Honorary members of the Parisian SocietyIn order to demonstrate our sympathy and gratitude to those who work in service to the cause of Spiritism, through devotion and selflessness, and expose themselves to danger, when necessary, the Spiritist Society of Paris award them with the title of honorary members. The Society then has the pleasure of acknowledging the contribution of chiefs and founders of societies and groups to the common task under the same flag and directed by the principles of serious Spiritism in order to achieve moral outcomes. Their guiding motives are more actions than words. They not only exist in several cities of France and Algeria but also in Italy, Spain, Austria, Poland, Constantinople, America, etc.
Mr. Dombre from Marmande who has always been an open propagandist and defender of Spiritism since his initiation deserved this distinction. When we announced his nomination as we asked for his permission to publish his letter to father F… (See articles from previous month). His answer deserves to be mentioned here for showing how certain followers understand their role:
“Marmande, August 10th 1862
Mr. Allan Kardec,
I thankfully accept the title of honorary member of the Spiritist Society of Paris. To deserve such a distinction represents a commitment and the testimony of sympathy on the part of the members of this Society who awarded me with this title. I will always and everywhere do my best to help, as much as I can, in the proliferation of a doctrine that makes me happy here on Earth and will in a distant future do the same to those who still want to keep their eyes covered by the veil of disbelief. I see no harm or inconvenience in the publication of my answer to the director of the Abeille Agénaise and my letter to father F… My letter to the latter one was signed: A Catholic. I think that not a single reader will believe that the author wanted to remain anonymous since I have no fear for people’s judgment. I laugh at those who laugh because I am with the truth. Every true Spiritist must energize the timid followers through the example, holding high and strong the flag of one’s belief.
Please, Sir, extend my most sincere acknowledgment to the honorable Society to which I congratulate myself for taking part… etc.
Dombre, owner”
The fear for what others might say about Spiritism now diminishes significantly and the number of those who hide their opinion is minimal. It is reduced to those who are afraid of losing their jobs and among them there are more priests than one can imagine. We personally know of more than a hundred.
Yet we notice in all social positions, among public servants, military officers of all patents, medical doctors, etc., many people who just a year ago would not declare their opinion but who now feel honored by doing so. Such courage of opinion that faces mockery has as its first consequence the encouragement of the timid; it then shows that the number of followers is larger than originally
assumed and finally it imposes silence to the individuals surprised by hearing the word Spiritism from all sides and pronounced by people that one thinks twice before kidding. Hence, it has been observed that the jesters have lowered their voice for some time now. A few years more and their role will be over for their will be defeated by the opinion of all sides.
Mr. Dombre has courage. He faces the adversaries with resolution and challenges them to the discussion. It is here where we have the refusal of a journalist revealing weakness and a preacher to whom he offers the best occasion to promote his arguments, bashing the doctrine who sneaks out saying that he has no time to respond. Is not that desertion from the battlefield? If he were sure of himself and if religion were at stake here why not stay to defeat the adversary? In such occasions abandoning the game is the same as losing the match. A preacher has a huge advantage against a lawyer. He speaks without a contradictor. He can say whatever he likes and nobody will contradict. As it seems that is the way that the adversaries of Spiritism understand controversy.
At the moment, Mr. Dombre was not the only one to keep his cool. Bordeaux, Lyon and many other less important cities and even several villages have given us many individual examples that grow on a daily basis. Everywhere the followers show firmness and energy the adversaries show moderation.
Up until now such courage of opinion and action is more widely found in the middle and more obscure classes than in the more elevated ones but if a celebrity person who is fairly loved and honored for talents or social position embraces the Spiritist cause and openly holds its flag high would others dare to call such a person mad, a person whose genius and talent have been glorified? Wouldn’t such a voice impose silence to the cries of disbelief? Such a person will come, I guarantee. The dissidents will join in with their voices, yielding to the influence of moral authority. Such a person will also have a providential mission like all others who help with the advancement of humanity; a general mission like many others that are private and local. The latter ones, although more modest, do not have a lesser value because they pave the way. That is when Spiritism will sail at full power affecting and profoundly modifying the customs because the new ideas are different in all points. We sow and they will harvest because many more will follow the example.
Spiritists you must sow, sow in abundance so that the harvest be more abundant and easier. The past guarantees your future!
