In this issue, we continue the study of the book, What is Spiritism, launched in Paris in July 1859. This study will be divided into 19 parts. The pages cited in the text and suggested for reading refer to the 20th edition published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (Federação Espírita Brasileira). The answers to the questions suggested for discussion can be found at the end of this text.
Questions for discussion
A. If Allan Kardec says that Spiritism respects the sincere convictions and does not seek to force anyone to believe in the Doctrine, why then his concern in fighting materialism?
B. What is, according to Allan Kardec, the best of all religions?
C. What does Spiritism say about Purgatory and Hell?
Reading Text
93. The religious sense takes over when evoking the Spirits, and in our meetings, but we have no sacramental formula: for the Spirits, thought is everything and form, nothing. We call them in the name of God, because we believe in God and know that nothing is done in this world without His permission, and therefore they will not come unless God allows them. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 130).
94. The practice of goodness, which is the Higher Law, is the sine qua no condition of our future, as evidenced by the state of the Spirits, who communicate with us. Spiritism as a moral Doctrine only requires one thing: the need to practice goodness and avoid evil. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 134).
95. The period of the punishment in post-mortem life is in accordance with the improvement of the guilty Spirit. He is not subject to any penalty for a pre-established period. What God requires, to put an end to his suffering, is that he repents, and goes through atonement and reparation; in short, that he goes through a serious and effective improvement, with a honest return to doing good.(Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 135).
96. Therefore, the Spirits do not deny future penalties because they themselves come to us to tell us about their own suffering, and this situation touches us more than the perpetual flame, because everything in it is perfectly logical. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 136).
97. The Bible, the Gospel and the Church accept the possibility of communication with the invisible world. Besides, the Church, accepting the authenticity of certain appearances and Holy communications, it implicitly rejects the idea that we can only enter into a relationship with evil Spirits. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 137).
98. The Church does not deny that good Spirits can communicate because it accepts that the Saints have also manifested themselves. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 141).
99. Spirits do not come to overthrow religion, but as Galileo, they reveal to us new laws of Nature. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, Page 141).
100. The Spirits teach that the soul does not retrograde, but always progresses. Their different physical existences are fulfilled in humanity, and each one is a step that the soul gives towards the intellectual and moral progress, which is very different from metempsychosis. (Chapter I, Third Dialogue, pages 142 and 143).
101. Godallows the Spirit, in a new incarnation, to continue what he could not end in his previous life, or begin again what he did wrong. The atonement in his body life consists of the tribulations that he will suffer. (Chapter I,Third Dialogue, Page143).
102. Reincarnation is not an imagined system to meet the need sof an ideal, or a personal opinion. If it is shown that certain existing effects are materially impossible without reincarnation, one must admit thatt hey are its consequence.(Chapter I,Third Dialogue, Page143).
Answers to the proposed questions
A. If Allan Kardec says that Spiritism respects the sincere convictions and does not seek to force anyone to believe in the Doctrine, why then his concern in fighting materialism?
When Kardec fights materialism, he does not attack people, but a doctrine which, when widespread, constitutes a social scourge. Indeed, the denial of the future and a simple doubt about afterlife are major stimulants of selfishness, origin of most of the ills of mankind. With materialism, charity, fraternity and morality have no support whatsoever, and have no reason of being, hence the highly pernicious maxim for the future of all: “Every man for himself during is earthly life, because with when it ends, everything ends with it”.(What is Spiritism, Chapter I, Third Dialogue, pages 126 e 127).
B. What is, according to Allan Kardec, the best of all religions?
The Encoder teaches us that the best religion is the one that only teaches what is in accordance with the goodness and justice of God; the one that gives of God the best and most sublime idea; that makes men good and virtuous and teaches them to love one another as brothers; that condemns all evil against our neighbor; does not accept injustice under any form or purpose; that does not go against the unchangeable laws of Nature; the one whose ministers give the best example of goodness, charity, and morality; the one that best fights selfishness and less flatters men’s pride and vanity; and finally, in the name of which lessevil is done, because a good religion cannot serve as an excuse to the practice of any evil.(Ibid, Chapter I, Third Dialogue, pages 131 e 132).
C. What does Spiritism say about Purgatory and Hell?
Spiritism does not deny the existence of the Purgatory; on the contrary, it shows that it is just and necessary, more over it defines it. Purgatory would be the Earth, where the guilty soul purges and atones for the errors of the past. As for Hell, Spiritism considers it only a figure, an allegory, since, not admitting eternal punishments, the Superior Spirits teach that the punishment has a period of time in accordance with the betterment of the guilty Spirit. (Ibid, Chapter I, Third Dialogue, pages 135 e 136).
