The movement imprinted on inert bodies by the will is today so well known that it would be almost puerile to report facts of the kind.

Kardec starts this article like this, saying something like this: “that tables can be lifted off the floor by psychic force, this is already a known fact”. Today it seems very strange to us to think this way. Because?

The phenomenon was already widely accepted – and studied

We need to understand that Spiritism emerged in the midst of the movement called Rational Spiritualism, adopted in France, mainly, as an opposition to the materialist movement and the old religions that enslaved thought. According to FIGUEIREDO, 2019, the Movement, “It is characterized by the adoption of scientific methodology, seeking to do with the human being what has been successfully achieved by studying the matter: the understanding of the natural laws that underlie it. In other words, it replaced blind faith with a rational faith, a requirement of the new times.”¹. 

At that time and in that context, the moral sciences studied everything born of human action, and that included the study of phenomena psychological¹ of magnetism and somnambulism, among many others. Well then: Spiritism, having been born in a so favorable, unfolded easily and, precisely because of this, quickly conquered countless adepts, among whom many, perhaps the majority, were educated, serious and dedicated to the sciences. All this to bring the relevant understanding that Rational Spiritualism was already concerned, before the birth of Spiritism, of “supernormal” phenomena, as Bozzano calls them, among which the magnetization of a heavy object, such as a table, which then moved and rose, against the laws of known of Physics, was a known and studied fact.

The psychological sciences deal with the natural laws that govern human nature. And these laws are of two kinds, the experimental or empirical, expressing the results of the experience of the human spirit as it is, and the others being ideal, representing the end towards which we must direct our faculties by means of evolution, or as such. they should be. The study of the human being in its real state is experimental psychology itself. (FIGUEIREDO, 2019)

Kardec, Mr Fortier and the turning tables

In fact, at this moment, we interrupted to return to Kardec, who tells about his contact with Mr. Fortier, known magnetizer:

It was in 1854 that I first heard of turning tables. One day I met Monsieur Fortier, whom I had known for a long time, and who said: Do you already know about the singular property that has just been discovered in Magnetism? It seems that it is no longer only people who can be magnetized, but also tables, making them turn and walk at will. – 'It is indeed very singular,' I replied; but, strictly speaking, this does not seem to me radically impossible. The magnetic fluid, which is a kind of electricity, can perfectly act on inert bodies and make them move'. The reports, which the newspapers published, of experiences carried out in Nantes, Marseille, and in some other cities, did not allow any doubts about the reality of the phenomenon.

Kardec, A., Posthumous Works, Rio: FEB, 1964. p. 237

It is noted that Kardec calmly accepted the phenomena in question, and the turning table was not his first contact with magnetism. However, shortly afterwards, a new episode will mark forever its history with the nascent Spiritism: 

Some time later, I met again with Mr. Fortier, who said to me: We have something much more extraordinary; not only do you get a table to move, magnetizing it, but also to speak. When questioned, she responds. — This now, I replied, is another matter. I will only believe it when I see it and when they prove to me that a table has a brain to think, nerves to feel and that it can become sleepwalker. Until then, allow me not to see in the case more than a story to make us sleep on our feet.” [emphasis ours]

ibidem

Returning to the article in question…

All of the above is for us to understand, rationally, the logic that led Kardec to so calmly accept isolation (and motion) of heavy bodies. He continues to make an analysis similar to the one made before Mr Fortier's account, when he said that the tables responded intelligently: if there is intelligence, there is an intelligent cause. Where, then, is this cause?

It is important to highlight, as Kardec demonstrates in the article, that we need to be very calm to analyze such facts and their reports, so that the overexcited imagination does not make the phenomenon seem like “magic”: to reach the lifting of a heavy body , it takes a lot of concentration and several attacks, with which the phenomenon seems to gain more and more strength, not happening in a snap of the fingers.

It is also noteworthy that Kardec mentions that the facts obtained “at Mr. B…” took place repeatedly, even without the contact of hands and in the presence of several witnesses, including those “very unfriendly” and who would not fail to raise suspicion if they had reason to do so. The same type of phenomenon also occurred easily in several other houses.

Reading Recommendations

To deepen the study, we recommend, in addition to the works “Transportation Phenomena” and “Spiritism and the Supranormal Manifestations”, by Ernesto Bozzano, the study of The Mediums' Book, where, in chapters I, II, III, IV and V of the Second Part, an extensive theoretical approach on the subject is carried out.

We also recommend the book “Autonomy: the untold story of Spiritism“, by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo

---

1. That is why the Spiritist Journal is called “Journal of Psychological Studies”, in perfect agreement with the understanding of the moral sciences in the historical and social context of Allan Kardec.
2. FIGUEIREDO, Paulo Henrique de. Autonomy: the untold story of Spiritism, 2019, editor FEAL

Charity: term so used everywhere, but still so misunderstood. What would be true Charity, according to Spiritism?

For us, spiritualists, it appears everywhere, in all literature. Kardec made it the necessary basis for any and all happiness, saying: “outside of charity there is no salvation”. The statement, of course, was born from a certain opposition to religious dogmatism, which tried to proclaim that salvation was in each sect, in an exclusivist and even selfish way, but it is still true, because, without charity, there is no love for others. .

However, the term charity has now taken on the connotation of welfarism, almost exclusively, becoming synonymous with material donation. But, so that we can really understand it within the spiritist context, we need to go back to the context of Allan Kardec, in France in the mid-1850s:

It is important to highlight that the term charity used by Kardec, for Rational Spiritualism, at that time (diverging from the current definition of the term, which is close to assistanceism), represented act from duty, that is, freely, consciously, intentionally, independently of punishments and rewards, with a full understanding of the moral law. Charity is a principle that guides the integral action of the being, and not a complementary activity, as if it were an accessory behavior. […].

Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo – The Legacy of Allan Kardec

We thus see that charity, properly understood, must constitute the to be, the way of proceeding, and not just consisting of isolated actions that, often, speak more to the need to be seen as a “charitable person”, a situation in which there is no real charity, but only ego and vanity. More than that, charity is not limited to material donations. In fact, I would say, it is, most of the time, opposite to material donation, since whoever donates materially, be it money, food, things, often does so as a form of relief of conscience.

The dear reader, forgive me, because the intention really is not judge anyone on their actions. Christ himself exemplified, in the “parable of the widow's mite”, that the real intention, or, if you like, faith, is the one who speaks the loudest. Many people donate money or other resources wanting to really doing good and, of course, that counts a lot. But how many times do we limit ourselves to making a material donation, without even reflecting on what we are doing and on the real situation of that person who asks us, in a [misleading] act, almost always, of releasing us from going beyond, or just to feel good?

Let's think: how many people use donations to, by reselling resources, obtain money to obtain drugs? How many people, having easy resources at their disposal, throw themselves into the worst vices and profligacy, digging deeper and deeper into the very hole in which they are sinking? Is giving to these people on a regular basis really helping their situations? Could it really be that if the rich simply gave away their fortunes, human misery would end?

By no means do I say that we should not donate material resources; but let us think further, analyzing each situation and seeking to be fraternal with the brother who seeks us, really caring about that person's situation. Often, a simple question like “why are you on the street, brother? What is going on?” can pave the way for a much more fruitful relationship that, let’s not forget, benefits both sides.

The individual who really wants to do good does not do charity once a month or a week: he It's kind, all the time. AND be charitable it consists in putting the other ahead of our own wants and needs. How many times, people going through the most difficult moments of their lives, find the strength to do charity by giving a smile to those who cry even more? My grandmother, for example, going through a serious and painful illness, found the strength to be sweet and affable, smiling at all who came to visit her in her last days of her last incarnation. Is this not a kind of charity – perhaps one of the greatest there is?

When we think, therefore, about charity, we must necessarily think about one thing: going further. If we donate something material, let this be just the door to creating a bond and an opening to deepen the relationship with the brother who may be in great suffering. But, above all, let us not forget that the greatest charity we can do to others is to bring them love, faith and consolation, especially through the example of someone who lives what they say and not just as someone who throws words to the wind.

It is, therefore, a kind of charity towards humanity that we strive for our own moral advancement, seeking to change ourselves in the light of what consoles us and, in our case, dedicatedly studying Spiritism, a doctrine that, many times in life, saved us from bad choices or led us to better paths. Let us learn to spread it without shocking, that is, without starting conversations talking about reincarnation and obsession, but, rather, presenting the very comforting philosophy found in this Doctrine.

We will then go out the gate and find people everywhere needing, desperately, for something that comforts them, that helps them get the thought of giving up from their heads, that helps them go through life's trials with unshakable faith and with firm resolve. They are almost always difficult people, due to the moment of crisis who live, and wouldn't it be greater charity to make an effort to help her, in a persistent and fraternal way, even knowing that, many times, we will experience difficulties in this initially difficult contact?

Believe me, brothers: we do charity much bigger leaving behind our imperfections and spreading consolations and knowledge that can change, forever, the direction of a Spirit, than just donating a “thing”, which he will use and discard, while we turn our backs and go on with our lives, without the desire to go beyond. After all, what's the point of donating a bag of rice to someone who asks at the gate when we're not charitable, even with our own family members or our subordinates at work?

I close by leaving the message of “A Protecting Spirit”, presented in chapter XIII of The Gospel According to Spiritism:

My friends, I have heard many among you say: How can I give charity, when I often do not even have the necessary?

Friends, in a thousand ways charity is done. You can do it by thoughts, by words and by actions. By thoughts, praying for the abandoned poor, who died without even being able to see the light. A prayer made from the heart relieves them. In words, giving your everyday companions some good advice, saying to those who despair, privations soured their spirits and led them to blaspheme the name of the Most High: “I was as you are; I suffered, I felt miserable, but I believed in Spiritism and, you see, now I am happy.” To the old people who tell you: “It's useless; I am at the end of my journey; I will die as I have lived”, say: “God deals equally with us all; remember the workers of the last hour.” To children already addicted to the company they have surrounded themselves with and who are going around the world, ready to succumb to evil temptations, say: “God sees you, my dear little ones”, and do not get tired of repeating these gentle words to them. They will eventually germinate in their childish intelligences and, instead of being vagabonds, you will make them men. This too is charity.

Others among you say, “Why! we are so numerous on earth that God cannot see us all.” Listen well, my friends: when you are on the top of the mountain, do you not look at the billions of grains of sand that cover it? Well then, in the same way God sees you. He lets you use your free will, as you let those grains of sand move with the wind that disperses them. Only God, in his infinite mercy, has placed in the depths of your hearts a watchful sentinel, which is called conscience. Listen to her, she will give you only good advice. Sometimes you manage to numb it by opposing the spirit of evil. She then shuts up. But rest assured that the poor banished woman will make herself heard as soon as you let her perceive the shadow of remorse. Listen to her, question her and you will often find yourself comforted by the advice you have received from her.

My friends, to each new regiment the general gives a standard. I give you this maxim of Christ as a motto: “Love one another.” Observe this precept, gather around this banner and you will have happiness and consolation. – A protective spirit. (Lyon, 1860.)

Allan Kardec's Legacy

The name given to this group – Allan Kardec's Legacy Study Group – was inspired by the work of the same name, by Simoni Privato, who, carrying out field research, collected numerous proofs and evidence of the deviation made, after the Professor's death, in Spiritism and in his work, Genesis.

For having been such a well-founded and dedicated work, our thanks and tribute to her through this initiative.

Allan Kardec – or Hippolyte Leon Denizard Rivail – was the great researcher, scientist, professor and philosopher who, with extreme devotion, dedicated himself to the study of what we now know as Spiritism, or Spiritist Doctrine.

Formed on the basis of Pestalozzi's pedagogy of love and fraternity, whose principle was the investigation of causes and the deduction of their effects, Kardec was one of his most valiant disciples, having made major contributions to French education in the early 19th century.

When faced with the inexplicable but undeniable phenomena that were multiplying in France (and the world) in the middle of that century, he saw his reason confronted by something that, for him, seemed to be “carochina tale”. However, accustomed to not uttering sentences without knowing them, he launched himself to study in depth what he quickly realized was a new science that was within his reach. He quickly understood its so profound extension, capable of changing the course of all humanity, combining philosophy and science, giving rise to the explanation of what is lacking in transcendental religions, explaining and complementing them.

A new science is born

Kardec understood that it was a knowledge that gave answers to the greatest questions of humanity, starting with the existence of a world of Spirits and the possibility of our interaction with it and, from the philosophy born there, recovering the Gospel of Jesus in the task of demonstrating that it was only in each being the ability to rise from their own setbacks, improving themselves. More than that, this science demonstrated that, “to each one according to his works”, the human being, or rather, the spiritual, immortal and transcendent being of countless reincarnations, needed to learn to re-signify error, sin, guilt and reparation, removing the great weight placed by past religions of a vengeful, wrathful and sometimes perverse God.

No; God does not blame, because he knows that error is part of our progress. We should not shrink from the mistake made by ignorance, but rather learn from the mistake, that is, analyze where we went wrong, the consequences of our mistakes and then work to correct the tendencies and deviations that lead us to make mistakes.

There is something very important here that deserves an explanation. Spiritism developed, in the human part of science, on the Rational Spiritualism, a scientific movement that embraced the moral sciences in France and that started from the principle that the human being was an incarnate soul, from which will and reason would originate. It was, however, a metaphysical study, while Spiritism was a study practical, a science of observation. Understanding Rational Spiritualism and the moral sciences is of fundamental importance, because, as we know today, most spiritualist scholars at that time were rational spiritualists.

Fundamental because? Because, in this context, Spiritism, according to the Doctrine taught by the Spirits and the foundations of the ER, presents a fundamentally autonomous morality — everything relative to my own evolution depends on my own will and intelligence — while religions present a fundamentally heteronymous morality — it all depends on whether or not I want to accept what religions tell me to do, taking for this the power of God himself and the concepts of sin and punishment.

Therefore, we recommend that everyone study the book Autonomy: the untold story of Spiritism, by Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo, or accompany the several videos, on YouTube, with this theme.

Allan Kardec's Scientific Method

Kardec understood that the strength, or rather the solidity of the Doctrine of the Spirits lay in the following principles: (1) the deliberation for a new learning started from top to bottom, that is, from the superior spiritual plane, responsible for our directions, to humanity and (2) since any kind of Spirit, from the most diverse evolutionary levels, could communicate valid or false teachings to us, the study of these contents should always obey a methodology that could eliminate, as much as possible, the possibility of deception or falsification of these teachings. Kardec, in the midst of the century of scientific positivism, understood that this could only happen through scientific methodology, adopting the following criteria:

1. Universal agreement of the teaching, that is, the same teaching, to be valid, would have to be obtained in different parts of the world, through different mediums, and would have to agree on its background. By doing so, Kardec largely eliminated the possibility of error or contamination of ideas coming only from one medium or group of mediums from the same group.
2. reason and logic: a content, even universally concordant, would have to pass in the sieve of logic and reason, in addition to meeting the criteria already positive by science, that is, already recognizedly proven and supported by scientific analyses.

It is worth noting here that science It's not just what you do in a laboratory. Science, by definition, is the set of knowledge about a given subject, obtained through the methodological observation of causes and effects.

The cooling off of the Spiritist Movement

Unfortunately, all this study was stopped in time, being carried out, after Kardec's death, only by a few scholars, in the midst of a spiritist movement already cooled in Europe. The big question is: why this cooling? At the time of Allan Kardec, France had, according to a sense made by the Catholic Church itself, with at least 50% of the population declaring themselves spiritualist or adept at Spiritism. In Europe, the numbers multiplied and the Doctrine spread like a flame in gunpowder. However, shortly after the death of Professor Rivail, the spiritist movement suffered a huge blow, waning quickly.

Behold, very recently, through the paths opened by Spirituality, new truths documents emerged, showing what really happened and why Spiritism took the path it did. These truths are very well presented and supported in the works “O Legado de Allan Kardec”, by Simoni Privato, and “Neither heaven nor hell: The laws of the soul according to Spiritism”, by Lucas Sampaio and Paulo Henrique de Figueiredo, from the which we strongly recommend reading. We also recommend reading the work “Muita Luz”, by Berthe Fropo, easily found in PDF on the Internet and also available in our files.

Kardec's plans for the continuity of Spiritism

I will briefly explain what we can understand when reading the recommended works as a basis for this group:

Allan Kardec knew it wouldn't last forever. But it was especially after his serious health problem in 1865, when, exhausted by so much work and dedication to the spiritist cause, he almost left this world, that he became more concerned about the direction of Spiritism after his departure. He began, then, to draw new plans for the continuity of the studies of the Doctrine of the Spirits, formulating a new phase, where he would leave the position of centralizing figure, until then necessary, entering the scene of the organization of several study groups, scattered all over the place, who would take care of keep studying communications and spiritist phenomena, analyzing them and submitting them to the appreciation of a central committee that should meet, whenever necessary, to, with the agreement of the majority, under the verification of new teachings that meet the methodological criteria established above, accept or not a new content as part of the Spiritist Doctrine.

It is important to note that this committee it did not constitute an organ of superior hierarchy, but only a meeting of representatives, that could analyze the validity of such lessons obtained everywhere. Knowledge, therefore, did not come from the top down (on the earth plane) but from the bottom up, requiring only a final verification step. Kardec so planned so that it could be eliminated, maximum possible, the negative interference of opinions, prejudices, interests and individual vanities that would surely come.

It is worth remembering that Kardec himself, despite being a central figure in the studies, also did not act in such a way as to express his personal opinion, but the opposite: he analyzed, under the necessary methodology, the teachings obtained from various parties and, in the face of evidence, promptly abandoned any previous conception contrary to the subject. This, in fact, happened several times.

Spiritism suffers the great “thud“

It turns out that these personal interferences came sooner than expected. Exactly on the day that Professor Rivail was getting ready to put into practice his elaborate plans, he disincarnated. It was time, as always, for Spirituality to give way to the necessary human action in the name of progress. This action, however, was delayed.

People very close Kardec allowed themselves to be corrupted by vanity and hair personal interests and, unfortunately, in the face of inaction of the other spiritists, gave space to other people and, of course, phalanges of Spirits who fought against the light of Spiritism.

Stealthily and cunningly, these incarnate and disembodied spirits infiltrated in the Parisian spiritist movement, becoming introduce content and themes coming from just a supposed spirit, through only one medium, contents that, many times, went against what was already very well founded by the teachings of the Spirits. They went so far as to promote tampering in two works by Allan Kardec – O Céu e o Inferno and A Genesis – adulterations that were spread and that, today, are present in the vast majority of publications known around the world.

What did these adulterations take care of? to attack the main point of Spiritism, which is the big question of autonomy of the Spirit, that is, the awareness that the capacity for error, sin, guilt, punishment and forgiveness is only in each one of us. It was the release of thought still clinging to the old questions of sin, punishment and debt payment. It is the essence of intimate reform, erased by the adulterations that span more than a century and a half.

As if that weren't enough - the total abolition of Kardec's methodology, since it would necessarily deny these personalities and these thoughts that infiltrated the Parisian spiritist movement - were also burned or put into oblivion thousands of manuscripts by Allan Kardec. The burned ones may never know what they contained. The forgotten ones, however, thank the good God, were found and founded, without a shadow of a doubt, most of these studies that demonstrated the truth of this then unknown past.

Fundamentalism?

The big purpose here, however, it does not consist in debating whether there were adulterations or not, although the facts clearly and undoubtedly point to this finding. Nor does it consist, we hope it has already been made clear, in promoting a kind of cult of worship to Allan Kardec, although history also shows us clearly and undoubtedly how honest, loyal to the cause, conscientious, lucid, reasonable, insightful and even charitable this Spirit was and still is. It does consist of to recover your example, to deepen in your studies and to be based on your work, so well done, so that we can one day advance again in studies along spirituality, when the time comes again.

Foundation of the Study Group The Legacy of Allan Kardec

We founded, therefore, asking for the help of friendly spirituality, this modest group, called “Grupo de Estudos Allan Kardec's Legacy”, with the purpose not only to continue talking about the past, but, yes, to recover this past, understanding very well the essence of the Spiritist Doctrine, which goes far beyond just obtaining psychographs of deceased relatives or passes at the Spiritist Center, but which serves, as it served from the beginning, for the greater purpose of humanity's enlightenment, which, like at the time of Kardec and, today, perhaps much more, lacks the simple and consoling understanding that shows the purposes of being here and the reasons for our pain and bitterness, freeing consciences from retraction in the face of guilt or punishment and giving them all the necessary tools to resume their evolutionary journey, showing that, yes, God is all love and understanding and that, to correct the past of mistakes and guilt, all we need is the will to attack, firmly, our most intimate inclinations towards what only brings us sadness and unhappiness, born of pride and selfishness, humanity's greatest wounds.

We did not start this group, at the moment, with the purpose of putting us in mediumistic contact with spirituality, because we are not yet organized for that.. We started it, however, as a small effort to do our part, knowing that when we make ourselves available, with the firm purpose of keeping ourselves lucid through study and humble through intimate reform under the Gospel, spirituality itself will open to us the necessary paths. Let us, however, very aware and vigilant against the onslaughts that will come, perhaps from many parts. Let us, therefore, make this group a small fortress based on the principles of Jesus' morals and Spiritism, embracing all who humbly want to approach and learn, but not allowing those who only wish to insert empty polemics or criticism to be part of it. that does not yield to the evidence of the facts.

We will produce, in this group, the necessary materials, coming from our studies, which will constitute Free and publicly accessible documents to those who want to study them, through the most diverse means that the Internet guarantees us today.

To the other hearts that, willingly, are interested in joining our group or even replicating this initiative, we place ourselves fully available for support and clarification, but we always remember that it is of paramount importance not to trample the very path of this initiative by the anxiety to start mediumistic works without, first, having a solid base of studies and harmony, both in relation to the group and in relation to the individual himself.

May the good Spirits enlighten us, and may we want to be enlightened by their lights.

Paulo Degering Rosa Junior

Sorocaba, August 21, 2021

This article The Double Concept of Good and Evil is a continuation of the article The Truth that Sets You Free

The double concept of good and evil is a false idea: doing what is right is considered acting in good, while making mistakes is seen as acting in evil. Consequently, each failure committed by the person accompanies self-condemnation, as if committing an evil act. In reality, it is natural to make mistakes when carrying out any activity that we have not yet mastered in our lives; This is not evil, but simply a mistake.

Thus, through this false mentality, the person believes that it is better to avoid mistakes. But how can you avoid mistakes? “Do as I say” is what religious leaders and academics alike say, demanding blind obedience. In the gym, you often hear, “Do as I say.” “You are incapable, I know what is best!” “Learn from me and repeat my words!” (HETERONOMY). However, memorizing and imposing does not lead to learning, as each individual has their own way of learning and understanding; some faster, others less; skills differ from individual to individual; Who said there was only one right way?

True progress lies in everyone understanding the reasons why things don't work. It is impossible to achieve something without trying. Unfortunately, we condition ourselves to fear error as a sin, which paralyzes people, preventing them from trying and, consequently, from evolving. This notion is absurd; It's a false idea!

Error only becomes truly harmful when it is committed consciously and persisted.

Allan Kardec established that Spiritism is a Philosophical Science, a classification from the 19th century. At that time, science was divided between Natural Sciences and Philosophical Sciences, the latter included the spiritualists. At that time, all these philosophical ideas were being discussed. Surprisingly, when revisiting the academic texts of that century, we discovered scientific spiritualism, which, together with Spiritism, has the potential to build a new world.

At the book “Heaven and Hell”, Spiritism explains that the double concept of good and evil are not personified in God and the Devil, nor are they limited to the exclusive division between the saved and the damned. This false dichotomy diverts humanity from the correct path.

There is no battle between good and evil; any statement to the contrary is misleading, as Evil is an illusion that dissipates when understood (AUTONOMY). Understanding is the tool of Good.

All creation exists in function of divine law, God's ministers organize the worlds, life and humanities according to the path of good. But the human spirit needs act in good by understanding the truth, in a free and disinterested way, that is, You need to overcome the false idea through your effort, conquering faith supported by reason: rational faith!

If you understand correctly, hold your head up, do your best and feel happy and at peace with yourself. That's the goal! This example is transformative and challenges many of those who seek happiness through competition or superiority over others. It is this explanation that we must share with the world through Spiritism.

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

Continuation of the article The True Mindset and the False Idea.

Several times in his works, Kardec mentions Passive obedience and blind faith. Now let us reflect on why they are the principles of False Idea.

The false prophets, in order to conquer through passive obedience, needed to prevent the masses from learning through their own efforts without the experience of trial and error to learn. They, the false prophets, condemned error, as if error were the cause of evil in the world.

However, we all know that You can only learn when you try. From trying, errors and successes are produced. From there, we evaluate and understand the best way to act. And God does not condemn error, because error is part of learning. Think about it: it's very different to make mistakes unconsciously than to persist in making mistakes consciously.

“To rise, man must be tested. Preventing their action and putting an obstacle to their free will would be going against God and in this case the tests would become useless, because the Spirits would not commit faults.. The Spirit was created simple and ignorant. To reach happy spheres, it is necessary for him to progress and rise in knowledge and wisdom, and it is only in adversity that he acquires an elevated heart and better understands the greatness of God.”

Allan Kardec. Spiritist Magazine — Journal of Psychological Studies — 1858 – November

At the same time, when someone does something, whether at work or in everyday life, they have to know what they are doing and what the results of what they are doing are. So, this someone may be doing evil without knowing it or even participating in evil without being aware of the evil. Therefore, the ideal would be to never carry out an activity without understanding it.

The good thing is to try to act with conscience, understanding.

The false idea, through the two principles of passive obedience and blind faith, leads us to believe that the error is evil. Consequently, error generates fear. Is it better to obey without understanding and have faith?

Since ancient times, priests have determined people's behavior, as they themselves claim that God chose them to determine His Law. Priests created the false teaching that the right thing is to obey God to receive divine rewards and be saved. They also propagate that error represents action inspired by the devil, who attacks man to take possession of him. Kardec shows this understanding in A Genesis:

Religion was, at that time, a powerful brake on governing. The people voluntarily bowed before the invisible powers, in the name of which they were subjugated and whose rulers claimed to possess their dominion, when they did not pretend to be equivalent to these powers. To give more strength to religion, it was necessary to present it as absolute, infallible and immutable, without which it would have lost its ascendancy over these almost primitive beings, just initiated towards rationality. It could not be discussed, just like the orders of a sovereign. This resulted in the principle of blind faith and passive obedience, which had, in origin, its reason for being and its usefulness. The veneration of sacred books, almost always considered to have come down from heaven, or inspired by divinity, prohibited any examination65.

Allan Kardec. GENESIS – Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism (Portuguese Edition) . chapter IV, item 2. Kindle edition. ((Genesis – Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism: https://amzn.to/3RM91hF ))

What is the thesis of the priests: if you do what we tell you, you will do what God tells you, then you will do right and you will be saved. If you do things differently using your own reason and conscience, you will not do the same as God, so you will do things wrong. The consequence is that the person will stop thinking. You will only obey. For priests, evil is not obeying. The good thing is to obey.

Whoever disobeys or does not repent will be handed over to the devil, suffering punishment, vicissitudes and pain. Through this false idea, the priests conditioned the masses to believe without reasoning — Blind Faith — claiming that reason does not understand the divine will. Obeying without understanding — Passive Obedience.

What are the instruments to make a person submissive? Believing without reasoning! Obey without understanding! Any understanding that starts from these two principles is a False Idea!

Blind faith and passive obedience occur in any area of activity: science, philosophy, religion, at work, at home, in relationships. In the Middle Ages, the religious dogma to guide actions. Today we use the materialistic dogma. In this way, it's like the middle ages of science!

If a person believes that their work is not and cannot be spiritualized, they are excluded from the environment. Exclusion is the same instrument that the church used, with condemnation, excommunication, persecution, etc. It is true that the church's condemnation led to death, but today exclusion by society is practically dying, becoming marginalized. There are graduates of higher education (or even technical education) who tend to believe in materialism; the others are the excluded. And the fight of the superior versus inferior. Spiritualism is the devil of science! And Materialism is the god of science!

Finally, currently, due to the false idea, those who think differently, whether from other countries or other religions, are enemies, they are controlled by the Devil, and must be fought and destroyed. Those who obey are protected by Good God. Thus, they create exclusivism and war. It is a MATERIALIST exclusivism!

Spiritism is not exclusivist. Spiritism is an idea. And it is through this idea that he will transform the world.

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

Continue on The Truth about Evil and Punishment