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. Do we need permission from God to communicate with the deceased's souls?
B. Spiritism has a very strong argument regarding demons and their mediation in spiritual manifestations. What is it?
C. Does the Church deny spiritual manifestations?
D. Why does the Church insist on banning evocation?
Reading Text
91. Yes, Spiritism only accepts the manifestation of the good or evil Spirits with the permission of God, whereas, according to the Church's theory, demons manifest themselves without requiring such permission. (Heaven and Hell, Part I, Chapter X, section 14).
92. Spiritism goes further by saying that although the permission exists, the Spirits are not always available to answer the call of the living. (Part I, Chapter X, section 14.)
93. When evoking a Spirit, does he turn up voluntarily, or is he compelled to do so? The Spirit, submitting to God, the law that governs the Universe, then decides if the mediation is useful or not, and this is a right of his free will. (Part I, Chapter X, section 14.)
94. The objections raised by the Church against evocation, therefore, do not affect Spiritism, but refer to the practice of magic, with which Spiritism has nothing in common. Spiritism also, as much as the Church, condemns such practices. (Part I, Chapter X, section 15.)
95. The Church does not accept among the angels, among the privileged creatures of God, a being compassionate enough to come to the aid of the misguided souls! Then what is the use of their brilliant qualities? Are they only for their personal enjoyment? And when they are fascinated by the delights of contemplation and see many souls on the path of Hell, and do nothing to make them change, can we consider them genuinely good? (Part I, Chapter X, section 16.)
96. Christ said, "It is not men in good health who require a physician." Therefore, who would refuse to show the right path to the unbeliever? Well, the good Spirits do what we would do. They address the impious to give them good advice. Instead of condemning the afterlife communications, it would be better to bless the Lord's decrees, admiring His omnipotence and infinite goodness. (Part I, Chapter X, section 16.)
97. According to the Church, what the guardian angels cannot do, the demons do. Using demoniacal manifestations, they bring back to God those who previously denied Him and those who are enslaved to evil they guide them to the good path. And these demons do even more. They present us with millions of men believing in God through the mediation of their diabolical power, whereas the Church is impotent to convert them. Men that never prayed do it today with faith, thanks to the teachings of these demons! (Part I, Chapter X, section 17.)
98. How many proud, selfish, and libertine men have become humble, charitable, and modest? And all due to the devils work. If so, then, it is clear that the devil provides a better service than the angels do. However, it is necessary to have a very sad opinion of human judgment to believe that men blindly accept such ideas. (Ibid, Part I, Chapter X, section 17).
99. There is no doubt that Jesus is the divine messenger sent to men to teach them the truth and the way to the right path. However, how many could not listen to this truth, how many died without knowing it, and, finally, how many know it and do not practice it. (Part I, Chapter X, section 18.)
100. Why then cannot God send them other messengers, who, descending to all lands, among the big and small, wise and ignorant, credulous and skeptical, will teach them the truth, and thus spread the teachings contained in the Gospel? Spiritism shows us that these messengers have been sent by the Creator and come in innumerable hosts, opening the eyes of the blind, converting the impious, healing the sick, comforting the afflicted, as did Jesus, but the Church repudiates them, not accepting the good they do and crying out, "They are demons!" (Part I, Chapter X, section 18.)
101. The language of the Pharisees was the same when referring to Christ, who, according to them, practiced goodness through the arts of the devil. Jesus answered the accusation by saying, "Recognize the tree by its fruit: a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." (Part I, Chapter X, section 18.)
102. The word of Christ spread slowly, and eighteen centuries later, it is known by only a tenth of Mankind. (Note: A recent survey released by the Vatican says that about 33% of our population follows Christianity.) That is why God, in His mercy, sends the Spirits to confirm, complete, and disseminate it all over Earth - the Holy word of Jesus. This is why the teachings brought by the Spirits spread so quickly, because by reaching the heart and the reason, they are more easily understood by the humble. (Part I, Chapter X, section 18.)
103. Spiritism rejects all frivolity in Superior Spirits. Spiritism states precisely the contrary, i.e. vulgarity belongs to vulgar Spirits. (Part I, Chapter X, section 19.)
104. The Church relies on Moses to ban evocation. However, if the law of Moses should be so strictly observed in this particular, then it is necessary that it be observed too in the stoning the adulterous, circumcision of children, the commandment of an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth, and so on. One has to be consistent. Since it is recognized that the Mosaic laws are not in accordance with our time and our customs, in certain cases, the same reason goes along for the ban we have mentioned, and its purpose was completely abolished with the passage of time. (Part I, Chapter XI, section 3).
Answers to the proposed questions
A. Do we need permission from God to communicate with the deceased's souls?
Yes, Spiritism only accepts the manifestation of the good or evil Spirits with the permission of God, whereas, according to the Church's theory, demons manifest themselves without requiring such permission. (Heaven and Hell, Part I, Chapter X, section 14).
B. Spiritism has a very strong argument regarding demons and their mediation in spiritual manifestations. What is it?
The Spiritist argument refers to the contents of said demoniacal manifestations. Moreover, experience proves that they have brought back to God the enslaved to evil, those who denied Him. And those supposed demons do more: they present us with millions of men believing in God through the mediation of their diabolical power. How many proud, selfish, and libertine have become humble, charitable, and modest? And all this due to the devil's work. If so, then, it is clear that the devil has provided these people a better service than the angels have.
However, it is necessary to have a very sad opinion of human judgment to believe that men blindly accept such ideas. A religion based on such principles destroys itself when taking away its demons, Hell, its eternal punishments, and its merciless God - such a religion is a religion that commits suicide. (Ibid, Part I, Chapter X, section 17).
C. Does the Church deny spiritual manifestations?
No. The Church fully accepts them, but considers them an exclusive demons' mediation. (Ibid, Part I, Chapter XI, section 1).
D. Why does the Church insist on banning evocation?
The main argument used by the Church, concerning the evocation is Moses' banning contained in the Old Testament (Ibid, Part I, Chapter XI, sections 1 and 2).
