Consequences of the Doctrine of Reincarnation on the Propagation of Spiritism“The fast propagation of Spiritism is a fact that nobody can deny. When something propagates it means that it is convenient. If Spiritism propagates it is then convenient. There are several reasons for that. The first one, and without contradiction, is the moral satisfaction given to those who understand and practice it. But even the strength associated to this very reason is partially influenced by the principle of reincarnation. That is what we shall try to demonstrate.
Every wise person will always give some worthwhile thought to a future life after death. Who on Earth would give more importance to a few days than to a number of years? Even more: during the first stage of life we work, endure and suffer all kinds of restrictions so that, in the second stage, one can enjoy some rest and wellbeing.
If we are so careful with respect to some undefined years isn’t that rational to be even more so with respect to our life beyond the grave, whose duration is unlimited? Why is that the majority of people work more for the volatile present than for the endless future? Fact is that we believe in the reality of the present and doubt the future. Now, one can only doubt what is not understood. Once the future is understood the issue is over.
Even to the eyes of those taught by common beliefs and who are better convinced about a future life it presents itself so vaguely that faith is not always enough to sink in that idea which is more characteristically hypothetical than reality.
Spiritism comes to destroy such uncertainty by the testimony of those who have already lived and by proofs that are in a way material.
Every religion is necessarily based on a future life and all dogmas forcibly converge to that unique end. That is the objective of the practice of those dogmas and one’s faith in them is directly proportional to the efficacy that one attributes to them in order to achieve that goal.
The theory of a future life is then the keystone of every religious doctrine. If that theory has a faulty foundation; if it opens up the door to serious objections; if it is contradictory; if the impossibility of certain parts is demonstrated, everything else falls apart. To begin with doubt is established. It is then followed by absolute denial and the dogmas are dragged down with the wreckage of faith. Some thought that banning the discussion and prescribing blind faith, as a virtue would avoid the danger.
The imposition of a blind faith, however, is ignorance of the times in which we. Willing or not people think; examine by the force of things; people want to know how and why. The development of sciences and technology shows the best terrains where one must set foot on. That is why we probe that one where we shall walk after death. If we do not find it sturdy enough, that is logical and rational, we leave it alone. However much they try they will not be able to neutralize this
tendency that is inherent to the moral and intellectual development of humanity. According to some this is good. According to others, this is bad. Regardless of how we see it we must accommodate to the situation since there is no way out.
The need to be aware and understand things goes from the material to moral life. Future life is certainly not the most touchable thing like a railroad or a steam engine but it can be understood through reasoning. If the train of thoughts employed to understand it does not satisfy reason then premises and conclusions are abandoned. If we question those who deny a future life and they will all say that they were lead to disbelief by the very picture that was shown to them with its entourage of devils and flames and endless suffering.
All moral, psychological and metaphysical questions are more or less connected to the issue of the future. It thus follows that this issue depends in a way on the rationality of the philosophical and religious doctrines. Spiritism in turn does not come as a religious but as a philosophical doctrine, bringing its doctrine founded on the fact of the manifestations. It does not impose itself; it does not demand a blind faith; it meddles with people and say: “Analyze, compare and judge. If you find anything better than what I give you than take it.”
Spiritism does not say: “I come to destroy the basis of religion and replace it by a new cult”. It does say: “I do not address the believers and those who are happy with their beliefs, but those who have abandoned their ranks in disbelief and for the fact that you did not know how or could not retain. I come to provide a rational interpretation to the truths that they reject, leading them to accept those truths. The number of souls that I take out of the swamp of disbelief is the proof that I can do it.”
Listen to them when they all say: “Had I been taught these things since my childhood and I would have never doubted. Now I believe because I understand.”
Should they be sent away for the fact that they do not accept the letter, but the spirit; the form but the principle? You are free to do so. If you feel that it is a duty to your conscience, nobody will violate that. However, I wouldn’t say that this is a lesser mistake. I say more: it is unwise.
As we said, future life is the essential objective of the moral life. Moral life has no foundation without future life. The triumph of Spiritism is precisely in the way it presents future life. Besides the proofs given by Spiritism, the picture that is painted is so clear, so logical and according to the goodness and to the justice of God that people say: “Yes, that is how it must be; that is how I had envisaged it and if I did not believe it the reason is the fact that I was taught differently.”
However, what is it that gives such a power to the theory of the future? What is it that makes it so attractive? We say that it is its inflexible logic that solves all the up until now unsolvable issues and that it is owned to the principle of the plurality of the existences. In fact, remove that principle and there will immediately appear thousands of problems, each more unsolvable than the next. In every step of the way we are faced by many objections. Such objections were not raised in the past because nobody thought about them. Now that the child has grown up the adult wants an in-depth understanding of things; the path must be clear; people probe and balance the actual value of the arguments and if these do not satisfy their reason, leaving them in darkness and uncertainty, they are then rejected until something better shows up.
The plurality of the existences is a key that opens new horizons; that gives meaning to many things that were misunderstood; that explains what was inexplicable. It conciliates the events of life with God’s justice and benevolence. That is why those who had doubted such justice and goodness now acknowledge the hand of Providence where it was ignored before.
In fact without reincarnation what can explain the innate ideas? How to justify cretinism, mental diseases, and barbarism side by side with the genius and civilization? The deep misery of some next door to the happiness of others? The premature deaths and so many other things?
From a religious point of view certain dogmas like the original sin, the fallen angels, the eternity of the penalties, the resurrection of flesh, etc. find in that principle a rational interpretation that leads to its acceptance, even by those who used to reject the word.
To summarize, modern civilization wants to understand. The principle of reincarnation illuminates what was obscure before. That is why we say that such a principle is one of the reasons that favor people to welcome Spiritism.
One could argue that reincarnation is not necessary to believe in Spirits and their manifestation. A proof of that is the fact that there are believers who do not admit such principle. It is true. We do not say that one cannot be a good Spiritist without that. We are not among those who throw stones at people that do not think like us. The only thing we say is that they have not discussed all the problems raised by the system of a single life, otherwise they would have recognized the impossibility of finding a solution to all of them.
In the beginning the idea of the plurality of the existences was received with surprise and mistrust. People then gradually familiarized with that as they recognized the impossibility of solving many difficulties without that principle, difficulties raised by psychology and future life.
There is one thing for sure. This system gains terrain every day while the other loses it. The adversaries of reincarnation these days in France – we speak of those who have studied the Spiritist science – count on a tiny number when compared to those who accept it. Even in America where they are in larger numbers for the reasons that we gave in our previous issue, such a principle begins to popularize. From that one the day when there will be no disagreement about this point.
