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The Spirits' Book > BOOK THREE—MORAL LAWS
BOOK THREE—MORAL LAWS
CHAPTER I—DIVINE OR NATURAL LAW
Characteristics of Natural Law
614. What is natural law?
“Natural law is God’s law. It alone ensures the happiness of human beings. It shows them what they should or should not do, and that they only suffer when they deviate from it.”
“Natural law is God’s law. It alone ensures the happiness of human beings. It shows them what they should or should not do, and that they only suffer when they deviate from it.”
615. Is God’s law eternal?
“Like God, it is eternal and unalterable.”
616. Can God recommend or preach something at one time and prohibit in another?
“God does not make mistakes. People must reform their laws because they are imperfect, but God’s laws are perfect. The harmony that regulates both the material and moral universe is founded on laws God established for eternity.”
“God does not make mistakes. People must reform their laws because they are imperfect, but God’s laws are perfect. The harmony that regulates both the material and moral universe is founded on laws God established for eternity.”
617. What do the Divine laws encompass? Do they have any reference to anything outside our moral conduct?
“All the laws of nature are Divine laws, since God is the creator of all things. Scientists study the laws of nature in the realm of matter, while good people study those of the soul and practice them.”
a) Are human beings able to fathom both these divisions of natural law?
“Yes, but a single life is not long enough to accomplish this.”
What are a few years for obtaining all that is necessary to make a perfect being, if we only take into consideration the distance that separates the civilized human being from a savage? The longest human life is insufficient for such a task, and even more so when it is cut short, as is the case with such a large proportion of the human race.
Some divine laws govern the movements and relations of raw matter. These laws are called physical laws, and their study is the domain of science. Others concern human beings, themselves, their relations with God and their fellow human beings. The moral laws encompass the rules of the life of the body and those of the soul.
“All the laws of nature are Divine laws, since God is the creator of all things. Scientists study the laws of nature in the realm of matter, while good people study those of the soul and practice them.”
a) Are human beings able to fathom both these divisions of natural law?
“Yes, but a single life is not long enough to accomplish this.”
What are a few years for obtaining all that is necessary to make a perfect being, if we only take into consideration the distance that separates the civilized human being from a savage? The longest human life is insufficient for such a task, and even more so when it is cut short, as is the case with such a large proportion of the human race.
Some divine laws govern the movements and relations of raw matter. These laws are called physical laws, and their study is the domain of science. Others concern human beings, themselves, their relations with God and their fellow human beings. The moral laws encompass the rules of the life of the body and those of the soul.
618. Are divine laws the same for all worlds?
“Reason dictates that they must be adapted to the special nature of each world, and proportionate to the degree of advancement of the beings that inhabit them.”
“Reason dictates that they must be adapted to the special nature of each world, and proportionate to the degree of advancement of the beings that inhabit them.”
Knowledge of Natural Law
619. Has God given all human being the means of knowing God’s laws?
“While all may know it, they do not all understand it. Those who understand it best are righteous individuals and those who want to examine it. Everyone will understand them one day, as progress must be fulfilled.”
The justice of the multiple human incarnations is a consequence of this principle, since with each new existence, one’s intelligence is more developed and the individual understands more clearly what is good and what is bad. If everything had to be fulfilled by each person in a single existence, what would be the fate of the millions of human beings who die every day in the atrocities of savagery, or in the shadow of ignorance, without having had the opportunity of obtaining enlightenment? (See nos. 177, 222)
“While all may know it, they do not all understand it. Those who understand it best are righteous individuals and those who want to examine it. Everyone will understand them one day, as progress must be fulfilled.”
The justice of the multiple human incarnations is a consequence of this principle, since with each new existence, one’s intelligence is more developed and the individual understands more clearly what is good and what is bad. If everything had to be fulfilled by each person in a single existence, what would be the fate of the millions of human beings who die every day in the atrocities of savagery, or in the shadow of ignorance, without having had the opportunity of obtaining enlightenment? (See nos. 177, 222)
620. Before its union with the body, does a spirit understand God’s law more clearly than after incarnation?
“The spirit comprehends it according to the degree of its purification, and recalls the intuitive memory of it after being united with a body. However, human being’s bad instincts often cause the spirit to forget it.”
“The spirit comprehends it according to the degree of its purification, and recalls the intuitive memory of it after being united with a body. However, human being’s bad instincts often cause the spirit to forget it.”
621. Where is God’s law written?
“In the conscience.”
a) Since we carry God’s law in our consciences, why does it need to be revealed to us?
“You have forgotten and misinterpreted it. God wants it to be recalled to your memories.”
“In the conscience.”
a) Since we carry God’s law in our consciences, why does it need to be revealed to us?
“You have forgotten and misinterpreted it. God wants it to be recalled to your memories.”
622. Has God entrusted the mission of revealing Divine or natural laws to some individuals?
“Of course. Throughout the course of time, there have been those who have received this mission in every age. They are higher spirits, who have been incarnated for the purpose of advancing human progress.”
“Of course. Throughout the course of time, there have been those who have received this mission in every age. They are higher spirits, who have been incarnated for the purpose of advancing human progress.”
623. Have those who allegedly educated humankind sometimes made mistakes, and lead them astray by false logic?
“Those who are not inspired by God and misappropriate a mission not intended for them may lead others astray. Despite this, as they are geniuses, great truths are often found, even among the errors they teach.”
“Those who are not inspired by God and misappropriate a mission not intended for them may lead others astray. Despite this, as they are geniuses, great truths are often found, even among the errors they teach.”
624. What are the characteristics of true prophets?
“True prophets are moral men and women inspired by God. We recognize them by both their words and their deeds alike. God would never rely on the mouth of a liar to preach the truth.”
“True prophets are moral men and women inspired by God. We recognize them by both their words and their deeds alike. God would never rely on the mouth of a liar to preach the truth.”
625. What is the most perfect type that God has offered to human beings as their guide and model?
“Look at Jesus.”
Jesus is the realization of the highest moral perfection that human beings may attain to on Earth. God offers Jesus as our most perfect model and the doctrine taught by him is the purest expression of Divine law, because he was animated by the Divine Spirit and was the purest being that has ever walked the face of Earth.
If a few of those who have claimed to educate us with respect to God’s law have sometimes led us astray by error, it is because they have been swayed by sentiments that are too material in nature. It is also because they have mistaken the laws that regulate the life of the soul with those that regulate that of the body. Many of them presented as divine laws what were really only human ones, created to serve their own passions and to dominate others.
“Look at Jesus.”
Jesus is the realization of the highest moral perfection that human beings may attain to on Earth. God offers Jesus as our most perfect model and the doctrine taught by him is the purest expression of Divine law, because he was animated by the Divine Spirit and was the purest being that has ever walked the face of Earth.
If a few of those who have claimed to educate us with respect to God’s law have sometimes led us astray by error, it is because they have been swayed by sentiments that are too material in nature. It is also because they have mistaken the laws that regulate the life of the soul with those that regulate that of the body. Many of them presented as divine laws what were really only human ones, created to serve their own passions and to dominate others.
626. Was Jesus the only one who revealed Divine or natural laws to us? Did human beings have no other knowledge than that provided by intuition before Jesus’ time?
“Did we not tell you that those laws are written everywhere? All the men and women who have meditated about wisdom have been able to understand and teach these laws since the dawn of time. By their teachings, despite being incomplete, they have done the legwork and prepared the ground for the sowing of the seed. It has always been possible for humankind to know the Divine laws by simply searching for them since they are written in the book of nature.
Based on this reasoning, honest and respectable men and women throughout time have proclaimed the moral principles of Divine law. For this same reason, the elements of moral law are found in every nation or ethnic group that has progressed above the level of barbarians, although these elements may be incomplete or corrupted by ignorance and superstition.”
“Did we not tell you that those laws are written everywhere? All the men and women who have meditated about wisdom have been able to understand and teach these laws since the dawn of time. By their teachings, despite being incomplete, they have done the legwork and prepared the ground for the sowing of the seed. It has always been possible for humankind to know the Divine laws by simply searching for them since they are written in the book of nature.
Based on this reasoning, honest and respectable men and women throughout time have proclaimed the moral principles of Divine law. For this same reason, the elements of moral law are found in every nation or ethnic group that has progressed above the level of barbarians, although these elements may be incomplete or corrupted by ignorance and superstition.”
627. Since Jesus has taught God’s true laws, what is the point of the teachings imparted by spirits? Do they have anything more to teach us?
“Jesus’ teachings were often allegoric and delivered in the form of parables because he spoke according to his time and where he lived. The time has now come for the truth to be made clear to all. The Divine laws must be explained because few of you understand them, and even fewer practice them. Our mission is to reach the eyes and ears of all, stun pride and expose the hypocrisy of those who disguise their transgressions under the mask of virtue and religion. The teaching of the Spirits must be clear and without error so that no one can feign ignorance and so that all may judge it and evaluate it with their own reason. We must prepare for the reign of good announced by Jesus and provide the explanations to stop humankind from continuing to interpret God’s law according to their passions and distort the meaning of a law that is entirely love and charity.”
“Jesus’ teachings were often allegoric and delivered in the form of parables because he spoke according to his time and where he lived. The time has now come for the truth to be made clear to all. The Divine laws must be explained because few of you understand them, and even fewer practice them. Our mission is to reach the eyes and ears of all, stun pride and expose the hypocrisy of those who disguise their transgressions under the mask of virtue and religion. The teaching of the Spirits must be clear and without error so that no one can feign ignorance and so that all may judge it and evaluate it with their own reason. We must prepare for the reign of good announced by Jesus and provide the explanations to stop humankind from continuing to interpret God’s law according to their passions and distort the meaning of a law that is entirely love and charity.”
628. Why has the truth not been accessible to all in the past?
“Each thing must come in its own time. Truth is like light, you must adjust to it gradually otherwise it dazzles us.” “To date, God has never allowed such comprehensive communications to be transmitted to the human race. Of course in ancient times there were individuals who were in possession of knowledge that they considered sacred and kept as a mystery from those whom they considered as profane. You must understand that, from what you know of the laws that govern these phenomena, only a few fragmentary truths were received, mixed together with generally illustrative and often vague lessons. Regardless, humankind should study every old philosophy, tradition or religion because they all contain the seeds of great truths. Although they may seem to contradict each other as they are misrepresented by worthless embellishments, today they are much easier to comprehend, thanks to the key that Spiritism has provided. Spiritism gives you a host of facts that up until now seemed to conflict with reason, but of which the reality is now unquestionably confirmed. You should continue to study every system because they bring a wealth of lessons and knowledge that may greatly contribute to your education.”
“Each thing must come in its own time. Truth is like light, you must adjust to it gradually otherwise it dazzles us.” “To date, God has never allowed such comprehensive communications to be transmitted to the human race. Of course in ancient times there were individuals who were in possession of knowledge that they considered sacred and kept as a mystery from those whom they considered as profane. You must understand that, from what you know of the laws that govern these phenomena, only a few fragmentary truths were received, mixed together with generally illustrative and often vague lessons. Regardless, humankind should study every old philosophy, tradition or religion because they all contain the seeds of great truths. Although they may seem to contradict each other as they are misrepresented by worthless embellishments, today they are much easier to comprehend, thanks to the key that Spiritism has provided. Spiritism gives you a host of facts that up until now seemed to conflict with reason, but of which the reality is now unquestionably confirmed. You should continue to study every system because they bring a wealth of lessons and knowledge that may greatly contribute to your education.”
Good and Evil
629. How should moral law be defined?
“Moral law is the rule for acting rightly, which may be understood as practically distinguishing between good and evil. It is founded on the adherence to God’s law. Humankind act fairly and properly when good is the ultimate goal and rule of action, which is acting in compliance with God’s law.”
“Moral law is the rule for acting rightly, which may be understood as practically distinguishing between good and evil. It is founded on the adherence to God’s law. Humankind act fairly and properly when good is the ultimate goal and rule of action, which is acting in compliance with God’s law.”
630. How can we distinguish between good and evil?
“Good complies with God’s law, and wickedness diverges from it. Therefore, to do right is to comply with God’s law, and to do wrong is to violate that law.”
“Good complies with God’s law, and wickedness diverges from it. Therefore, to do right is to comply with God’s law, and to do wrong is to violate that law.”
631. Do humans have the means to distinguish good from evil?
“Yes, when they believe in God and truly wish to do what is right. God has given human beings intelligence to distinguish between them.”
“Yes, when they believe in God and truly wish to do what is right. God has given human beings intelligence to distinguish between them.”
632. As humans are subject to error, can they make mistakes in their judgments of good and evil? Can they believe to be doing right when, in reality, they are doing wrong?
“Jesus said, ‘Do to others whatever you would have them do to you, that sums up everything. You will never go wrong.”
“Jesus said, ‘Do to others whatever you would have them do to you, that sums up everything. You will never go wrong.”
633. We cannot apply the rule of good and evil, what we might call reciprocity and solidarity, to the personal conduct of human beings in relation to themselves. Can we find the rule of conduct in natural law along with a safe guide?
“When you eat too much, it harms you. Well then, that is God letting you know what is necessary for you and when exceed that measure, you are punished. It is the same with everything else. Natural law establishes the limit of each person’s needs, and when the limit is exceeded the resulting suffering serves as atonement for the infraction. If humankind listened to the voice that says ‘enough!’ they would avoid most of the troubles and misfortunes that they blame on nature.”
“When you eat too much, it harms you. Well then, that is God letting you know what is necessary for you and when exceed that measure, you are punished. It is the same with everything else. Natural law establishes the limit of each person’s needs, and when the limit is exceeded the resulting suffering serves as atonement for the infraction. If humankind listened to the voice that says ‘enough!’ they would avoid most of the troubles and misfortunes that they blame on nature.”
634. Why does evil exist in the nature of things? I am speaking of moral evil. Couldn’t God have created the human race under more favorable conditions?
“We have already told you that when spirits are created they are simple and ignorant (see no. 115). God leaves all human beings free to choose their own path; too bad for them if they choose the wrong one, their journey will be longer. If there were no mountains, humans could not grasp the concept of climbing uphill and descending. If there were no rocks, they could not understand the concept that hard bodies exist. Spirits must acquire experience, and to do this properly they must know both good and bad. This is why there is an union of spirit and body.” (See no. 119)
“We have already told you that when spirits are created they are simple and ignorant (see no. 115). God leaves all human beings free to choose their own path; too bad for them if they choose the wrong one, their journey will be longer. If there were no mountains, humans could not grasp the concept of climbing uphill and descending. If there were no rocks, they could not understand the concept that hard bodies exist. Spirits must acquire experience, and to do this properly they must know both good and bad. This is why there is an union of spirit and body.” (See no. 119)
635. Different social standings create new wants that are not the same for all human beings. Is natural law not a constant rule?
“Those different standings are found in nature and follow the law of progress. They do not undermine the unity of natural law, which applies to everything.”
The conditions of the lives of human beings vary greatly depending on the time and place of existence, therefore different wants and social standings arise corresponding to those wants. Since this diversity depends on the circumstances, it must be consistent with God’s law. This law is singular in principle. Reason must distinguish between true wants and fabricated wants.
“Those different standings are found in nature and follow the law of progress. They do not undermine the unity of natural law, which applies to everything.”
The conditions of the lives of human beings vary greatly depending on the time and place of existence, therefore different wants and social standings arise corresponding to those wants. Since this diversity depends on the circumstances, it must be consistent with God’s law. This law is singular in principle. Reason must distinguish between true wants and fabricated wants.
636. Are good and evil absolute for all of humanity?
“God’s law is the same for everyone, but evil resides in the people’s desire for it to happen. Good is always good, and evil is always evil regardless of what a person’s position may be. The difference is in the degree of accountability.”
“God’s law is the same for everyone, but evil resides in the people’s desire for it to happen. Good is always good, and evil is always evil regardless of what a person’s position may be. The difference is in the degree of accountability.”
637. When savages give in to their instinctive desire to eat human flesh, are they guilty?
“The essence of evil lies in the will, therefore humans are more or less guilty according to the awareness of their own actions.”
Circumstances give good and evil a relative seriousness. Humans often commit faults that are reprehensible as a consequence of the social positions in which they are placed. Their accountability is proportionate to the means they possess of distinguishing between right and wrong. Therefore, enlightened individuals who commit minor injustices are more culpable in God’s eyes than ignorant savages who surrender to their instincts.
“The essence of evil lies in the will, therefore humans are more or less guilty according to the awareness of their own actions.”
Circumstances give good and evil a relative seriousness. Humans often commit faults that are reprehensible as a consequence of the social positions in which they are placed. Their accountability is proportionate to the means they possess of distinguishing between right and wrong. Therefore, enlightened individuals who commit minor injustices are more culpable in God’s eyes than ignorant savages who surrender to their instincts.
638. Evil sometimes seems to be a consequence of circumstances. For instance, in some cases, even the killing of a fellow creature is necessary. In such cases, is God’s law violated?
“Evil is still evil, despite being necessary. This necessity fades as the soul becomes purified by passing from one life to another, and human beings are all the more guilty when they do wrong, because they more clearly understand the character of their actions.”
639. The wrong we do is often the result of our position that has been determined by others. In such a case, who should be held mostly accountable?
“Those who are the cause of the wrongdoing. Therefore, persons who are led to commit wicked acts due to being in a position that others have made for them are less guilty than those who have actually caused them to go astray. All individuals have to suffer the consequences for both the wrongs they have done, and that which they have caused others to do.”
“Those who are the cause of the wrongdoing. Therefore, persons who are led to commit wicked acts due to being in a position that others have made for them are less guilty than those who have actually caused them to go astray. All individuals have to suffer the consequences for both the wrongs they have done, and that which they have caused others to do.”
640. If we profit by another person’s wrongdoing, even though we took no direct role in it, are we as guilty as if we had participated?
“Yes, despite not participating in it, it is equivalent to committing the act. Perhaps they would have retreated before the action itself but once it was done and they then took advantage of it, it proves that they would have done it themselves if they could, or if they dared.”
“Yes, despite not participating in it, it is equivalent to committing the act. Perhaps they would have retreated before the action itself but once it was done and they then took advantage of it, it proves that they would have done it themselves if they could, or if they dared.”
641. Is it as reprehensible to want to do an evil deed as it would be to actually commit it?
“This depends on the case. Voluntarily resisting engaging in the wrong that we want to do is a sign of virtue, especially when the possibility of fulfilling that desire exists. However, if individuals who have not committed the wrong action simply because the opportunity did not arise, are as guilty as if they had actually done it.”
“This depends on the case. Voluntarily resisting engaging in the wrong that we want to do is a sign of virtue, especially when the possibility of fulfilling that desire exists. However, if individuals who have not committed the wrong action simply because the opportunity did not arise, are as guilty as if they had actually done it.”
642. Is it enough to simply not do what is evil in order to please God and to ensure our future happiness?
“No, we must do good to the best of our abilities. Each of you will have to answer for all the evil that has resulted from the good that you have failed to do.”
“No, we must do good to the best of our abilities. Each of you will have to answer for all the evil that has resulted from the good that you have failed to do.”
643. Are there individuals who are incapable of doing good?
“There is no one who cannot do some good. Only the selfish find no opportunity of doing so. The mere fact of being in contact with other human beings provides the opportunity of doing good every day of your lives, for those who are not consumed by self-interest. Doing good is not restricted to giving to charity, but also includes being useful whenever your assistance may be needed, to the full extent of your power.”
“There is no one who cannot do some good. Only the selfish find no opportunity of doing so. The mere fact of being in contact with other human beings provides the opportunity of doing good every day of your lives, for those who are not consumed by self-interest. Doing good is not restricted to giving to charity, but also includes being useful whenever your assistance may be needed, to the full extent of your power.”
644. Can the situations in life that human beings often find themselves in lead them into vice and crime?
“Yes, but those very situations are a part of the trial that has been chosen by their spirits when free. They have chosen to expose themselves to those temptations to acquire the merit of resistance.”
645. When a person is surrounded by vice, doesn’t the impulse to commit vile acts become almost irresistible?
“The impulse is strong, but not irresistible because you can sometimes find great virtues within yourself despite being surrounded by vice. Spirits who remain virtuous in the midst of evil temptations have acquired enough strength to resist temptation, and fulfill the mission of exercising a beneficial influence on those around them.”
“The impulse is strong, but not irresistible because you can sometimes find great virtues within yourself despite being surrounded by vice. Spirits who remain virtuous in the midst of evil temptations have acquired enough strength to resist temptation, and fulfill the mission of exercising a beneficial influence on those around them.”
646. Is the merit of good measured by the conditions under which that action has been committed? In other words, are there different degrees of merit in doing right?
“The merit of good depends on the difficulty entailed. There would be no merit in doing right without self-discipline and effort. God takes more notice of poor individuals who share their only piece of bread than of the rich who give only what is superfluous to them. Jesus told you this in his parable of the widow’s mite.”
“The merit of good depends on the difficulty entailed. There would be no merit in doing right without self-discipline and effort. God takes more notice of poor individuals who share their only piece of bread than of the rich who give only what is superfluous to them. Jesus told you this in his parable of the widow’s mite.”
Division of Natural Law
647. Can God’s law be summed up in the rule taught by Jesus that exhorts us to love our neighbor?
“Surely this maxim contains all the duties that you hold with regard to one another, but its various applications must be shown or humankind will continue to neglect them, as they currently do. Also, natural law covers all the circumstances of life, and the rule you have cited is only one part of it. Humans need specific directions. General guidelines are too vague, and leave too many doors open to human interpretation.”
“Surely this maxim contains all the duties that you hold with regard to one another, but its various applications must be shown or humankind will continue to neglect them, as they currently do. Also, natural law covers all the circumstances of life, and the rule you have cited is only one part of it. Humans need specific directions. General guidelines are too vague, and leave too many doors open to human interpretation.”
648. What do you think of the division of natural law into ten parts, the laws of adoration, labor, reproduction, preservation, destruction, society, progress, equality, liberty, and the law of justice, love, and charity?
“The division of God’s law into ten parts comes from Moses and covers all the circumstances of life, which is the essential point. You may adopt it, without it being unconditional, just like any of the other various classification systems which depend on the perspective or situation in question. The last law is the most important because it includes all the others. By observing this law, humankind can advance the most quickly in spiritual life.”
“The division of God’s law into ten parts comes from Moses and covers all the circumstances of life, which is the essential point. You may adopt it, without it being unconditional, just like any of the other various classification systems which depend on the perspective or situation in question. The last law is the most important because it includes all the others. By observing this law, humankind can advance the most quickly in spiritual life.”
CHAPTER II—I. LAW OF WORSHIP
Purpose of Worship
649. What is worship?“The elevation of thought towards the Creator. The soul gets closer to God through worship.”
650. Is worship the consequence of an intrinsic feeling, or the product of education?
“An intrinsic sense, like the belief in God. Being aware of their weaknesses leads humankind to humbly bow before the Supreme Being who can protect them.”
“An intrinsic sense, like the belief in God. Being aware of their weaknesses leads humankind to humbly bow before the Supreme Being who can protect them.”
651. Are there nations or groups of people entirely devoid of any sense of worship?
“No, because there never was a country or ethnic group solely comprised of atheists. Everyone feels that there is a Supreme Intelligence above them.”
“No, because there never was a country or ethnic group solely comprised of atheists. Everyone feels that there is a Supreme Intelligence above them.”
652. Can we regard worship as being rooted in natural law?
“It is included in natural law, since it is the result of an intrinsic sense in human beings. This is why it is found across all nations and ethnic groups in different forms.”
“It is included in natural law, since it is the result of an intrinsic sense in human beings. This is why it is found across all nations and ethnic groups in different forms.”
External Worship
653. Are external displays necessary for worship?
“True worship exists in the heart. Remember that God’s eyes are always watching you.”
a) Are external displays of worship beneficial or constructive?
Yes, if they are not merely done for show. Setting a good example is always important. People who perform acts of worship merely for the sake of appearances and whose behavior contradicts their superficial piety, set a bad example and do more harm than they know or imagine.”
“True worship exists in the heart. Remember that God’s eyes are always watching you.”
a) Are external displays of worship beneficial or constructive?
Yes, if they are not merely done for show. Setting a good example is always important. People who perform acts of worship merely for the sake of appearances and whose behavior contradicts their superficial piety, set a bad example and do more harm than they know or imagine.”
654. Does God prefer any specific type of worship?
“God prefers people who sincerely worship from the heart by doing good and avoiding wrongdoing, over those who follow elaborate rituals or ceremonies but are not truly better than their neighbors.”
“All human beings are brothers and sisters, and also God’s children. God calls out to everyone who follows Divine or natural laws, no matter how they show their deference and respect.”
“People who are only superficially pious are hypocrites. When their worship is only a sham and contradicts their behavior, they set a bad example.”
“Those who claim to worship Christ yet are proud, spiteful, jealous, cruel and unforgiving of others, ambitious for material goods, I declare to you that they have religion for outward appearances only and not in their hearts, God who sees everything will say: ‘Those who know the truth and do not follow it is a hundredfold more guilty in the evil they do than the ignorant savage, and will be treated accordingly on judgment day.’ You can excuse a blind man if he runs into you as he passes by. If the same thing is done by a man who can see you, you complain and with good reason.”
“Do not ask if any specific form of worship is more acceptable than another because that is akin to asking if God prefers to be worshiped in one language over another. Remember that the hymns addressed to God can only reach their target through the heart.”
“God prefers people who sincerely worship from the heart by doing good and avoiding wrongdoing, over those who follow elaborate rituals or ceremonies but are not truly better than their neighbors.”
“All human beings are brothers and sisters, and also God’s children. God calls out to everyone who follows Divine or natural laws, no matter how they show their deference and respect.”
“People who are only superficially pious are hypocrites. When their worship is only a sham and contradicts their behavior, they set a bad example.”
“Those who claim to worship Christ yet are proud, spiteful, jealous, cruel and unforgiving of others, ambitious for material goods, I declare to you that they have religion for outward appearances only and not in their hearts, God who sees everything will say: ‘Those who know the truth and do not follow it is a hundredfold more guilty in the evil they do than the ignorant savage, and will be treated accordingly on judgment day.’ You can excuse a blind man if he runs into you as he passes by. If the same thing is done by a man who can see you, you complain and with good reason.”
“Do not ask if any specific form of worship is more acceptable than another because that is akin to asking if God prefers to be worshiped in one language over another. Remember that the hymns addressed to God can only reach their target through the heart.”
655. Is it wrong to participate in ceremonies and practice the sacraments of a religion in which we do not sincerely believe, when done out of respect for our loved ones and acquaintances and in order not to offend those who think differently?
“As in so many other things, the intention determines the worth of the act. When a person is simply showing respect for the beliefs of others, it is not wrong. This is better than the person who ridicules them because that would show a lack of charity. However, those who carry out such practices simply for selfish motives or ambition are despicable in the eyes of God and humanity. God gets no gratification or joy out of seeing those who pretend to humble themselves solely for the approval of their fellow human beings.”
“As in so many other things, the intention determines the worth of the act. When a person is simply showing respect for the beliefs of others, it is not wrong. This is better than the person who ridicules them because that would show a lack of charity. However, those who carry out such practices simply for selfish motives or ambition are despicable in the eyes of God and humanity. God gets no gratification or joy out of seeing those who pretend to humble themselves solely for the approval of their fellow human beings.”
656. Is group worship preferable to individual worship?
“When individuals have similar thoughts and feelings and are assembled together, they have more power to attract good spirits. The same applies when they are gathered to worship God. However, this does not mean that private worship is less acceptable as people can worship God in their own thoughts.”
“When individuals have similar thoughts and feelings and are assembled together, they have more power to attract good spirits. The same applies when they are gathered to worship God. However, this does not mean that private worship is less acceptable as people can worship God in their own thoughts.”
Life of Contemplation
657. Do those who have devoted themselves to a life of contemplation, doing no evil, and thinking only of God get any special merit?
“No, because if they do no wrongdoing, then they do not do good either. Moreover, not doing good, in itself, is wrong. God wants us to think of Him, but God does not want us to think only of Himself, since God has given the human being duties to fulfill on earth. Those who spend their entire lives in meditation and contemplation do nothing praiseworthy in God’s eyes because such a life is completely private and useless to humankind. God will ask them to account for the good they have failed to do.” (See no. 640)
“No, because if they do no wrongdoing, then they do not do good either. Moreover, not doing good, in itself, is wrong. God wants us to think of Him, but God does not want us to think only of Himself, since God has given the human being duties to fulfill on earth. Those who spend their entire lives in meditation and contemplation do nothing praiseworthy in God’s eyes because such a life is completely private and useless to humankind. God will ask them to account for the good they have failed to do.” (See no. 640)
Prayer
658. Is prayer pleasing to God?
“Prayer is always pleasing to God when it comes from the heart. Intention is everything in God’s eyes and a prayer from the heart is preferable to one read from a book, no matter how beautiful it may be, if you read more with the lips than with the thought. Prayer is pleasing to God when it is offered with faith, passion and sincerity. God will ignore the prayer of a vain, proud or selfish person, unless it is offered as an act of sincere repentance and humility.”
“Prayer is always pleasing to God when it comes from the heart. Intention is everything in God’s eyes and a prayer from the heart is preferable to one read from a book, no matter how beautiful it may be, if you read more with the lips than with the thought. Prayer is pleasing to God when it is offered with faith, passion and sincerity. God will ignore the prayer of a vain, proud or selfish person, unless it is offered as an act of sincere repentance and humility.”
659. What is the general nature of prayer?
“Prayer is an act of worship. Praying to God is a mean to think, get closer and communicate with God. A person who prays may do three things: praise, ask and offer thanks.”
“Prayer is an act of worship. Praying to God is a mean to think, get closer and communicate with God. A person who prays may do three things: praise, ask and offer thanks.”
660. Does prayer make humankind better?
“Yes. Those who enthusiastically and confidently pray have more strength to withstand the temptations of evil, and to get help from the good spirits sent by God to assist them in so doing. Such help is never refused when honestly asked for.”
a) How is it that some individuals who pray for long periods of time are sometimes repulsive, jealous, envious and harsh, lacking in compassion and mercy, and even extremely cruel?
“What matters is how you pray, and not how much you pray. These individuals presume that all the virtue of prayer lies in its length and duration, and turn a blind eye to their own flaws. For them, prayer is an occupation, a means of passing their time, but not a true study of themselves. In these instances, it is not the remedy that is ineffective, but the manner in which it is employed.”
“Yes. Those who enthusiastically and confidently pray have more strength to withstand the temptations of evil, and to get help from the good spirits sent by God to assist them in so doing. Such help is never refused when honestly asked for.”
a) How is it that some individuals who pray for long periods of time are sometimes repulsive, jealous, envious and harsh, lacking in compassion and mercy, and even extremely cruel?
“What matters is how you pray, and not how much you pray. These individuals presume that all the virtue of prayer lies in its length and duration, and turn a blind eye to their own flaws. For them, prayer is an occupation, a means of passing their time, but not a true study of themselves. In these instances, it is not the remedy that is ineffective, but the manner in which it is employed.”
661. Is there any use in asking God to forgive us for our faults?
“God sees good and bad, and prayer does not hide any flaws. Those who ask God to forgive their faults only obtain that forgiveness if they change their behavior. Good actions are the best prayers, because actions are worth more than words.”
“God sees good and bad, and prayer does not hide any flaws. Those who ask God to forgive their faults only obtain that forgiveness if they change their behavior. Good actions are the best prayers, because actions are worth more than words.”
662. Can we pray effectively for others?
“People who pray exercise an influence through their desire to do good. By prayer, they attract good spirits who take part in the good they desire to do.”
Through our thought and will, we possess a power of action that extends far beyond the limits of our physical world. To pray for others is an act of volition. If our will is passionate and sincere, it calls good spirits to the aid of the party prayed for, and helps that person by suggesting good thoughts and providing the strength of body and soul that he or she needs. Once again, a prayer from the heart is everything, while that of just the lips is worthless.
“People who pray exercise an influence through their desire to do good. By prayer, they attract good spirits who take part in the good they desire to do.”
Through our thought and will, we possess a power of action that extends far beyond the limits of our physical world. To pray for others is an act of volition. If our will is passionate and sincere, it calls good spirits to the aid of the party prayed for, and helps that person by suggesting good thoughts and providing the strength of body and soul that he or she needs. Once again, a prayer from the heart is everything, while that of just the lips is worthless.
663. Can we avoid our trials or change their nature by praying for ourselves?
“Your trials are in God’s hands, and there are some through which you must persevere right to the very end. God always takes into account the submission with which they are endured. Prayer calls good spirits to your side who give you strength to bear these trials with courage, so that they seem less severe. Prayer is never useless when it is sincere, because it gives you strength, which is important. After all, ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ God could not change the natural circumstances to suit the various opposing demands that are made, because what appears to be a great misfortune to you, from your narrow perspective, and in relation to your temporary life on Earth, is often a great blessing for the general order of the universe. Anyway, how many troubles in life do humans create for themselves through their own short-sightedness or wrongdoing! One is punished where one has sinned. However, reasonable requests are granted more often than you believe. You think your prayer has not been answered because God has not produced a miracle for you, while in fact God has actually assisted you in such a natural manner that it seems to have been the effect of chance or the ordinary course of events. God even suggests the thought of what you must do to help yourselves when in trouble or when experiencing any kind of difficulty.”
“Your trials are in God’s hands, and there are some through which you must persevere right to the very end. God always takes into account the submission with which they are endured. Prayer calls good spirits to your side who give you strength to bear these trials with courage, so that they seem less severe. Prayer is never useless when it is sincere, because it gives you strength, which is important. After all, ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ God could not change the natural circumstances to suit the various opposing demands that are made, because what appears to be a great misfortune to you, from your narrow perspective, and in relation to your temporary life on Earth, is often a great blessing for the general order of the universe. Anyway, how many troubles in life do humans create for themselves through their own short-sightedness or wrongdoing! One is punished where one has sinned. However, reasonable requests are granted more often than you believe. You think your prayer has not been answered because God has not produced a miracle for you, while in fact God has actually assisted you in such a natural manner that it seems to have been the effect of chance or the ordinary course of events. God even suggests the thought of what you must do to help yourselves when in trouble or when experiencing any kind of difficulty.”
664. Is there any point in praying for the dead or suffering spirits? If so, in what way can our prayers alleviate or shorten their suffering? Do they have the power to escape God’s justice?
“Prayer has no effect on God’s designs, but the spirits for whom you pray are consoled by your prayers because you are showing them proof of your interest. They are comforted by the kindness of those who are compassionate towards their pain. Your prayers may also motive them to repent and to do everything within their power to become happy. This is how you may shorten the term of their suffering, provided that they support your action by that of their own wills. This desire for betterment, motivated by your prayers, attracts higher spirits who come to enlighten them, console them and give them hope. Jesus prayed for the sheep that went astray, and in so doing showed that you, in order to have a clear conscience, must do the same for those who desperately need your prayers.”
“Prayer has no effect on God’s designs, but the spirits for whom you pray are consoled by your prayers because you are showing them proof of your interest. They are comforted by the kindness of those who are compassionate towards their pain. Your prayers may also motive them to repent and to do everything within their power to become happy. This is how you may shorten the term of their suffering, provided that they support your action by that of their own wills. This desire for betterment, motivated by your prayers, attracts higher spirits who come to enlighten them, console them and give them hope. Jesus prayed for the sheep that went astray, and in so doing showed that you, in order to have a clear conscience, must do the same for those who desperately need your prayers.”
665. What should we think of the opinion that rejects the idea of praying for the dead because it is not noted in the Gospel?
“Christ preached to all humanity to ‘Love one another.’ This implies the duty of using every possible means of showing affection for each other, without going into any details in terms of reaching that end. If it is true that nothing can stop the Creator from applying absolute justice, then your prayer, on behalf of suffering spirits, is accepted as proof of honor and acknowledgment, which never fails to bring relief to the subjects. As soon as those for whom you pray show the slightest sign of repentance, and only then, help is sent to them. They are always informed that a sympathetic heart has thought of them, and they are always left with the consoling impression that this friendly intervention has been of use to them. Therefore, your prayer induces gratitude and affection for the friend who has given them this proof of kindness and pity. The mutual love that Christ shines upon all humankind either develops further or awakens between you and them. Both you and those for whom you pray will have obeyed the law of love and union imposed on all the beings of the universe, a Divine law that will introduce the reign of unity and harmony, the ultimate goal of all spirits.” (1)
_______________________________
(1) Response given by the spirit of Mr. Monod, Protestant priest from Paris, died in April 1856. The previous response, no. 664, is that of the spirit of Saint Louis. A.K
“Christ preached to all humanity to ‘Love one another.’ This implies the duty of using every possible means of showing affection for each other, without going into any details in terms of reaching that end. If it is true that nothing can stop the Creator from applying absolute justice, then your prayer, on behalf of suffering spirits, is accepted as proof of honor and acknowledgment, which never fails to bring relief to the subjects. As soon as those for whom you pray show the slightest sign of repentance, and only then, help is sent to them. They are always informed that a sympathetic heart has thought of them, and they are always left with the consoling impression that this friendly intervention has been of use to them. Therefore, your prayer induces gratitude and affection for the friend who has given them this proof of kindness and pity. The mutual love that Christ shines upon all humankind either develops further or awakens between you and them. Both you and those for whom you pray will have obeyed the law of love and union imposed on all the beings of the universe, a Divine law that will introduce the reign of unity and harmony, the ultimate goal of all spirits.” (1)
_______________________________
(1) Response given by the spirit of Mr. Monod, Protestant priest from Paris, died in April 1856. The previous response, no. 664, is that of the spirit of Saint Louis. A.K
666. Can we pray to spirits?
“You can pray to good spirits since they are God’s messengers and they execute God’s will. Their power is always proportionate to their superiority, and depends entirely on the Master of all things, without whose permission nothing takes place. For this reason, prayers addressed to them are only effective if accepted by God.”
“You can pray to good spirits since they are God’s messengers and they execute God’s will. Their power is always proportionate to their superiority, and depends entirely on the Master of all things, without whose permission nothing takes place. For this reason, prayers addressed to them are only effective if accepted by God.”
Polytheism
667. Why is polytheism one of the oldest and most widespread of human beliefs, despite being false?
“The concept of a single God could only have resulted from the evolutionary development of human thought. Incapable of conceiving an immaterial being with the power to act on matter, humankind naturally attributed physical features to God, basically a form and a face. From that point forward, everything that appeared to transcend ordinary human intelligence was regarded as Divine. Whatever humans could not understand was regarded as being the work of a supernatural power, and led to the belief in the existence of as many separate powers as the numerous effects that were witnessed but for which they could not account. However, there have been enlightened human beings in every era who have understood that it would be impossible for the world to be governed by this array of powers without a supreme ruler, and who were led to formulate the concept of the one and only God.”
“The concept of a single God could only have resulted from the evolutionary development of human thought. Incapable of conceiving an immaterial being with the power to act on matter, humankind naturally attributed physical features to God, basically a form and a face. From that point forward, everything that appeared to transcend ordinary human intelligence was regarded as Divine. Whatever humans could not understand was regarded as being the work of a supernatural power, and led to the belief in the existence of as many separate powers as the numerous effects that were witnessed but for which they could not account. However, there have been enlightened human beings in every era who have understood that it would be impossible for the world to be governed by this array of powers without a supreme ruler, and who were led to formulate the concept of the one and only God.”
668. As spirit phenomena have occurred around the world since the dawn of time, could these phenomena have helped prompt a belief in multiple gods?
“Of course, because human beings applied the term god to whatever transcended humanity. Spirits were many gods for them. Whenever individual humans set themselves apart from others by their actions, their genius, or a mysterious power beyond the understanding of their fellow humans, they were made into gods and were worshiped as such after their deaths.” (See no. 603)
In ancient times, the word god had a variety of meanings. It did not represent the Master of Nature as it does today, but was a generic term applied to all beings that appeared to transcend ordinary human beings. As spirit manifestations revealed the existence of intangible beings acting as one of the elementary powers of nature, they called them gods, just as we call them spirits. This is merely a question of words, with the difference being that they built temples and altars out of ignorance, and gave offerings that became highly lucrative for those whose interests were served. For us, spirits are more or less advanced creatures that have shed their human envelope. If we carefully study the different features of pagan divinities, we can easily recognize those of the spirits today at every level of the spirit hierarchy, their physical state in superior worlds, the role assumed by them in human life, and the various properties of the perispirit.
In shining its divine light on our world, Christianity has taught us to only adore the sole object for which this esteem is due. It could not destroy an element of nature and the belief in the existence of spiritual beings around us that has been preserved under different names. Their manifestations have never stopped, but they have been interpreted diversely and often exploited under the shroud of mystery hiding their true nature. While religion has regarded these spirit communications as miraculous, skeptics have labeled them as fraudulent. Spiritism is free from the superstition that has distorted the perception of these phenomena for ages therefore through scientific investigation and serious study it can now reveal one of the most sublime and important principles of nature.
“Of course, because human beings applied the term god to whatever transcended humanity. Spirits were many gods for them. Whenever individual humans set themselves apart from others by their actions, their genius, or a mysterious power beyond the understanding of their fellow humans, they were made into gods and were worshiped as such after their deaths.” (See no. 603)
In ancient times, the word god had a variety of meanings. It did not represent the Master of Nature as it does today, but was a generic term applied to all beings that appeared to transcend ordinary human beings. As spirit manifestations revealed the existence of intangible beings acting as one of the elementary powers of nature, they called them gods, just as we call them spirits. This is merely a question of words, with the difference being that they built temples and altars out of ignorance, and gave offerings that became highly lucrative for those whose interests were served. For us, spirits are more or less advanced creatures that have shed their human envelope. If we carefully study the different features of pagan divinities, we can easily recognize those of the spirits today at every level of the spirit hierarchy, their physical state in superior worlds, the role assumed by them in human life, and the various properties of the perispirit.
In shining its divine light on our world, Christianity has taught us to only adore the sole object for which this esteem is due. It could not destroy an element of nature and the belief in the existence of spiritual beings around us that has been preserved under different names. Their manifestations have never stopped, but they have been interpreted diversely and often exploited under the shroud of mystery hiding their true nature. While religion has regarded these spirit communications as miraculous, skeptics have labeled them as fraudulent. Spiritism is free from the superstition that has distorted the perception of these phenomena for ages therefore through scientific investigation and serious study it can now reveal one of the most sublime and important principles of nature.
Sacrifices
669. The practice of offering human sacrifices dates back to antiquity. How could humankind ever think that God would appreciate this?
“First, they did not understand that God is the source of all goodness. Among primitive populations, matter outweighs the spirit. Due to the undeveloped state of their moral qualities, they surrendered to their animal instincts and that is why they were generally so cruel to their instincts of brutality. Second, the humans of prehistoric periods naturally considered a living creature to be much more valuable in God’s eyes than any material object. This led them to offer sacrifices to their gods, first animals and then humans, because they thought that the value of a sacrifice was proportionate to the significance of the victim. When purchasing a gift for someone, you choose something with a cost or worth that is proportionate to how much love, respect or thought you would like to convey to the recipient. It was only natural for primitive human beings who were unaware of the nature of the Supreme Being to do the same.”
a) Did the sacrificing of animals precede that of human beings?
“There is no doubt about it.”
b) According to this explanation, the practice of sacrificing human beings did not originate simply out of cruelty.
“No, it originated from a false idea as to what would be pleasing to God. For instance, look at the story of Abraham. In later times, humans have further corrupted this false idea by killing their enemies, the objects of their personal hostility. God has never carried out sacrifices of any kind, neither animals nor human beings. God would find no honor in the useless destruction of creation.”
“First, they did not understand that God is the source of all goodness. Among primitive populations, matter outweighs the spirit. Due to the undeveloped state of their moral qualities, they surrendered to their animal instincts and that is why they were generally so cruel to their instincts of brutality. Second, the humans of prehistoric periods naturally considered a living creature to be much more valuable in God’s eyes than any material object. This led them to offer sacrifices to their gods, first animals and then humans, because they thought that the value of a sacrifice was proportionate to the significance of the victim. When purchasing a gift for someone, you choose something with a cost or worth that is proportionate to how much love, respect or thought you would like to convey to the recipient. It was only natural for primitive human beings who were unaware of the nature of the Supreme Being to do the same.”
a) Did the sacrificing of animals precede that of human beings?
“There is no doubt about it.”
b) According to this explanation, the practice of sacrificing human beings did not originate simply out of cruelty.
“No, it originated from a false idea as to what would be pleasing to God. For instance, look at the story of Abraham. In later times, humans have further corrupted this false idea by killing their enemies, the objects of their personal hostility. God has never carried out sacrifices of any kind, neither animals nor human beings. God would find no honor in the useless destruction of creation.”
670. Has God ever appreciated human sacrifices, when offered with a sincere, religious intention?
“Never, but God always considers the intention that motivates any act. As primitive peoples were ignorant, they may have believed that they were performing a praiseworthy deed in sacrificing their fellow beings. In such a case, God would accept their intention, but not their act. The human race, in working on its own betterment, naturally came to recognize its error and loathe the idea of sacrifices, which never should have entered ‘enlightened’ minds. I say ‘enlightened’ because, back then, spirits were enveloped by the veil of matter, and their free will was enough to give them a flickering glimpse of their origin and destiny. Many among them already understood the evil they were committing intuitively, but they did it anyway for the gratification of their passions.”
“Never, but God always considers the intention that motivates any act. As primitive peoples were ignorant, they may have believed that they were performing a praiseworthy deed in sacrificing their fellow beings. In such a case, God would accept their intention, but not their act. The human race, in working on its own betterment, naturally came to recognize its error and loathe the idea of sacrifices, which never should have entered ‘enlightened’ minds. I say ‘enlightened’ because, back then, spirits were enveloped by the veil of matter, and their free will was enough to give them a flickering glimpse of their origin and destiny. Many among them already understood the evil they were committing intuitively, but they did it anyway for the gratification of their passions.”
671. What should we think of “religious” wars? It seems that the sentiment that induces a nation of fanatics to exterminate the greatest possible number of people who do not share their beliefs, in order to please God, comes from the same source as that which formerly led them to massacre their fellow beings as sacrifices.
“These wars are encouraged by wicked spirits and the humans who wage them place themselves in direct opposition to God’s will, which is that all human beings should love their brothers and sisters as they love themselves. All religions, or rather all people, worship the same God, regardless of the name they use. Why then would one attempt to exterminate the other simply because they believe in different religions, or because one has not yet reached the same degree of enlightenment as that of the aggressor? People may be excused for not believing in the word of the one who was animated by the Spirit of God and sent by God, especially since they have not seen him and have not witnessed the divine acts. In any event, how can you honestly hope that they would heed his message of peace, when you try to force it upon them with violence? It is true that they need to be enlightened and it is your duty to try to teach them Christ’s doctrine. However, this must be done calmly and peacefully, not through violence. Consider that most of you do not believe in the communications we have with some humans. How could you then expect strangers to believe your claims in regard to this fact, if your acts contradict what you preach?”
“These wars are encouraged by wicked spirits and the humans who wage them place themselves in direct opposition to God’s will, which is that all human beings should love their brothers and sisters as they love themselves. All religions, or rather all people, worship the same God, regardless of the name they use. Why then would one attempt to exterminate the other simply because they believe in different religions, or because one has not yet reached the same degree of enlightenment as that of the aggressor? People may be excused for not believing in the word of the one who was animated by the Spirit of God and sent by God, especially since they have not seen him and have not witnessed the divine acts. In any event, how can you honestly hope that they would heed his message of peace, when you try to force it upon them with violence? It is true that they need to be enlightened and it is your duty to try to teach them Christ’s doctrine. However, this must be done calmly and peacefully, not through violence. Consider that most of you do not believe in the communications we have with some humans. How could you then expect strangers to believe your claims in regard to this fact, if your acts contradict what you preach?”
672. Is offering the fruits of the Earth more acceptable in God’s eyes than sacrificing animals?
“I have already answered your question by saying that God judges the intention behind an action. Of course offering the fruits of the Earth is more acceptable than the blood of victims. As we have told you and always repeat a prayer from the heart is a hundredfold more pleasing to God than all the offerings you could possibly make. The intention is everything, while the fact is nothing.”
“I have already answered your question by saying that God judges the intention behind an action. Of course offering the fruits of the Earth is more acceptable than the blood of victims. As we have told you and always repeat a prayer from the heart is a hundredfold more pleasing to God than all the offerings you could possibly make. The intention is everything, while the fact is nothing.”
673. Could these offerings be made more pleasing to God by using them to assist those who are poor and lack the necessities of life? In that case, couldn’t the sacrificing of animals be considered commendable when accomplished for a useful purpose have been more meritorious than an abusive sacrifice that served no useful end, or benefited only those who lacked for nothing Is there not something truly virtuous in setting aside the fruits of all that God has given us for the poor?
“God always blesses those who do good. To help the poor and those who are suffering is the best way to honor God. I do not mean to say that God disapproves of the ceremonies you use when you pray. However, a good deal of the money spent on these events can be better spent. God loves simplicity in all things. A person who attaches more importance to external matters than to the heart is narrow-minded. How could God attach more importance to the form than to the sentiment motivating your actions?”
“God always blesses those who do good. To help the poor and those who are suffering is the best way to honor God. I do not mean to say that God disapproves of the ceremonies you use when you pray. However, a good deal of the money spent on these events can be better spent. God loves simplicity in all things. A person who attaches more importance to external matters than to the heart is narrow-minded. How could God attach more importance to the form than to the sentiment motivating your actions?”
CHAPTER III—II. LAW OF LABOR
Necessity of Labor
674. Is the necessity of labor a law of nature?
“Labor is a law of nature, and is proved by the fact that it is a necessity. Civilization requires humankind to perform a greater amount of labor, because it increases the sum of their needs and pleasures.”
“Labor is a law of nature, and is proved by the fact that it is a necessity. Civilization requires humankind to perform a greater amount of labor, because it increases the sum of their needs and pleasures.”
675. Should we understand “labor” to mean only occupations of a material nature?
“No, the spirit labors just like the body. Every sort of useful occupation is labor.”
676. Why is labor forced upon humankind?
“It is a consequence of your physical nature. It is an atonement and means of developing your intelligence. Without labor, you would remain in the early stages of intelligence. This is why your food, safety, and well-being all rely entirely on your labor and activity. Those whose bodies are too weak for tougher kinds of work are granted intelligence by God to compensate for it, but it is labor nonetheless.”
“It is a consequence of your physical nature. It is an atonement and means of developing your intelligence. Without labor, you would remain in the early stages of intelligence. This is why your food, safety, and well-being all rely entirely on your labor and activity. Those whose bodies are too weak for tougher kinds of work are granted intelligence by God to compensate for it, but it is labor nonetheless.”
677. Why does nature itself provide for all the wants of animals?
“Everything in nature labors. The animals work as much as you do, but their work, like their intelligence, is limited to providing for their own survival. This is why labor does not lead to progress in animals, while among human beings it has a double purpose of preserving the body and developing thought – which is also necessary, and continually raises them to a higher level. When I say that the labor of animals is limited to their survival, I mean that this is their purpose in working. They unconsciously support the views of the Creator when they provide for their material needs. Their labor contributes to nature’s final end, although you often fail to realize its immediate result.”
“Everything in nature labors. The animals work as much as you do, but their work, like their intelligence, is limited to providing for their own survival. This is why labor does not lead to progress in animals, while among human beings it has a double purpose of preserving the body and developing thought – which is also necessary, and continually raises them to a higher level. When I say that the labor of animals is limited to their survival, I mean that this is their purpose in working. They unconsciously support the views of the Creator when they provide for their material needs. Their labor contributes to nature’s final end, although you often fail to realize its immediate result.”
678. In more advanced worlds, are human beings subjected to the same requirement to work?
“The nature of labor is always relative to wants; the less material those wants, the less material the labor. It is erroneous to think that human beings in those worlds are inactive and useless, since idleness would be torture rather than a luxury.”
“The nature of labor is always relative to wants; the less material those wants, the less material the labor. It is erroneous to think that human beings in those worlds are inactive and useless, since idleness would be torture rather than a luxury.”
679. Are there any individuals who possess enough worldly goods for survival to render them exempt from the law of labor?
“Perhaps from material labor, but not from the obligation of making themselves useful according to their means, and developing their own intelligence and that of others, which is also labor. There are individuals to whom God has granted sufficient means that are not restricted to earning their income by the sweat of their brows. In that case, their obligation of being useful to their fellow beings is all the greater because they have at their disposal a much greater amount of free time for doing good.”
“Perhaps from material labor, but not from the obligation of making themselves useful according to their means, and developing their own intelligence and that of others, which is also labor. There are individuals to whom God has granted sufficient means that are not restricted to earning their income by the sweat of their brows. In that case, their obligation of being useful to their fellow beings is all the greater because they have at their disposal a much greater amount of free time for doing good.”
680. Are there individuals who are incapable of working, and whose existence is entirely useless?
“God is fair. God only condemns those who are voluntarily useless, because such an individual lives off of the labor of others. God wants every person to make themselves useful according to their own abilities.” (See no. 643)
“God is fair. God only condemns those who are voluntarily useless, because such an individual lives off of the labor of others. God wants every person to make themselves useful according to their own abilities.” (See no. 643)
681. Does natural law impose an obligation upon children to work for their parents?
“Of course, just as it imposes on parents the duty of working for their children. For this reason, God has created filial and paternal affection, so that family members may be naturally led to mutually help each other – a duty that is too often lost in the world today.” (See no. 205)
“Of course, just as it imposes on parents the duty of working for their children. For this reason, God has created filial and paternal affection, so that family members may be naturally led to mutually help each other – a duty that is too often lost in the world today.” (See no. 205)
Limit of Labor – Rest
682. As rest after labor is a necessity, is it a law of nature?
“Definitely. Rest restores the bodily powers and is also necessary to give a little more freedom to the mind, allowing it to rise above matter.”
“Definitely. Rest restores the bodily powers and is also necessary to give a little more freedom to the mind, allowing it to rise above matter.”
683. What limits labor?
“It is limited by strength, but God gives human beings the freedom to decide this point for themselves.”
“It is limited by strength, but God gives human beings the freedom to decide this point for themselves.”
684. What should we think of those who abuse their authority by imposing too much labor on their subordinates?
“They commit one of the worst of crimes. All those exercising authority shall answer for any excess labor imposed by them on those who are under their orders, because they violate God’s law.” (See no. 273)
“They commit one of the worst of crimes. All those exercising authority shall answer for any excess labor imposed by them on those who are under their orders, because they violate God’s law.” (See no. 273)
685. Do human beings have the right to rest in old age?
“Yes, they are only required to work according to their strength.”
a) Then what are the resources for old people who need to work for a living, but cannot? “The strong should work for the weak. When the family does not help, society should take its place. This is the law of charity.”
It is not enough to say that human beings need to work; they also should be able to find an occupation. This is not what happens. Whenever unemployment becomes widespread, it assumes the proportions of a scourge like scarcity. Economic science seeks a remedy for this problem in balancing production and consumption, but this balance is always subject to sporadic periods, assuming that it can be attained, and the worker must survive during these periods.
There is one element of the question that has not been considered sufficiently and economics is just a theory without it: education. Not merely intellectual education, but moral education, that which consists in the formation of character and habits, which human beings do not learn from books. Education is the sum of the habits acquired. When we consider that, many individuals are lost in the food of a population without principles, or direction and are left to their own instincts on a daily basis. Should we be surprised by the disastrous consequences that result?
When the art of education is properly understood and practiced, all human beings will have the habits of stability and prudence for themselves and for those who depend on them, and respect for what is worthy of respect. These habits will enable them to endure hard times with greater ease. Chaos and extravagance are social handicaps that only proper education can cure, and the spread of such education is the preliminary element of social well-being, which is the only guarantee of security for all.
“Yes, they are only required to work according to their strength.”
a) Then what are the resources for old people who need to work for a living, but cannot? “The strong should work for the weak. When the family does not help, society should take its place. This is the law of charity.”
It is not enough to say that human beings need to work; they also should be able to find an occupation. This is not what happens. Whenever unemployment becomes widespread, it assumes the proportions of a scourge like scarcity. Economic science seeks a remedy for this problem in balancing production and consumption, but this balance is always subject to sporadic periods, assuming that it can be attained, and the worker must survive during these periods.
There is one element of the question that has not been considered sufficiently and economics is just a theory without it: education. Not merely intellectual education, but moral education, that which consists in the formation of character and habits, which human beings do not learn from books. Education is the sum of the habits acquired. When we consider that, many individuals are lost in the food of a population without principles, or direction and are left to their own instincts on a daily basis. Should we be surprised by the disastrous consequences that result?
When the art of education is properly understood and practiced, all human beings will have the habits of stability and prudence for themselves and for those who depend on them, and respect for what is worthy of respect. These habits will enable them to endure hard times with greater ease. Chaos and extravagance are social handicaps that only proper education can cure, and the spread of such education is the preliminary element of social well-being, which is the only guarantee of security for all.
CHAPTER IV—III. LAW OF REPRODUCTION
Population of the Globe
686. Is the reproduction of living beings a natural law?“Of course. The physical world would die without reproduction.”
687. If the global population continues to grow as it has up until now, will it become too large over the course of time?
“No, God always maintains a balance and does not make allowances for anything useless. The human species sees only a small corner of the universe, and as such it is unable to recognize the harmony of the whole.”
“No, God always maintains a balance and does not make allowances for anything useless. The human species sees only a small corner of the universe, and as such it is unable to recognize the harmony of the whole.”
Succession and Development of the Human Race
688. There are groups of humans today that are rapidly vanishing from the face of the earth. Will they eventually disappear?
“Yes, but this will only happen because others will have taken their place, just as you will also one day be replaced by others.”
“Yes, but this will only happen because others will have taken their place, just as you will also one day be replaced by others.”
689. Are the human beings currently living on Earth a new creation or the improved descendants of prehistoric human beings?
“They are the same spirits that have come back to improve themselves in new bodies, but who are still very far from reaching perfection. The current human race that is slowly invading the Earth, and replacing preexisting humans, will one day decline in number and disappear. It will be replaced by other, more perfect races that will be descendants of the present race, as civilized men and women today are derived from the wild savages of prehistoric times.”
“They are the same spirits that have come back to improve themselves in new bodies, but who are still very far from reaching perfection. The current human race that is slowly invading the Earth, and replacing preexisting humans, will one day decline in number and disappear. It will be replaced by other, more perfect races that will be descendants of the present race, as civilized men and women today are derived from the wild savages of prehistoric times.”
690. From a purely physical standpoint, are the bodies of humans today a unique creation or are they advanced versions of the bodies of the prehistoric races?
“The origin of the various human races is lost in the night of time. However as they all belong to the human family, they have formed alliances with one another and produced new types, regardless of the prehistoric root of each.”
“The origin of the various human races is lost in the night of time. However as they all belong to the human family, they have formed alliances with one another and produced new types, regardless of the prehistoric root of each.”
691. From a physical standpoint, what are the unique and dominant characteristics of prehistoric races?
“They are characterized by the development of physical power to the detriment of intellectual power. Right now the opposite occurs, human beings act through their intelligence rather than through their bodily strength and accomplish a hundredfold more than they did in the past because they have learned to leverage the forces of nature, which animals cannot do.”
“They are characterized by the development of physical power to the detriment of intellectual power. Right now the opposite occurs, human beings act through their intelligence rather than through their bodily strength and accomplish a hundredfold more than they did in the past because they have learned to leverage the forces of nature, which animals cannot do.”
692. Does using science to improve vegetables and animals contradict the law of nature? Would it be more compliant with that law to allow them to follow their natural course?
“All beings must contribute to help general progress move forward in every way possible. God employs the human race as instruments for the perfection that is the goal of everything in nature. The act of assisting in this process of improvement is the way in which humanity can participate in carrying out Divine plans.”
a) In their efforts to improve various species, humans are normally motivated by self-interest and have no goal other than increasing their own personal happiness. Does this not diminish the merit of their actions?
“What does it matter if their merit is insignificant, as long as progress is accomplished? It is up to them to make their labor admirable by their intention. Nevertheless, these improvements help human beings develop their intelligence and derive the greatest value from their efforts.”
“All beings must contribute to help general progress move forward in every way possible. God employs the human race as instruments for the perfection that is the goal of everything in nature. The act of assisting in this process of improvement is the way in which humanity can participate in carrying out Divine plans.”
a) In their efforts to improve various species, humans are normally motivated by self-interest and have no goal other than increasing their own personal happiness. Does this not diminish the merit of their actions?
“What does it matter if their merit is insignificant, as long as progress is accomplished? It is up to them to make their labor admirable by their intention. Nevertheless, these improvements help human beings develop their intelligence and derive the greatest value from their efforts.”
Obstacles to Reproduction
693. Do the laws society create to hamper reproduction conflict with the laws of nature?
“Whatever thwarts nature conflicts with the general law.”
a) For many species of animals and vegetables, unrestricted reproduction would be harmful to other species and would be destructive to the human race. Is it wrong for humankind to stop their reproduction?
“God has given human beings, over all the other living beings on the planet, a power that should be used for the general good and not for abuse. They may regulate reproduction according to their needs, but they should not completely obstruct it without good reason. Human intelligence is a counterweight granted by God for restoring balance to the forces of nature. Once again, humans are set apart from animals because they are conscious of this process, while animals unconsciously contribute to maintaining the balance of nature through their instinct of destruction. This animal instinct, while maintaining their survival, also causes them to stop the excessive development of the animals and vegetables that they consume, which would otherwise become an imminent source of danger.”
“Whatever thwarts nature conflicts with the general law.”
a) For many species of animals and vegetables, unrestricted reproduction would be harmful to other species and would be destructive to the human race. Is it wrong for humankind to stop their reproduction?
“God has given human beings, over all the other living beings on the planet, a power that should be used for the general good and not for abuse. They may regulate reproduction according to their needs, but they should not completely obstruct it without good reason. Human intelligence is a counterweight granted by God for restoring balance to the forces of nature. Once again, humans are set apart from animals because they are conscious of this process, while animals unconsciously contribute to maintaining the balance of nature through their instinct of destruction. This animal instinct, while maintaining their survival, also causes them to stop the excessive development of the animals and vegetables that they consume, which would otherwise become an imminent source of danger.”
694. What should we think of contraceptive methods created solely to satisfy sexual desires?
“They prove the power of the body over the soul, and show how deeply human beings have become immersed in their material existence.”
“They prove the power of the body over the soul, and show how deeply human beings have become immersed in their material existence.”
Marriage and Celibacy
695. Is marriage, the permanent union of two beings, contrary to the law of nature?“It is progress that has been achieved by humankind.”
696. If marriages were abolished, what would be the effect on human society?
“Regressing to the level of wild animals and savages.” The free and unplanned union of the sexes is natural. Marriage is one of the first results of progress in human societies because it establishes fraternal unity, found in every nation and among every ethnic group though under different conditions. If marriage were abolished, humanity would regress to infancy, and would place humans below a few animals that demonstrate having lifelong fidelity to their mates.
“Regressing to the level of wild animals and savages.” The free and unplanned union of the sexes is natural. Marriage is one of the first results of progress in human societies because it establishes fraternal unity, found in every nation and among every ethnic group though under different conditions. If marriage were abolished, humanity would regress to infancy, and would place humans below a few animals that demonstrate having lifelong fidelity to their mates.
697. Is the binding nature of marriage a law of nature, or is it only dictated by human law?
“It is human law that contradicts the law of nature. Human laws change, while natural law is constant.”
“It is human law that contradicts the law of nature. Human laws change, while natural law is constant.”
698. Is voluntary celibacy commendable in God’s eyes?
“No, those who are single for selfish reasons displease God and mislead others.”
699. For some people, can celibacy be a sacrifice they make to devote themselves to serving humanity completely?
“That is a very different matter, I said ‘for selfish reasons’. When carried out for a noble purpose, any sort of personal sacrifice is laudable. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the merit.”
God cannot be in contradiction with, or find fault in, creation. Therefore, God cannot commend any violation of Divine or Natural laws. While celibacy alone is not praiseworthy, it may become such when depriving oneself the joy of having a family is a sacrifice made in the interest of humanity. Every sacrifice of personal interest, when made for the good of others and no self-interest whatsoever, raises human beings above the level of their physical condition.
“That is a very different matter, I said ‘for selfish reasons’. When carried out for a noble purpose, any sort of personal sacrifice is laudable. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the merit.”
God cannot be in contradiction with, or find fault in, creation. Therefore, God cannot commend any violation of Divine or Natural laws. While celibacy alone is not praiseworthy, it may become such when depriving oneself the joy of having a family is a sacrifice made in the interest of humanity. Every sacrifice of personal interest, when made for the good of others and no self-interest whatsoever, raises human beings above the level of their physical condition.
Polygamy
700. Is the almost exact numerical equality existing between the sexes an indication of the proportions according to which they should be united?
“Yes, because every plan in nature has a specific purpose.”
“Yes, because every plan in nature has a specific purpose.”
701. Is polygamy or monogamy more in compliance with the laws of nature?
“Polygamy is a human invention, the rejection of which marks an era of social progress. God intended that marriage should be based on the existence of true affection between the individuals who enter into it. In polygamy there is only sensuality, but no real affection.”
If polygamy were consistent with the laws of nature, it would be possible to institute it everywhere. However, it would be physically impossible to do so, due to the numerical equality of men and women.
Therefore, polygamy must be labeled a social custom, adapted to the circumstances of specific nations or populations. It will gradually disappear as these populations improve socially.
“Polygamy is a human invention, the rejection of which marks an era of social progress. God intended that marriage should be based on the existence of true affection between the individuals who enter into it. In polygamy there is only sensuality, but no real affection.”
If polygamy were consistent with the laws of nature, it would be possible to institute it everywhere. However, it would be physically impossible to do so, due to the numerical equality of men and women.
Therefore, polygamy must be labeled a social custom, adapted to the circumstances of specific nations or populations. It will gradually disappear as these populations improve socially.
CHAPTER V — IV. THE LAW OF PRESERVATION
Instinct of Self-Preservation
702. Is the instinct of self-preservation a law of nature?
“Of course. Regardless of intelligence, it is given to all living creatures. In some it is purely mechanical, while in others it is associated with reason.”
“Of course. Regardless of intelligence, it is given to all living creatures. In some it is purely mechanical, while in others it is associated with reason.”
703. Why has God given the instinct of self-preservation to all living creatures?
“God has given them the desire to live to carry out the designs of Providence. Furthermore, life is necessary for the improvement of beings. All living beings feel it instinctively, without understanding it.”
“God has given them the desire to live to carry out the designs of Providence. Furthermore, life is necessary for the improvement of beings. All living beings feel it instinctively, without understanding it.”
Means of Self-Preservation
704. In giving humans the desire to live, has God always provided them with the means of doing so?
“Yes, and if they do not always find the means, it is because they do not understand them. God would not instill the love of life in humankind without giving them the means to live, and God has created Earth so that it is able to produce sufficient means for all its inhabitants. Only that which is necessary is useful, while superfluous are never useful.”
“Yes, and if they do not always find the means, it is because they do not understand them. God would not instill the love of life in humankind without giving them the means to live, and God has created Earth so that it is able to produce sufficient means for all its inhabitants. Only that which is necessary is useful, while superfluous are never useful.”
705. Why is it that the Earth does not always produce enough to provide the human race with what is necessary to live?
“Because human beings are ungrateful and neglect to make fruitful use of Earth’s bounty! Nevertheless, she is an excellent mother. They often accuse nature of what is truly the direct consequence of their own nearsightedness. If human beings could simply be content with what is necessary, the Earth would always provide it. If it does not provide for all their wants, it is because humanity use Earth’s resources to supply luxuries when they should be setting them aside to supply necessities instead. Look at the example of Arabs in the desert. They always find enough to survive, because they do not create artificial needs. When half of the Earth’s products are squandered in gratifying impulsive wishes and demands, should humans be astonished when they run out, and do they have any reason to complain if they are poorly equipped when scarcity strikes? I repeat: nature is not careless, but humans do not know how to control their use of her bounty.”
“Because human beings are ungrateful and neglect to make fruitful use of Earth’s bounty! Nevertheless, she is an excellent mother. They often accuse nature of what is truly the direct consequence of their own nearsightedness. If human beings could simply be content with what is necessary, the Earth would always provide it. If it does not provide for all their wants, it is because humanity use Earth’s resources to supply luxuries when they should be setting them aside to supply necessities instead. Look at the example of Arabs in the desert. They always find enough to survive, because they do not create artificial needs. When half of the Earth’s products are squandered in gratifying impulsive wishes and demands, should humans be astonished when they run out, and do they have any reason to complain if they are poorly equipped when scarcity strikes? I repeat: nature is not careless, but humans do not know how to control their use of her bounty.”
706. Should we understand the ‘fruits of the Earth’ to mean the products of the soil?
“The soil is the fundamental source of all other products, which are only transformed versions of the products of the soil. As such, the term ‘fruits of the Earth’ should be understood to mean anything that human beings enjoy in their physical lives.”
“The soil is the fundamental source of all other products, which are only transformed versions of the products of the soil. As such, the term ‘fruits of the Earth’ should be understood to mean anything that human beings enjoy in their physical lives.”
707. There are always individuals who lack the means to survive, despite living surrounded by abundance. Who should be blamed for this?
“At the selfishness of humans, who too often prevents them to do what they need. Next, and most often, the individuals themselves are to blame. Christ said, ‘Seek, and you shall find but these words do not imply that all you have to do is look down on the ground to find anything that you may want. You must search for what you want passionately and with perseverance, without being discouraged by obstacles that are often only a means of testing your determination, patience, and resolve.” (See no. 534)
While civilization increases our needs, it also increases our resources and means of survival. However, we must confess that there is much that still needs to be done. Civilization will achieve its task only when human beings no longer lack the necessities of life, unless this is through no fault other than their own. Unfortunately, many individuals choose the wrong path and, because nature has not intended it for them, they fail – that is when they lack the intelligence to succeed. There is room for everyone, but each person must assume his or her own place, and not that of another. Nature cannot fairly be held responsible for the effects of a flawed social organization, nor for those of personal selfishness and ambition.
We would have to be blind, however, if we did not acknowledge the progress that has already been accomplished in this direction among the most advanced nations. Philanthropy and science have focused on the betterment of humankind and despite an increasing global population; they have managed to minimize the effects of insufficient production dramatically.
Today, the most unfavorable years of an economic cycle are far less disastrous than in the past. For example, hygiene, which is a critical point for public and individual health, and of which our ancestors had little or no knowledge, is a constant subject of scientific research and investigation. Likewise, refuge is provided for the unfortunate and suffering, and every new scientific discovery is made to contribute to the general well-being of all. May it be said that we have attained perfection? Oh, certainly not. But what has been accomplished is just a glimpse of what may be done, with perseverance. Human beings must focus on seeking practical improvements, instead of wasting their energy on idealistic projects that set them back rather than pushing them forward.
“At the selfishness of humans, who too often prevents them to do what they need. Next, and most often, the individuals themselves are to blame. Christ said, ‘Seek, and you shall find but these words do not imply that all you have to do is look down on the ground to find anything that you may want. You must search for what you want passionately and with perseverance, without being discouraged by obstacles that are often only a means of testing your determination, patience, and resolve.” (See no. 534)
While civilization increases our needs, it also increases our resources and means of survival. However, we must confess that there is much that still needs to be done. Civilization will achieve its task only when human beings no longer lack the necessities of life, unless this is through no fault other than their own. Unfortunately, many individuals choose the wrong path and, because nature has not intended it for them, they fail – that is when they lack the intelligence to succeed. There is room for everyone, but each person must assume his or her own place, and not that of another. Nature cannot fairly be held responsible for the effects of a flawed social organization, nor for those of personal selfishness and ambition.
We would have to be blind, however, if we did not acknowledge the progress that has already been accomplished in this direction among the most advanced nations. Philanthropy and science have focused on the betterment of humankind and despite an increasing global population; they have managed to minimize the effects of insufficient production dramatically.
Today, the most unfavorable years of an economic cycle are far less disastrous than in the past. For example, hygiene, which is a critical point for public and individual health, and of which our ancestors had little or no knowledge, is a constant subject of scientific research and investigation. Likewise, refuge is provided for the unfortunate and suffering, and every new scientific discovery is made to contribute to the general well-being of all. May it be said that we have attained perfection? Oh, certainly not. But what has been accomplished is just a glimpse of what may be done, with perseverance. Human beings must focus on seeking practical improvements, instead of wasting their energy on idealistic projects that set them back rather than pushing them forward.
708. Are there any social situations in human life when the will is incapable of obtaining the means of existence, and in that case, the deprivation of the most fundamental necessities is a consequence of such circumstances?
“Yes, but this would be a trial that the spirit was aware of having to endure. The merit of individuals involved in such a trial will be based on their surrendering to God’s will, if their intelligence does not free them from their troubles. If death occurs, they should accept it without complaint, remembering that their hour of true freedom has arrived, and that yielding to despair at the last minute, no matter how little, may cause them to lose the reward of their prior resignation.”
“Yes, but this would be a trial that the spirit was aware of having to endure. The merit of individuals involved in such a trial will be based on their surrendering to God’s will, if their intelligence does not free them from their troubles. If death occurs, they should accept it without complaint, remembering that their hour of true freedom has arrived, and that yielding to despair at the last minute, no matter how little, may cause them to lose the reward of their prior resignation.”
709. When, during extreme crisis, where human beings are forced to consume the flesh of other human beings to survive, are they committing a crime? If so, does the fact their action is based on an instinct of self-preservation lessen the crime?
“I have already responded by saying that there is more merit in undergoing life’s trials with courage and resignation. In these cases, human beings resort to both homicide and commit a crime against nature. This results in dual culpability that receives dual atonement.”
“I have already responded by saying that there is more merit in undergoing life’s trials with courage and resignation. In these cases, human beings resort to both homicide and commit a crime against nature. This results in dual culpability that receives dual atonement.”
710. In worlds where the physical makeup of living beings is purer than on Earth, do these beings need food?
“Yes, but their food matches their nature. Their food would not be enough for your basic stomachs and those beings could not digest your heavier food.”
“Yes, but their food matches their nature. Their food would not be enough for your basic stomachs and those beings could not digest your heavier food.”
Enjoying the Fruits of the Earth
711. Do all human beings have a right to enjoy the fruits of the Earth? “This right is a direct corollary of the need to live. God does not impose a duty without providing the means of carrying it out.”
712. Why has God made using material things attractive?
“For two reasons, first to motivate human beings to accomplish their mission, and second, to test them by temptation.”
a) What is the purpose of temptation?
“To develop human reason, so that it may safeguard humankind from excess.”
If human beings are pressed to use physical things based on their value or usefulness alone, their indifference could have compromised the harmony of the universe. For that reason, God has given humans enjoyable attractions that lead them to carrying out Divine plans. God uses these attractions to also test them with temptations that cause them to commit actions that their human reason should protect them against.
“For two reasons, first to motivate human beings to accomplish their mission, and second, to test them by temptation.”
a) What is the purpose of temptation?
“To develop human reason, so that it may safeguard humankind from excess.”
If human beings are pressed to use physical things based on their value or usefulness alone, their indifference could have compromised the harmony of the universe. For that reason, God has given humans enjoyable attractions that lead them to carrying out Divine plans. God uses these attractions to also test them with temptations that cause them to commit actions that their human reason should protect them against.
713. Has nature indicated the clear limits of pleasures?
“Yes, limits that coincide with your needs. Excess leads to gluttony and you end up punishing yourselves.”
“Yes, limits that coincide with your needs. Excess leads to gluttony and you end up punishing yourselves.”
714. What should we think of those who seek to enhance their pleasure in all sorts of excesses?
“Such individuals should be pitied rather than envied because they are very close to death.”
a) Physical or moral death?
“Both.”
Those who seek an enhancement of physical satisfactions in any kind of excess place themselves below animals, because even animals stop at the satisfaction of a need. They relinquish the reason given to them by God for their guidance, and the greater their excesses the more power they give to their animal nature over their spiritual nature. Diseases, illnesses and death itself are the consequences of excess. They also serve as atonements for transgressing God’s law.
“Such individuals should be pitied rather than envied because they are very close to death.”
a) Physical or moral death?
“Both.”
Those who seek an enhancement of physical satisfactions in any kind of excess place themselves below animals, because even animals stop at the satisfaction of a need. They relinquish the reason given to them by God for their guidance, and the greater their excesses the more power they give to their animal nature over their spiritual nature. Diseases, illnesses and death itself are the consequences of excess. They also serve as atonements for transgressing God’s law.
Necessary and Superfluous Things
715. How can human beings know the limit of what is necessary?
“Wise men and women know by intuition, while many others learn through experience and at their own expense.”
“Wise men and women know by intuition, while many others learn through experience and at their own expense.”
716. Has nature outlined the limit of our needs in the requirements of our physical makeup?
“Yes, but human beings are insatiable. Nature has indicated the limits of their needs by their physical makeup, but their vices have changed their structure and created wants that are not real needs.”
“Yes, but human beings are insatiable. Nature has indicated the limits of their needs by their physical makeup, but their vices have changed their structure and created wants that are not real needs.”
717. What should we think of those who in order to secure excess, hoard the goods of the Earth to the detriment of others who lack what is necessary to survive?
“They overlook God’s law, and will have to answer for the poverty they have caused others to suffer.”
There is no finite boundary between what is necessary and what is superfluous. Civilization has created necessities that do not exist for savages. The spirits who have dictated the aforementioned principles are not saying that civilized human beings should live as savages do. Everything is relative, and reason must determine how things should be divided. Civilization develops both the moral sense and the sentiment of charity, which leads people to support one another mutually. Those who live at the expense of others, depriving them of even the barest necessities and hoarding the benefits of civilization for their own profit, only wear the mask of civilization, just as others only wear the mask of religion.
“They overlook God’s law, and will have to answer for the poverty they have caused others to suffer.”
There is no finite boundary between what is necessary and what is superfluous. Civilization has created necessities that do not exist for savages. The spirits who have dictated the aforementioned principles are not saying that civilized human beings should live as savages do. Everything is relative, and reason must determine how things should be divided. Civilization develops both the moral sense and the sentiment of charity, which leads people to support one another mutually. Those who live at the expense of others, depriving them of even the barest necessities and hoarding the benefits of civilization for their own profit, only wear the mask of civilization, just as others only wear the mask of religion.
Voluntary Deprivations – Mortifications
718. Does the law of self-preservation require us to provide for our bodily wants?“Yes, labor is impossible without strength and health.”
719. Are human beings at fault for seeking well-being?
“Well-being is a natural desire. God only prohibits excess, because excess is detrimental to survival. God has not made it a crime to seek well-being, if that well-being is not acquired at another’s expense and if it does not weaken your moral or physical strength.”
“Well-being is a natural desire. God only prohibits excess, because excess is detrimental to survival. God has not made it a crime to seek well-being, if that well-being is not acquired at another’s expense and if it does not weaken your moral or physical strength.”
720. Are voluntary deprivations, meant to serve as a voluntary atonement, laudable in God’s eyes?
“Do good to others, and you will acquire more merit.”
a) Is any voluntary deprivation laudable?
“Yes, the self-deprivation of useless indulgences, because it weakens the hold that matter has on human beings, and elevates their soul. Resistance to the temptation that solicits excess or indulgence in what is useless is praiseworthy. Equally commendable is cutting back on your necessities so that you have more to give to those in need. If your deprivations are only a vain pretense, they are a derision.”
“Do good to others, and you will acquire more merit.”
a) Is any voluntary deprivation laudable?
“Yes, the self-deprivation of useless indulgences, because it weakens the hold that matter has on human beings, and elevates their soul. Resistance to the temptation that solicits excess or indulgence in what is useless is praiseworthy. Equally commendable is cutting back on your necessities so that you have more to give to those in need. If your deprivations are only a vain pretense, they are a derision.”
721. Throughout the course of time and among all populations, there have been those who have lived a life of ascetic mortification. Is an ascetic life ever praiseworthy?
“Ask yourselves to whom such a life is useful, and you will have the answer to your question. If such a life only serves the person who leads it and it prevents that person from doing good, it is a form of selfishness, regardless of the pretext it hides behind. True mortification, according to Christian charity, is to impose self-deprivation and work upon yourself for the benefit of others.”
“Ask yourselves to whom such a life is useful, and you will have the answer to your question. If such a life only serves the person who leads it and it prevents that person from doing good, it is a form of selfishness, regardless of the pretext it hides behind. True mortification, according to Christian charity, is to impose self-deprivation and work upon yourself for the benefit of others.”
722. Is there any virtue in abstaining from eating certain foods, as practiced among various religious or ethnic groups?
“Whatever you can eat without harming your health is permitted. Legislators may have prohibited certain foods for a useful purpose and portrayed them as emanating from God to give these regulations greater authority.”
“Whatever you can eat without harming your health is permitted. Legislators may have prohibited certain foods for a useful purpose and portrayed them as emanating from God to give these regulations greater authority.”
723. Does the consumption of animal flesh by human beings contradict natural law?
“With your physical makeup, flesh nourishes flesh, and without this kind of sustenance human strength declines. The law of self-preservation requires humans to keep up their strength and health to fulfill the law of labor. They should, therefore, eat according to the requirements of their bodies.”
“With your physical makeup, flesh nourishes flesh, and without this kind of sustenance human strength declines. The law of self-preservation requires humans to keep up their strength and health to fulfill the law of labor. They should, therefore, eat according to the requirements of their bodies.”
724. Is there any merit in abstaining from any particular kind of food when suffered as a form of penance?
“Yes, if suffered for the sake of others. However, God cannot regard any mortification as laudable if it is not a serious and useful deprivation. This is why we say that those who practice superficial self-deprivation are hypocrites.” (See no. 720)
“Yes, if suffered for the sake of others. However, God cannot regard any mortification as laudable if it is not a serious and useful deprivation. This is why we say that those who practice superficial self-deprivation are hypocrites.” (See no. 720)
725. What should we think of the mutilation of the bodies of humans or animals?
“What is the purpose of such a question? Ask yourselves whether something is useful or not. What is useless displeases God, and what is hurtful disappoints the purpose of creation. Rest assured that God only appreciates sentiments that elevate the soul. It is by practicing Divine Law, and not by violating it, that you can shake off your material envelope.”
“What is the purpose of such a question? Ask yourselves whether something is useful or not. What is useless displeases God, and what is hurtful disappoints the purpose of creation. Rest assured that God only appreciates sentiments that elevate the soul. It is by practicing Divine Law, and not by violating it, that you can shake off your material envelope.”
726. If the suffering of this world elevates us, depending on how we bear it, are we elevated by that which we voluntarily create for ourselves?
“You can only be elevated by natural suffering, because they come from by God. Voluntary suffering is worthless when it is not useful to others. Do you think that those who shorten their lives by superhuman hardships, as practiced by the bonzes, fakirs, and fanatics of various religious groups, advance their progress by doing so? They should spend their time focused on doing good for their fellow human beings. They should clothe the naked, comfort those who cry, work for the disabled, and deprive themselves for the sake of the unfortunate, and then their lives will be useful and pleasing to God. When your experience voluntary suffering for yourself alone, it is selfishness. When you suffer for others, it is charity. These are the commandments of Christ.”
“You can only be elevated by natural suffering, because they come from by God. Voluntary suffering is worthless when it is not useful to others. Do you think that those who shorten their lives by superhuman hardships, as practiced by the bonzes, fakirs, and fanatics of various religious groups, advance their progress by doing so? They should spend their time focused on doing good for their fellow human beings. They should clothe the naked, comfort those who cry, work for the disabled, and deprive themselves for the sake of the unfortunate, and then their lives will be useful and pleasing to God. When your experience voluntary suffering for yourself alone, it is selfishness. When you suffer for others, it is charity. These are the commandments of Christ.”
727. Since we should not create voluntary suffering for ourselves that serves no purpose for others, should we protect ourselves from that which we can anticipate or that which threatens us?
“The instinct of self-preservation has been given to all beings to serve as a safeguard against danger and suffering. Chastise your spirit and not your body, mortify your pride, and stifle the selfishness that like a snake devours your heart. By doing this, you will do more for your development than any amount of mortifications, which are no longer appropriate for the time period in which you are living.
“The instinct of self-preservation has been given to all beings to serve as a safeguard against danger and suffering. Chastise your spirit and not your body, mortify your pride, and stifle the selfishness that like a snake devours your heart. By doing this, you will do more for your development than any amount of mortifications, which are no longer appropriate for the time period in which you are living.
CHAPTER VI—V. LAW OF DESTRUCTION
Necessary versus Abusive Destruction
728. Is destruction a law of nature?
“Everything must be destroyed so that it may be renewed. What you call destruction is only a transformation to renew and improve living beings.”
a) So the instinct of destruction was given to living beings for providential purposes?
“God’s creatures are instruments used to accomplish Divine plans. Living beings destroy each other for food and this maintains a natural balance of reproduction, which could otherwise become excessive, also it utilizes the materials of their external envelopes. However, only this envelope is destroyed, which is only an accessory and not the essential part of a thinking being. The essential part is the intelligent principle, which is indestructible and developed over the course of many metamorphoses.”
“Everything must be destroyed so that it may be renewed. What you call destruction is only a transformation to renew and improve living beings.”
a) So the instinct of destruction was given to living beings for providential purposes?
“God’s creatures are instruments used to accomplish Divine plans. Living beings destroy each other for food and this maintains a natural balance of reproduction, which could otherwise become excessive, also it utilizes the materials of their external envelopes. However, only this envelope is destroyed, which is only an accessory and not the essential part of a thinking being. The essential part is the intelligent principle, which is indestructible and developed over the course of many metamorphoses.”
729. If destruction is necessary for the regeneration of beings, why does nature surround them with the means of self-preservation and conservation?
“So that their destruction only happens at the right time. Premature destruction delays the development of the intelligent principle. This is why God has given each being the desire to live and reproduce.”
“So that their destruction only happens at the right time. Premature destruction delays the development of the intelligent principle. This is why God has given each being the desire to live and reproduce.”
730. Since death leads to a better life, delivers us from the difficulties and suffering of our present existence, and we should anticipate it rather than fear it, why do human beings have an instinctive fear of death?
“We have said that humans should try to prolong their lives to accomplish their tasks. This is why God has given them the instinct of self-preservation. This instinct sustains them through all their trials, without which they would often succumb to discouragement. The inner voice telling them to prevent death also tells them that they may still do more for their advancement. Every danger that threatens them is a warning to profit from the relief God grants them. As humans are ingrates, they are more likely to thank their stars than their Creator.”
“We have said that humans should try to prolong their lives to accomplish their tasks. This is why God has given them the instinct of self-preservation. This instinct sustains them through all their trials, without which they would often succumb to discouragement. The inner voice telling them to prevent death also tells them that they may still do more for their advancement. Every danger that threatens them is a warning to profit from the relief God grants them. As humans are ingrates, they are more likely to thank their stars than their Creator.”
731. Why has nature provided agents of destruction alongside the means of self-preservation? “The disease and the remedy go hand in hand. As we have already told you, this is done to maintain equilibrium and serve as a counterbalance.”
732. Is destruction necessary in all worlds?
“It is proportionate to the material state of each world. In worlds of higher physical and moral purity it is no longer needed. In worlds more advanced than yours, the conditions of existence are completely different.”
“It is proportionate to the material state of each world. In worlds of higher physical and moral purity it is no longer needed. In worlds more advanced than yours, the conditions of existence are completely different.”
733. Will destruction always be necessary for human beings on Earth?
“The need for destruction decreases in humans as their spirits obtain control over matter. This is why intellectual and moral development is always accompanied by an aversion to destruction.”
“The need for destruction decreases in humans as their spirits obtain control over matter. This is why intellectual and moral development is always accompanied by an aversion to destruction.”
734. Do humans currently have an unlimited right to destroy animals?
“This right is limited to providing for their food and safety. No form of abuse can be considered a right.”
735. What should we think of destruction that goes beyond the limits of needs and safety, such as hunting, when its sole purpose is to kill merely for sport?
“It is a predominance of brutality over the spiritual nature. Any destruction that goes beyond the limits of your needs is a violation of God’s law. Animals only kill based on necessity, but human beings destroy without cause despite having free will. They must account for abusing the freedom granted to them when they yield to inferior instincts from which they should be free.”
“It is a predominance of brutality over the spiritual nature. Any destruction that goes beyond the limits of your needs is a violation of God’s law. Animals only kill based on necessity, but human beings destroy without cause despite having free will. They must account for abusing the freedom granted to them when they yield to inferior instincts from which they should be free.”
736. Do people who are excessively conscientious in regard to killing animals earn some sort of special merit?
“While the sentiment in itself is praiseworthy, it turns into an abuse when excessive. Furthermore, other types of abuses offset its merit. They feel a superstitious fear rather than true gentleness.”
“While the sentiment in itself is praiseworthy, it turns into an abuse when excessive. Furthermore, other types of abuses offset its merit. They feel a superstitious fear rather than true gentleness.”
Destructive Scourges
737. What is God’s purpose in inflicting destructive scourges upon humankind?
“To make human beings advance more quickly. As we have already stated, destruction is necessary for the moral regeneration of spirits, who move one step closer to perfection in each new existence. To appreciate the results, we must consider the purpose or the end. If you only judge them from your personal point of view, they appear to be plagues because of the harm they cause you. Such events are often needed to spur faster development and achieve in only a few years what would otherwise have taken centuries to accomplish.” (See no. 744)
“To make human beings advance more quickly. As we have already stated, destruction is necessary for the moral regeneration of spirits, who move one step closer to perfection in each new existence. To appreciate the results, we must consider the purpose or the end. If you only judge them from your personal point of view, they appear to be plagues because of the harm they cause you. Such events are often needed to spur faster development and achieve in only a few years what would otherwise have taken centuries to accomplish.” (See no. 744)
738. Could God improve humankind by using methods other than destructive scourges?
“Yes, and God uses them every day. The Creator has given each of you the means of progressing through the knowledge of good and iniquity. Because humans profit so little by those other means, it is necessary to wound their pride and to make them feel their weaknesses.”
a) Good people fall victim to these scourges just as much as bad people do. Is it fair?
“On Earth, human beings measure everything against their physical lives. After death, they see things differently and feel that the physical life is nothing. A century in your world is but a flash in eternity; therefore, the suffering of days, months, or even years on Earth are of no significance, and are only a lesson that will serve you in the future. Spirits are the real world, preexistent to and surviving everything else (See no. 85). They are God’s children and the focus of all Divine concern. Bodies are only the outer shells under which they appear in the physical world. When great scourges decimate the human race, the victims are like an army whose clothing is torn, worn out or lost in battle. A general cares more about his soldiers than their coats.”
b) But the victims of these calamities are victims nonetheless.
“If you viewed life on Earth for what it truly is, and as being so small in comparison to infinity, you would attach much less importance to it. These victims will find significant compensation for their pain in another existence, if they bear their suffering with resignation.”
Whether death is the result of a public disaster or results from an ordinary cause, we are forced to go when the hour of our departure has come. The only difference is that more such departures occur at the same time in the event of a public disaster. If we could elevate ourselves to contemplate the human race as a whole, the calamities that seem so terrible now would be reduced to passing storms in the destiny of the world.
“Yes, and God uses them every day. The Creator has given each of you the means of progressing through the knowledge of good and iniquity. Because humans profit so little by those other means, it is necessary to wound their pride and to make them feel their weaknesses.”
a) Good people fall victim to these scourges just as much as bad people do. Is it fair?
“On Earth, human beings measure everything against their physical lives. After death, they see things differently and feel that the physical life is nothing. A century in your world is but a flash in eternity; therefore, the suffering of days, months, or even years on Earth are of no significance, and are only a lesson that will serve you in the future. Spirits are the real world, preexistent to and surviving everything else (See no. 85). They are God’s children and the focus of all Divine concern. Bodies are only the outer shells under which they appear in the physical world. When great scourges decimate the human race, the victims are like an army whose clothing is torn, worn out or lost in battle. A general cares more about his soldiers than their coats.”
b) But the victims of these calamities are victims nonetheless.
“If you viewed life on Earth for what it truly is, and as being so small in comparison to infinity, you would attach much less importance to it. These victims will find significant compensation for their pain in another existence, if they bear their suffering with resignation.”
Whether death is the result of a public disaster or results from an ordinary cause, we are forced to go when the hour of our departure has come. The only difference is that more such departures occur at the same time in the event of a public disaster. If we could elevate ourselves to contemplate the human race as a whole, the calamities that seem so terrible now would be reduced to passing storms in the destiny of the world.
739. Are destructive plagues physically useful, despite the evils prompted by them?
“Yes, they sometimes change the state of a region, but the good that results from them is often enjoyed by future generations.”
“Yes, they sometimes change the state of a region, but the good that results from them is often enjoyed by future generations.”
740. Could such calamities also be a moral trial for human beings, forcing them to suffer the hardest struggles?
“They are trials that provide them with the opportunity to exercise their intelligence, showing their patience and submission to God’s will, and displaying their self-sacrifice, disinterestedness, and love for their neighbor, if they are not dominated by selfishness.”
“They are trials that provide them with the opportunity to exercise their intelligence, showing their patience and submission to God’s will, and displaying their self-sacrifice, disinterestedness, and love for their neighbor, if they are not dominated by selfishness.”
741. Do human beings have the power to avert the terrors that now afflict them?
“Some of them, but not as is commonly believed. Many of those plagues are the consequence of their lack of foresight; therefore, as they acquire knowledge and experience, they are able to avert them. They can prevent their occurrence when they have determined their cause. Consequently, among the misfortunes that plague humanity, there are some of a general nature that are imposed by God’s plans, and the effect of which is felt more or less by each individual. Human beings can do nothing but accept God’s will, yet they often aggravate their own pain and suffering due to their negligence.”
Destructive calamities with natural causes, which are independent of human actions, include epidemics, famines, foods and weather events that destroy the fruits of the Earth. Human beings have used science to discover methods for achieving agricultural improvements, through crop rotation, irrigation, the study of hygienic conditions, and the means of offsetting or at least mitigating many of these disasters. Are many countries today not protected from terrible calamities that once devastated them? Imagine what people could accomplish for their physical well-being when they learn to leverage all the resources of their intelligence, and when they add a true sense of charity for the whole human race to their concern for their own self-preservation. (See no. 707)
“Some of them, but not as is commonly believed. Many of those plagues are the consequence of their lack of foresight; therefore, as they acquire knowledge and experience, they are able to avert them. They can prevent their occurrence when they have determined their cause. Consequently, among the misfortunes that plague humanity, there are some of a general nature that are imposed by God’s plans, and the effect of which is felt more or less by each individual. Human beings can do nothing but accept God’s will, yet they often aggravate their own pain and suffering due to their negligence.”
Destructive calamities with natural causes, which are independent of human actions, include epidemics, famines, foods and weather events that destroy the fruits of the Earth. Human beings have used science to discover methods for achieving agricultural improvements, through crop rotation, irrigation, the study of hygienic conditions, and the means of offsetting or at least mitigating many of these disasters. Are many countries today not protected from terrible calamities that once devastated them? Imagine what people could accomplish for their physical well-being when they learn to leverage all the resources of their intelligence, and when they add a true sense of charity for the whole human race to their concern for their own self-preservation. (See no. 707)
War
742. What drives human beings to war?
“The overpowering of the animal nature over the spiritual nature, and the fulfillment of their passions. In the barbaric state, humans only recognize the rights of the strongest. This makes war their normal condition. As men and women develop, war becomes less frequent because they avoid the causes that lead to it, and when it is inevitable, they wage it in a more humane manner.”
“The overpowering of the animal nature over the spiritual nature, and the fulfillment of their passions. In the barbaric state, humans only recognize the rights of the strongest. This makes war their normal condition. As men and women develop, war becomes less frequent because they avoid the causes that lead to it, and when it is inevitable, they wage it in a more humane manner.”
743. Will wars ever end on Earth?
“Yes, when human beings understand justice, and practice God’s law. Only then will all men and women be brothers and sisters.”
“Yes, when human beings understand justice, and practice God’s law. Only then will all men and women be brothers and sisters.”
744. What is God’s purpose in making war necessary?
“Freedom and progress.”
a) If war brings us freedom, why does it often entail the slavery or oppression of the people attacked?
“This oppression is short-lived and serves to make the people grow tired of their enslavement, pushing them to advance more rapidly.”
“Freedom and progress.”
a) If war brings us freedom, why does it often entail the slavery or oppression of the people attacked?
“This oppression is short-lived and serves to make the people grow tired of their enslavement, pushing them to advance more rapidly.”
745. What should we think of those who instigate war for their own profit?
“Such individuals are severely guilty, and suffer many physical lives to atone for all the deaths they caused. They will have to answer for every human being who has been killed to satisfy their ambition.”
“Such individuals are severely guilty, and suffer many physical lives to atone for all the deaths they caused. They will have to answer for every human being who has been killed to satisfy their ambition.”
Murder
746. Is murder a crime in God’s eyes?
“Yes and a serious one. When individuals take the life of their fellow human beings, they cut short an atonement or a mission that the victim was going through in their present incarnation and that is an atrocious act.”
“Yes and a serious one. When individuals take the life of their fellow human beings, they cut short an atonement or a mission that the victim was going through in their present incarnation and that is an atrocious act.”
747. Are all murders equally evil?
“God is fair. God judges the intention rather than just the deed.”
748. Does God excuse murder in legitimate cases of self-defense?
“Only absolute necessity can excuse it. If you can only save your own life by taking that of your attacker, you should do it.”
“Only absolute necessity can excuse it. If you can only save your own life by taking that of your attacker, you should do it.”
749. Are people accountable for the murders they commit during times of war?
“Not when they are forced to fight, but they are still accountable for the cruelties they commit, and will be rewarded for their mercy.”
“Not when they are forced to fight, but they are still accountable for the cruelties they commit, and will be rewarded for their mercy.”
750. Which is worse in God’s eyes: parricide or infanticide?
“They are equally horrific, because any crime is a crime.”
751. How can infanticide exist in intellectually advanced nations, and even be allowed by their laws?
“Intellectual development is not always accompanied by moral integrity. A superior spirit may advance in intelligence, and remain wicked. This is what happens when a spirit lives for a long time without improving.”
Cruelty
752. Is cruelty linked to the instinct of destruction?
“It is the instinct of destruction in its worst form, because while destruction is sometimes necessary, cruelty never is. It is always the result of a wicked nature.”
“It is the instinct of destruction in its worst form, because while destruction is sometimes necessary, cruelty never is. It is always the result of a wicked nature.”
753. Why is cruelty the dominant characteristic of primitive humans?
“Among primitive peoples, as you call them, matter overpowers the spirit. They surrender to their animal instincts, and as they only care about their physical lives, they think only of self- preservation. This normally makes them cruel. In addition, people whose development is still imperfect are under the influence of imperfect spirits, with whom they attune, until more advanced people arrive and destroy or weaken that influence.”
“Among primitive peoples, as you call them, matter overpowers the spirit. They surrender to their animal instincts, and as they only care about their physical lives, they think only of self- preservation. This normally makes them cruel. In addition, people whose development is still imperfect are under the influence of imperfect spirits, with whom they attune, until more advanced people arrive and destroy or weaken that influence.”
754. Does cruelty indicate the absence of a moral sense?
“You can say that a moral sense may not be developed, but do not say that it is absent. Its principle exists in every human being, and over the course of time it makes beings kind and humane. It exists in the savage, just like a bud contains its scent before it blooms into a flower.”
Human beings contain within themselves every faculty or ability in a rudimentary or latent state. These faculties develop according to the circumstances in which humans find themselves. The excessive development of some halts or offsets that of others. The overstimulation of the material instincts extinguishes the moral sense, as the development of the moral sense gradually weakens animal faculties.
“You can say that a moral sense may not be developed, but do not say that it is absent. Its principle exists in every human being, and over the course of time it makes beings kind and humane. It exists in the savage, just like a bud contains its scent before it blooms into a flower.”
Human beings contain within themselves every faculty or ability in a rudimentary or latent state. These faculties develop according to the circumstances in which humans find themselves. The excessive development of some halts or offsets that of others. The overstimulation of the material instincts extinguishes the moral sense, as the development of the moral sense gradually weakens animal faculties.
755. Why do we sometimes find individuals as cruel as savages in the most advanced societies?
“Just as you may find rotten fruit on a tree that is flourishing with healthy fruit. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, wearing the cloak of civilization. Low spirits may incarnate among more advanced human beings in the hope of advancing themselves. However, if the trial is too difficult, their rudimentary nature prevails.”
“Just as you may find rotten fruit on a tree that is flourishing with healthy fruit. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, wearing the cloak of civilization. Low spirits may incarnate among more advanced human beings in the hope of advancing themselves. However, if the trial is too difficult, their rudimentary nature prevails.”
756. Will a society of good people one day be purged of sinners and criminals?
“The human race is progressing. Those who are under the power of wrongdoing and who are out of place among good people will gradually disappear, just as defective grains are separated from the good when wheat is threshed. These spirits are reborn into another body and as they acquire more experience, they will arrive at a clearer understanding of good and evil. You have an example of this in the plants and animals that the human race has found a way to improve, and in which it develops new qualities. It is only after several generations that the improvement becomes complete. This is the perfect metaphor of the different lives of each human being.”
“The human race is progressing. Those who are under the power of wrongdoing and who are out of place among good people will gradually disappear, just as defective grains are separated from the good when wheat is threshed. These spirits are reborn into another body and as they acquire more experience, they will arrive at a clearer understanding of good and evil. You have an example of this in the plants and animals that the human race has found a way to improve, and in which it develops new qualities. It is only after several generations that the improvement becomes complete. This is the perfect metaphor of the different lives of each human being.”
Duelling
757. Can dueling be classified as a legitimate self-defense? “No, it is murder and a ridiculous practice worthy of barbarians. When civilization is more advanced and more moral, people will see that dueling is as ridiculous as the fights that were once regarded as being God’s judgment.”
758. Can dueling be considered murder on the part of the individual who, knowing his own weakness, is realistically sure of being killed?
“That would be suicide.”
a) When the chances are equal, is it murder or suicide?
“It is both.”
In all cases, even when the chances are equal, duelists are guilty. In the first case, they are guilty because they make a levelheaded and deliberate attack on the life of a fellow human being. In the second, they risk their own lives for no reason and without serving any benefit to anyone.
“That would be suicide.”
a) When the chances are equal, is it murder or suicide?
“It is both.”
In all cases, even when the chances are equal, duelists are guilty. In the first case, they are guilty because they make a levelheaded and deliberate attack on the life of a fellow human being. In the second, they risk their own lives for no reason and without serving any benefit to anyone.
759. What is the real nature of the point of honor in duels?
“Pride and vanity, two plagues of humanity.”
a) Are there cases where a person’s honor is really at stake and a refusal to fight would be an act of cowardice?
“That depends on customs. Each country and every century has a different way of viewing such matters. When people are more morally advanced, they understand that the true point of honor transcends all human passions. Reparation for a wrong cannot be obtained by killing another or by getting yourself killed.”
There is true greatness and honor in confessing our wrongdoing when we are wrong, forgiving when we are right and, in all cases, ignoring insults that cannot touch those who are superior to them.
a) Are there cases where a person’s honor is really at stake and a refusal to fight would be an act of cowardice?
“That depends on customs. Each country and every century has a different way of viewing such matters. When people are more morally advanced, they understand that the true point of honor transcends all human passions. Reparation for a wrong cannot be obtained by killing another or by getting yourself killed.”
There is true greatness and honor in confessing our wrongdoing when we are wrong, forgiving when we are right and, in all cases, ignoring insults that cannot touch those who are superior to them.
Capital Punishment
760. Will the death penalty ever disappear from human legal codes?
“The death penalty will disappear over the course of time, and when it does its eradication will mark progress of the human race. When people become more enlightened, the death penalty will be completely abolished across the globe, and humans will no longer need to be judged by humans. This time is still a long way off.”
The social progress already made leaves much to be desired, but it would be unfair for modern society not to recognize the progress that has been successively made. We should think in terms of restrictions on capital punishment and the crimes for which it is handed down in the most advanced nations. If we compare the measures with which the law handles the accused and the humanity with which they are treated, even when found guilty in these countries, with the methods of criminal procedure used in the recent past, the progress of the human race is obvious.
“The death penalty will disappear over the course of time, and when it does its eradication will mark progress of the human race. When people become more enlightened, the death penalty will be completely abolished across the globe, and humans will no longer need to be judged by humans. This time is still a long way off.”
The social progress already made leaves much to be desired, but it would be unfair for modern society not to recognize the progress that has been successively made. We should think in terms of restrictions on capital punishment and the crimes for which it is handed down in the most advanced nations. If we compare the measures with which the law handles the accused and the humanity with which they are treated, even when found guilty in these countries, with the methods of criminal procedure used in the recent past, the progress of the human race is obvious.
761. The law of self-preservation gives human beings the right to protect their own lives. Aren’t we simply exercising this right when we eliminate a dangerous member from society?
“There are other means of protecting yourselves from dangerous individuals than killing them. You should open the door of repentance for criminals, rather than closing it to them.”
762. While the death penalty may one day be banished in civilized society, was it not necessary in more primitive times?
“Necessary is not the right word. Human beings always think that something is necessary when they cannot find anything better. As they become enlightened, they understand justice and injustice more clearly, and reject the abuses committed during ignorant times all in the name of justice.”
“Necessary is not the right word. Human beings always think that something is necessary when they cannot find anything better. As they become enlightened, they understand justice and injustice more clearly, and reject the abuses committed during ignorant times all in the name of justice.”
763. Is the restriction of the number of cases in which the death penalty is enforced an indication of progress in civilization?
“Is there any doubt? Are you not revolted when you read about the human massacres that were once carried out in the name of justice, and often in honor of God? What about the torture inflicted on the condemned, and even on the accused, to coerce a confession for crimes that they often had not committed? If you had lived during those times, you would have thought that this was all very natural, and if you had been a judge, you probably would have done the same. What seems right in one time is barbaric in another. Only God’s laws are eternal, while societal laws change as human beings progress. They will continue to change until they are in harmony with God’s laws.”
“Is there any doubt? Are you not revolted when you read about the human massacres that were once carried out in the name of justice, and often in honor of God? What about the torture inflicted on the condemned, and even on the accused, to coerce a confession for crimes that they often had not committed? If you had lived during those times, you would have thought that this was all very natural, and if you had been a judge, you probably would have done the same. What seems right in one time is barbaric in another. Only God’s laws are eternal, while societal laws change as human beings progress. They will continue to change until they are in harmony with God’s laws.”
764. Jesus said, “Those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.” Are these words the recognition of the law of retaliation? Is the death penalty, enforced on a murderer, an application of this law?
“Be careful! Like so many others, you have misinterpreted the meaning of these words. The only good retaliation is God’s justice, because God applies it. You are all enduring this retribution at all times because you are punished for your wrongdoings, in this life or in another. Those who have caused their fellow human beings to suffer will be placed in a situation where they will suffer what they caused others to endure. This is the true meaning of Jesus’ words. He has also said, ‘Forgive your enemies, and he taught you to pray that God may forgive your trespasses as you forgive those who have trespassed against you, meaning exactly proportionate to your forgiveness toward others. Try to absorb the full meaning of those words.”
“Be careful! Like so many others, you have misinterpreted the meaning of these words. The only good retaliation is God’s justice, because God applies it. You are all enduring this retribution at all times because you are punished for your wrongdoings, in this life or in another. Those who have caused their fellow human beings to suffer will be placed in a situation where they will suffer what they caused others to endure. This is the true meaning of Jesus’ words. He has also said, ‘Forgive your enemies, and he taught you to pray that God may forgive your trespasses as you forgive those who have trespassed against you, meaning exactly proportionate to your forgiveness toward others. Try to absorb the full meaning of those words.”
765. What should we think of the enforcement of the death penalty in God’s name?
“This takes God’s place in the administration of justice. Those who do this show how far they are from understanding God, and how much they still have to atone. Capital punishment is a crime when applied in God’s name, and those who enforce it will answer for it just like any other murder.”
“This takes God’s place in the administration of justice. Those who do this show how far they are from understanding God, and how much they still have to atone. Capital punishment is a crime when applied in God’s name, and those who enforce it will answer for it just like any other murder.”
CHAPTER VII—VI. LAW OF SOCIETY
Necessity of Social Life
766. Is social life founded in nature?
“Certainly, God made human beings to live in a society. God has given human beings speech and the other faculties they need for a social life for a purpose.”
“Certainly, God made human beings to live in a society. God has given human beings speech and the other faculties they need for a social life for a purpose.”
767. Does absolute isolation conflict with the law of nature?
“Yes, since human beings instinctively seek associations and all people are meant to help advance progress by helping one another.”
“Yes, since human beings instinctively seek associations and all people are meant to help advance progress by helping one another.”
768. In seeking out society, do human beings only yield to a personal motivation, or is there a greater providential purpose?
“Humans must progress. They cannot do it alone because they do not possess all faculties and need contact with other humans. They become animal-like and stunted when isolated.”
No one possesses the complete range of faculties. Through social union, human beings complete one another, and mutually secure their well-being. Because they need one another, they have been created for living in society and not in isolation.
“Humans must progress. They cannot do it alone because they do not possess all faculties and need contact with other humans. They become animal-like and stunted when isolated.”
No one possesses the complete range of faculties. Through social union, human beings complete one another, and mutually secure their well-being. Because they need one another, they have been created for living in society and not in isolation.
Life of Isolation – Vow of Silence
769. As a rule, we understand that social life is founded in nature as well as all preferences. Why is absolute isolation wrong if an individual finds satisfaction in it and since all predilections are found in nature?
“This satisfaction is selfish. There are those who find satisfaction in getting drunk. Do you approve of them? God is not happy with lives that are doomed to not being useful to anyone.”
“This satisfaction is selfish. There are those who find satisfaction in getting drunk. Do you approve of them? God is not happy with lives that are doomed to not being useful to anyone.”
770. What should we think of those who live in complete seclusion to escape negative contact with the world?
“It is twice as selfish.”
a) But if they endure such seclusion as a form of atonement, through difficult self-deprivation, is it not praiseworthy?
“The best of all atonements is to do more good than evil. They avoid one wrongdoing but fall into another since they disregard the law of love and charity.”
“It is twice as selfish.”
a) But if they endure such seclusion as a form of atonement, through difficult self-deprivation, is it not praiseworthy?
“The best of all atonements is to do more good than evil. They avoid one wrongdoing but fall into another since they disregard the law of love and charity.”
771. What should we think of people who renounce the world to devote themselves to helping the poor?
“They bring about their own elevation by lowering themselves voluntarily. They have double merit for placing themselves above material pleasures, and doing good by fulfilling the law of labor.”
a) And what about those who retreat from society seeking tranquility for certain kinds of labor?
“Those who retreat from society for such a reason are not selfish. They do not isolate themselves from society, since their work is for the general good.”
“They bring about their own elevation by lowering themselves voluntarily. They have double merit for placing themselves above material pleasures, and doing good by fulfilling the law of labor.”
a) And what about those who retreat from society seeking tranquility for certain kinds of labor?
“Those who retreat from society for such a reason are not selfish. They do not isolate themselves from society, since their work is for the general good.”
772. What should we think of the vow of silence prescribed by certain religious groups since ancient times?
“You should ask yourselves whether speech is found in nature, and why God has created it. God condemns the abuse, but not the use, of the faculties that have been gifted to humankind. Silence is useful because you gather your thoughts when you practice it. Your spirit has more freedom and can enter into more intimate communication with us. However, a vow of silence is absurd. Those who view these voluntary deprivations as acts of virtue are prompted by a good intention, but they make a mistake in doing this because they do not truly understand God’s laws.”
The vow of silence, as the vow of isolation, deprives human beings of the social interactions that provide the opportunities of doing good and fulfilling the law of progress.
“You should ask yourselves whether speech is found in nature, and why God has created it. God condemns the abuse, but not the use, of the faculties that have been gifted to humankind. Silence is useful because you gather your thoughts when you practice it. Your spirit has more freedom and can enter into more intimate communication with us. However, a vow of silence is absurd. Those who view these voluntary deprivations as acts of virtue are prompted by a good intention, but they make a mistake in doing this because they do not truly understand God’s laws.”
The vow of silence, as the vow of isolation, deprives human beings of the social interactions that provide the opportunities of doing good and fulfilling the law of progress.
Family Ties
773. Why is it that, in the case of animals, parents and children forget each other when the latter no longer need to be cared for?
“Animals live a physical life and not a moral life. The tenderness of the mother for her young is prompted by the instinct of self-preservation for her offspring. When these beings are able to take care of themselves, her job is done. Nature asks no more of her, and she abandons them to busy herself with the next newborns.”
“Animals live a physical life and not a moral life. The tenderness of the mother for her young is prompted by the instinct of self-preservation for her offspring. When these beings are able to take care of themselves, her job is done. Nature asks no more of her, and she abandons them to busy herself with the next newborns.”
774. Some individuals have inferred, based on the abandonment of young animals by their parents, that human family ties are merely a result of social customs, and not a law of nature. What should we think of this?
“Human beings have a different destiny than animals, why do you always want to make them equals? For humans, there is something beyond physical needs; they feel an instinctual need to progress. Social ties are necessary for progress and family ties strengthen social bonds. This is why family ties are a law of nature. God wants men and women to learn to love one another as brothers and sisters.” (See no. 205)
“Human beings have a different destiny than animals, why do you always want to make them equals? For humans, there is something beyond physical needs; they feel an instinctual need to progress. Social ties are necessary for progress and family ties strengthen social bonds. This is why family ties are a law of nature. God wants men and women to learn to love one another as brothers and sisters.” (See no. 205)
775. What would be the effect on society if family ties were relaxed?
“It would lapse into selfishness.”
CHAPTER VIII—VII. LAW OF PROGRESS
State of Nature
776. Are the state of nature and the law of nature the same thing?
“No, the state of nature is the original state. Civilization is incompatible with the state of nature, while the law of nature contributes to the progress of humankind.”
The state of nature is the first phase of the human race, and the starting point of its intellectual and moral development. Human beings, born imperfect and containing the seed of their betterment, are not destined to live in the state of nature forever, just as they do not remain in the state of infancy. The state of nature is brief, and human beings outgrow it through progress and civilization. On the contrary, natural law rules humankind as a whole. People improve as they understand this law more clearly, and mold their actions to adhere to it.
“No, the state of nature is the original state. Civilization is incompatible with the state of nature, while the law of nature contributes to the progress of humankind.”
The state of nature is the first phase of the human race, and the starting point of its intellectual and moral development. Human beings, born imperfect and containing the seed of their betterment, are not destined to live in the state of nature forever, just as they do not remain in the state of infancy. The state of nature is brief, and human beings outgrow it through progress and civilization. On the contrary, natural law rules humankind as a whole. People improve as they understand this law more clearly, and mold their actions to adhere to it.
777. In the state of nature, people with fewer wants do not have many of the tribulations as human beings who are socially more advanced. What should we think of the opinion of those who regard the former state as being that of the most perfect happiness that can be obtained on Earth?
“What do you expect? That is the ignorant bliss of the brute. Such happiness is that of an animal, but there are people who know no better. Children are also happier than adults.”
“What do you expect? That is the ignorant bliss of the brute. Such happiness is that of an animal, but there are people who know no better. Children are also happier than adults.”
778. Can humankind regress to the state of nature?
“No. Humankind must always progress, and cannot return to the state of infancy. If they progress because it is God has willed it. An assumption that people can revert to the primitive condition is to deny the law of progress.”
“No. Humankind must always progress, and cannot return to the state of infancy. If they progress because it is God has willed it. An assumption that people can revert to the primitive condition is to deny the law of progress.”
The March of Progress
779. Do humans contain a force within them that propels them forward on the path of progress, or is their progress only the product of education?
“Human beings develop themselves naturally. Human beings do not progress at the same rate, or in the same manner. This is why the most advanced help others move forward through social contact.”
“Human beings develop themselves naturally. Human beings do not progress at the same rate, or in the same manner. This is why the most advanced help others move forward through social contact.”
780. Does moral progress always follow intellectual progress?
“It is the result, but it does not always follow it immediately.” (See nos. 192-365)
a) How can intellectual progress lead to moral progress?
“By making human beings gain an understanding of good and wrongdoing they can then choose between them. The development of free will follows the development of intelligence and increases the accountability of human actions.”
b) How is it then that the most enlightened nations are often the most deviant?
“Complete and integral progress is the purpose of life, but nations, like individuals, reach it gradually. Until the moral sense is developed, they may even employ their intelligence in doing evil. Moral sense and intellect are two forces that are balanced over the course of time.” (See nos. 365-751)
“It is the result, but it does not always follow it immediately.” (See nos. 192-365)
a) How can intellectual progress lead to moral progress?
“By making human beings gain an understanding of good and wrongdoing they can then choose between them. The development of free will follows the development of intelligence and increases the accountability of human actions.”
b) How is it then that the most enlightened nations are often the most deviant?
“Complete and integral progress is the purpose of life, but nations, like individuals, reach it gradually. Until the moral sense is developed, they may even employ their intelligence in doing evil. Moral sense and intellect are two forces that are balanced over the course of time.” (See nos. 365-751)
781. Do human beings have the power to halt progress?
“No, but they can hamper it sometimes.”
a) What should we think of those who attempt to halt progress, and make the human race regress?
“God will punish them. They will be overthrown by the flow they want to stop.” Progress is a condition of human nature and no one can prevent it. It is a living force that bad laws may hamper, but not smother. When these laws become incompatible, progress breaks them down and continues to do so until the laws of humankind match Divine justice, which wills the best for everyone, and until all laws made by the strong to the detriment of the weak are eradicated.
“No, but they can hamper it sometimes.”
a) What should we think of those who attempt to halt progress, and make the human race regress?
“God will punish them. They will be overthrown by the flow they want to stop.” Progress is a condition of human nature and no one can prevent it. It is a living force that bad laws may hamper, but not smother. When these laws become incompatible, progress breaks them down and continues to do so until the laws of humankind match Divine justice, which wills the best for everyone, and until all laws made by the strong to the detriment of the weak are eradicated.
782. Are there individuals who honestly obstruct progress while believing that they are helping it move forward, because they often regard something as “progress” that is not such?
“Yes, they are like small pebbles under the great wheel that cannot keep it from moving.”
“Yes, they are like small pebbles under the great wheel that cannot keep it from moving.”
783. Does the improvement of humanity always follow a progressive and slow march?
“There is a regular slow progress that inevitably results from circumstances, but when a population does not advance quickly enough, God creates a physical or moral shock that hastens its transformation.”
Human beings cannot remain unaware forever, because they must reach the goal God set for them. Circumstance enlightens them gradually. Moral revolutions, like social revolutions, are introduced into the minds of a nation slowly. They continue to evolve for centuries, and suddenly sprout, toppling the crumbling structure of the past that is no longer in harmony with the goals and objectives of a new day. Human beings often perceive only the fleeting chaos and confusion that affect them in their material interests, but those who raise their thoughts above themselves admire the Divine planning that brings good out of evil. Such commotions are like a storm that purifies the atmosphere after disturbing it.
“There is a regular slow progress that inevitably results from circumstances, but when a population does not advance quickly enough, God creates a physical or moral shock that hastens its transformation.”
Human beings cannot remain unaware forever, because they must reach the goal God set for them. Circumstance enlightens them gradually. Moral revolutions, like social revolutions, are introduced into the minds of a nation slowly. They continue to evolve for centuries, and suddenly sprout, toppling the crumbling structure of the past that is no longer in harmony with the goals and objectives of a new day. Human beings often perceive only the fleeting chaos and confusion that affect them in their material interests, but those who raise their thoughts above themselves admire the Divine planning that brings good out of evil. Such commotions are like a storm that purifies the atmosphere after disturbing it.
784. The perversity of humankind is immense. It seems that human beings are regressing rather than advancing, at least in terms of morality.
“You are wrong. Look at the human race as a whole, and you will see that it is advancing. It has arrived at a clearer perception of what is evil, and witnesses the reform of some kind of abuse every day. An excess of wickedness is required to show the need for good and the need for reforms.”
“You are wrong. Look at the human race as a whole, and you will see that it is advancing. It has arrived at a clearer perception of what is evil, and witnesses the reform of some kind of abuse every day. An excess of wickedness is required to show the need for good and the need for reforms.”
785. What is the greatest obstacle to progress?
“Pride and selfishness. This is in terms of moral progress, as intellectual progress is constant, and at first glance, it seems to magnify those vices by developing ambition and the love of possessions and wealth. These feelings drive human beings to carry out the research that enlightens their minds, and this is how all things are linked together in the moral and physical worlds, and how good is eventually created out of iniquity. This condition is only temporary and will change as human beings become aware that there is an infinitely greater and everlasting happiness beyond the realm of earthly pleasures.” (See Selfishness, Chapter XII)
Two types of progress mutually support one another, but do not necessarily occur at the same rate: intellectual progress and moral progress. In civilized nations, the former is currently receiving a great deal of encouragement, and it has reached a degree of advancement that is incomparable to past ages. The second is very far from reaching the same point, although if we compare the social values across centuries, we are forced to admit that progress has also been made in this direction. Why has progress stalled in morality more than in intelligence? Why should there be less of a difference between the morality of the 19th and 24th centuries than between that of the 14th and the 19th? Not questioning the consistency of moral progress would be to assume either that the human race has reached the peak of perfection, which would be ridiculous, or that it is not morally perfectible, which experience contradicts.
“Pride and selfishness. This is in terms of moral progress, as intellectual progress is constant, and at first glance, it seems to magnify those vices by developing ambition and the love of possessions and wealth. These feelings drive human beings to carry out the research that enlightens their minds, and this is how all things are linked together in the moral and physical worlds, and how good is eventually created out of iniquity. This condition is only temporary and will change as human beings become aware that there is an infinitely greater and everlasting happiness beyond the realm of earthly pleasures.” (See Selfishness, Chapter XII)
Two types of progress mutually support one another, but do not necessarily occur at the same rate: intellectual progress and moral progress. In civilized nations, the former is currently receiving a great deal of encouragement, and it has reached a degree of advancement that is incomparable to past ages. The second is very far from reaching the same point, although if we compare the social values across centuries, we are forced to admit that progress has also been made in this direction. Why has progress stalled in morality more than in intelligence? Why should there be less of a difference between the morality of the 19th and 24th centuries than between that of the 14th and the 19th? Not questioning the consistency of moral progress would be to assume either that the human race has reached the peak of perfection, which would be ridiculous, or that it is not morally perfectible, which experience contradicts.
Declining Nations
786. History shows us many nations that have relapsed into barbarism after being subjected to shocks or blows that have devastated them. Where is progress in these cases?
“When your house threatens to fall down, you tear it down to build another that is more stable and more practical. However, chaos continues in your home until the latter is built.”
“Here is another example. You are poor and live in a hut, but you become wealthy and leave the hut to live in a palace. A poor person then comes along and moves into the hut you have vacated. This individual is a winner in the move, as he or she was previously homeless. Well then, learn from this that the spirits incarnated in this declining culture are no longer those who had comprised that culture during its time of splendor. The more advanced spirits have moved on to better worlds and have progressed, while the less advanced have taken their vacated places, which they too will in turn vacate.”
“When your house threatens to fall down, you tear it down to build another that is more stable and more practical. However, chaos continues in your home until the latter is built.”
“Here is another example. You are poor and live in a hut, but you become wealthy and leave the hut to live in a palace. A poor person then comes along and moves into the hut you have vacated. This individual is a winner in the move, as he or she was previously homeless. Well then, learn from this that the spirits incarnated in this declining culture are no longer those who had comprised that culture during its time of splendor. The more advanced spirits have moved on to better worlds and have progressed, while the less advanced have taken their vacated places, which they too will in turn vacate.”
787. Are there individuals who are intrinsically rebellious towards progress?
“Yes, but they are progressively becoming extinct, physically.”
a) What will be the fate of the souls that incarnate in these races?
“They will reach perfection by experiencing other lives. God does not disinherit anyone.”
b) So the most civilized human beings may have been savages and cannibals?
“You were one once, even more than once, before becoming what you are now.”
“Yes, but they are progressively becoming extinct, physically.”
a) What will be the fate of the souls that incarnate in these races?
“They will reach perfection by experiencing other lives. God does not disinherit anyone.”
b) So the most civilized human beings may have been savages and cannibals?
“You were one once, even more than once, before becoming what you are now.”
788. Nations are collective individualities that pass through the phases of infancy, maturity, and decline, just as individuals do. Does this truth, as proven by history, imply that the most advanced nations of this century will ultimately experience their decline and end, just like those of antiquity?
“Nations that only live a material life and whose greatness is based on force and territorial expansion are born, grow, and die, because the strength of a nation eventually becomes exhausted like that of an individual. Nations whose selfish laws are opposed to the progress of enlightenment and charity die because light kills darkness, and charity kills selfishness. That being said, nations and individuals also have a spiritual life, and those whose laws are in harmony with God’s eternal laws will continue to live and serve as a beacon for other nations.”
“Nations that only live a material life and whose greatness is based on force and territorial expansion are born, grow, and die, because the strength of a nation eventually becomes exhausted like that of an individual. Nations whose selfish laws are opposed to the progress of enlightenment and charity die because light kills darkness, and charity kills selfishness. That being said, nations and individuals also have a spiritual life, and those whose laws are in harmony with God’s eternal laws will continue to live and serve as a beacon for other nations.”
789. Will progress ultimately unite all the people of the Earth in a single nation?
“No, not into a single nation. That would be impossible because climate differences yield distinct habits and needs that make up nationalities, each of which always need laws tailored to its special habits and needs. Charity has no geographical boundaries and makes no distinction between skin colors. When God’s law is the basis of human made law everywhere and the law of charity is practiced among nations and among individuals, everyone will live in peace and happiness because no one will attempt to do wrong to a neighbor or live at the expense of others.”
The human race advances through the progress of individuals, who gradually become enlightened. When they constitute a majority, they take the lead and draw the rest forward. Persons of genius sporadically emerge and give momentum to advancement, and persons of authority, God’s instruments, carry out in the course of a few years what the race, left to its own devices, would have taken several centuries to accomplish.
The progress of nations further highlights the justice of reincarnation. Through the efforts of moral individuals, a nation advances intellectually and morally, and is ultimately happier in this world and in the next. However, during its slow journey over the course of successive centuries, thousands of individuals die every day. What is the fate of those who have fallen along the way? Does their relative inferiority deprive them of the happiness reserved for future generations? Is their happiness relative? Divine justice cannot permit such an injustice. Through experiencing many lives, the right to happiness is within the reach of all the legacy of progress does not exclude anyone. Those who have lived during barbaric times can come back in a period of civilization in the same nation or another, and can profit by the advancement of the various nations on Earth.
However, the concept of one life presents another difficulty. According to that theory, the soul is created at birth. For some individuals to be more advanced than others, God would have to create souls for them that are more advanced than the rest of creation. What would be the source of this favoritism? How can one person, who has lived no longer than another, often not even as long, merit a superior soul? That is not the only problem. A nation, over the course of a thousand years, transitions from barbarism to civilization. If all human beings lived one thousand years, we could understand that they would have the time to progress. However, many die every day, at all ages, and people are continuously being reborn on Earth. At the end of one thousand years, no trace remains of those who were living in a country one thousand years before. The nation has become civilized – but who has progressed? Are they the people who were once barbarians? But they died a long time ago. Are they the newcomers? If the soul is created at birth, these souls did not exist during the period of barbarism, and we would be required to assert that the efforts made to civilize a nation do not have the power to improve imperfect souls, but to make God create more perfect souls.
We will now compare this theory of progress with that given by the spirits. The souls that come to a civilized nation have had their infancy, like all others, but they have already lived and are advanced due to prior progress. They are attracted by the circumstances best suited to them and their present condition. The efforts to civilize a nation are not aimed at creating better quality souls in the future, but rather, at attracting souls that have already progressed, regardless of where they have previously lived. The progress each nation accomplishes provides the key to the progress of humankind as a whole. It shows that when every nation on the Earth has reached the same level of moral advancement, our planet will be a haven of good spirits, who will live in a fraternal union. All the bad spirits will be repelled and forced to seek surroundings that suit them in inferior worlds, until they are worthy of coming back into our transformed world. The commonly accepted theory of the one life, devoid of the concept of reincarnation, leads to another consequence, specifically, that the work of social betterment is only beneficial to present and future generations. Its result is null and void for past generations, who made the mistake of entering the world too soon, and who have to make do, hampered by the faults of their barbaric past. According to Spiritism, the progress accomplished by later generations is also beneficial to the generations that preceded them, who can improve for the goal of civilization when they reincarnate at a point in the future. (See no. 222)
“No, not into a single nation. That would be impossible because climate differences yield distinct habits and needs that make up nationalities, each of which always need laws tailored to its special habits and needs. Charity has no geographical boundaries and makes no distinction between skin colors. When God’s law is the basis of human made law everywhere and the law of charity is practiced among nations and among individuals, everyone will live in peace and happiness because no one will attempt to do wrong to a neighbor or live at the expense of others.”
The human race advances through the progress of individuals, who gradually become enlightened. When they constitute a majority, they take the lead and draw the rest forward. Persons of genius sporadically emerge and give momentum to advancement, and persons of authority, God’s instruments, carry out in the course of a few years what the race, left to its own devices, would have taken several centuries to accomplish.
The progress of nations further highlights the justice of reincarnation. Through the efforts of moral individuals, a nation advances intellectually and morally, and is ultimately happier in this world and in the next. However, during its slow journey over the course of successive centuries, thousands of individuals die every day. What is the fate of those who have fallen along the way? Does their relative inferiority deprive them of the happiness reserved for future generations? Is their happiness relative? Divine justice cannot permit such an injustice. Through experiencing many lives, the right to happiness is within the reach of all the legacy of progress does not exclude anyone. Those who have lived during barbaric times can come back in a period of civilization in the same nation or another, and can profit by the advancement of the various nations on Earth.
However, the concept of one life presents another difficulty. According to that theory, the soul is created at birth. For some individuals to be more advanced than others, God would have to create souls for them that are more advanced than the rest of creation. What would be the source of this favoritism? How can one person, who has lived no longer than another, often not even as long, merit a superior soul? That is not the only problem. A nation, over the course of a thousand years, transitions from barbarism to civilization. If all human beings lived one thousand years, we could understand that they would have the time to progress. However, many die every day, at all ages, and people are continuously being reborn on Earth. At the end of one thousand years, no trace remains of those who were living in a country one thousand years before. The nation has become civilized – but who has progressed? Are they the people who were once barbarians? But they died a long time ago. Are they the newcomers? If the soul is created at birth, these souls did not exist during the period of barbarism, and we would be required to assert that the efforts made to civilize a nation do not have the power to improve imperfect souls, but to make God create more perfect souls.
We will now compare this theory of progress with that given by the spirits. The souls that come to a civilized nation have had their infancy, like all others, but they have already lived and are advanced due to prior progress. They are attracted by the circumstances best suited to them and their present condition. The efforts to civilize a nation are not aimed at creating better quality souls in the future, but rather, at attracting souls that have already progressed, regardless of where they have previously lived. The progress each nation accomplishes provides the key to the progress of humankind as a whole. It shows that when every nation on the Earth has reached the same level of moral advancement, our planet will be a haven of good spirits, who will live in a fraternal union. All the bad spirits will be repelled and forced to seek surroundings that suit them in inferior worlds, until they are worthy of coming back into our transformed world. The commonly accepted theory of the one life, devoid of the concept of reincarnation, leads to another consequence, specifically, that the work of social betterment is only beneficial to present and future generations. Its result is null and void for past generations, who made the mistake of entering the world too soon, and who have to make do, hampered by the faults of their barbaric past. According to Spiritism, the progress accomplished by later generations is also beneficial to the generations that preceded them, who can improve for the goal of civilization when they reincarnate at a point in the future. (See no. 222)
Civilisation
790. Is civilization the progress of humankind or according to some philosophers, its decadence?
“It is incomplete progress. Humankind does not suddenly morph from infancy to maturity.”
a) Is it rational to condemn civilization?
“You should condemn those who abuse it, rather than God’s work.”
“It is incomplete progress. Humankind does not suddenly morph from infancy to maturity.”
a) Is it rational to condemn civilization?
“You should condemn those who abuse it, rather than God’s work.”
791. Will civilization be purified eventually so that the evils caused by it will disappear?
“Yes, when humankind’s moral nature is as fully developed as its intelligence. The fruit cannot appear before the flower blooms.”
“Yes, when humankind’s moral nature is as fully developed as its intelligence. The fruit cannot appear before the flower blooms.”
792. Why does civilization not produce all the good it can produce?
“Because human beings are not yet ready or willing to obtain that good.”
a) Could it also be because it generates new passions in creating new wants?
“Yes, and because a spirit’s faculties do not progress at the same rate, everything takes time. You cannot expect perfect fruit from an incomplete civilization.” (See nos. 751-780)
“Because human beings are not yet ready or willing to obtain that good.”
a) Could it also be because it generates new passions in creating new wants?
“Yes, and because a spirit’s faculties do not progress at the same rate, everything takes time. You cannot expect perfect fruit from an incomplete civilization.” (See nos. 751-780)
793. What are the signs of a fully developed civilization?
“You recognize it by its moral development. You think you are advanced because you have made great discoveries and brilliant inventions and because you are better sheltered and clothed than savages. However, you will only truly have the right to call yourselves ‘civilized’ when you have eradicated vices from your society and when you live as brothers and sisters, practicing Christian charity. Until then, you are merely enlightened nations that have only passed through the first phase of civilization.”
Civilization has its degrees, like everything else. A civilization in transition is an incomplete civilization. It produces distinct evils unknown in the primitive state. Still, it constitutes a natural and necessary progress that remedies the problems it causes. As civilization is perfected it ends some of the problems it causes and these troubles vanish completely with moral progress.
The most advanced nation from any two that have reached the top of the social ladder is the one with the least amount of selfishness, greed, and pride. The one whose habits are morally better, more intellectual than material and where intelligence can develop freely. It is the one with the greatest amount of kindness, good faith, compassion and generosity. It is where prejudices of class and birth are not rooted because they are compatible with true love for one’s neighbor. Its laws do not allow privileges and are the same for every member of its society. It is the one where justice is administered with the least amount of bias and the weak always finds support against the strong. It is where human life, beliefs, opinions are respected and where there is the smallest number of poor and unhappy individuals. Finally, it is a nation where people who are willing to work are guaranteed the essentials for survival.
“You recognize it by its moral development. You think you are advanced because you have made great discoveries and brilliant inventions and because you are better sheltered and clothed than savages. However, you will only truly have the right to call yourselves ‘civilized’ when you have eradicated vices from your society and when you live as brothers and sisters, practicing Christian charity. Until then, you are merely enlightened nations that have only passed through the first phase of civilization.”
Civilization has its degrees, like everything else. A civilization in transition is an incomplete civilization. It produces distinct evils unknown in the primitive state. Still, it constitutes a natural and necessary progress that remedies the problems it causes. As civilization is perfected it ends some of the problems it causes and these troubles vanish completely with moral progress.
The most advanced nation from any two that have reached the top of the social ladder is the one with the least amount of selfishness, greed, and pride. The one whose habits are morally better, more intellectual than material and where intelligence can develop freely. It is the one with the greatest amount of kindness, good faith, compassion and generosity. It is where prejudices of class and birth are not rooted because they are compatible with true love for one’s neighbor. Its laws do not allow privileges and are the same for every member of its society. It is the one where justice is administered with the least amount of bias and the weak always finds support against the strong. It is where human life, beliefs, opinions are respected and where there is the smallest number of poor and unhappy individuals. Finally, it is a nation where people who are willing to work are guaranteed the essentials for survival.
Progress of Societal Legislation
794. Can society be sufficiently governed only by natural law without human made laws?
“If the laws of nature were properly understood and people were willing to practice them, they would be sufficient. But society has its demands and requires special laws.”
“If the laws of nature were properly understood and people were willing to practice them, they would be sufficient. But society has its demands and requires special laws.”
795. What causes the instability of human laws?
“During barbaric times, laws were made by the strongest who established them to their own advantage. Therefore, as human beings have acquired a clearer understanding of justice, these laws have had to be modified. Human laws will become more stable as they approach true justice, meaning, as they represent everyone and are in harmony with natural law.” Civilization has created new needs for human beings, and these needs are relative to their social standing. People in civilized societies regulate the rights and duties of their standing through human laws. They have often created imaginary rights and duties that are condemned by the natural law, and that every nation removes from its code as it progresses because people are influenced by their passions. Natural law is absolute and the same for all. Human law is variable and progressive; at the inception of human societies, it only could establish the rights of the strongest.
“During barbaric times, laws were made by the strongest who established them to their own advantage. Therefore, as human beings have acquired a clearer understanding of justice, these laws have had to be modified. Human laws will become more stable as they approach true justice, meaning, as they represent everyone and are in harmony with natural law.” Civilization has created new needs for human beings, and these needs are relative to their social standing. People in civilized societies regulate the rights and duties of their standing through human laws. They have often created imaginary rights and duties that are condemned by the natural law, and that every nation removes from its code as it progresses because people are influenced by their passions. Natural law is absolute and the same for all. Human law is variable and progressive; at the inception of human societies, it only could establish the rights of the strongest.
796. Is the severity of criminal laws necessary for society as it stands today?
“A depraved society requires more severe laws, but your laws, unfortunately, are designed to punish wrongdoing after the fact, rather than eliminating the source of bad behavior. Only education can reform humankind, and then you will no longer require such harsh laws.”
“A depraved society requires more severe laws, but your laws, unfortunately, are designed to punish wrongdoing after the fact, rather than eliminating the source of bad behavior. Only education can reform humankind, and then you will no longer require such harsh laws.”
797. How can human beings be led to reform their laws?
“This occurs naturally, based on the circumstances, and through the influence of more advanced individuals who drive the world forward on the path of progress. It has already changed significantly, and will continue to do so. Just wait and see!”
“This occurs naturally, based on the circumstances, and through the influence of more advanced individuals who drive the world forward on the path of progress. It has already changed significantly, and will continue to do so. Just wait and see!”
Influence of Spiritism on Progress
798. Will Spiritism become a widespread belief, or will it continue to only be accepted by the minority?
“It will definitely become a widespread belief, and will mark a new era in the history of humankind because it belongs to nature and the time has come for it to be recognized and accepted by human knowledge. It will have to withstand fierce criticism prompted by selfish interests rather than by conviction, because there are individuals whose interests lie in tearing down this belief, some out of pride, others for material motives. Its opponents, however, will be forced to join the general consensus, or otherwise risk undermining their own efforts.”
Ideas are only transformed over the course of time, never suddenly. Flawed ideas are weakened over successive generations, and end up disappearing little by little along with those who professed them. They are replaced by other individuals with new ideas, as is the case in regard to political ideas and principles. Look at paganism: no one today professes the religious ideas of pagan times. Yet, they left traces that could only be erased by the complete rebirth of the human beings who supported these beliefs for several centuries after the dawn of Christianity. The same will happen with Spiritism. It has been making considerable progress, but healthy skepticism will persist for two or three generations that only time will be able to break down. Nevertheless, its progress will be faster than that of Christianity, because Christianity itself clears the way for it and serves as its basis and support. Christianity had to destroy prior beliefs; Spiritism only has to build up from there.
“It will definitely become a widespread belief, and will mark a new era in the history of humankind because it belongs to nature and the time has come for it to be recognized and accepted by human knowledge. It will have to withstand fierce criticism prompted by selfish interests rather than by conviction, because there are individuals whose interests lie in tearing down this belief, some out of pride, others for material motives. Its opponents, however, will be forced to join the general consensus, or otherwise risk undermining their own efforts.”
Ideas are only transformed over the course of time, never suddenly. Flawed ideas are weakened over successive generations, and end up disappearing little by little along with those who professed them. They are replaced by other individuals with new ideas, as is the case in regard to political ideas and principles. Look at paganism: no one today professes the religious ideas of pagan times. Yet, they left traces that could only be erased by the complete rebirth of the human beings who supported these beliefs for several centuries after the dawn of Christianity. The same will happen with Spiritism. It has been making considerable progress, but healthy skepticism will persist for two or three generations that only time will be able to break down. Nevertheless, its progress will be faster than that of Christianity, because Christianity itself clears the way for it and serves as its basis and support. Christianity had to destroy prior beliefs; Spiritism only has to build up from there.
799. How can Spiritism contribute to progress?
“By destroying materialism, which is one of the plagues of society, and making people understand where their true interest lies. When human beings no longer doubt the future life; they will understand more clearly that they can guarantee their future by the present. By destroying the prejudices of divisions, castes and skin color, it teaches individuals about the great solidarity that will one day unite them as brothers and sisters.”
“By destroying materialism, which is one of the plagues of society, and making people understand where their true interest lies. When human beings no longer doubt the future life; they will understand more clearly that they can guarantee their future by the present. By destroying the prejudices of divisions, castes and skin color, it teaches individuals about the great solidarity that will one day unite them as brothers and sisters.”
800. Should we be concerned that Spiritism may fail to triumph over the negligence of human beings and their attachment to material things?
“This question demonstrates a very superficial knowledge of human nature, if one could believe that any cause could transform them by mere charm or enchantment. Ideas change gradually, depending on the individual, and several generations are needed for the complete eradication of old habits. Therefore, the transformation of humankind can be carried out only over the course of time, slowly, and step by step. With each new generation, part of the veil evaporates, and Spiritism will dissolve it entirely. In the meantime, even if it only cures human beings of a single fault, this is a step forward. This would be a tremendous accomplishment because this first step would make the rest much easier.”
“This question demonstrates a very superficial knowledge of human nature, if one could believe that any cause could transform them by mere charm or enchantment. Ideas change gradually, depending on the individual, and several generations are needed for the complete eradication of old habits. Therefore, the transformation of humankind can be carried out only over the course of time, slowly, and step by step. With each new generation, part of the veil evaporates, and Spiritism will dissolve it entirely. In the meantime, even if it only cures human beings of a single fault, this is a step forward. This would be a tremendous accomplishment because this first step would make the rest much easier.”
801. Why have the spirits not taught what they are teaching now since the beginning of time?
“You do not teach to children what you teach to adults, just as you do not give newborn babies food that they cannot digest. There is a time and place for everything. Spirits have taught many things that human beings have not understood or that they have distorted, but that they are now capable of understanding. Through their teachings, they have prepared the ground to sow the seed that is now about to take hold and grow despite being incomplete.”
“You do not teach to children what you teach to adults, just as you do not give newborn babies food that they cannot digest. There is a time and place for everything. Spirits have taught many things that human beings have not understood or that they have distorted, but that they are now capable of understanding. Through their teachings, they have prepared the ground to sow the seed that is now about to take hold and grow despite being incomplete.”
802. Since Spiritism must mark the progress of humankind, could the spirits speed up this progress through general and clear manifestations to convince even the most skeptical individuals?
“You want miracles, but God grants you miracles every day and yet you still have people who deny their existence. Did Christ convince his contemporaries by the miracles he accomplished? Do you not see people, to this day, denying the most evident facts, despite occurring before their very eyes? Are there not some who say that they would not believe, even if they saw it? No, it is not through miracles that God will bring human beings back to their senses. God’s goodness allows them to convince themselves through reason.”
“You want miracles, but God grants you miracles every day and yet you still have people who deny their existence. Did Christ convince his contemporaries by the miracles he accomplished? Do you not see people, to this day, denying the most evident facts, despite occurring before their very eyes? Are there not some who say that they would not believe, even if they saw it? No, it is not through miracles that God will bring human beings back to their senses. God’s goodness allows them to convince themselves through reason.”
CHAPTER IX—VIII. LAW OF EQUALITY
Natural Equality
803. Are all human beings equal in God’s eyes?
“Yes, they all have the same goal and God’s laws are for everyone. You often say, ‘The sun shines for everyone’ and this expression reveals a truth that is much broader and general than you realize.”
All human beings are subjected to the same natural laws. They are all born with the same weakness and are subject to the same suffering. The body of a wealthy person dies like that of the poor. God has not given anyone any natural superiority concerning either birth or death; all are equal in God’s eyes.
“Yes, they all have the same goal and God’s laws are for everyone. You often say, ‘The sun shines for everyone’ and this expression reveals a truth that is much broader and general than you realize.”
All human beings are subjected to the same natural laws. They are all born with the same weakness and are subject to the same suffering. The body of a wealthy person dies like that of the poor. God has not given anyone any natural superiority concerning either birth or death; all are equal in God’s eyes.
Inequality of Aptitudes
804. Why has God not given the same abilities and talents to all humankind?
“God has created all spirits equal, but some have lived longer and consequently acquired more or fewer aptitudes. The difference between them lies in their various degrees of experience, and the use of their free will; from there some are perfected more quickly, which gives them a wide range of skills. This mix is necessary, so that all human beings may contribute to God’s plans within the limits of their physical and intellectual strength. Individuals make their own contribution; whatever one cannot do another can. In addition, as all the worlds of the universe are connected by solidarity, beings from higher worlds, most of which were created before yours, must come and serve as an example for you.” (See no. 361)
“God has created all spirits equal, but some have lived longer and consequently acquired more or fewer aptitudes. The difference between them lies in their various degrees of experience, and the use of their free will; from there some are perfected more quickly, which gives them a wide range of skills. This mix is necessary, so that all human beings may contribute to God’s plans within the limits of their physical and intellectual strength. Individuals make their own contribution; whatever one cannot do another can. In addition, as all the worlds of the universe are connected by solidarity, beings from higher worlds, most of which were created before yours, must come and serve as an example for you.” (See no. 361)
805. In passing from a higher world to a lower one, do spirits preserve the faculties they had acquired?
“Yes, we have already told you that spirits who have progressed cannot regress. As spirits they may choose a physical envelope that is more insensitive, or a position that is more uncertain, but each variation is intended to teach them a new lesson and help them to progress.” (See no. 180)
The diversity of human abilities is the result of the various degrees of perfection achieved by the spirits, rather than something intrinsic to the creation of humankind. God has not created the inequality of human faculties. God permits spirits of different degrees of development to be in contact with each other, so that the more advanced may help those who lag behind, and so that all human beings may understand the law of charity that is destined to unite them.
“Yes, we have already told you that spirits who have progressed cannot regress. As spirits they may choose a physical envelope that is more insensitive, or a position that is more uncertain, but each variation is intended to teach them a new lesson and help them to progress.” (See no. 180)
The diversity of human abilities is the result of the various degrees of perfection achieved by the spirits, rather than something intrinsic to the creation of humankind. God has not created the inequality of human faculties. God permits spirits of different degrees of development to be in contact with each other, so that the more advanced may help those who lag behind, and so that all human beings may understand the law of charity that is destined to unite them.
Social Inequalities
806. Is the inequality of social conditions a law of nature?
“No, it was created by human beings, not God.”
a) Will this inequality eventually vanish?
“Only God’s laws are eternal. Have you not noticed that it is being steadily erased every day? Your present inequalities will vanish with the disappearance of pride and selfishness. The only inequality that will remain is that of merit. A day will come when the members of God’s family will no longer view themselves as more or less pure. They will know that it is only the spirit that is more or less pure, and that this is in no way related to social standing.”
“No, it was created by human beings, not God.”
a) Will this inequality eventually vanish?
“Only God’s laws are eternal. Have you not noticed that it is being steadily erased every day? Your present inequalities will vanish with the disappearance of pride and selfishness. The only inequality that will remain is that of merit. A day will come when the members of God’s family will no longer view themselves as more or less pure. They will know that it is only the spirit that is more or less pure, and that this is in no way related to social standing.”
807. What should we think of those who abuse the superiority of their social standing to oppress the weak for profit?
“They deserve to be condemned! Their fate will be miserable, because they will in turn be oppressed, and they will be re-born into an existence where they will suffer all that they have caused others to suffer.” (See no. 684)
“They deserve to be condemned! Their fate will be miserable, because they will in turn be oppressed, and they will be re-born into an existence where they will suffer all that they have caused others to suffer.” (See no. 684)
Economic Inequality
808. Is economic inequality a result of the inequality of faculties, which gives some individuals more means of acquiring wealth than others?
“Yes and no. What about fraud and robbery? What do you say about them?”
a) Is inherited wealth not the fruit of evil passions?
“How do you know that? Trace their source and you will see whether it is pure or not. How do you know whether they were earned by plundering or the fruit of an injustice? Regardless of their origin, do you think that pining for wealth, even when honestly acquired, is admirable? This is what God judges and Divine judgment is often more severe than that of human beings.”
“Yes and no. What about fraud and robbery? What do you say about them?”
a) Is inherited wealth not the fruit of evil passions?
“How do you know that? Trace their source and you will see whether it is pure or not. How do you know whether they were earned by plundering or the fruit of an injustice? Regardless of their origin, do you think that pining for wealth, even when honestly acquired, is admirable? This is what God judges and Divine judgment is often more severe than that of human beings.”
809. If a fortune has been obtained illegally or fraudulently, are those who subsequently inherit it held accountable?
“They are in no way responsible for the wrong that may have been done by others, and of which they may not even be aware. Often, fortune is granted to specific individuals for the sole purpose of giving them the opportunity of making amends for an injustice. If these individuals understand this, good for them! If these individuals do it in the name of the person who committed the injustice, the reparation will be counted to both of them, because it is often the latter who, now in the spiritual world, has stimulated the incarnate ones to work towards this reparation.”
“They are in no way responsible for the wrong that may have been done by others, and of which they may not even be aware. Often, fortune is granted to specific individuals for the sole purpose of giving them the opportunity of making amends for an injustice. If these individuals understand this, good for them! If these individuals do it in the name of the person who committed the injustice, the reparation will be counted to both of them, because it is often the latter who, now in the spiritual world, has stimulated the incarnate ones to work towards this reparation.”
810. Without breaking the law we can dispose of our assets more or less equitably. Are we accountable for the use we have made of it after we die?
“Every action bears fruit. The fruit of good deeds is sweet, while that of others is always bitter. Never forget that.”
“Every action bears fruit. The fruit of good deeds is sweet, while that of others is always bitter. Never forget that.”
811. Is absolute economic equality possible? Has it ever existed?
“No, it is not possible. The variety of faculties and personalities makes it impossible.”
a) There are those who believe that it is the remedy for all the problems of society. What do you think of that?
“Anyone who believes that is either motivated by both ambition and jealousy or is responsible for the creation of systems. They do not understand that the equality they dream of is quickly decimated by the circumstances of life. Fight selfishness, because that is the plague of your society and do not chase after pipe dreams.”
“No, it is not possible. The variety of faculties and personalities makes it impossible.”
a) There are those who believe that it is the remedy for all the problems of society. What do you think of that?
“Anyone who believes that is either motivated by both ambition and jealousy or is responsible for the creation of systems. They do not understand that the equality they dream of is quickly decimated by the circumstances of life. Fight selfishness, because that is the plague of your society and do not chase after pipe dreams.”
812. If economic equality is not possible, is equal well-being also impossible?
“No, but well-being is relative, and every one can enjoy it if people can reach a good understanding among themselves. True well-being entails dedicating your time according to you passion, not work that you dislike and for which you have no talent. Everyone has different abilities and talents, so that no worthwhile work is left undone. Equilibrium exists in everything, but the human race disturbs it.”
a) Is it possible for human beings to reach a mutual understanding?
“They will arrive at it when they practice the law of justice.”
“No, but well-being is relative, and every one can enjoy it if people can reach a good understanding among themselves. True well-being entails dedicating your time according to you passion, not work that you dislike and for which you have no talent. Everyone has different abilities and talents, so that no worthwhile work is left undone. Equilibrium exists in everything, but the human race disturbs it.”
a) Is it possible for human beings to reach a mutual understanding?
“They will arrive at it when they practice the law of justice.”
813. There are those who fall into poverty and misery through no fault other than their own. Is society responsible in such cases?
“Yes, we have already said that society is often the primary cause of such failures. Besides, society is responsible for providing the moral education of all its members. Society often warps its judgment through poor education, instead of correcting their malicious inclinations.” (See no. 685)
“Yes, we have already said that society is often the primary cause of such failures. Besides, society is responsible for providing the moral education of all its members. Society often warps its judgment through poor education, instead of correcting their malicious inclinations.” (See no. 685)
Trials of Wealth and Poverty
814. Why has God given wealth and power to some, and poverty to others?
“To try them in different ways. What is more, as you know, it is the spirits themselves who select those trials, which they often fail.”
“To try them in different ways. What is more, as you know, it is the spirits themselves who select those trials, which they often fail.”
815. What trials should human beings dread the most, wealth or poverty?
“They are equally dangerous. Poverty inspires complaints against Providence, while wealth stimulates all kinds of excesses.”
“They are equally dangerous. Poverty inspires complaints against Providence, while wealth stimulates all kinds of excesses.”
816. While rich people have more temptations to do evil, do they also have more means of doing good?
“That is precisely what they do not always do. They often become selfish, proud, and greedy. Their wants increase with their fortunes, and they never think they have enough, even for themselves."
Elevation in this world and authority over our fellow beings are trials that are just as difficult as those of misfortune are. The richer and more powerful we are, the more obligations we have to fulfill, and the greater our means of doing both good and evil. God tries poor people by submission, and the rich by the use they make of their wealth and power.
Wealth and power breed all the passions that bind us to matter, and keep us from reaching spiritual perfection. This is why Jesus said: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”(See no. 266)
“That is precisely what they do not always do. They often become selfish, proud, and greedy. Their wants increase with their fortunes, and they never think they have enough, even for themselves."
Elevation in this world and authority over our fellow beings are trials that are just as difficult as those of misfortune are. The richer and more powerful we are, the more obligations we have to fulfill, and the greater our means of doing both good and evil. God tries poor people by submission, and the rich by the use they make of their wealth and power.
Wealth and power breed all the passions that bind us to matter, and keep us from reaching spiritual perfection. This is why Jesus said: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”(See no. 266)
Equality Rights for Men and Women
817. Are men and women equals in God’s eyes and do they have the same rights?“Has God not given them both the knowledge of good and evil, and the ability to advance?”
818. Where does the moral inferiority of women in some countries originate?
“In the cruel and unjust authority that man has seized over them. This is a result of social institutions and the abusive exercise of strength over weakness. Among morally inferior men, might makes right.”
“In the cruel and unjust authority that man has seized over them. This is a result of social institutions and the abusive exercise of strength over weakness. Among morally inferior men, might makes right.”
819. Why women are physically weaker than men are?
“So that she may be assigned special functions. Men are built for rough work as they are stronger, while women are built for lighter work. Both may help each other through the trials of a bitter life.”
“So that she may be assigned special functions. Men are built for rough work as they are stronger, while women are built for lighter work. Both may help each other through the trials of a bitter life.”
820. Does a woman’s physical weakness make her naturally dependent on a man?
“God has given strength to some to protect the weak, but not to reduce them to slavery and suppression.”
God has created the physical makeup of each being for the role it has to carry out. God has given less physical strength to women, however, they were made more sensitive, in harmony with their maternal functions and the weakness of the beings confided to her care.
“God has given strength to some to protect the weak, but not to reduce them to slavery and suppression.”
God has created the physical makeup of each being for the role it has to carry out. God has given less physical strength to women, however, they were made more sensitive, in harmony with their maternal functions and the weakness of the beings confided to her care.
821. Is a woman’s natural role as important as that given to man?
“Yes, even more so because she gives him his first notions of life.”
822. As all human beings are equals according to God’s law, should they also be such according to human made law?
“This is the cornerstone of justice. Do unto others what you want others to do unto you.”
a) In order to be perfectly just, should legislation establish the equality of rights between men and women?
“Equality of rights, yes, but with respect to functions it should be noted that while there are many similarities between the sexes there are also distinct differences. Each sex should be encouraged to develop according to their special abilities and strengths. Human made law, to be just, should establish equal rights for men and women. Any privilege granted to either sex conflicts with justice. Women’s rights and freedom are in line with the progress of civilization as her oppression is a condition of barbarism. In addition, gender only exists through the physical makeup. Since spirits can assume that of either sex, there is no difference between them in this respect, and they should enjoy the same rights.”
“This is the cornerstone of justice. Do unto others what you want others to do unto you.”
a) In order to be perfectly just, should legislation establish the equality of rights between men and women?
“Equality of rights, yes, but with respect to functions it should be noted that while there are many similarities between the sexes there are also distinct differences. Each sex should be encouraged to develop according to their special abilities and strengths. Human made law, to be just, should establish equal rights for men and women. Any privilege granted to either sex conflicts with justice. Women’s rights and freedom are in line with the progress of civilization as her oppression is a condition of barbarism. In addition, gender only exists through the physical makeup. Since spirits can assume that of either sex, there is no difference between them in this respect, and they should enjoy the same rights.”
Equality in Death
823. Where does the desire of immortalizing one’s memory through funeral monuments originate?
“It is the last act of pride.”
a) Is the extravagance of funeral monuments more commonly due to relatives who want to honor the memory of their deceased loved ones, than to the desire of the deceased themselves?
“It is an act of pride on the part of relatives who want to glorify themselves. These demonstrations are not always for the deceased rather they gratify their own vanity by making an impression on others and displaying wealth. Do you think that the memory of their loved ones is less strong in the hearts of the poor, because they can only place a single flower to lie upon their graves? Do you think that marble can save the name of a person who has led a useless life on Earth from oblivion?”
“It is the last act of pride.”
a) Is the extravagance of funeral monuments more commonly due to relatives who want to honor the memory of their deceased loved ones, than to the desire of the deceased themselves?
“It is an act of pride on the part of relatives who want to glorify themselves. These demonstrations are not always for the deceased rather they gratify their own vanity by making an impression on others and displaying wealth. Do you think that the memory of their loved ones is less strong in the hearts of the poor, because they can only place a single flower to lie upon their graves? Do you think that marble can save the name of a person who has led a useless life on Earth from oblivion?”
824. Is funeral pomp and circumstance reprehensible under all circumstances?
“No, it is fair when honoring the life of dignified individuals, and it conveys a good example.”
The grave is the inevitable end of all human distinctions and the destiny of all human beings. Erecting ostentatious monuments is a vain attempt by wealthy individuals to immortalize the memory of their lives. Time will destroy these monuments as surely as it will destroy their bodies. The memories of their deeds, whether good or bad, are more resistant than their tombs. The pomp of their funerals will neither wash away their immoral actions nor raise them a single step on the ladder of the spirit hierarchy. (See no. 320 et seq.)
“No, it is fair when honoring the life of dignified individuals, and it conveys a good example.”
The grave is the inevitable end of all human distinctions and the destiny of all human beings. Erecting ostentatious monuments is a vain attempt by wealthy individuals to immortalize the memory of their lives. Time will destroy these monuments as surely as it will destroy their bodies. The memories of their deeds, whether good or bad, are more resistant than their tombs. The pomp of their funerals will neither wash away their immoral actions nor raise them a single step on the ladder of the spirit hierarchy. (See no. 320 et seq.)
CHAPTER X—IX. LAW OF LIBERTY
Natural Freedom
825. Are there any positions in the world where an individual enjoys absolute freedom?“No, because all of you need one another, from the most powerful to the impoverished.”
826. What would be the condition in which a person could enjoy absolute freedom?
“As a hermit in a desert. As soon as two people find each other, they have reciprocal rights and duties to respect, and are no longer absolutely free.”
“As a hermit in a desert. As soon as two people find each other, they have reciprocal rights and duties to respect, and are no longer absolutely free.”
827. Does the duty to respect the rights of others deprive individuals of their right to be themselves?
“Not at all, because human beings hold that right by nature.”
828. How can we reconcile the liberal opinions of some individuals with the oppression they sometimes exercise in their own homes over their subordinates?
“They are familiar with the law of nature, but it is counterbalanced by their pride and selfishness. They know what should be done when they truly embrace these liberal principles, but they do not do it.”
a) Will the principles that they have professed during this life be taken into account in the next?
“The more intelligence that people have to understand a principle, the more inexcusable their neglect to put it into practice. I may truly tell you that those who are sincere but simple are further advanced on the Divine road than those who try to appear to be what they are not.”
“They are familiar with the law of nature, but it is counterbalanced by their pride and selfishness. They know what should be done when they truly embrace these liberal principles, but they do not do it.”
a) Will the principles that they have professed during this life be taken into account in the next?
“The more intelligence that people have to understand a principle, the more inexcusable their neglect to put it into practice. I may truly tell you that those who are sincere but simple are further advanced on the Divine road than those who try to appear to be what they are not.”
Slavery
829. Is there any portion of the human race intended by nature to be the property of other human beings?
“The absolute oppression of any individual by another violates God’s law. Slavery is an abuse of strength and gradually disappears with progress, as all other abuses will eventually disappear.”
The societal law that sanctions slavery is a crime against nature, because it reduces human beings to the level of animals, and degrades them both physically and morally.
“The absolute oppression of any individual by another violates God’s law. Slavery is an abuse of strength and gradually disappears with progress, as all other abuses will eventually disappear.”
The societal law that sanctions slavery is a crime against nature, because it reduces human beings to the level of animals, and degrades them both physically and morally.
830. When slavery is established in the standards and customs of a nation, are those who profit from it to blame for conforming to a system that appears to be natural to them?
“What is wrong is always wrong, and no amount of sophistry can change a bad deed into a good one. However, the accountability for wrongdoing is always proportional to the ability of the offenders to understand their actions. Those who profit from slavery are always guilty of violating natural law, but this guilt is relative. As slavery became rooted in the civilizations of certain nations, human beings may have taken advantage of it without seeing it as being wrong, and as something that appeared to be natural to them. But once their reason became more developed and enlightened by the teachings of Christianity, and they were shown that slaves are their equal in God’s eyes, their actions were no longer excusable.”
“What is wrong is always wrong, and no amount of sophistry can change a bad deed into a good one. However, the accountability for wrongdoing is always proportional to the ability of the offenders to understand their actions. Those who profit from slavery are always guilty of violating natural law, but this guilt is relative. As slavery became rooted in the civilizations of certain nations, human beings may have taken advantage of it without seeing it as being wrong, and as something that appeared to be natural to them. But once their reason became more developed and enlightened by the teachings of Christianity, and they were shown that slaves are their equal in God’s eyes, their actions were no longer excusable.”
831. Does the natural inequality of aptitudes place some members of the human race under the control of more intelligent members?
“Yes, so that they may rise to a higher level, but not to further degrade them by slavery. People have too long viewed certain ethnic groups as working animals with arms and hands, and believed they have the right to use them and sell them like beasts. They think that they are of purer blood, when they are really fools! Only the spirit is the marker of purity, not blood.” (See nos. 361-803)
“Yes, so that they may rise to a higher level, but not to further degrade them by slavery. People have too long viewed certain ethnic groups as working animals with arms and hands, and believed they have the right to use them and sell them like beasts. They think that they are of purer blood, when they are really fools! Only the spirit is the marker of purity, not blood.” (See nos. 361-803)
832. There are people who treat their slaves humanely. They think that freedom would expose them to greater poverty or deprivation. What do you think of this?
“They have a better understanding of their own interests. They take the same care of their cows and horses to get a better price for them at the market. They are not as guilty as those who treat them badly, but they still treat them as merchandise by depriving them of their freedom.”
“They have a better understanding of their own interests. They take the same care of their cows and horses to get a better price for them at the market. They are not as guilty as those who treat them badly, but they still treat them as merchandise by depriving them of their freedom.”
Freedom of Thought
833. Is there anything in human beings that escape all limitations, and of which they enjoy absolute freedom?
“They enjoy unbounded freedom in their thoughts, as there is no obstacle to thought. While it may be hindered, thought cannot be extinguished.”
“They enjoy unbounded freedom in their thoughts, as there is no obstacle to thought. While it may be hindered, thought cannot be extinguished.”
834. Are human beings responsible for their thoughts?
“They are accountable for them before God. God alone can know our thoughts, and condemns or absolves them according to justice.”
“They are accountable for them before God. God alone can know our thoughts, and condemns or absolves them according to justice.”
Freedom of Conscience
835. Is freedom of conscience the natural consequence of freedom of thought?
“The conscience is an inner thought that belongs to the individual, like all the other thoughts entertained by that person.”
“The conscience is an inner thought that belongs to the individual, like all the other thoughts entertained by that person.”
836. Do human beings have the right to restrain the freedom of conscience?
“No more so than the freedom of thought, because God alone has the right to judge the conscience. Human society governs the relations between human beings through the use of laws created by human beings, while God governs the relations between people and God by the law of nature.”
“No more so than the freedom of thought, because God alone has the right to judge the conscience. Human society governs the relations between human beings through the use of laws created by human beings, while God governs the relations between people and God by the law of nature.”
837. What is the effect of the restraints imposed on the freedom of conscience?
“It forces people to act in a manner that conflicts with their thoughts, and therefore makes them hypocrites. Freedom of conscience is one of the characteristics of true civilization and progress.”
“It forces people to act in a manner that conflicts with their thoughts, and therefore makes them hypocrites. Freedom of conscience is one of the characteristics of true civilization and progress.”
838. Should every belief be respected, even when it is completely false? “Every belief is worthy of respect when it is sincere, and when it leads to practicing good actions. Reprehensible beliefs are those that lead to the practice of evil.”
839. Is it wrong to offend those whose beliefs are different than ours?
“This demonstrates a lack of charity, and infringes on the freedom of thought.”
840. Is placing obstructions on beliefs that cause social disturbances an infringement on the freedom of conscience?
“You can only repress action, belief is inaccessible.”
Repressing someone from outwardly expressing a belief when those acts are harmful to others is not an infringement of their freedom of conscience, as this repression leaves the belief itself entirely free.
“You can only repress action, belief is inaccessible.”
Repressing someone from outwardly expressing a belief when those acts are harmful to others is not an infringement of their freedom of conscience, as this repression leaves the belief itself entirely free.
841. Should we allow the spread of pernicious doctrines out of respect for the freedom of conscience? Should we, instead, try to bring those who are led astray by false principles back to the right path without violating that freedom?
"Certainly one can, and indeed one must; but teach following Jesus' example, using gentleness and persuasion, and not resorting to force, which would be worse than the belief of the one you would like to convince. If there is anything that ought to be imposed, it is goodness and fraternity; but we do not believe that the means for doing so is violence: conviction cannot be imposed."
842. All doctrines claim to be the sole expression of the truth. How can we recognize the one that is most deserving of this title?
“The truest doctrine is the one that has the fewest hypocrites and the greatest number of truly virtuous individuals. In other words, people practicing the law of charity in its greatest purity and in its widest application. This is how you may recognize a true doctrine, because any doctrine that causes rifts between God’s children is nothing but false and evil.”
“The truest doctrine is the one that has the fewest hypocrites and the greatest number of truly virtuous individuals. In other words, people practicing the law of charity in its greatest purity and in its widest application. This is how you may recognize a true doctrine, because any doctrine that causes rifts between God’s children is nothing but false and evil.”
Free Will
843. Do human beings have free will in their actions?
“Since they have freedom of thought, they also have freedom of action. Without free will, they would be nothing more than machines.”
“Since they have freedom of thought, they also have freedom of action. Without free will, they would be nothing more than machines.”
844. Do human beings have free will from birth?
“They possess free will from the moment when they possess the will to act. In the earliest phase of human life, free will is almost nonexistent. It is developed and changed with the development of the faculties. Children, having thoughts that match the wants of their age, apply their free will to the things that are necessary corresponding to that age.”
“They possess free will from the moment when they possess the will to act. In the earliest phase of human life, free will is almost nonexistent. It is developed and changed with the development of the faculties. Children, having thoughts that match the wants of their age, apply their free will to the things that are necessary corresponding to that age.”
845. Are the instinctive tendencies that human beings have at birth an obstacle to the exercise of their free will?
“The instinctive tendencies of every individual belonged to their spirits before incarnation. If they are not very advanced, these tendencies may motivate such individuals to do wrong and spirits who sympathize with the wrong they do support them. However, no temptation is irresistible when there is a determination to resist; remember that ‘where there is a will, there is a way’.” (See no. 361)
“The instinctive tendencies of every individual belonged to their spirits before incarnation. If they are not very advanced, these tendencies may motivate such individuals to do wrong and spirits who sympathize with the wrong they do support them. However, no temptation is irresistible when there is a determination to resist; remember that ‘where there is a will, there is a way’.” (See no. 361)
846. Does our body influence the acts of our life? If so, does this influence constitute a violation of our free will?
“Spirits are definitely influenced by matter, which may hold them back in their manifestations. This is why, in worlds where the body is less material than on Earth, the faculties are exercised more freely. However, it is important to remember that the instrument does not confer the faculty. You must also distinguish between moral and intellectual faculties. If some individuals have the instinct to commit murder, their spirits possess it, not their bodies. Those who obliterate their thoughts solely to care about matter become like animals and, even worse, they no longer try to protect themselves from iniquity. This constitutes culpability, because they act of their own free will.” (See no. 367 et. seq. Influence of the Body)
“Spirits are definitely influenced by matter, which may hold them back in their manifestations. This is why, in worlds where the body is less material than on Earth, the faculties are exercised more freely. However, it is important to remember that the instrument does not confer the faculty. You must also distinguish between moral and intellectual faculties. If some individuals have the instinct to commit murder, their spirits possess it, not their bodies. Those who obliterate their thoughts solely to care about matter become like animals and, even worse, they no longer try to protect themselves from iniquity. This constitutes culpability, because they act of their own free will.” (See no. 367 et. seq. Influence of the Body)
847. Do anomalies of the faculties deprive individuals of their free will?
“If the intelligence of human beings is altered by any cause whatsoever, then they are no longer the masters of their thoughts and are no longer free. Such anomaly is often an atonement for spirits who, in another life, have been vain or arrogant, or have made bad use of their faculties. They may be reborn in the body of a mentally impaired person, as a tyrant may be reborn in the body of a slave, and a callous wealthy man in that of a beggar. Such spirits suffer from this constraint, of which they are fully aware, and this is the action of matter.” (See no. 371 et seq.)
“If the intelligence of human beings is altered by any cause whatsoever, then they are no longer the masters of their thoughts and are no longer free. Such anomaly is often an atonement for spirits who, in another life, have been vain or arrogant, or have made bad use of their faculties. They may be reborn in the body of a mentally impaired person, as a tyrant may be reborn in the body of a slave, and a callous wealthy man in that of a beggar. Such spirits suffer from this constraint, of which they are fully aware, and this is the action of matter.” (See no. 371 et seq.)
848. Is the impairment of the intellectual faculties produced by drunkenness an excuse for reprehensible behavior?
“No, because alcoholics have voluntarily deprived themselves of their reason to satisfy their unrefined passions. They commit two crimes, instead of just one.”
“No, because alcoholics have voluntarily deprived themselves of their reason to satisfy their unrefined passions. They commit two crimes, instead of just one.”
849. What is the dominant faculty of savages? Is it instinct or free will?
“Instinct, which does not prevent them from acting with absolute freedom in certain things. However, like children, they use their freedom for the satisfaction of their wants, and only evolve through the development of their intelligence. Consequently, as you are more enlightened than a savage, you are more responsible than a savage if you do wrong.”
“Instinct, which does not prevent them from acting with absolute freedom in certain things. However, like children, they use their freedom for the satisfaction of their wants, and only evolve through the development of their intelligence. Consequently, as you are more enlightened than a savage, you are more responsible than a savage if you do wrong.”
850. Is social standing sometimes an obstacle to complete freedom of action?
“The world definitely has its demands. God is fair and takes everything into account, but will hold you responsible for any lack of effort on your part to overcome such obstacles.”
“The world definitely has its demands. God is fair and takes everything into account, but will hold you responsible for any lack of effort on your part to overcome such obstacles.”
Fatalism
851. Does fatalism control the events of life in the sense commonly attached to this word? Is every event in our lives predestined, and, if so, what becomes of free will?
“Fatalism only exists based on the choice each spirit makes to undergo a trial. By choosing that trial, you create a sort of destiny for yourself. It is the natural consequence of the situation in which you have chosen to place yourself. This is only with respect to physical trials, because in moral trials and temptations, a spirit always maintains a freedom of choice between good and iniquity and is always able to yield or resist. Good spirits may come to your aid when they see you falter, but cannot influence you to the extent of controlling your will. On the other hand, bad or inferior spirits may trouble or alarm you by exaggerating your physical danger. However, the will of your incarnate spirit maintains its full freedom of choice.”
“Fatalism only exists based on the choice each spirit makes to undergo a trial. By choosing that trial, you create a sort of destiny for yourself. It is the natural consequence of the situation in which you have chosen to place yourself. This is only with respect to physical trials, because in moral trials and temptations, a spirit always maintains a freedom of choice between good and iniquity and is always able to yield or resist. Good spirits may come to your aid when they see you falter, but cannot influence you to the extent of controlling your will. On the other hand, bad or inferior spirits may trouble or alarm you by exaggerating your physical danger. However, the will of your incarnate spirit maintains its full freedom of choice.”
852. Some individuals seem to be pursued by a fatalism that is completely independent of their actions. Is it their destiny to be unfortunate?
“There may be trials that those individuals are forced to endure because they have chosen them, but you often attribute to destiny what is more often than not the consequence of your own faults. In the midst of the adversities that afflict you try to keep a pure and clear conscience, and you will be given solace for your suffering.”
The true or false ideas that we adopt of the things around us cause us to succeed or fail in our undertakings depending on our character and social standing. It seems easier and less humiliating to our self-esteem to attribute our failures to fate or destiny than to our own mistakes. While spirits may sometimes influence our success, we can always free ourselves from this influence by resisting the ideas they suggest if they are misleading or bad.
“There may be trials that those individuals are forced to endure because they have chosen them, but you often attribute to destiny what is more often than not the consequence of your own faults. In the midst of the adversities that afflict you try to keep a pure and clear conscience, and you will be given solace for your suffering.”
The true or false ideas that we adopt of the things around us cause us to succeed or fail in our undertakings depending on our character and social standing. It seems easier and less humiliating to our self-esteem to attribute our failures to fate or destiny than to our own mistakes. While spirits may sometimes influence our success, we can always free ourselves from this influence by resisting the ideas they suggest if they are misleading or bad.
853. Some people escape one danger only to fall prey to another, as if it were impossible for them to escape death. Is this not fatalism?
“Nothing is predestined, in the truest sense of the word, except the time of death. When that time has come, whether in one form or another, you cannot escape it.”
a) Then, regardless of whatever danger threatens us, we will not die if our time has not come?
“No, you will not die. There are thousands of examples of this, but when your hour has come, nothing can save you. God knows how you will leave your present life, and this is often also known by your spirit because it is revealed when you choose an existence.”
“Nothing is predestined, in the truest sense of the word, except the time of death. When that time has come, whether in one form or another, you cannot escape it.”
a) Then, regardless of whatever danger threatens us, we will not die if our time has not come?
“No, you will not die. There are thousands of examples of this, but when your hour has come, nothing can save you. God knows how you will leave your present life, and this is often also known by your spirit because it is revealed when you choose an existence.”
854. Given the inevitability of our time of death, are the precautions we take to avoid it useless?
“No, because those precautions are suggested to avoid any danger that threatens you. They are one of the means used to prevent death.”
“No, because those precautions are suggested to avoid any danger that threatens you. They are one of the means used to prevent death.”
855. Why does Providence make us encounter dangers that have no result?
“When your life is in peril, it is a warning to turn you away from wickedness and leave you better off. When you escape this danger, and while still feeling the emotion stimulated by the danger you encountered, you think according to the degree in which you are influenced by good spirits to mend your ways. If a bad spirit dominates (In using the word bad I am referring to the evil that is still within that spirit), you think that you will escape other dangers in the same manner, and once again you give free rein to your passions. Through the dangers that you encounter, God reminds you of your weakness and the fragility of your existence. If you examine the cause and nature of the peril you have escaped, you will see that in many cases its consequences would have been the atonement of some fault you have committed, or some duty you have neglected. God warns you to reflect upon and correct your faults.” (See nos. 526-532)
“When your life is in peril, it is a warning to turn you away from wickedness and leave you better off. When you escape this danger, and while still feeling the emotion stimulated by the danger you encountered, you think according to the degree in which you are influenced by good spirits to mend your ways. If a bad spirit dominates (In using the word bad I am referring to the evil that is still within that spirit), you think that you will escape other dangers in the same manner, and once again you give free rein to your passions. Through the dangers that you encounter, God reminds you of your weakness and the fragility of your existence. If you examine the cause and nature of the peril you have escaped, you will see that in many cases its consequences would have been the atonement of some fault you have committed, or some duty you have neglected. God warns you to reflect upon and correct your faults.” (See nos. 526-532)
856. Do spirits know how they will die beforehand?
“Based on the life they have chosen, they know that they have exposed themselves to die in some particular manner rather than in another, but they also see the effort they will have to put forward in order to avoid it. They know that, God willing, they will escape it.”
“Based on the life they have chosen, they know that they have exposed themselves to die in some particular manner rather than in another, but they also see the effort they will have to put forward in order to avoid it. They know that, God willing, they will escape it.”
857. There are those who brave the perils of war fully convinced that their time has not come. Are there any grounds for this confidence?
“Individuals often have a premonition of their end. On the other hand, such individuals may also have a sense that their time of death has not yet come. This intuition is due to the action of their protective spirits, who warn them to be ready to go or boost their courage when they particularly need it. It may also come to them from the intuition they have of the life they have chosen, or of the mission they have accepted that they know they must fulfill.” (See nos. 411-522)
“Individuals often have a premonition of their end. On the other hand, such individuals may also have a sense that their time of death has not yet come. This intuition is due to the action of their protective spirits, who warn them to be ready to go or boost their courage when they particularly need it. It may also come to them from the intuition they have of the life they have chosen, or of the mission they have accepted that they know they must fulfill.” (See nos. 411-522)
858. How is it that those who have a premonition of their death generally dread it less than others do?
“It is the human being and not the spirit who fears death. Individuals who have a premonition of their death view it as a spirit rather than as human beings. They understand that it will be a release to freedom and await it.”
“It is the human being and not the spirit who fears death. Individuals who have a premonition of their death view it as a spirit rather than as human beings. They understand that it will be a release to freedom and await it.”
859. If death is inevitable at its appointed time, does this also apply to all the accidents that may happen to us over the course of our lives?
“They are often small enough that we can warn you against them, and sometimes help you avoid them by directing your thoughts because we do not like physical suffering. All this is of little importance to the life you have chosen. Fatalism, truly, is the hour at which you are born into and exit the physical life.”
a) Are there incidents that must occur in a life and that spirits cannot help you avert?
“Yes, but you saw those incidents when you chose your life as a spirit. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to assume that everything that happens to you was ‘written in the stars’ as people say. An event is often the consequence of something you have done by an act of your own volition. Had you not done that thing, the event would not have taken place. If you burn your finger, it is a trivial inconvenience resulting from your own carelessness and a consequence of matter, not destiny. Only great sorrows, serious events that are capable of influencing your moral state, are predestined by God because they will be useful to your purification and education.”
“They are often small enough that we can warn you against them, and sometimes help you avoid them by directing your thoughts because we do not like physical suffering. All this is of little importance to the life you have chosen. Fatalism, truly, is the hour at which you are born into and exit the physical life.”
a) Are there incidents that must occur in a life and that spirits cannot help you avert?
“Yes, but you saw those incidents when you chose your life as a spirit. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to assume that everything that happens to you was ‘written in the stars’ as people say. An event is often the consequence of something you have done by an act of your own volition. Had you not done that thing, the event would not have taken place. If you burn your finger, it is a trivial inconvenience resulting from your own carelessness and a consequence of matter, not destiny. Only great sorrows, serious events that are capable of influencing your moral state, are predestined by God because they will be useful to your purification and education.”
860. Can individuals, by their will and effort, prevent events from taking place, and vice versa?
“They can if this deviation is compatible with the life they have chosen. They may prevent wrongdoing to do good, which should be the sole purpose of life, especially if that wrong might contribute to an even greater evil.”
“They can if this deviation is compatible with the life they have chosen. They may prevent wrongdoing to do good, which should be the sole purpose of life, especially if that wrong might contribute to an even greater evil.”
861. Did those individuals who commit a murder know, in choosing their life, that they would become murderers?
“No, they knew that they incurred the risk of killing one of their fellow creatures by choosing a life of struggle. However they did not know whether they would or would not because a murderer almost always deliberates before committing the crime, and if people can deliberate they are free to carry out the action or not. If spirits knew that they would commit a murder beforehand, it would imply that they were predestined to commit that crime. No one is ever predestined to commit a crime. Every crime, like every other action, is the result of choice and free will.”
“You are confusing two things that are quite distinct – the events of material life and those of moral life. If any sort of fatalism exists, it is only in the events of your material life of which the cause is beyond your control and independent of your will. As to the acts of the moral life, they always emanate from human beings themselves, who always have the freedom of choice. In those acts, there is never any destiny.”
“No, they knew that they incurred the risk of killing one of their fellow creatures by choosing a life of struggle. However they did not know whether they would or would not because a murderer almost always deliberates before committing the crime, and if people can deliberate they are free to carry out the action or not. If spirits knew that they would commit a murder beforehand, it would imply that they were predestined to commit that crime. No one is ever predestined to commit a crime. Every crime, like every other action, is the result of choice and free will.”
“You are confusing two things that are quite distinct – the events of material life and those of moral life. If any sort of fatalism exists, it is only in the events of your material life of which the cause is beyond your control and independent of your will. As to the acts of the moral life, they always emanate from human beings themselves, who always have the freedom of choice. In those acts, there is never any destiny.”
862. There are individuals who never succeed and seem to be stalked by a bad spirit in all their endeavors. Is this not what we call fatalism?
“It is definitely fatalism, if you want to call it that, but it results from the type of life chosen by those individuals in the spirit state, because they wanted to exercise their patience and resignation through a life of disappointment. However, do not believe that destiny is absolute. It is often a consequence for individuals who choose the wrong path, one that does not correspond to their intelligence and abilities. If people try to cross a river without knowing how to swim, they stand a very good chance of drowning, and we can say the same about most events in your life. If people only attempted things that are in harmony with their abilities, they would usually succeed. The cause of their failure is their conceit and ambition, which veer them off their proper path, and make them mistake a desire to satisfy passions for vocation. They fail by their own fault, but instead of blaming themselves, they prefer to blame their ‘star’. For example, an individual who could have been a good craftsperson and honorably earn a living in that capacity prefers to write bad poetry, and ultimately dies of starvation. There would be a place for everyone, if everyone assumed their proper place.”
“It is definitely fatalism, if you want to call it that, but it results from the type of life chosen by those individuals in the spirit state, because they wanted to exercise their patience and resignation through a life of disappointment. However, do not believe that destiny is absolute. It is often a consequence for individuals who choose the wrong path, one that does not correspond to their intelligence and abilities. If people try to cross a river without knowing how to swim, they stand a very good chance of drowning, and we can say the same about most events in your life. If people only attempted things that are in harmony with their abilities, they would usually succeed. The cause of their failure is their conceit and ambition, which veer them off their proper path, and make them mistake a desire to satisfy passions for vocation. They fail by their own fault, but instead of blaming themselves, they prefer to blame their ‘star’. For example, an individual who could have been a good craftsperson and honorably earn a living in that capacity prefers to write bad poetry, and ultimately dies of starvation. There would be a place for everyone, if everyone assumed their proper place.”
863. Do social customs often force people to follow one road rather than another, and is their choice of occupation often controlled by the opinion of those around them? Is the feeling that leads us to attach a certain amount of importance to the opinions of others an obstacle to exercising our free will?
“Social traditions and customs are established by human beings and not by God. If people submit to them it is because they want to and their submission is an act of their free will. If they wanted to free themselves from those customs, they could do so. Then why do they complain? They should blame their pride rather than social customs, because pride makes them prefer to starve rather than stray from what they consider to be their dignity. Nobody thanks them for this sacrifice, though God would take note of the sacrifice of their vanity. We are not saying that you should resist public opinion or customs, as in the case of some people who are more eccentric than philosophical. It is just as absurd to allow others to point or stare at you like a curious animal, as there is wisdom in voluntarily descending when you are unable to stay at the top of the ladder.”
“Social traditions and customs are established by human beings and not by God. If people submit to them it is because they want to and their submission is an act of their free will. If they wanted to free themselves from those customs, they could do so. Then why do they complain? They should blame their pride rather than social customs, because pride makes them prefer to starve rather than stray from what they consider to be their dignity. Nobody thanks them for this sacrifice, though God would take note of the sacrifice of their vanity. We are not saying that you should resist public opinion or customs, as in the case of some people who are more eccentric than philosophical. It is just as absurd to allow others to point or stare at you like a curious animal, as there is wisdom in voluntarily descending when you are unable to stay at the top of the ladder.”
864. While there are individuals to whom fate is unkind, there are others who seem to be favored because they succeed in everything they do. To what is this to be attributed?
“In many cases, they know how to best manage their lives and actions, but it may also be a type of trial. People are intoxicated by success. They put their trust in their destiny, and in the end they pay for these successes by severe setbacks, which greater forethought would have enabled them to avoid.”
“In many cases, they know how to best manage their lives and actions, but it may also be a type of trial. People are intoxicated by success. They put their trust in their destiny, and in the end they pay for these successes by severe setbacks, which greater forethought would have enabled them to avoid.”
865. How can we account for the luck that sometimes favors people under circumstances where neither will nor intelligence have a role, such as gambling, for example?
“Some spirits have chosen specific types of pleasure beforehand, and the luck that favors them is a temptation. Those who win as human beings lose as spirits, since such luck is a trial for their pride and greed.”
“Some spirits have chosen specific types of pleasure beforehand, and the luck that favors them is a temptation. Those who win as human beings lose as spirits, since such luck is a trial for their pride and greed.”
866. Is the fate that seems to shape our material destinies a result of our free will?
“You yourself have chosen your trial. The more severe it is and the better you bear it, the higher you are elevated. Those who spend their physical lives selfishly enjoying wealth and happiness are cowardly spirits who remain stationary. The number of those who are unfortunate is much greater in your world than those who are fortunate, because spirits generally choose the trial that will be most useful to them. They too clearly see the futility of your splendor and pleasures. Besides, the most fortunate life is always more or less troubled, if only by the absence of sorrow.” (See no. 525 et seq.)
“You yourself have chosen your trial. The more severe it is and the better you bear it, the higher you are elevated. Those who spend their physical lives selfishly enjoying wealth and happiness are cowardly spirits who remain stationary. The number of those who are unfortunate is much greater in your world than those who are fortunate, because spirits generally choose the trial that will be most useful to them. They too clearly see the futility of your splendor and pleasures. Besides, the most fortunate life is always more or less troubled, if only by the absence of sorrow.” (See no. 525 et seq.)
867. Where does the expression “born under a lucky star” originate?
“From an old superstition that connected the stars with the destiny of each human being – a metaphor that some people are foolish enough to take literally.”
“From an old superstition that connected the stars with the destiny of each human being – a metaphor that some people are foolish enough to take literally.”
Foreknowledge of the Future
868. Can the future be revealed to human beings?
“As a rule, the future is hidden from them. It is only in rare and exceptional cases that God permits it to be revealed.”
“As a rule, the future is hidden from them. It is only in rare and exceptional cases that God permits it to be revealed.”
869. Why is the future hidden from human beings?
“If they knew the future, they would ignore the present and would not act with the same freedom. They would be swayed by the thought that, if a specific event is to happen, there is no need to worry about it, or they would seek to prevent it. God did not want it to be this way, so that all people would contribute in the accomplishment of God’s designs, even those designs they would want to prevent. Therefore, you often prepare the way for the events that occur over the course of your lifetime, without even being aware of it.”
“If they knew the future, they would ignore the present and would not act with the same freedom. They would be swayed by the thought that, if a specific event is to happen, there is no need to worry about it, or they would seek to prevent it. God did not want it to be this way, so that all people would contribute in the accomplishment of God’s designs, even those designs they would want to prevent. Therefore, you often prepare the way for the events that occur over the course of your lifetime, without even being aware of it.”
870. Since there is a practical reason why the future is hidden, why does God sometimes permit it to be revealed?
“Because in such cases this foreknowledge facilitates the accomplishment of what is to be, rather than hinder it, by making the persons to whom it is revealed act in a different manner than they would otherwise act. In addition, it is often a trial. The prospect of an event may awaken more or less honorable thoughts. For example, if individuals learn that they will receive an inheritance that they had not expected, they may be tempted by greed, by elation at the prospect of increasing their worldly pleasures, or by a desire for the death of their benefactor, so that they may obtain it sooner. On the other hand, this prospect may awaken good and generous thoughts in them. If the prediction is not fulfilled, it is a test of how they bear disappointment. They acquire the merit or reproach of the good or bad thoughts they have by their expectation of the event anticipated.”
“Because in such cases this foreknowledge facilitates the accomplishment of what is to be, rather than hinder it, by making the persons to whom it is revealed act in a different manner than they would otherwise act. In addition, it is often a trial. The prospect of an event may awaken more or less honorable thoughts. For example, if individuals learn that they will receive an inheritance that they had not expected, they may be tempted by greed, by elation at the prospect of increasing their worldly pleasures, or by a desire for the death of their benefactor, so that they may obtain it sooner. On the other hand, this prospect may awaken good and generous thoughts in them. If the prediction is not fulfilled, it is a test of how they bear disappointment. They acquire the merit or reproach of the good or bad thoughts they have by their expectation of the event anticipated.”
871. God knows everything, including whether people will succeed or fail in a given trial. What is the purpose of this trial, since it shows God nothing that is not already known about those individuals? “You might as well ask why God did not create humans perfect (see no. 119), or why human beings have to experience childhood before arriving at adulthood (see no. 379). The purpose of a trial is not to enlighten God regarding the merit of humankind. God knows exactly what they are worth, but to make human beings fully accountable for their behavior since they have free will. People are free to choose between good and bad, and trials serve to tempt them or prove their resistance, leaving them all the merit for resisting it. Even though God knows well in advance whether they will succeed or not, out of divine justice God cannot reward or punish them other than according to the actions they have committed.” (See no. 258)
The same principle exists in the world of human beings. Regardless of the qualifications of a given group of candidates or our confidence in their success, no grade can be granted until the proper test has been passed. This is the same as with a judge who can condemns only accused individuals for the crimes they have actually committed, and not on the presumption that they could or would commit a crime.
The more we reflect on the consequences that would result from our knowledge of the future, the more clearly we see God’s Divine wisdom in hiding it from us. The certainty of good fortune in the future would make us lazy, while future despair would plunge us into depression or discouragement. In both cases, our activities are paralyzed. This is why the future is shown to human beings only as a goal that they must reach through their own effort, without knowing the sequence of events that they will experience in attaining it. The foreknowledge of all the events of their respective journeys would deprive them of their initiative and the use of their free will. They would submissively allow themselves to be led by the circumstances, without any exercise of their faculties. When the success of something is certain, we no longer worry about it.
The same principle exists in the world of human beings. Regardless of the qualifications of a given group of candidates or our confidence in their success, no grade can be granted until the proper test has been passed. This is the same as with a judge who can condemns only accused individuals for the crimes they have actually committed, and not on the presumption that they could or would commit a crime.
The more we reflect on the consequences that would result from our knowledge of the future, the more clearly we see God’s Divine wisdom in hiding it from us. The certainty of good fortune in the future would make us lazy, while future despair would plunge us into depression or discouragement. In both cases, our activities are paralyzed. This is why the future is shown to human beings only as a goal that they must reach through their own effort, without knowing the sequence of events that they will experience in attaining it. The foreknowledge of all the events of their respective journeys would deprive them of their initiative and the use of their free will. They would submissively allow themselves to be led by the circumstances, without any exercise of their faculties. When the success of something is certain, we no longer worry about it.
Theoretical Explanation of the Motive Behind Human Action
872. We may summarize the question of free will as follows. Human beings are not inevitably led into evil. Their acts are not predestined and the crimes they commit are not the result of any sort of destiny. They may have chosen, as a trial and form of repentance, a life in which they will be tempted to do wrong, either because of the surroundings in which they are placed, or through circumstances that occur, but they always have their free will in determining their actions. Spirits therefore exercise free will in the spirit life by choosing their next life and trials to complete and human beings exercise free will by leveraging their power of yielding to or resisting the temptations to which they have voluntarily subjected themselves. The purpose of education is to fight these wicked propensities – a duty that it will only be able to fulfill thoroughly when it is based on a deeper and truer knowledge of the moral nature of human beings. By knowing the laws governing the moral nature of humankind, we can modify it, as we already modify intelligence by education and physical health by hygiene.
Every spirit chooses its future physical life according to its degree of purification at the time they are wandering and free from matter. The spirit is free to make this choice, as we have previously pointed out, based on its free will. This free will is not lost through incarnation. If an incarnate spirit yields to the influence of matter, it succumbs in the trials it has chosen for itself. However, the spirit can call out for God’s guidance and the support of good spirits for strength and assistance. (See no. 337)
Without free will, there would be neither guilt in doing wrong, nor merit in doing right. This concept is so well recognized that the world always assigns blame or praise of any deed to the intention, that is, the will of the person committing the act, with will simply being another word for freedom. People could not blame their wrongs on their bodies without abandoning their reason and condition as human beings, which would place them on the same level as wild animals. If they could do so with regard to what is wrong, they would have to do the same for what is right. Whenever individuals do right, they claim this merit and would never think of attributing it to their bodies, which proves that they instinctively refuse to renounce the most remarkable privilege of their species, the freedom of thought.
Fatalism, as commonly understood, assumes a prior and binding predestination of all the events of human life, regardless of their importance. If this were true, people would be machines without a will of their own. What would be the purpose of intelligence, if it were always overruled in all its action by the power of destiny? This destroys any sense of moral freedom. There would be no such thing as human accountability, and consequently there would be no distinction between good and evil, or virtue and crime. God, who is supremely just, could not punish people for faults that they were forced to commit, nor could they be rewarded for virtues that they do not merit. This would contradict the law of progress because humans would not be motivated to improve their position since their actions could make it neither better nor worse.
Fatalism, however, is not a meaningless word. It really exists with regard to the position held by all human beings on Earth and the roles they fill. Fatalism is a consequence of the type of existence their spirits chose as a trial, repentance, or mission. They are subjected to the digressions of the life they have chosen, in addition to all the intrinsic temptations, good or bad. This is where fatalism ends, because human will determines if they yield to those temptations or not. The details of events depend on the circumstances that human beings cause by their actions, and they may be influenced by the good or bad thoughts suggested by spirits. (See no. 459)
Therefore, fatalism exists in the events that occur, because they are the consequence of the choice made by our spirit in what type of existence to live. However, there can be no fatalism in the results of those events, because human beings can often modify their results by using their own judgment. Therefore, there is no fatalism with regard to the acts of our moral life.
People are victims of an absolute and inescapable destiny only at the time of death. They can neither avoid the fate determining the length of their lives, nor avoid the kind of death that is destined for them.
According to common belief, human beings derive all their instincts from themselves. These instincts proceed from their physical bodies, for which they are not responsible, or from their own nature, which would provide them with an equally valid excuse for their imperfections. If such were the case, they could rightly claim that it is through no choice of their own that they are what they are. Spiritism is more moral. It admits the free will for humans in all its fullness and, in telling them that they yield to a vile suggestion made by another spirit when they do wrong, it makes them fully accountable for their actions. It recognizes their ability to resist contemptible suggestions, which is easier than fighting their inherent nature. Accordingly, Spiritist theory dictates that no temptation is irresistible. People can always ignore the invisible voice addressing their inner consciousness, just as easily as they can ignore a human voice. They can always withdraw from the suggestions tempting them to do wrong by exerting their will against the temptation. They can ask God to give them the necessary strength, and call out to good spirits for help. This is what Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer when he told us to recite, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
This theory of the cause of human action is the natural conclusion of all the teachings the spirits offer now. It is not only sublime in terms of morality; it also greatly enhances the self-respect of human beings. It shows them that they are as free to escape the shackles of an obsessor, as they are to close the doors to their houses to unwelcome intrusions. They are not machines, powered by an impulse that is independent of their will, rather, they are beings capable of reasoning, and possess the power to listen, to compare, and to choose freely between two different suggestions or recommendations. We should add that individuals are not deprived of their initiative when receiving advice. What they do is of their own volition because they are still spirits, although incarnated in a physical envelope, and as human beings, they still maintain the good and bad qualities they possessed as spirits. The faults that we commit are rooted in the imperfection of our spirit, which has not yet developed the moral superiority it will acquire over the course of time. Despite this fact, the spirit is still in full possession of its free will. The purpose of corporeal life is to purge all the imperfections of our spirit through the trials we endure. It is precisely these imperfections that weaken us and make us vulnerable to the influence of imperfect spirits. They take advantage of our weakness when they try to make us fail in our tasks. If we are victorious in the struggle, our spirit is elevated, if we fail, our spirit remains, as it was no better and no worse. However, the unsuccessful attempt will give way to a new attempt, which is a repetition of the same trial that may delay our advancement for a very long period. As we improve, our weakness diminishes and we give less and less power to those who would tempt us to wrongdoing. As our moral strength increases constantly, low-order spirits cease to act upon us.
All incarnate spirits, whether good or bad, make up the human race. As our planet is one of the most backward worlds in the universe, there are more bad spirits than good spirits, and perversity is widespread. We must do our utmost not to have to return to this world after our present sojourn and to deserve admission into a higher world, one of those privileged worlds, where goodness reigns, and where, once we get there, our time in this lower world will only be a brief, vague memory.
Every spirit chooses its future physical life according to its degree of purification at the time they are wandering and free from matter. The spirit is free to make this choice, as we have previously pointed out, based on its free will. This free will is not lost through incarnation. If an incarnate spirit yields to the influence of matter, it succumbs in the trials it has chosen for itself. However, the spirit can call out for God’s guidance and the support of good spirits for strength and assistance. (See no. 337)
Without free will, there would be neither guilt in doing wrong, nor merit in doing right. This concept is so well recognized that the world always assigns blame or praise of any deed to the intention, that is, the will of the person committing the act, with will simply being another word for freedom. People could not blame their wrongs on their bodies without abandoning their reason and condition as human beings, which would place them on the same level as wild animals. If they could do so with regard to what is wrong, they would have to do the same for what is right. Whenever individuals do right, they claim this merit and would never think of attributing it to their bodies, which proves that they instinctively refuse to renounce the most remarkable privilege of their species, the freedom of thought.
Fatalism, as commonly understood, assumes a prior and binding predestination of all the events of human life, regardless of their importance. If this were true, people would be machines without a will of their own. What would be the purpose of intelligence, if it were always overruled in all its action by the power of destiny? This destroys any sense of moral freedom. There would be no such thing as human accountability, and consequently there would be no distinction between good and evil, or virtue and crime. God, who is supremely just, could not punish people for faults that they were forced to commit, nor could they be rewarded for virtues that they do not merit. This would contradict the law of progress because humans would not be motivated to improve their position since their actions could make it neither better nor worse.
Fatalism, however, is not a meaningless word. It really exists with regard to the position held by all human beings on Earth and the roles they fill. Fatalism is a consequence of the type of existence their spirits chose as a trial, repentance, or mission. They are subjected to the digressions of the life they have chosen, in addition to all the intrinsic temptations, good or bad. This is where fatalism ends, because human will determines if they yield to those temptations or not. The details of events depend on the circumstances that human beings cause by their actions, and they may be influenced by the good or bad thoughts suggested by spirits. (See no. 459)
Therefore, fatalism exists in the events that occur, because they are the consequence of the choice made by our spirit in what type of existence to live. However, there can be no fatalism in the results of those events, because human beings can often modify their results by using their own judgment. Therefore, there is no fatalism with regard to the acts of our moral life.
People are victims of an absolute and inescapable destiny only at the time of death. They can neither avoid the fate determining the length of their lives, nor avoid the kind of death that is destined for them.
According to common belief, human beings derive all their instincts from themselves. These instincts proceed from their physical bodies, for which they are not responsible, or from their own nature, which would provide them with an equally valid excuse for their imperfections. If such were the case, they could rightly claim that it is through no choice of their own that they are what they are. Spiritism is more moral. It admits the free will for humans in all its fullness and, in telling them that they yield to a vile suggestion made by another spirit when they do wrong, it makes them fully accountable for their actions. It recognizes their ability to resist contemptible suggestions, which is easier than fighting their inherent nature. Accordingly, Spiritist theory dictates that no temptation is irresistible. People can always ignore the invisible voice addressing their inner consciousness, just as easily as they can ignore a human voice. They can always withdraw from the suggestions tempting them to do wrong by exerting their will against the temptation. They can ask God to give them the necessary strength, and call out to good spirits for help. This is what Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer when he told us to recite, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
This theory of the cause of human action is the natural conclusion of all the teachings the spirits offer now. It is not only sublime in terms of morality; it also greatly enhances the self-respect of human beings. It shows them that they are as free to escape the shackles of an obsessor, as they are to close the doors to their houses to unwelcome intrusions. They are not machines, powered by an impulse that is independent of their will, rather, they are beings capable of reasoning, and possess the power to listen, to compare, and to choose freely between two different suggestions or recommendations. We should add that individuals are not deprived of their initiative when receiving advice. What they do is of their own volition because they are still spirits, although incarnated in a physical envelope, and as human beings, they still maintain the good and bad qualities they possessed as spirits. The faults that we commit are rooted in the imperfection of our spirit, which has not yet developed the moral superiority it will acquire over the course of time. Despite this fact, the spirit is still in full possession of its free will. The purpose of corporeal life is to purge all the imperfections of our spirit through the trials we endure. It is precisely these imperfections that weaken us and make us vulnerable to the influence of imperfect spirits. They take advantage of our weakness when they try to make us fail in our tasks. If we are victorious in the struggle, our spirit is elevated, if we fail, our spirit remains, as it was no better and no worse. However, the unsuccessful attempt will give way to a new attempt, which is a repetition of the same trial that may delay our advancement for a very long period. As we improve, our weakness diminishes and we give less and less power to those who would tempt us to wrongdoing. As our moral strength increases constantly, low-order spirits cease to act upon us.
All incarnate spirits, whether good or bad, make up the human race. As our planet is one of the most backward worlds in the universe, there are more bad spirits than good spirits, and perversity is widespread. We must do our utmost not to have to return to this world after our present sojourn and to deserve admission into a higher world, one of those privileged worlds, where goodness reigns, and where, once we get there, our time in this lower world will only be a brief, vague memory.
CHAPTER XI—X. LAW OF JUSTICE, LOVE AND CHARITY
Natural Rights and Justice
873. Is the sense of justice natural or is it the product of acquired ideas?
“It is so natural that you are immediately appalled by the idea of an injustice. Moral progress definitely inspires this feeling, but it does not create it. God has placed it in the heart of all human beings and this is why you often find more stringent notions of justice in simple, primitive nations than others that are more educated.”
“It is so natural that you are immediately appalled by the idea of an injustice. Moral progress definitely inspires this feeling, but it does not create it. God has placed it in the heart of all human beings and this is why you often find more stringent notions of justice in simple, primitive nations than others that are more educated.”
874. If justice is a law of nature, why do people understand it so differently? How can the same thing be just to one person, yet unjust to another?
“It is because your passions often mingle with this sentiment and corrupt it, as they do with most natural sentiments, causing you to see things from a false point of view.”
“It is because your passions often mingle with this sentiment and corrupt it, as they do with most natural sentiments, causing you to see things from a false point of view.”
875. How should we define justice?
“Justice is respect for the rights of each and every individual.”
a) What determines these rights?
“Two things: human law and natural law. As human beings have created laws in harmony with their values and character, those laws have established rights that have varied with the progress of enlightenment. Your laws, although still far from perfect, no longer include what were considered rights in the Middle Ages. Those rights, while horrific to you now, appeared fair and natural at that time. Therefore, the rights established by humans are not always compliant with justice. In addition, they only govern certain social relations, while there are an infinite number of actions that are only tried privately by our conscience.”
“Justice is respect for the rights of each and every individual.”
a) What determines these rights?
“Two things: human law and natural law. As human beings have created laws in harmony with their values and character, those laws have established rights that have varied with the progress of enlightenment. Your laws, although still far from perfect, no longer include what were considered rights in the Middle Ages. Those rights, while horrific to you now, appeared fair and natural at that time. Therefore, the rights established by humans are not always compliant with justice. In addition, they only govern certain social relations, while there are an infinite number of actions that are only tried privately by our conscience.”
876. Apart from the rights established by human law, what is the basis of justice according to natural law?
“Christ told you, ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ God has placed in each of you the desire to see your own rights respected as the rule of true justice. When uncertain as to what we should do in regard to others at any given moment, we should ask ourselves what we would want others to do to us under the same circumstances. God could not give us a safer guide than our own conscience.”
The true measure of justice is, in fact, wanting for others what you would want for yourself. Merely wanting for yourself what you would want for others is not exactly the same thing. As it is unnatural to wish harm upon yourself, if we use our personal desires as the guide for our behavior towards our neighbors, we would never wish anything but good upon them. Universally, human beings have always sought to enforce their personal rights, while the unique factor of Christianity is the application of personal rights as the basis of our neighbors’ rights.
“Christ told you, ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ God has placed in each of you the desire to see your own rights respected as the rule of true justice. When uncertain as to what we should do in regard to others at any given moment, we should ask ourselves what we would want others to do to us under the same circumstances. God could not give us a safer guide than our own conscience.”
The true measure of justice is, in fact, wanting for others what you would want for yourself. Merely wanting for yourself what you would want for others is not exactly the same thing. As it is unnatural to wish harm upon yourself, if we use our personal desires as the guide for our behavior towards our neighbors, we would never wish anything but good upon them. Universally, human beings have always sought to enforce their personal rights, while the unique factor of Christianity is the application of personal rights as the basis of our neighbors’ rights.
877. Does our need to live in a society impose any special obligations?
“Yes and the first of these is to respect the rights of others, as those who respect those rights will always be fair. In your world, where so many neglect to practice the law of justice, people turn to retaliation, and this causes trouble and confusion in your society. Social life gives rights and imposes corresponding duties.”
“Yes and the first of these is to respect the rights of others, as those who respect those rights will always be fair. In your world, where so many neglect to practice the law of justice, people turn to retaliation, and this causes trouble and confusion in your society. Social life gives rights and imposes corresponding duties.”
878. It is possible for human beings to be deluded with respect to the boundaries of their rights? How do they know their true limits?
“They can know their own limits by matching them to the limits of the rights that they recognize for others undergoing similar circumstances, and vice versa.”
a) If individuals attribute the rights of others to themselves, what happens to subordination beneath superiors? Would this not result in complete anarchy of all power?
“Natural rights are the same for everyone, from the smallest to the greatest. God has not sculpted some human beings from a better quality clay than others, and all are equals in God’s eyes. These rights are eternal, while societal rights die with its institutions. Furthermore, people distinctly know their strength or weakness, and will always be conscious of feeling a sort of deference to those individuals whose wisdom or virtue deserve respect. This is important so that those who think that they are superior know what duties give them a right to be admired. There will be no defiance when authority is only granted to superior wisdom.”
“They can know their own limits by matching them to the limits of the rights that they recognize for others undergoing similar circumstances, and vice versa.”
a) If individuals attribute the rights of others to themselves, what happens to subordination beneath superiors? Would this not result in complete anarchy of all power?
“Natural rights are the same for everyone, from the smallest to the greatest. God has not sculpted some human beings from a better quality clay than others, and all are equals in God’s eyes. These rights are eternal, while societal rights die with its institutions. Furthermore, people distinctly know their strength or weakness, and will always be conscious of feeling a sort of deference to those individuals whose wisdom or virtue deserve respect. This is important so that those who think that they are superior know what duties give them a right to be admired. There will be no defiance when authority is only granted to superior wisdom.”
879. What would be the character of those who practice justice in all its purity?
“That of true justice, following the example of Jesus, because they would love their neighbor and practice charity. Without these virtues, there can be no real justice.”
“That of true justice, following the example of Jesus, because they would love their neighbor and practice charity. Without these virtues, there can be no real justice.”
The Right of Property – Theft
880. What is the first natural right of human beings?
“The right to live, therefore no one has the right to take the life of another or do anything that may compromise that individual’s existence.”
“The right to live, therefore no one has the right to take the life of another or do anything that may compromise that individual’s existence.”
881. Does the right to live give people the right to hoard wealth so that they can rest when no longer able to work?
“Yes, but they should do this in collaboration with their family by honest labor, as bees do, not by accumulating wealth in a selfish manner. Some animals serve as an example of this kind of foresight.”
“Yes, but they should do this in collaboration with their family by honest labor, as bees do, not by accumulating wealth in a selfish manner. Some animals serve as an example of this kind of foresight.”
882. Do humans have the right to defend what they have accumulated with their work?
“It was God who said, ‘Thou shalt not steal, and Jesus who said, ‘Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.’”
What people have accumulated by honest labor is legitimate property that they are entitled to defend. The possession of property that is the fruit of work is a natural right, as sacred as the right to labor or the right to live.
“It was God who said, ‘Thou shalt not steal, and Jesus who said, ‘Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.’”
What people have accumulated by honest labor is legitimate property that they are entitled to defend. The possession of property that is the fruit of work is a natural right, as sacred as the right to labor or the right to live.
883. Is the desire to own things natural? “Yes, but when it is simply for yourself and for personal satisfaction, it is selfishness.”
a) Is the desire to have possessions legitimate, since those who can support themselves are not a burden to others?
“Some people are greedy and accumulate wealth merely in order to satisfy their own passions, and without providing any benefit to anyone. Do you think that this makes God happy? On the contrary, those who accumulate wealth by honest labor to help their fellow human beings, practice the law of love and charity, and receive God’s blessing.”
a) Is the desire to have possessions legitimate, since those who can support themselves are not a burden to others?
“Some people are greedy and accumulate wealth merely in order to satisfy their own passions, and without providing any benefit to anyone. Do you think that this makes God happy? On the contrary, those who accumulate wealth by honest labor to help their fellow human beings, practice the law of love and charity, and receive God’s blessing.”
885. Is the right to property unlimited?
“Everything that has been legitimately acquired is property. However, as we have said, since human laws are flawed, they frequently establish conventional rights that contradict natural justice. For this reason, society reforms its laws as progress is accomplished, and as it obtains a better notion of justice. What appears right in one century is barbarous in another.” (See no. 795)
“Everything that has been legitimately acquired is property. However, as we have said, since human laws are flawed, they frequently establish conventional rights that contradict natural justice. For this reason, society reforms its laws as progress is accomplished, and as it obtains a better notion of justice. What appears right in one century is barbarous in another.” (See no. 795)
Charity and Loving Your Neighbor
886. What is the true meaning of the word charity as used by Jesus?
“Benevolence for everyone, indulgence towards the imperfections of others, and forgiveness of offenses.”
Love and charity complement the law of justice since loving your neighbor is to do to them all the good in our power, all that we would wish to have done to ourselves. This is the meaning behind Jesus’ words, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
According to Jesus, charity is not restricted to giving alms, but covers all our relations with our fellow human beings whether inferior, equal or superior. It preaches indulgence on our part because we need the same ourselves, and it forbids us from humiliating the unfortunate, as is too often done. How many of us lavish respect and attention on the rich, yet think that being civil to the poor is not worth the time or effort? Yet, the more deplorable the situation of the poor, the more painstakingly we should refrain from adding humiliation to their misfortune. Those who are truly kind, try to elevate others to their level by reducing the distance between them.
“Benevolence for everyone, indulgence towards the imperfections of others, and forgiveness of offenses.”
Love and charity complement the law of justice since loving your neighbor is to do to them all the good in our power, all that we would wish to have done to ourselves. This is the meaning behind Jesus’ words, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
According to Jesus, charity is not restricted to giving alms, but covers all our relations with our fellow human beings whether inferior, equal or superior. It preaches indulgence on our part because we need the same ourselves, and it forbids us from humiliating the unfortunate, as is too often done. How many of us lavish respect and attention on the rich, yet think that being civil to the poor is not worth the time or effort? Yet, the more deplorable the situation of the poor, the more painstakingly we should refrain from adding humiliation to their misfortune. Those who are truly kind, try to elevate others to their level by reducing the distance between them.
887. Jesus also said, “Love your enemies.” Does this contradict our natural tendency, and isn’t unfriendliness due to a lack of sympathy between spirits?
“It would certainly be impossible for someone to feel tender and passionate love for an enemy, and this is not what Jesus intended. ‘Love your enemies’ means to forgive them, and to do good despite their malicious actions. By doing this, you become their superior; by retribution, you sink beneath them.”
“It would certainly be impossible for someone to feel tender and passionate love for an enemy, and this is not what Jesus intended. ‘Love your enemies’ means to forgive them, and to do good despite their malicious actions. By doing this, you become their superior; by retribution, you sink beneath them.”
888. What should we think of alms giving?
“To be reduced to begging degrades people, both morally and physically; it wears them down. In a society based on Divine law and justice, a provision would be made for assisting the weak without humiliating them. This way, everyone who is unable to work would be guaranteed the means necessary to live so as not to leave their life at the mercy of chance and individual goodwill.”
a) Are you criticizing the practice of giving alms?
“No, giving money to the poor is not what is reprehensible; the problem is the way in which it is too often done. Those who understand charity as preached by Jesus seek out the needy themselves, without waiting for them to hold out their hand.”
“True charity is always gentle and compassionate, because the manner of practicing kindness is as important as the deed itself. A service, when gracefully rendered, has twice as much merit. If this same act is rendered in a patronizing manner, despite being accepted, the recipient’s heart is not touched by it.”
“Remember that ostentation and pretension destroy the merit of generosity in God’s eyes. Jesus said, ‘Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. This teaches that charity should not be tarnished by pride.”
“A distinction must be made between alms giving and benevolence. The neediest individuals are not always those found begging on the side of the road. Many who are truly poor are kept back from begging by dread of humiliation, and preferring to suffer silently and in secret. Those who are truly humane seeks out this hidden misery, and relieves it without any form of pretension.”
“‘Love one another’ is the Divine law by which God governs all the worlds of the universe. Love is the law of attraction for living and organized beings and attraction is the law of love for inorganic matter.”
“Never forget that all spirits, regardless of the degree of advancement, whether reincarnated or errant, are always placed between a more evolved spirit who guides and perfects them, and a less evolved one towards which they have the same duties to fulfill. Be charitable, and not just by coldly tossing a coin to a beggar who dares to ask for it from you, but by seeking out the poverty that hides itself from plain view. Be indulgent to the faults and weaknesses of those around you. Instead of despising the ignorant and vicious, educate them and make them better. Be gentle and compassionate to those lagging behind you and act the same with respect to the humblest beings of creation and you will have obeyed God’s law.” Saint Vincent of Paul
“To be reduced to begging degrades people, both morally and physically; it wears them down. In a society based on Divine law and justice, a provision would be made for assisting the weak without humiliating them. This way, everyone who is unable to work would be guaranteed the means necessary to live so as not to leave their life at the mercy of chance and individual goodwill.”
a) Are you criticizing the practice of giving alms?
“No, giving money to the poor is not what is reprehensible; the problem is the way in which it is too often done. Those who understand charity as preached by Jesus seek out the needy themselves, without waiting for them to hold out their hand.”
“True charity is always gentle and compassionate, because the manner of practicing kindness is as important as the deed itself. A service, when gracefully rendered, has twice as much merit. If this same act is rendered in a patronizing manner, despite being accepted, the recipient’s heart is not touched by it.”
“Remember that ostentation and pretension destroy the merit of generosity in God’s eyes. Jesus said, ‘Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. This teaches that charity should not be tarnished by pride.”
“A distinction must be made between alms giving and benevolence. The neediest individuals are not always those found begging on the side of the road. Many who are truly poor are kept back from begging by dread of humiliation, and preferring to suffer silently and in secret. Those who are truly humane seeks out this hidden misery, and relieves it without any form of pretension.”
“‘Love one another’ is the Divine law by which God governs all the worlds of the universe. Love is the law of attraction for living and organized beings and attraction is the law of love for inorganic matter.”
“Never forget that all spirits, regardless of the degree of advancement, whether reincarnated or errant, are always placed between a more evolved spirit who guides and perfects them, and a less evolved one towards which they have the same duties to fulfill. Be charitable, and not just by coldly tossing a coin to a beggar who dares to ask for it from you, but by seeking out the poverty that hides itself from plain view. Be indulgent to the faults and weaknesses of those around you. Instead of despising the ignorant and vicious, educate them and make them better. Be gentle and compassionate to those lagging behind you and act the same with respect to the humblest beings of creation and you will have obeyed God’s law.” Saint Vincent of Paul
889. Aren’t there people reduced to begging due to their own fault?
“Of course, but if a complete moral education had taught them to practice God’s law, they would not have fallen victim to the excesses that caused their demise. The improvement of your world ultimately relies on spreading this education.” (See no. 707)
“Of course, but if a complete moral education had taught them to practice God’s law, they would not have fallen victim to the excesses that caused their demise. The improvement of your world ultimately relies on spreading this education.” (See no. 707)
Maternal and Filial Love
890. Is maternal love an instinctive virtue or feeling shared by both humans and animals?
“It is both. Nature has endowed a mother with the love of her children to guarantee their survival. In animals, maternal love is limited to providing the material needs of the mother’s offspring. This affection ceases when this care is no longer needed. In the human race it lasts for a lifetime and assumes a character of selfless devotion, raising it to a virtue. It even survives death, and follows the child in the afterlife. Therefore, there is more to this love in humans than that which exists in animals.” (See nos. 205-385)
“It is both. Nature has endowed a mother with the love of her children to guarantee their survival. In animals, maternal love is limited to providing the material needs of the mother’s offspring. This affection ceases when this care is no longer needed. In the human race it lasts for a lifetime and assumes a character of selfless devotion, raising it to a virtue. It even survives death, and follows the child in the afterlife. Therefore, there is more to this love in humans than that which exists in animals.” (See nos. 205-385)
891. Since maternal love is natural, why mothers hate their children, and often from birth?
“The absence of maternal love is sometimes a trial chosen by the spirit of the child, or a form of atonement if the child has been a bad father, mother, or child, in a prior life (see no.392). In any case, a bad mother can only embody a bad spirit, who tries to make the child fail in the chosen trial. This violation of natural law does not go unpunished, and the spirit of the child is rewarded for the obstacles it overcomes.”
“The absence of maternal love is sometimes a trial chosen by the spirit of the child, or a form of atonement if the child has been a bad father, mother, or child, in a prior life (see no.392). In any case, a bad mother can only embody a bad spirit, who tries to make the child fail in the chosen trial. This violation of natural law does not go unpunished, and the spirit of the child is rewarded for the obstacles it overcomes.”
892. When parents have children who cause them grief, are they excused for not feeling the same tenderness they would have felt if their children’s behavior had been different?
“No, because parents are responsible for training their children; and their mission is to put forth every possible effort to lead them to the right road (see nos. 582, 583). Besides, the grief of the parents is often the consequence of the bad habits they have allowed their children to adopt from birth; they are forced to reap what they sow.”
“No, because parents are responsible for training their children; and their mission is to put forth every possible effort to lead them to the right road (see nos. 582, 583). Besides, the grief of the parents is often the consequence of the bad habits they have allowed their children to adopt from birth; they are forced to reap what they sow.”
CHAPTER XII—MORAL PERFECTlON
Virtues and Vices
893. Which is the most admirable of all the virtues?
“All virtues are admirable, as they all are signs of progress on the moral path. Every act of voluntary resistance to the seductive influence of temptations for wrongdoing is a sign of virtue, but the sublimity of virtue entails the sacrifice of self-interest for the good of others without having any ulterior motives. The most admirable of all virtues is that which is based on charity and is the most fair-minded.”
“All virtues are admirable, as they all are signs of progress on the moral path. Every act of voluntary resistance to the seductive influence of temptations for wrongdoing is a sign of virtue, but the sublimity of virtue entails the sacrifice of self-interest for the good of others without having any ulterior motives. The most admirable of all virtues is that which is based on charity and is the most fair-minded.”
894. Some people do good spontaneously, without having to overcome any conflicting feelings. Is there as much merit in their action as in that of others who have to struggle to overcome the imperfections of their own nature in order to do good?
“Those who no longer struggle against selfishness have already accomplished a certain amount of progress. They have struggled and succeeded, and they no longer have to put forth any effort into behaving morally or justly. Doing good is perfectly natural to them, because kindness has become a habit that they have acquired. They should be honored as veterans are. They have earned their medals.”
“As you are still far from perfection, their behavior is astonishing to you because their action contrasts so strongly with that of the rest of humankind, and you admire it given its rarity. However, the exception in your world is the rule in more advanced worlds. Goodness is everywhere in those worlds because they are only inhabited by good spirits, and even a single foul intention would be considered an exceptional monstrosity. That is why these worlds are happy and it will be the same on Earth when the human race has been transformed, and understands and practices the law of charity in its true meaning.”
“Those who no longer struggle against selfishness have already accomplished a certain amount of progress. They have struggled and succeeded, and they no longer have to put forth any effort into behaving morally or justly. Doing good is perfectly natural to them, because kindness has become a habit that they have acquired. They should be honored as veterans are. They have earned their medals.”
“As you are still far from perfection, their behavior is astonishing to you because their action contrasts so strongly with that of the rest of humankind, and you admire it given its rarity. However, the exception in your world is the rule in more advanced worlds. Goodness is everywhere in those worlds because they are only inhabited by good spirits, and even a single foul intention would be considered an exceptional monstrosity. That is why these worlds are happy and it will be the same on Earth when the human race has been transformed, and understands and practices the law of charity in its true meaning.”
895. Besides the obvious faults and vices, what is the most characteristic sign of imperfection?
“Self-interest. Moral qualities are too often like gilding on copper that cannot withstand the acid test. Some individuals may possess good qualities that help them to appear to be virtuous, but those qualities, despite proving that they have made a certain amount of progress, may not be capable of standing trial. The slightest disturbance of their narcissism is enough to reveal their true nature. Absolute disinterestedness is so rare on Earth, that when you do encounter it you may very well view it as a phenomenon.”
“Attachment to material things is a sign of inferiority, because the more you care for the things of this world, the less you understand your destiny. Your disinterestedness, on the contrary, proves that you have a more elevated view of the future.”
“Self-interest. Moral qualities are too often like gilding on copper that cannot withstand the acid test. Some individuals may possess good qualities that help them to appear to be virtuous, but those qualities, despite proving that they have made a certain amount of progress, may not be capable of standing trial. The slightest disturbance of their narcissism is enough to reveal their true nature. Absolute disinterestedness is so rare on Earth, that when you do encounter it you may very well view it as a phenomenon.”
“Attachment to material things is a sign of inferiority, because the more you care for the things of this world, the less you understand your destiny. Your disinterestedness, on the contrary, proves that you have a more elevated view of the future.”
896. Are there people who are indiscriminately generous and who dole out their money without doing any real good due to their lack of a reasonable plan? Is there any merit in their action?
“They have the merit of disinterestedness, but not that of the good they might do. While disinterestedness is a virtue, thoughtless spending reveals a lack of judgment, to say the least. Fortune is no more given to some individuals to be thrown away than to others to be locked up in a safe. This is a deposit for which they will have to render an account. They will have to answer for all the good they might have done, but also that which they failed to do. As well as all the tears they could have dried with the money they wasted on those who did not truly need it.”
“They have the merit of disinterestedness, but not that of the good they might do. While disinterestedness is a virtue, thoughtless spending reveals a lack of judgment, to say the least. Fortune is no more given to some individuals to be thrown away than to others to be locked up in a safe. This is a deposit for which they will have to render an account. They will have to answer for all the good they might have done, but also that which they failed to do. As well as all the tears they could have dried with the money they wasted on those who did not truly need it.”
897. Is it wrong if people do good in the hope that they will be rewarded in the next life, and that their situation will be better there for having done it? Will such an act have unfavorable consequences on their advancement?
“You should do good for the sake of charity, meaning disinterestedly.”
a) It is completely natural to want to advance to be free from this painful life. The spirits tell us to do good to reach this end. Is it wrong to hope that, through doing good, we may be better off than we are on Earth?
“Of course not. But those who do good impulsively, simply for the sake of pleasing God and providing relief to their suffering neighbors, have already reached a higher degree of advancement and are closer to reaching ultimate happiness than their brothers and sisters who, being more selfish, do good in hopes of receiving a reward, instead of being compelled by the goodness of their own hearts.” (See no. 894)
b) Should a distinction be made between the good we do for our neighbors and the effort we put forward to correct our own faults? We understand that there is little merit in doing good with the idea that we will be rewarded in the next life. Is it also a sign of inferiority to fix ourselves, conquer our passions, correct whatever flaws we may have, in the hope of bringing ourselves closer to good spirits and elevating ourselves?
“No, by doing good we merely mean being charitable. Those who count, in every charitable deed they do, how much they will be rewarded, in this life or the next, act selfishly. However, there is no selfishness in improving one’s self in the hope of getting closer to God, which should be everyone’s goal.”
“You should do good for the sake of charity, meaning disinterestedly.”
a) It is completely natural to want to advance to be free from this painful life. The spirits tell us to do good to reach this end. Is it wrong to hope that, through doing good, we may be better off than we are on Earth?
“Of course not. But those who do good impulsively, simply for the sake of pleasing God and providing relief to their suffering neighbors, have already reached a higher degree of advancement and are closer to reaching ultimate happiness than their brothers and sisters who, being more selfish, do good in hopes of receiving a reward, instead of being compelled by the goodness of their own hearts.” (See no. 894)
b) Should a distinction be made between the good we do for our neighbors and the effort we put forward to correct our own faults? We understand that there is little merit in doing good with the idea that we will be rewarded in the next life. Is it also a sign of inferiority to fix ourselves, conquer our passions, correct whatever flaws we may have, in the hope of bringing ourselves closer to good spirits and elevating ourselves?
“No, by doing good we merely mean being charitable. Those who count, in every charitable deed they do, how much they will be rewarded, in this life or the next, act selfishly. However, there is no selfishness in improving one’s self in the hope of getting closer to God, which should be everyone’s goal.”
898. Physical life is only a temporary stopover and our future life is what we should care about primarily. Is there any point in trying to acquire scientific knowledge that only refers to the objects and wants of this world?
“Of course there is. This knowledge enables you to benefit humankind. Also, if your spirit has already progressed in intelligence, it will rise faster in the spirit life and learn in an hour what it would take years to learn on Earth. No knowledge is useless since it all contributes to your advancement in one form or another. A perfect spirit must know everything and progress must be made in every direction. All acquired ideas help forward development.”
“Of course there is. This knowledge enables you to benefit humankind. Also, if your spirit has already progressed in intelligence, it will rise faster in the spirit life and learn in an hour what it would take years to learn on Earth. No knowledge is useless since it all contributes to your advancement in one form or another. A perfect spirit must know everything and progress must be made in every direction. All acquired ideas help forward development.”
899. Out of two rich individuals who both use their wealth solely for their personal satisfaction, one was born into affluence and has never known want, the other earned his or her wealth by personal labor, which is more shameful?
“The one who knows suffering and does nothing to relieve it. He or she knows unrelieved pain Too often, this person no longer remembers the difficulties it has endured.”
“The one who knows suffering and does nothing to relieve it. He or she knows unrelieved pain Too often, this person no longer remembers the difficulties it has endured.”
900. Can those who constantly accumulate wealth, without doing good for anyone, find an excuse in the fact that they will leave a large fortune to their heirs?
“This is a compromise with a bad conscience.”
“This is a compromise with a bad conscience.”
901. Imagine a scenario with two miserly individuals. One forgoes the necessities of life and dies in want surrounded by treasures. The other is self-indulgent and cheap with respect to others. This person winces at making the smallest sacrifice for others or serving a noble cause while the cost of indulging personal passions is inconsequential. This individual is always short on funds when kindness is asked for others, but has plenty of money to satisfy any of his own whims. Which of them is more disgraceful? Which one will be worse off in the spirit world?
“The one who recklessly spends money on personal pleasures, because he or she is more selfish than miser. The other is already undergoing a part of the atonement.”
“The one who recklessly spends money on personal pleasures, because he or she is more selfish than miser. The other is already undergoing a part of the atonement.”
902. Is it wrong to wish for wealth as a means of doing good?
“Such a desire is admirable when it is pure, but is it always truly disinterested? Don’t people first desire to do good for themselves?”
“Such a desire is admirable when it is pure, but is it always truly disinterested? Don’t people first desire to do good for themselves?”
903. Is it wrong to study other people’s faults?
“To do so merely for the sake of criticizing or exposing them is wrong, because it demonstrates a lack of charity. To do so for your own benefit to avoid replicating those flaws may sometimes be useful but you must not forget that understanding the faults of others is one of the elements of charity. Before criticizing others for their flaws, you should look at yourself and see if others could criticize you for the same faults. The only way to profit by such a critical examination of other’s faults is by trying to acquire the opposite virtues. Are those you criticize cheap? Be generous. Are they proud? Be humble and modest. Are they callous? Be gentle. Are they cruel and petty? Be great in everything that you do. Basically, act in such a way so that it may not be said of you, in Jesus’ words, that you ‘see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not see the beam in your own.’”
“To do so merely for the sake of criticizing or exposing them is wrong, because it demonstrates a lack of charity. To do so for your own benefit to avoid replicating those flaws may sometimes be useful but you must not forget that understanding the faults of others is one of the elements of charity. Before criticizing others for their flaws, you should look at yourself and see if others could criticize you for the same faults. The only way to profit by such a critical examination of other’s faults is by trying to acquire the opposite virtues. Are those you criticize cheap? Be generous. Are they proud? Be humble and modest. Are they callous? Be gentle. Are they cruel and petty? Be great in everything that you do. Basically, act in such a way so that it may not be said of you, in Jesus’ words, that you ‘see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not see the beam in your own.’”
904. Is it wrong to probe the plagues of society and revealing them?
“That depends on the motive behind this action. If a writer’s only purpose is to create a scandal, he or she obtains personal satisfaction from presenting images or situations that are corruptive rather than instructive. The mind perceives the evils of society, but those who take pleasure in portraying evil for the sake of evil will be punished for doing so.”
a) In this case, how can we judge the purity of intention and the sincerity of the authors?
“It is not always necessary. If authors write good things, you profit by them. If they write bad things, it is a question of conscience. However, if they want to prove their sincerity, do they do it by the excellence of their own example?”
“That depends on the motive behind this action. If a writer’s only purpose is to create a scandal, he or she obtains personal satisfaction from presenting images or situations that are corruptive rather than instructive. The mind perceives the evils of society, but those who take pleasure in portraying evil for the sake of evil will be punished for doing so.”
a) In this case, how can we judge the purity of intention and the sincerity of the authors?
“It is not always necessary. If authors write good things, you profit by them. If they write bad things, it is a question of conscience. However, if they want to prove their sincerity, do they do it by the excellence of their own example?”
905. There are great books that are full of moral teachings from which their authors have not derived much moral profit despite helping the progress of humanity. Is the good those authors do by their writings be counted to them as spirits?
“Professing the principles of morality without subsequent action is like having a seed without completing the sowing. What is the point of having the seed, if you do not make it bear fruit to feed you? These authors are even guiltier, because they possess the intelligence that enables them to understand. By not practicing the virtues they recommend to others, they fail to enjoy the harvest they could reap themselves.”
“Professing the principles of morality without subsequent action is like having a seed without completing the sowing. What is the point of having the seed, if you do not make it bear fruit to feed you? These authors are even guiltier, because they possess the intelligence that enables them to understand. By not practicing the virtues they recommend to others, they fail to enjoy the harvest they could reap themselves.”
906. Is it wrong for those who do good to be conscious of the goodness of their deed, and to acknowledge that goodness to themselves?
“Since human beings are aware of the bad they do, they must also be aware of the good they do as well. It is only by this recognition of their conscience that they can know whether they have done good or bad. By weighing all their actions according to God’s law, especially the law of justice, love and charity, they can decide whether they are good or bad, and can approve or disapprove of those actions accordingly. Therefore, it is not wrong to recognize the fact that they have triumphed over evil and rejoice in having done so, provided that this does not turn into narcissism, because that would be as reprehensible as any of the faults over which they have triumphed.” (See no. 919)
“Since human beings are aware of the bad they do, they must also be aware of the good they do as well. It is only by this recognition of their conscience that they can know whether they have done good or bad. By weighing all their actions according to God’s law, especially the law of justice, love and charity, they can decide whether they are good or bad, and can approve or disapprove of those actions accordingly. Therefore, it is not wrong to recognize the fact that they have triumphed over evil and rejoice in having done so, provided that this does not turn into narcissism, because that would be as reprehensible as any of the faults over which they have triumphed.” (See no. 919)
Passions
907. As our passions are rooted in nature, are they bad in themselves?
“No, it is only their abuse or excess that is bad. The principle of all passions has been given to human beings for their own good, and these passions may spur them to accomplish great things. It is only their abuse that does harm.”
“No, it is only their abuse or excess that is bad. The principle of all passions has been given to human beings for their own good, and these passions may spur them to accomplish great things. It is only their abuse that does harm.”
908. How can we define the limit at which passions cease to be good or bad?
“Passions are like a horse that is positive or useful when under control, but dangerous when untamed. A passion becomes wicked the moment you lose control of it, and when it causes harm to yourselves or others.”
Passions are switches that greatly increase your powers, and help you carry out God’s designs. If you allow yourself to be ruled by your passions instead of controlling them, you become a victim of excess. The same force that can be useful ends up annihilating you.
All the passions are rooted in a natural sentiment or want. They are not bad in themselves, since they constitute one of the God-given conditions of our existence. “Passion” usually signifies the exaggeration of a need or feeling, it lies in the excess and not in the cause, and such excess becomes evil when it results in some kind of evil. Every passion that brings human beings closer to an animalistic nature carries them farther away from the spiritual nature. On the contrary, every feeling that raises human beings above the animal nature demonstrates the dominance of their spiritual side over their animal side and brings them closer to perfection.
“Passions are like a horse that is positive or useful when under control, but dangerous when untamed. A passion becomes wicked the moment you lose control of it, and when it causes harm to yourselves or others.”
Passions are switches that greatly increase your powers, and help you carry out God’s designs. If you allow yourself to be ruled by your passions instead of controlling them, you become a victim of excess. The same force that can be useful ends up annihilating you.
All the passions are rooted in a natural sentiment or want. They are not bad in themselves, since they constitute one of the God-given conditions of our existence. “Passion” usually signifies the exaggeration of a need or feeling, it lies in the excess and not in the cause, and such excess becomes evil when it results in some kind of evil. Every passion that brings human beings closer to an animalistic nature carries them farther away from the spiritual nature. On the contrary, every feeling that raises human beings above the animal nature demonstrates the dominance of their spiritual side over their animal side and brings them closer to perfection.
909. Are an individual’s own efforts enough to vanquish his or her bad tendencies?
“Yes, a very small effort is often all that is needed. It is the will that is missing. It is quite astounding how few of you make any serious effort!”
“Yes, a very small effort is often all that is needed. It is the will that is missing. It is quite astounding how few of you make any serious effort!”
910. Can human beings obtain effective help from spirits in overcoming their passions?
“If they address a sincere prayer for such help to God, good spirits will help them as it is their duty to do so.” (See no. 459)
“If they address a sincere prayer for such help to God, good spirits will help them as it is their duty to do so.” (See no. 459)
911. Are passions sometimes so fierce and irresistible that the will is powerless to withstand them?
“Many people say ‘I want to,’ but their will in only on their lips. They are not genuinely sorry when what they want does not happen. When people are unable to conquer their passions, it is because they take pleasure in yielding to them. Those who can control their passions understands their spiritual nature and know that every victory over them is a triumph of their spirit over matter.”
“Many people say ‘I want to,’ but their will in only on their lips. They are not genuinely sorry when what they want does not happen. When people are unable to conquer their passions, it is because they take pleasure in yielding to them. Those who can control their passions understands their spiritual nature and know that every victory over them is a triumph of their spirit over matter.”
912. What is the most effective means of fighting the predominance of the corporeal nature?
“Practicing self-denial.”
“Practicing self-denial.”
Selfishness
913. What vice may we label as the root of the others?
“Selfishness, as we have repeatedly told you. Every wrongdoing can be traced back to selfishness. Study all the vices, and you will see that selfishness is at the root of them all. You will never succeed in eradicating them until, you attack them at their root, only then you have destroyed the selfishness that is their cause. All your efforts should be focused on this end, as selfishness is the plague of human society. All those who attempt to reach moral excellence must uproot every selfish feeling from their hearts, because it is incompatible with justice, love and charity; it offsets all other qualities.”
“Selfishness, as we have repeatedly told you. Every wrongdoing can be traced back to selfishness. Study all the vices, and you will see that selfishness is at the root of them all. You will never succeed in eradicating them until, you attack them at their root, only then you have destroyed the selfishness that is their cause. All your efforts should be focused on this end, as selfishness is the plague of human society. All those who attempt to reach moral excellence must uproot every selfish feeling from their hearts, because it is incompatible with justice, love and charity; it offsets all other qualities.”
914. As it is rooted in personal interest, it seems to be very difficult to entirely remove selfishness from the human heart. Is it possible?
“As human beings become enlightened in regard to spiritual things, they attach less value to material things. As they free themselves from the shackles of matter, they reform the human institutions that foster selfishness. This is accomplished through education.”
“As human beings become enlightened in regard to spiritual things, they attach less value to material things. As they free themselves from the shackles of matter, they reform the human institutions that foster selfishness. This is accomplished through education.”
915. As selfishness is inherent to the human race, will it not always be an obstacle to the reign of absolute goodness on Earth?
“Selfishness is your greatest evil, but it belongs to the spirits incarnated on Earth who are of an inferior nature and not to the entirety of the human race. Consequently, those spirits, in purifying themselves through successive lives, shed their selfishness like all their other impurities. Are there none among you who have rid themselves of selfishness, and who practice charity on Earth? There are more than you think, but they are not well-known because virtue does not seek to bask in the spotlight. If one individual like this exists, why should there not be ten? If there are ten, why should there not be one thousand, and so on?”
“Selfishness is your greatest evil, but it belongs to the spirits incarnated on Earth who are of an inferior nature and not to the entirety of the human race. Consequently, those spirits, in purifying themselves through successive lives, shed their selfishness like all their other impurities. Are there none among you who have rid themselves of selfishness, and who practice charity on Earth? There are more than you think, but they are not well-known because virtue does not seek to bask in the spotlight. If one individual like this exists, why should there not be ten? If there are ten, why should there not be one thousand, and so on?”
916. Selfishness increases with the civilization that seems to strengthen and intensify it. How can the cause destroy the effect?
“The greater the wickedness the more hideous it is. Selfishness has to do a vast amount of harm, so that you may understand how crucial the need is to eradicate it. When human beings overcome selfishness, they will live like brothers and sisters by mutually helping each other through a sense of solidarity. The strong will then support the weak, rather than oppress them, and no one will lack the necessities of life because everyone will obey the law of justice. This reign of good is what the spirits are responsible for preparing.” (See no. 784)
“The greater the wickedness the more hideous it is. Selfishness has to do a vast amount of harm, so that you may understand how crucial the need is to eradicate it. When human beings overcome selfishness, they will live like brothers and sisters by mutually helping each other through a sense of solidarity. The strong will then support the weak, rather than oppress them, and no one will lack the necessities of life because everyone will obey the law of justice. This reign of good is what the spirits are responsible for preparing.” (See no. 784)
917. How can we overcome selfishness?
“Of all human imperfections, selfishness is the most difficult to uproot. It is influenced by matter, from which human beings, still too close to their origin, have not yet been able to break loose, as human laws, society and education all support it. Selfishness will be gradually weakened as your moral life gains dominance over your material life, through the knowledge that Spiritism gives you regarding the reality of your future life, stripped of allegories and metaphors. When Spiritism is properly understood and identified with beliefs and habits of humankind, it will transform all your customs, traditions and social relations. Selfishness is based on the importance you attribute to your own personality. Spiritism makes you look at everything from such an elevated standpoint that all sense of individuality is lost in confronting this immensity. Spiritism battles selfishness by destroying self-importance and revealing its true nature.”
“Human beings often become selfish by experiencing the selfishness of others, which makes them feel the need to put themselves on the defensive. Seeing that others think of themselves and not of you causes you to think of yourself rather than others. Charity and fraternity must become the basis of all social institutions, the legal relations between nations and individuals. Only then will individuals think less of their own personal interests, because they will realize that others have thought of them. Humankind will then experience the upright influence of example and contact. Amidst the present deluge of selfishness, considerable virtue is needed for human beings to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others, and those who make such a sacrifice often receive little gratitude for such restraint. Those who possess this virtue are welcomed into the kingdom of Heaven with open arms, while those who have thought only of themselves will be cast aside on judgment day, and left to suffer in loneliness.” (See no. 785) Fénelon
Praiseworthy efforts are being put forward to help advance the progress of humanity. Kind and charitable thoughts are encouraged, stimulated and honored now more than at any other time in history, and yet selfishness continues to plague society. It is a social disease that affects everyone, of which everyone is more or less the victim, and should be fought like any other epidemic. To this end, we must emulate the methodology of a skilled physician and begin by tracing the disease to its origin. We must seek out, in every division of human society, from families to nations, from the hut to the palace, all the obvious and obscure causes and influences that sustain and foster selfishness. Once the causes of the disease are established, the remedy presents itself spontaneously through the combined efforts of all, and the virus is destroyed gradually. The cure may take a long time, because the causes are numerous, but it is not impossible. That being said, it can only be successful by getting to the root of the evil; that is, through education. Not the education that aims only to educate people; but the one that also aims to make them moral individuals.
Proper education is the key to moral progress. When the art of training the moral nature of human beings is as easily understood as the art of training the intellect, a corrupt nature can be straightened out just like a crooked sapling. However, this practice demands a great deal of tact, experience, and profound observation. It is a huge mistake to assume that possessing scientific knowledge alone is enough to enable the teacher to exercise it successfully. If we study, for instance, the lives of children, whether rich or poor, and note all the bad influences that act upon their weaknesses from the moment of their birth, taking into account the ignorance and negligence of those who are responsible for the upbringing of these children, and the improper means employed in moralizing them, it is no wonder to find so much wrong in the world.. If the same skill and care is given to the training of the moral nature as to that of the intellect, human beings would discover that if there are obstinate natures, there are also, in a greater number than you might think, those who require only the proper cultivation in order to yield good fruit. (See no. 872)
Human beings want to be happy and this natural desire prompts them to work tirelessly to improve their condition on Earth, and seek out the causes of their ills in order to address them. When they understand thoroughly that selfishness stimulates pride, ambition, greed, envy, hatred and jealousy and causes constant distress, that it brings trouble to all social relations, provokes conflict, destroys confidence, turns friends into enemies, and forces each individual to remain constantly on the defense against each other, then they will also see that this vice is incompatible with both happiness and security. The more they suffer from selfishness, the more intensely they feel the need to fight it, just as they fight diseases, dangerous animals, and every other source of disaster. They are compelled to act as such out of their own best interest. (See no. 784) Selfishness is the source of all vices, just as charity is the source of all virtues. Destroying one while developing the other should be the goal for all those who seek to guarantee happiness in the present life and in the next.
“Of all human imperfections, selfishness is the most difficult to uproot. It is influenced by matter, from which human beings, still too close to their origin, have not yet been able to break loose, as human laws, society and education all support it. Selfishness will be gradually weakened as your moral life gains dominance over your material life, through the knowledge that Spiritism gives you regarding the reality of your future life, stripped of allegories and metaphors. When Spiritism is properly understood and identified with beliefs and habits of humankind, it will transform all your customs, traditions and social relations. Selfishness is based on the importance you attribute to your own personality. Spiritism makes you look at everything from such an elevated standpoint that all sense of individuality is lost in confronting this immensity. Spiritism battles selfishness by destroying self-importance and revealing its true nature.”
“Human beings often become selfish by experiencing the selfishness of others, which makes them feel the need to put themselves on the defensive. Seeing that others think of themselves and not of you causes you to think of yourself rather than others. Charity and fraternity must become the basis of all social institutions, the legal relations between nations and individuals. Only then will individuals think less of their own personal interests, because they will realize that others have thought of them. Humankind will then experience the upright influence of example and contact. Amidst the present deluge of selfishness, considerable virtue is needed for human beings to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others, and those who make such a sacrifice often receive little gratitude for such restraint. Those who possess this virtue are welcomed into the kingdom of Heaven with open arms, while those who have thought only of themselves will be cast aside on judgment day, and left to suffer in loneliness.” (See no. 785) Fénelon
Praiseworthy efforts are being put forward to help advance the progress of humanity. Kind and charitable thoughts are encouraged, stimulated and honored now more than at any other time in history, and yet selfishness continues to plague society. It is a social disease that affects everyone, of which everyone is more or less the victim, and should be fought like any other epidemic. To this end, we must emulate the methodology of a skilled physician and begin by tracing the disease to its origin. We must seek out, in every division of human society, from families to nations, from the hut to the palace, all the obvious and obscure causes and influences that sustain and foster selfishness. Once the causes of the disease are established, the remedy presents itself spontaneously through the combined efforts of all, and the virus is destroyed gradually. The cure may take a long time, because the causes are numerous, but it is not impossible. That being said, it can only be successful by getting to the root of the evil; that is, through education. Not the education that aims only to educate people; but the one that also aims to make them moral individuals.
Proper education is the key to moral progress. When the art of training the moral nature of human beings is as easily understood as the art of training the intellect, a corrupt nature can be straightened out just like a crooked sapling. However, this practice demands a great deal of tact, experience, and profound observation. It is a huge mistake to assume that possessing scientific knowledge alone is enough to enable the teacher to exercise it successfully. If we study, for instance, the lives of children, whether rich or poor, and note all the bad influences that act upon their weaknesses from the moment of their birth, taking into account the ignorance and negligence of those who are responsible for the upbringing of these children, and the improper means employed in moralizing them, it is no wonder to find so much wrong in the world.. If the same skill and care is given to the training of the moral nature as to that of the intellect, human beings would discover that if there are obstinate natures, there are also, in a greater number than you might think, those who require only the proper cultivation in order to yield good fruit. (See no. 872)
Human beings want to be happy and this natural desire prompts them to work tirelessly to improve their condition on Earth, and seek out the causes of their ills in order to address them. When they understand thoroughly that selfishness stimulates pride, ambition, greed, envy, hatred and jealousy and causes constant distress, that it brings trouble to all social relations, provokes conflict, destroys confidence, turns friends into enemies, and forces each individual to remain constantly on the defense against each other, then they will also see that this vice is incompatible with both happiness and security. The more they suffer from selfishness, the more intensely they feel the need to fight it, just as they fight diseases, dangerous animals, and every other source of disaster. They are compelled to act as such out of their own best interest. (See no. 784) Selfishness is the source of all vices, just as charity is the source of all virtues. Destroying one while developing the other should be the goal for all those who seek to guarantee happiness in the present life and in the next.
Characteristics of the Virtuous Man
918. Are there signs indicating that humans have achieved the progress that will raise them in the spirit hierarchy?
“The elevation of incarnate spirits is demonstrated by the compliance of all their actions in the physical life with God’s law, and by their understanding of spiritual life.”
Truly virtuous individuals are those who practice the law of justice, love and charity, in their purest form. If people question their consciences in regard to their actions, they will ask themselves whether they have violated the law or done anything wrong, whether they have done all the good in their power, whether no one has reason to complain about them, and whether they have done to others everything that they would wish others to do to them.
When people are overwhelmed by feelings of charity and kindness for all, they do good for the sake of doing good, without looking for a reward, and they sacrifice their interests for justice.
They are kind, compassionate and humane to all, because they view everyone as their brothers and sisters, regardless of race or creed.
If God has given them power and wealth, they consider them DEPOSITS confided to them for the general good. They are not arrogant because they know that what God has given God can take away at any time.
When society makes people dependent on them, they treat them with kindness and compassion, as equals before God. They use authority to elevate them morally, rather than crushing them with their pride.
They are indulgent in relation to others’ weaknesses, knowing that they too need indulgence, and remembering Christ’s words, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
They are not vindictive and follow the example of Jesus, forgiving all offenses, as they know that they will only obtain forgiveness as they forgive others and themselves. Finally, they respect the rights of others, as established by the law of nature, as they would want others to respect their rights.
“The elevation of incarnate spirits is demonstrated by the compliance of all their actions in the physical life with God’s law, and by their understanding of spiritual life.”
Truly virtuous individuals are those who practice the law of justice, love and charity, in their purest form. If people question their consciences in regard to their actions, they will ask themselves whether they have violated the law or done anything wrong, whether they have done all the good in their power, whether no one has reason to complain about them, and whether they have done to others everything that they would wish others to do to them.
When people are overwhelmed by feelings of charity and kindness for all, they do good for the sake of doing good, without looking for a reward, and they sacrifice their interests for justice.
They are kind, compassionate and humane to all, because they view everyone as their brothers and sisters, regardless of race or creed.
If God has given them power and wealth, they consider them DEPOSITS confided to them for the general good. They are not arrogant because they know that what God has given God can take away at any time.
When society makes people dependent on them, they treat them with kindness and compassion, as equals before God. They use authority to elevate them morally, rather than crushing them with their pride.
They are indulgent in relation to others’ weaknesses, knowing that they too need indulgence, and remembering Christ’s words, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
They are not vindictive and follow the example of Jesus, forgiving all offenses, as they know that they will only obtain forgiveness as they forgive others and themselves. Finally, they respect the rights of others, as established by the law of nature, as they would want others to respect their rights.
Self-Knowledge
919. What is the most effective method for guaranteeing self-improvement and resisting the attraction of wrongdoing?
“A philosopher of antiquity once said, ‘Know thyself.’”
a) We fully admit the wisdom of this saying, but self-knowledge is precisely what is most difficult to achieve. How can we acquire it?
“Do what I myself used to do during my life on Earth. At the end of each day I would assess my conscience, review everything that I had done, and I would ask myself whether I had failed in some duty, whether someone might have reason to complain of me. It was thus that I arrived at knowing myself and in seeing what there was in me that needed to be reformed. If you review all your actions of the day every evening, asking yourself whether you have done good or bad, and praying for enlightenment from God and your guardian angel, you would acquire great strength for self-improvement because God would assist you. Ask yourself these questions, what you have done, what was your aim, whether you have done anything that you would find fault for in another, or whether you have done anything that you would be ashamed to admit. Also ask yourself: If God called me into the spirit life at this moment in time, where nothing is hidden, would I dread seeing anyone? Review what you may have done, first against God, second against your neighbor, and lastly, against yourself. The answers to these questions will either settle your conscience, or reveal some wrong that you will have to remedy.”
“Self-knowledge is the key to individual improvement. However, you may ask, ‘How does one judge one’s self? Aren’t all human beings subject to the illusions of arrogance, which diminishes their flaws in their own eyes and makes it possible to find excuses for them? Misers think that they are merely practicing economy and foresight, while proud individuals think their pride is dignity.’ This is true, but there is a way of proceeding that cannot deceive you. When you are in doubt regarding any of your actions, ask yourself what your judgment would be if it were done by another. If you would find cause for reproach in another, it cannot be less reprehensible when done by you because God’s justice is universal for all. Try to discover what others think and do not overlook the opinion of your enemies because they have no interest in disguising the truth, and God often places them in your life to serve as a mirror to warn you in a manner more frank than that of a friend. Those who are firmly resolved in achieving self-improvement must review their conscience in order to uproot their evil inclinations, just as they uproot weeds from their gardens. Every night they should settle their moral accounts for the day, just as businessmen account for their profits and losses. They can rest assured that the former will be a much more profitable operation than the latter. Those who can say that the balance is in their favor may sleep peacefully, and await their return to the spirit life without fear.”
“Ask yourself clear and precise questions, and do not hesitate to ask them often. You should devote a few minutes to guaranteeing happiness that will last forever. Do you not work every day so that you may rest when you have reached old age? Is this rest not the object of your desires, the aim that helps you endure your current hardships and deprivation? What comparison is there between a few days of rest, impaired by the weaknesses of the body, and the endless rest that awaits the virtuous? Is the latter not worth a slight effort? I know that many will say, ‘The present is certain, and the future uncertain,’ but this is precisely the error that we must erase from your minds by showing you your future in such a way as to leave no shred of doubt. This is why, having begun by producing phenomena designed to grab your attention by appealing to your senses, we now give you the moral teachings that each of you must in turn spread. This is why we have dictated The Spirits’ Book.”
Saint Augustine
We commit many faults that go unnoticed. If we followed the advice of Saint Augustine and examined our conscience more often, we would see how many times we have failed without even realizing it, due to our lack of scrutinizing the nature and reason behind our actions. The interrogative form is more precise than a maxim that often is not applied. It requires “yes” or “no” responses that leave no room for interpretation. These are personal arguments and by the sum of the responses, we can estimate the sum of good and evil within us.