The Truth about Evil and Punishment

What is evil and punishment Truly?

Continuation of the article Passive Obedience and Blind Faith—The Two Principles of the False Idea

Evil is not making mistakes, then asking for forgiveness and being obedient to good.

O bad it is acting according to personal interest above the collective. To do this, the other must serve him, losing tranquility and happiness, which the selfish person does not want for himself. To submit the other, he must act not out of duty that cooperates, but out of submission that makes him a kind of slave.

God punishes? No! What is punishment?

O punishment, according to divine or natural law, consists of the constant suffering of those who consciously err, acting driven by personal interests, using lies and violence as means to achieve their objectives.

Isn't this concept totally different from what we have learned? Is punishment something that happens in the world? No, the punishment is the person's moral suffering and, if they do not change, they will not find happiness.

No selfish person is happy, because they know, intimately, that they are not doing good. But why would someone be selfish, knowing they are wrong, suffering because of it, and still continuing in the same selfish behavior?

Through Spiritism, we uncover the roots of selfishness and pride. Spiritism does not confront people or ideas; he confronts selfishness and pride as concepts that harm spiritual progress.

The guilty Spirit first suffers in spiritual life due to the degree of its imperfections, and is then granted bodily life as a means of reparation. That is why the Spirit finds in her, either the people she offended, or situations similar to those in which she committed evil, or even situations opposite to those she experienced, for example, facing misery if she was a bad rich person, or a humiliating condition if was proud. This is not a double punishment, but the same one that is continued on Earth, as a complement, with a view to facilitating your progress towards effective work. It depends on the Spirit himself to make it profitable. Isn't it better for him to return to Earth, with the possibility of gaining Heaven, than to be condemned without remission when he leaves it? This freedom that is granted to him is proof of the wisdom, goodness and justice of God, who wants man to owe everything to his own efforts, thus being the architect of his future. If you are unhappy, whether you are unhappy for a longer or shorter period of time, complain only to yourself – the path to progress is always open to you.

Allan Kardec. Heaven and Hell: Or divine justice according to Spiritism, publisher Feal (p. 78). Kindle Edition.

However, it is crucial to fully understand what selfishness entails in order to combat it effectively. Recognizing your mistakes and feeling guilty is the first step towards change. Otherwise, the individual will continue to suffer.

The false idea that God is the cause of our suffering is wrong. In fact, we are judges and prisoners of ourselves and our own thoughts. Spiritism teaches us this. Knowing this, will you choose to remain trapped or free yourself? To be a slave or free? It's your choice.

No one is obligated to act for the good. Freedom is fundamental to acting in good ways. God does not put anyone to watch anyone. When you do good, you will do it with all your effort. The moment you act with integrity, other spirits approach to do the same: the network of kindness is created.

If you are acting with ulterior motives, other spirits notice and you isolate yourself by choice. That's the mechanism!

Is someone really watching us in the spiritual world? No! Is there a specific place to be punished? No! This is false! Does Emmanuel mention the threshold? Yes, he mentions it, but they are deluded spirits that gather there. Good spirits see bad spirits as sick people to be cured and not as adversaries to be fought. The fight between good and evil is a false idea!

This article was prepared based on a lecture given by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo. Click here to meet her.

Continue on The Dominion by Lies and Violence