religious activity on Earth.

According to him, it was established within Humanity the principle of justice and surfacing in man the incessant thought, he began to consider in himself the effect of his actions in order to grow consciously to his destination of God's son, heir and collaborator of His Work.

It prods up then the constructive curiosity and hunger for clarifications as appropriate to their own way, the man lifts the mind to the stars, collecting spiritual values ​​which embody the heritage of revelations from heaven, through the ages.

It was necessary to meet the subtle refinement of your vehicle, ensure you the soul transformation, clothe it with light and beauty, and you determine the principles for which, beyond the narrow human circle, it could portray the glory of the higher planes. For this, the thought complained educational guidance, to divest them of thick sedimentation of animalism which has presided impulses. It is demanded its clearance of vital atmosphere, essential to the assimilation of divine influence.

It was then it came on Earth religious activity by institute global hygiene of the soul, tracing to man psychic nutrition guidelines, since, by his own perspiration, he externalizes the products he produces mentally, in the form of electromagnetic emanations, in which you embody, in motion, dominant reflexes, influencing the environment and being influenced by it.

Medical science, rich in experimentation and logic, would arise to meet the needs of the physical body, but the religious task would meet civilizations, full of inspiration and discipline, sponsoring the guidance of the spiritual body, in its necessary refinement. 

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Centuries were succeeded, churches have multiplied.

The Crusades, the Inquisition, the witch hunts, religious persecution left their mark today and, unfortunately, we see that the initial purpose, which was reported by André Luiz, have suffered sensitive misrepresentations, as shown by the following testimony given by Veja magazine by the American psychologist Michael Shermer:

"Churches have become a factor of corruption, reasons for wars and persecutions. Luckily, we have witnessed the decline of belief in the supernatural. Northern European countries, where only a quarter of the population followed a religion, have crime rates, suicide and sexually transmitted diseases lower than in states where the majority of inhabitants are believers, as the United States and Brazil. If religion declares itself a bastion of goodness, why, do historically theocratic states are more susceptible to crime than the seculars? ". (Veja magazine, August 22nd edition, page 85.)

Did Kardec ever refer to this theme?

Yes, although his words are quite different. In his book What is Spiritism, Third Dialogue, Encoder of Spiritism refers to religions and says what is on the understanding of the higher spirits, the best of them.

Here's what he wrote:

"In general, the higher spirits, if it is not asked for any special consideration, they do not worry about such matters of detail, they merely say: God is good and just, he only wants the good, the best of all religions is that it only teaches what is consistent with the goodness and justice of God, who gives God the greatest and most sublime idea and do not demean Him lending weaknesses and passions of humanity; which makes men good and virtuous and teaches them to love each other as brothers all; condemning all harm done to others, which does not allow injustice in any form or pretext whatsoever; prescribes nothing contrary to the immutable laws of nature, because God can not contradict Itself; one whose ministers give the best example of kindness, charity and morality, one that seeks to better combat selfishness and less flatter the pride and vanity of men, that, finally, on behalf of which they commit fewer bad, because a good religion cannot be excuse to harm, it should not let you any door open, not directly, not by interpretation."

These words should be constantly in our view, because it is the failure of what they propose is the real cause of the discredit that befell religions in general, whether in Europe, either in Brazil or anywhere in the world.