We continue today the methodical study of “Heaven and Hell, or Divine Justice According to Spiritism” by Allan Kardec. The first edition was published in August 1, 1865. This work is part of the Kardecian Pentateuch. The answers to the questions suggested for discussion are at the end of the text below.
Questions for discussion
A. The Church states that demons and not Spirits are responsible for Spiritual manifestations. How did the Church arrive to this conclusion?
B. How does Spiritism reply to this statement of the Church?
C. What are the required conditions to evoke the Spirits?
D. How can we classify a communicant Spirit, if we cannot see it, nor can we get information about it?
Reading Text
86. The Church teaches that only one part of the angels of the latter category took part in the insurgence led by Lucifer, and therefore, they were transformed into demons. (Part I, Chapter X, section 6. See also Chapter IX, Section 8.)
87. However, if the Creator allowed them to lead men into error, and considering that He is supremely just and good, He should have allowed too the manifestation of the good angels. Men would then be free to choose goodness from evil. To give the evil angels the monopoly of temptation with broad powers to simulate goodness to better seduce, and at the same time denying any intervention of the good angels is, therefore, the same as attributing to God the unthinkable intention of aggravating weakness, inexperience, and the good faith of human beings. (Part I, Chapter X, section 6.)
88. Spiritism makes no miracles and never revived a dead body, seeing that when it is in the grave, there it will stay definitely. The Spirit, an intelligent being, does not go to the grave along with the coarse shell. It leaves the body at the time of death and has nothing in common with it. (Part I, Chapter X, section 10.)
89. The principles of experimental Spiritism have no relation with magic. Thus, there are no Spirits at the disposal of men, no means to constrain them, cabalistic signs, ways of getting rich, no wonders, and miracles, which constitute the final purpose of magic. Spiritism not only has nothing to do with this, but it also disapproves such things and demonstrates their inability and ineffectiveness. (Part I, Chapter X, section 11.)
90. On the part of Spiritism there is no confusion regarding the Spirits. On the contrary, Spiritism differentiates them. As for the Church, yes, it does assign to the demons intelligence equal to that of the angels. Spiritism, after observing the facts, arrived to the conclusion that the inferior Spirits are more or less ignorant and have their moral horizon and their insight very limited, and therefore are unable to solve certain issues and this is why they are not able to do everything that is attributed to the demons. (Part I, Chapter X, section 13.)
Answers to the proposed questions
A. The Church states that demons and not Spirits are responsible for Spiritual manifestations. How did the Church arrive to this conclusion?
The Church believes that demons are the ones who manifest themselves, because, according to the Catholic dogma, the souls of the dead stay in the place determined by their justice for a long time, and are unable to be available for the living. Thus, the mysterious beings that come to the first appeal of the heretic, the impious, or the believer, are not sent by God, or the apostles of truth and salvation, but are a consequence of error, and are agents of hell. As one can see, it is a conclusion based on a premise never proven by facts and denied by numerous phenomena recorded in the Bible itself. (Heaven and Hell, Part I, Chapter X, sections 4 and 5).
B. How does Spiritism reply to this statement of the Church?
The best answer to such ideas is the observe the Spiritist messages that invariably recommend men to pray to God, to submit to the will of God, to renounce evil and do good.
Now, what kind of demon is this that works against his interests? How can he exalt in his messages the enjoyable life of the good Spirits and picture the terrible position of evil?
It has never been seen a dealer highlight his neighbor's merchandise to his customers in detriment of his own, advising them to go to his neighbor's house instead of his. It has never been seen someone recruiting soldiers by undervaluing military life, and praising the rest at home!
However, it is well known and it is a fact too that the instructions issued by the invisible world have regenerated unbelievers and atheists, insufflating their souls with fervor and never before known beliefs. These manifestations influence habitual addictive and they end up regenerating and trying to improve themselves - we see this happen daily.
Therefore, to attribute to the devil such a beneficial advertising and wholesome results, is to give the demon a fool's diploma. And as this is not a simple assumption, but an experimental fact against which there is no argument, one must arrive to the conclusion that the demon is not so clever and wicked as intended, or is a first class awkward, and therefore the spiritual manifestations do not come from him. (Ibid, Part I, Chapter X, sections 7-9).
C. What are the required conditions to evoke the Spirits?
There are no sacramental formulas to evoke Spirits. Whoever wishes to establish a formula can be branded as a charlatan, since for the pure Spirits formulas are worthless. Evocation should always be made in the name of God. The most important condition to evoke serious Spirits is self-communion. With faith and desire for good, we become better able to evoke Superior spirits. When we elevate our soul for a moment, when we evoke them, then we identify ourselves with the good Spirits and thus we predispose them to come to us. (Ibid, Part I, Chapter X, section 10).
D. How can we classify a communicant Spirit, if we cannot see it, nor can we get information about it?
The Spirit's level is recognized by its language. The truly good and superior Spirits always have a dignified, noble, logical speech, free from any inconsistency. Their language reveals wisdom, modesty, grace and the most pure morality. Moreover, it is concise, clear and without unnecessary words. (Ibid, Part I, Chapter X, section 13).
