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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863 > December > Spiritism in Algeria
Regarding our article last month about the pastoral by Mr. Bishop of Alger several persons asked us if we had sent it to him. We are not aware if someone did it. As for ourselves we did not and here is the reason:
We don’t have the slightest interest in converting Mr. Bishop of Alger to our opinion. He could have seen in such a letter a kind of bravado from our side something that is not in our character. Still once more, Spiritism must be freely accepted instead of violating consciences; it must attract people by the force of reason, accessible to everyone, and by the good fruits that it produces; it must realize these words from Jesus Christ: “In the past heavens were taken by violence; today it is by kindness.”
Mr. Bishop of Alger either stops himself from speaking about an area he knows little to nothing about or he does not. In the first case, he must learn about the issue and do not stop reading the abundant articles about the subject if he does not wish to expose himself to regrettable mistakes. In the second case, it would be useless to try to open the eyes to someone who wishes to keep them shut.
It is a serious mistake to believe that the fate of Spiritism depends on the adhesion of this or that person. It is based on more solid foundations: the acceptance of the masses in which the opinion of the little ones weighs as much as that of the big ones.
It is not a single stone that accounts for the sturdiness of the edifice since a stone can be removed but not all stones that make the foundation. In a matter of such a broad interest the importance of individualities fades away. Each person brings their contribution in action but if some are missing the whole does not suffer for that.
Mr. Bishop of Alger did what he thought was within his own right. We say more: he did well because he acted according to his conscience. If the result is not what he expected it is for the fact that he chose the wrong path. That is all. It is not up to us to change his ideas and that is why we were not supposed to send him our article refuting his assertions. We did not write that for him but to the instruction of the Spiritists of all countries to reassure them with respect to the consequences of a maneuver that is likely to have followers. Hence, never mind the occurrence. The essential was to demonstrate that neither this one nor others will reach their objective: the destruction of Spiritism. As a general thesis in all of our refutations we never aim at the individuals because personal matters die with them. Spiritism sees things from above. It handles issues of principles that outlive the individuals.
In a given time all of the current detractors of Spiritism will be dead. If they were unable to hold their own in life they will even less likely to do so when dead. Much to the contrary more than one, as a Spirit, will acknowledge their mistake and support what they fought against when alive, as did the Bishop of Barcelona that we refer to prayers of every Spiritist according to his own wishes.
Behold more than one adversary is morally dead before their departure! How many articles that were supposed to vanish with the doctrine have survived? One or two years and they were forgotten and those that made more noise just lit a little spark into an already extinct fire. A few more years and they will no longer be remembered and will be sought as rarity.
Will the same happen to the Spiritist ideas? The facts respond to this question. Can one presume that those authors will be followed by more difficult adversaries that will be right against Spiritism? It is unlikely because the current adversaries do not lack either talent or good will or elevated social position. They are plenty of fire and eagerness but what they lack is arguments that may overcome those of the Spiritists and certainly it is not because they do not seek those arguments. With the continually increasing number of Spiritists the number of adversaries will diminish in proportion and these will be forced to accept what is a fact.
As a matter of fact, we have already said that the clergy is not unanimously against Spiritism. We personally know several ecclesiastics much sympathetic to this idea whose consequences they totally accept. Here is a very characteristic proof. The following fact whose authenticity we can guarantee happened very recently.
Two gentlemen were traveling by train. One was a scientist of materialistic and atheist ideas of the highest order and his friend, on the contrary, was very spiritualist. They were having a lively discussion, each one holding their positions. A young priest got on the train at a near station initially hearing the discussion and later on joining in. Addressing the unbeliever he said:
We don’t have the slightest interest in converting Mr. Bishop of Alger to our opinion. He could have seen in such a letter a kind of bravado from our side something that is not in our character. Still once more, Spiritism must be freely accepted instead of violating consciences; it must attract people by the force of reason, accessible to everyone, and by the good fruits that it produces; it must realize these words from Jesus Christ: “In the past heavens were taken by violence; today it is by kindness.”
Mr. Bishop of Alger either stops himself from speaking about an area he knows little to nothing about or he does not. In the first case, he must learn about the issue and do not stop reading the abundant articles about the subject if he does not wish to expose himself to regrettable mistakes. In the second case, it would be useless to try to open the eyes to someone who wishes to keep them shut.
It is a serious mistake to believe that the fate of Spiritism depends on the adhesion of this or that person. It is based on more solid foundations: the acceptance of the masses in which the opinion of the little ones weighs as much as that of the big ones.
It is not a single stone that accounts for the sturdiness of the edifice since a stone can be removed but not all stones that make the foundation. In a matter of such a broad interest the importance of individualities fades away. Each person brings their contribution in action but if some are missing the whole does not suffer for that.
Mr. Bishop of Alger did what he thought was within his own right. We say more: he did well because he acted according to his conscience. If the result is not what he expected it is for the fact that he chose the wrong path. That is all. It is not up to us to change his ideas and that is why we were not supposed to send him our article refuting his assertions. We did not write that for him but to the instruction of the Spiritists of all countries to reassure them with respect to the consequences of a maneuver that is likely to have followers. Hence, never mind the occurrence. The essential was to demonstrate that neither this one nor others will reach their objective: the destruction of Spiritism. As a general thesis in all of our refutations we never aim at the individuals because personal matters die with them. Spiritism sees things from above. It handles issues of principles that outlive the individuals.
In a given time all of the current detractors of Spiritism will be dead. If they were unable to hold their own in life they will even less likely to do so when dead. Much to the contrary more than one, as a Spirit, will acknowledge their mistake and support what they fought against when alive, as did the Bishop of Barcelona that we refer to prayers of every Spiritist according to his own wishes.
Behold more than one adversary is morally dead before their departure! How many articles that were supposed to vanish with the doctrine have survived? One or two years and they were forgotten and those that made more noise just lit a little spark into an already extinct fire. A few more years and they will no longer be remembered and will be sought as rarity.
Will the same happen to the Spiritist ideas? The facts respond to this question. Can one presume that those authors will be followed by more difficult adversaries that will be right against Spiritism? It is unlikely because the current adversaries do not lack either talent or good will or elevated social position. They are plenty of fire and eagerness but what they lack is arguments that may overcome those of the Spiritists and certainly it is not because they do not seek those arguments. With the continually increasing number of Spiritists the number of adversaries will diminish in proportion and these will be forced to accept what is a fact.
As a matter of fact, we have already said that the clergy is not unanimously against Spiritism. We personally know several ecclesiastics much sympathetic to this idea whose consequences they totally accept. Here is a very characteristic proof. The following fact whose authenticity we can guarantee happened very recently.
Two gentlemen were traveling by train. One was a scientist of materialistic and atheist ideas of the highest order and his friend, on the contrary, was very spiritualist. They were having a lively discussion, each one holding their positions. A young priest got on the train at a near station initially hearing the discussion and later on joining in. Addressing the unbeliever he said:
- It looks like, Sir, that you do not believe in anything, even in God!
- It is true, I confess Mr. Priest, and nobody has demonstrated that I am wrong.
- Then I advise you, Sir, to go to the Spiritists and you will believe.
- How come, Mr. Priest, how can you say that?
- Yes Sir, I say so because that is my conviction. I know, from experience, that when religion is impotent to defeat disbelief, Spiritism succeeds.
- But what would your Bishop think about what you have just told me?
- He would think what he wished and I would sustain it to him as well for it is not my habit to hide what I think.
- What uncle? You reading this book and not afraid of going mad? It is certainly to refute it in your sermons.
- On the contrary, this doctrine gives me peace with respect to the future because today I understand many mysteries that I did not before, even in the Gospels. And you, do you know it?
- Sure, I do know! I am Spiritist by soul and heart and besides a little bit medium as well. Why haven’t you told me
- Then, my dear nephew, shake my hand! We never agreed with one another about religion; that will be different now. Why haven’t you told me that?
- I was afraid of shocking you.
- You shocked me much more before for you disbelief.
- You were the cause of my disbelief.
- How come?
- Weren’t you the one that educated me? And what have you taught me in terms of religion? You always tried to explain to me what you yourself did not understand. Besides, when I asked and you did not have the answer you used to say: “Shut up. You need to believe instead of understanding. You will always be an atheist.” I could perhaps object now. I educate my son now and can assure you than he believes more than I did at his age in your hands and I don’t believe he will ever lose his faith because he understands everything as much as I do. If you saw the eagerness of his prayers, how kind and hardworking he is, always aware of his duties, you would be impressed. But tell me dear uncle, do you preach Spiritism to your parishioners?
- I wish but you understand that that it is not possible.
- Do you tell them about the flames of hell as you used to do in my time? I can tell you that now with no offense but really that used to make us laugh. I assure you that there were only three or four ladies that believed you. The young ladies, that are normally very afraid, would go and play the game of the devil after the sermons. If such a fear has so little appeal onto country people who are naturally superstitious, imagine how it is with enlightened people. Ah my dear uncle! It is time to change the batteries because the time of the devil is over.
- I know, and it is even worse that the majority no longer believes more in God than in the devil and for that reason they go more to the cabaret than to the Church. I assure you that I feel frequently embarrassed when I need to conciliate my duty with my conscience. I seek a middle ground; I speak more of moral, the duties with family and society with the support of the Gospels and there I am better heard and understood.
- What do you think would happen if you preached religion from the point of view of Spiritism?
- You made your confession and I will make mine with an open heart. I am sure that in less than ten years there would not be a single unbeliever in the parish and that everyone would be decent. It is faith that they lack. They have no faith and like the brute their skepticism is not countered by human respect given by education. I speak of moral but moral without faith has no foundation and Spiritism would give them such a faith because those persons have a lot of common sense despite their lack of education. They reason more than we think but with a lot of mistrust what brings the need to understand before they believe. For that there is nothing better than Spiritism.
- The consequence of what you say my uncle is that if the result is possible in a parish it is also possible in others. Hence if every priest in France preached with the support of Spiritism society would be transformed in a few years.
- That is what I think.
- Do you think that this is going to happen one day?
- I hope so.
- And I am certain that before the end of this century such a change will take place. Tell me, uncle, are you a medium?
- Quiet (whispering). Yes!
- And what is it that the Spirits tell you?
- They tell me that… (Here the priest spoke at such a low voice that the nephew did not hear).
It was the scientist himself that told this story to a friend of ours from whom we learned the case. Here is another not less significant one.
One of our keen followers was visiting one of his uncles, a priest in a village, and found him reading The Spirits’ Book. We transcribe below the report that we were given about the conversation.
We said that the sermon given by Mr. Bishop of Alger had not blocked the progress of Spiritism in that region. The summary of the letters below, among many others, gives us an idea of that:
“Dear venerable master, confirming my previous letter on the occasion of the memo by Mr. Bishop of Alger, I today want to renew the certainty in the unbreakable dedication of every Spiritist in our group to the sacred and sublime Spiritist Doctrine and that we will never be persuaded that it is the works of the devil since it has yanked us from the doubt the cult of matter, makes us better to one another even to our enemies for whom we pray every day. Like in the past, we continue to gather and receive instructions from superior and protector Spirits that assure us that everything that happens is for the better and according to the wise designs of Providence. All of them tell us that the time is near in which great changes take place in people’s beliefs and that Spiritism will operate as a link among them, leading humanity to fraternity…”
Another letter says:
“Mr. Bishop of Alger’s memo provided our priest with content for a deadly sermon against Spiritism, particularly given his eloquence. I am wrong because he created a strong impression onto mockers that saw Spiritism taken so seriously by an ecclesiastic authority telling themselves that there should be something serious there. It prompted them to study it and now they no longer laugh and count among us. As a matter of fact the number of Spiritists continues to grow and several new groups are about to be formed.”
All of our correspondence is in the same direction and does not show a single defection but only persons whose positions depended on the ecclesiastic authority hence avoiding exposure, but that nonetheless deal with Spiritism in their private time or in the silence of their bedrooms. They can make impositions to the outside but cannot control the conscience. The communication below demonstrates that the impulse has not diminished both among people and among the Spirits.
“Setif, September 17th, 1863
My dear friends, I come to you full of happiness by seeing Spiritism making fast progress and by acquiring new strength everyday amidst the obstacles that are placed on its way. Those forces are not only related to the quantity but to the union, fraternity and charity. Hence, you must have confidence, hope and courage when marching on this avenue of Spiritist progress from which no human force can veer you off. Nevertheless you must be prepared for the fight. Out there the enemies prepare heavy shackles with which they intend to chain and dominate you. What can they do against God’s will that protects you? The foundations of his law shall rise regardless of the obstacles. The servants of the Almighty are full of ardor and zeal. They shall not abate; they shall resist every attack; they shall always walk the path, despite everything; the obstacles and the chains will break as if made of glass. I tell you this, you must worship and pray and reach out to the unfortunate brothers and open the eyes of those who have them closed. May you embrace everyone, without exception, with your arms and hearts!
Spiritists, your mission is beautiful. What is it that can be more reassuring than this pact between the living and the dead? How great a service we can mutually do for one another! You can do a lot by your prayers to God, from the bottom of your hearts, to alleviate the suffering souls, and how soothing is that to the heart of the one that sends those prayers! How touching are the blessings that you have deserved! Still once more, pray and raise your soul to heavens and rest assured that each and every one of your prayers will be heard and will mitigate one pain.
Understand that the more people you guide to imitate you the more powerful the aggregated prayers will be. Take your fellow human being by the hand and lead them to the true route where your seeds will grow. Preach the good doctrine, the doctrine of Jesus, the one taught by the divine Master in his own communications, repeating and confirming the doctrine of the Gospels. Those who live will see remarkable things, I assure you.
Is it necessary to respond to that memo through the press?
My God! Allow me to tell you what I think. They established a route. They had it swept so that the people can walk there with comfort and in larger numbers. Hence the multitude comes here, packing the place. You must understand my somewhat enigmatic language. Your duty is to demonstrate that they have opened the door instead of closing it.
St. Joseph”
One of our keen followers was visiting one of his uncles, a priest in a village, and found him reading The Spirits’ Book. We transcribe below the report that we were given about the conversation.
We said that the sermon given by Mr. Bishop of Alger had not blocked the progress of Spiritism in that region. The summary of the letters below, among many others, gives us an idea of that:
“Dear venerable master, confirming my previous letter on the occasion of the memo by Mr. Bishop of Alger, I today want to renew the certainty in the unbreakable dedication of every Spiritist in our group to the sacred and sublime Spiritist Doctrine and that we will never be persuaded that it is the works of the devil since it has yanked us from the doubt the cult of matter, makes us better to one another even to our enemies for whom we pray every day. Like in the past, we continue to gather and receive instructions from superior and protector Spirits that assure us that everything that happens is for the better and according to the wise designs of Providence. All of them tell us that the time is near in which great changes take place in people’s beliefs and that Spiritism will operate as a link among them, leading humanity to fraternity…”
Another letter says:
“Mr. Bishop of Alger’s memo provided our priest with content for a deadly sermon against Spiritism, particularly given his eloquence. I am wrong because he created a strong impression onto mockers that saw Spiritism taken so seriously by an ecclesiastic authority telling themselves that there should be something serious there. It prompted them to study it and now they no longer laugh and count among us. As a matter of fact the number of Spiritists continues to grow and several new groups are about to be formed.”
All of our correspondence is in the same direction and does not show a single defection but only persons whose positions depended on the ecclesiastic authority hence avoiding exposure, but that nonetheless deal with Spiritism in their private time or in the silence of their bedrooms. They can make impositions to the outside but cannot control the conscience. The communication below demonstrates that the impulse has not diminished both among people and among the Spirits.
“Setif, September 17th, 1863
My dear friends, I come to you full of happiness by seeing Spiritism making fast progress and by acquiring new strength everyday amidst the obstacles that are placed on its way. Those forces are not only related to the quantity but to the union, fraternity and charity. Hence, you must have confidence, hope and courage when marching on this avenue of Spiritist progress from which no human force can veer you off. Nevertheless you must be prepared for the fight. Out there the enemies prepare heavy shackles with which they intend to chain and dominate you. What can they do against God’s will that protects you? The foundations of his law shall rise regardless of the obstacles. The servants of the Almighty are full of ardor and zeal. They shall not abate; they shall resist every attack; they shall always walk the path, despite everything; the obstacles and the chains will break as if made of glass. I tell you this, you must worship and pray and reach out to the unfortunate brothers and open the eyes of those who have them closed. May you embrace everyone, without exception, with your arms and hearts!
Spiritists, your mission is beautiful. What is it that can be more reassuring than this pact between the living and the dead? How great a service we can mutually do for one another! You can do a lot by your prayers to God, from the bottom of your hearts, to alleviate the suffering souls, and how soothing is that to the heart of the one that sends those prayers! How touching are the blessings that you have deserved! Still once more, pray and raise your soul to heavens and rest assured that each and every one of your prayers will be heard and will mitigate one pain.
Understand that the more people you guide to imitate you the more powerful the aggregated prayers will be. Take your fellow human being by the hand and lead them to the true route where your seeds will grow. Preach the good doctrine, the doctrine of Jesus, the one taught by the divine Master in his own communications, repeating and confirming the doctrine of the Gospels. Those who live will see remarkable things, I assure you.
Is it necessary to respond to that memo through the press?
My God! Allow me to tell you what I think. They established a route. They had it swept so that the people can walk there with comfort and in larger numbers. Hence the multitude comes here, packing the place. You must understand my somewhat enigmatic language. Your duty is to demonstrate that they have opened the door instead of closing it.
St. Joseph”
OBSERVATION: This communication was obtained by a worker, an absolutely illiterate medium that could hardly sign his name. Since he became a medium he wrote some but with difficulty. One cannot suspect that the communication above was the work of his imagination.