Faith customized by ideological passions

By Marco Milani

(Text published in Senda Magazine – FEEES, May/Jun 2022, p.5-6 ((Source: https://www.feees.org.br/?jet_download=3739)))

Throughout his speech to the community of spiritists in the French cities of Lyon and Bordeaux, in 1862, Kardec ((Book Viagem Espírita em 1862. Speeches given at the general meetings of spiritists in Lyon and Bordeaux. Speech I)) categorized the followers into three large groups: I) Those who believe purely and simply in the phenomena of manifestations, but who do not deduce any moral consequences from them; II) Those who perceive the moral reach, but apply it to others and not to themselves; III) Those who personally accept all the consequences of the doctrine and who practice or strive to practice their morals.

The true spiritist, therefore, applies to himself what many only manifest in normative discourses loaded with ennobling lessons, but empty of actions.

Among each of these categories, multiple subcategories could be identified, proportional to the moral and intellectual maturity of the individuals. One of them would be formed by those who present themselves as adepts, but adapt the teachings to their own interests and not infrequently seek to legitimize their particular opinions on various controversial subjects, claiming these are based on Spiritism. Such is the spiritist for convenience, who customizes the faith according to his interests and ambitions.

Customized faith is adopted at the expense of doctrinal coherence by new sophists who distort reality to shape the appearance of truth. Such distortion often stems from the passions that the supposed adept carries and directs his cosmovision and consequent argumentation. Instead of using doctrinal premises to get to know himself, improve himself and rethink his previous beliefs with a natural change of attitudes, he does the opposite, starting from deep-rooted ideological convictions to fit Spiritism into these proposals. What does not fit or is divergent, is simply ignored or reinterpreted.

 This is what happens with political passions. In a world of expiations and trials, there is no shortage of old social revolutionary proposals that promise the realization of the kingdom of justice on Earth as long as a certain guideline already devised by interpreters of history and planners of collective behavior is followed. Almost all of these utopian recipes for happiness ignore the interexistential process of development and preach the imposition of artificial and collectivist economic relations such as those that would morally transform the individual, but which end up suffocating him. For these, the Spirit Erastus ((Excerpt taken from Erastus' epistle to the spiritists of Lyon – 1861. A warning against materialist utopias. Revista Espírita, Oct/1861.)) manifests itself in this way. 

I just said the word egalitarian. I think it is useful to dwell a little on it, because we have absolutely not seen impractical utopias preached in your midst, and also because, on the contrary, we vigorously reject everything that seems to be linked to the prescriptions of an antisocial communism; above all, we are essentially propagandists of individual freedom, indispensable for the development of the incarnate; therefore, declared enemies of everything that comes close to these convent legislations, which brutally annihilate individuals.

 Fruit of utopian illusions, many spiritualists for convenience select and reinterpret doctrinal concepts to legitimize the political model they carry of systems of socioeconomic relations that depend on the moral perfection of all.

Transitory social issues were recurrently present in Allan Kardec's dialogues with the Spirits and the respective doctrinal teaching contains the fundamental elements for the construction of a more just and fraternal earthly society, based on the knowledge of the spiritual reality and the purpose of reincarnation.

The primordial contribution of Spiritism in social progress is evident in the condition of a powerful agent of moral transformation of humanity, without any framing in political-ideological conceptions already conceived.

As an inter-existentialist philosophy, Spiritism is not limited to the relationships of the material world, as it expands the understanding of reality and shifts the ultimate purpose of being towards the conquest of the true Kingdom of God in itself. Human miseries are reflections of the moral level of individuals, confronting them with the wounds of pride and selfishness, encouraging them to exercise their intelligence and practice charity in its true sense, in harmony with divine laws.

Spiritism, by demonstrating the responsibility of each one for their actions and respective consequences during the reincarnation process in full compliance with natural laws, moves away from the myopic materialist historical perspective that conceives man as a product of his environment and ignores his reincarnation baggage. , your evolutionary tendencies and needs for spiritual attainment. The expression “to each one according to his works” summarizes the meritocratic essence of the individual effort in the inner journey in search of true happiness, according to Spiritism.

Trust and rational belief in divine justice and in the future guided by the consequent benefits of the practice of charity, here understood as benevolent, indulgent action aimed at the forgiveness of offenses, should guide the adept's balanced conduct, promoting comfort and courage to overcome material challenges. The spiritist's conduct reflects his own moral progress in the works carried out and is recognized as consistent with the principles of peace and solidarity he professes.

Reasoned faith, from this angle, critically analyzes and admits the consistency of the set of teachings presented by Allan Kardec, inviting the adept of the spiritist philosophy to act according to doctrinal principles, reducing and attenuating habits and proud and selfish postures. Certainly, in a world of expiations and trials, sudden perfection should not be demanded and moral progress is gradual and proportional to the efforts and maturity of each one.

Social transformation, for Kardec, will not occur in an imposing and totalitarian way on the individual, but in the opposite way, resulting from the improvement of the individual while respecting each person's freedom of conscience. As stated in the February 1862 edition of the Revista Espírita ((Excerpt taken from the text Response addressed to the spiritists of Lyon on the occasion of the New Year, Revista Espírita, Revista Espírita, Feb/1862)), we have:

Look for in Spiritism what can improve you: this is the essential thing. When men are better, really useful social reforms will follow naturally; working for moral progress, you will lay the truest and most solid foundation of all improvements, and will leave it to God to see that they arrive in due time. In the interest of Spiritism, which is still young, but which matures quickly, oppose an unshakable firmness to those who want to drag you down a dangerous path..

 By believing only in what is in agreement with their political-ideological passions and rejecting everything in the spiritist doctrine that contradicts them, the adept for convenience exemplifies the selfish and proud posture that leads to doctrinal folly. Political militancy, with the aim of occupying spaces and disseminating its proposals to convince the largest number of people, disrespects the freedom of thought and free will of others in spiritist institutions and causes schisms.

Allan Kardec, addressing the spiritists in Lyon in 1862, already warned about the trap prepared by opponents of Spiritism who aimed to bring political discussion to spiritist groups ((ibidem)).

I must also point out to you another tactic of our opponents, that of seeking to compromise spiritists, inducing them to move away from the true objective of the doctrine, which is morality, to address issues that are not within their scope and that, just title, could arouse susceptibilities and mistrust. Don't let yourself fall into that trap; carefully remove from your meetings all that pertains to politics and irritating matters; In this respect, discussions will only cause embarrassment, while no one will have anything to object to morality, as long as it is good.

                       Acting as promoters of cizânia in the name of varied political passions, the supposed adherents who customize the faith enthusiastically launch themselves into the proselytizing of their personal convictions, camouflaging them from doctrinal matters, fostering discussions against or in favor of rulers, defending or attacking behavior of others, or even, trying to make believe that only those who share their political-ideological passions could be considered a legitimate spiritist.

That in these agitated times by political polarization, we can understand Kardec's warning about care in dealing with passions and respect for freedom of thought and exemplify in ourselves the behavior we would like others to have.