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Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1866 > July > Of the general relief fund project and other institutions for Spiritists
Of the general relief fund project and other institutions for Spiritists
In one of the Spiritist groups of Paris, a medium received recently the following communication from the Spirit of his grandmother:
“My dear son, I am going to speak to you for a moment about the issues of charity that concerned you this morning, on the way to work. The children that are delivered to hired nurses, and the poor women that are forced, in defiance of their pudicity, that is dear to them, to serve in hospitals as experimental material to doctors and medical students, are two great plagues that every good heart must apply themselves to cure, and it is not impossible. May the Spiritists do as the Catholic do. May they save a little bit every week, and capitalizing these resources they will get to serious, great, and truly efficient foundations. The charity that relieves a current illness is a holy charity, that I encourage with all my heart, but the charity that is perpetuated in immortal foundations, like the miseries that they are supposed to alleviate, is an intelligent charity that would make me happy to see it put in practice.
I would like to see a work elaborated with the objective of creating first an establishment of limited proportions. When we see the good result of this first creation, we would then move to another one that would grow gradually, as God wishes it to be, because progress happens in a slow, wise, and calculated march. I repeat that what I am proposing is not difficult; there wouldn’t be a single true Spiritist that would dare fail to respond to the appeal for the relief of their fellow human beings, and the Spiritists are in large number to form, by the accumulation of a weekly amount, a capital that is sufficient for the first establishment to serve the sick women, that would be cared for by women, and who would then no longer hide their sufferings to keep their pudicity.
I deliver these reflections for the meditation of the benevolent persons that attend the session, and I have no doubt that they will bear good fruits. The groups in the country would promptly rally to such a beautiful, and at the same time, so useful and paternal idea. It would, moreover, be a monument to the moral value of Spiritism, so slandered and that will continue to be so for a long time to come.
I said, local charity is good and benefits an individual, but it does not uplift the mind of the masses, like a lasting work. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could repel slander by telling the slanders: “This is what we have done; the tree is recognized by the fruit; a bad tree does not bear good fruits, and the good tree does not bear bad ones.”
Also think of the poor children that leave hospitals to die in mercenary hands, two simultaneous crimes: to give away a weak and helpless child, and the one that sacrificed her mercilessly. May everyone send their prayers to the sad victims of the improvident society and seek a solution to rescue them from their miseries. God wants us to try, giving the means to reach the objective; it is necessary to act. We succeed when we have faith, and faith move mountains. Let Mr. Kardec deals with the matter in his journal, and you will see how it is going to be welcome with dedication and enthusiasm. I said that it was necessary to have a material monument that attested the faith of the Spiritists, like the pyramids in Egypt attest the vanity of the Pharos, but instead of doing foolish things, do works that carry the seal of God Himself. Everybody must understand me, I do not insist.
I leave, my dear child. You good grandmother, as you see, always loves her grandchildren, as I loved you when you were a little child. I want you to love them, as I do, and think about finding a good organization. You can if you wish so, and we will help you, if necessary. I bless you,
Marie G…”
The idea of a central and general relief fund formed among the Spiritist has already been conceived and expressed by persons with excellent intentions, but it is not enough that an idea be great, beautiful and generous; it must, above all, be practical. We have certainly given enough proofs of our devotion to the cause of Spiritism, not to be suspected of indifference about it. Well, it is precisely by force of our very solicitude that we seek to warn against blind enthusiasm. Before undertaking something, it is necessary to assess its pros and cons, avoiding the always unpleasant setbacks, that would certainly be exploited by our adversaries. Spiritism must always march with certainty, and when it sets foot onto something, it must be sure that it is stepping on solid ground. Victory does not always come to the hurried one, but much more surely to the one that waits for the right moment. There are results that can only be the work of time and the infiltration of the idea into the minds of the masses. Let us, therefore, know to wait for the tree to be formed, before demanding an abundant harvest.
For a long time now, we have been proposing that you analyze the question in depth, placing it in its true ground, forewarning against delusions of projects that are more generous than considered, and whose abortion would have unfortunate consequences. The communication given above, about which we were kindly asked to give our opinion, offers a very natural occasion to us. Let us then examine both, the project of centralization of the funds as well as some other institutions and special establishments for Spiritism.
Before anything else, it is appropriate to realize the real state of things. There is no doubt that the Spiritists are in large number, and this number grows incessantly. From that point of view, if offers an unique spectacle, that of an unheard of propagation in the history of the philosophical doctrines, for there isn’t a single one, without exception of Christianity, that has connected so many followers in such a small number of years. This is a notorious fact that confounds even the antagonists. And what is not less characteristic, is the fact that the propagation, instead of taking place in a single center, takes place simultaneously, over the entire surface of the globe, and in thousands of centers. It results that the followers, although in large numbers, still do not form a compact agglomeration anywhere. Such a dispersion, that at first glance seems a sign of weakness, is on the contrary, an element of strength. A hundred thousand Spiritists scattered around a country do more for the propagation of the idea than if they were crowded in a city. Each individuality is a focus of action, a germ that produces offspring; the sprout in turn produces more or less, and the stems that get together little by little, will cover a region more thoroughly than if the action came from a single point. It is as if a handful of seeds were thrown into the wind, instead of all of them been put together in the same hole. Thanks to this number of small centers, the doctrine is less vulnerable than if there were only one, against which its enemies could direct all their power.
An originally compact army that is dispersed by force or by any other cause, is a lost army. Here the case is different. The dissemination of the Spiritists is not a case of dispersion, it is the original state tending to concentration, to form a vast unity. The former is in the end; the latter is in its birth.
To those, therefore, that complain about their isolation in a given place, we say: thank heavens, on the contrary, for having chosen you as the first pioneers of the work in your region. It is up to you to sow the first seeds there; perhaps they will not germinate immediately; perhaps you will not be able to collect the fruits; perhaps you will have even to suffer in your work, but think that one cannot prepare the soil without work, and rest assured that, sooner or later, what you have sown will bear fruits. The harder the endeavor, the more merits you will have, even if you had only cleared the way for those that will come after you.
Without doubt, if the Spiritists were to remain always in isolation, it would be a permanent cause of weakness; but experience proves how much the doctrine is alive, and we know that for each abated branch, ten others are born. Its generalization is, therefore, a matter of time. Well, however fast its march is, there is still the need for sufficient time, and while the work is under way, one must know to wait for the fruit to be ripe before it is picked. This momentary dissemination of the Spiritists, essentially favorable to the propagation of the doctrine, is an obstacle to the execution of collective works of certain importance, given the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of bringing together a large enough number of elements in the same place. It is precisely, some will say, to remove this obstacle, to straighten the links of fraternity among the isolated members of the great Spiritist family, that the creation of central relief fund is proposed. This is certainly a great and generous idea, that seduces at first sight, but have one already thought about the difficulties in the execution?
A first question arises. How far will the action of this fund go? Will it be limited to France, or would it encompass other countries? There are Spiritists in the whole world. Aren’t those of every country, every cast, and every cult our brothers? If the fund, therefore, receives donations from foreign Spiritists, something that would happen infallibly, would it have the right to limit its assistance to only one nationality? Could it conscientiously and charitably ask the sufferer if he is Russian, Polish, German, Spanish or French? Unless it failed in its duty, its objective, it should extend its action from Peru to China. It is enough to think about the complications of such an undertake to see how much chimeric it is.
Suppose it constrained to France, and it would not be a less colossal of an administration, a true ministry. Who would like to take responsibility for the administration of such a fund? For such a management, integrity and devotion would not be enough, it would require a high administrative capacity. Admitting, however, that the first difficulties are overcome, how to exercise an efficient control upon the extent and reality of the needs, over the sincerity about the quality of Spiritist? Such an institution would soon see the surge of millions of followers, or that are said so, but these would not be the ones to fund the budget. From the moment it existed it would be believed to be inexhaustible, and it would soon be incapable of satisfying all the demands of its mandate. Founded upon such a vast scale, we believe it to be impracticable, and from our side we would not lend a hand.
Wouldn’t it also have to fear opposition to its own constitution? Spiritism has just been born, and it does not carry yet an air of holiness everywhere, to be considered shielded from malevolent suppositions. Couldn’t they be mistaken about its intentions in an operation of such a kind? Couldn’t they suppose that it hides another objective, under a cover? In a word, make assimilations that the adversaries could utilize to raise suspicion against it?
Spiritism, by its nature, is not and cannot be either a filiation, or a congregation. It must, therefore, in its own interest, avoid everything that may give it such an appearance. Then, is it necessary that Spiritism remain stationary, out of fear? Isn’t that by acting, they will ask, that Spiritism will show what it is, hence dissipating mistrust and thwarting slander? Not a shade of doubt, but one cannot ask a child for something that requires the strength of adulthood. Far from serving Spiritism, it would compromise and expose it to the blows and mockery of the adversaries and associate its name to chimerical things. It must certainly act, but to the extent of the possible. Let it therefore acquire the necessary forces, and it will then give more than we think. It is not even completely formed in theory yet. How do we want it to give what can only be the result of the complement of the doctrine?
There are, moreover, other aspects that must be considered.
Spiritism is a philosophical belief, and it is enough to sympathize with the fundamental principles of the doctrine to be Spiritist. We speak of true Spiritists, and not those that just put the mask on for interest or other just a little honorable reason. These are not counted since there is not conviction in them. They say they are Spiritists today, in hopes that they will take advantages; they will be adversaries tomorrow, if they do not find what they are looking for, or they will play victims of their fictitious dedication, and will accuse the Spiritists of ingratitude for not supporting them. These would not be the last ones to exploit the fund, to compensate for aborted speculations or to repair disasters caused by their negligence or improvidence and throw stones at it if it did not satisfy them. All that must not seem strange, for every cult counts on similar auxiliaries and witness such comedies playing out.
There is also the considerable mass of Spiritists by intuition; the ones that are Spiritists by tendency and the predisposition of ideas, without a previous study; the indecisive, that still float around, waiting for the necessary elements of conviction. Without exaggeration, we can estimate them in a quarter of the population. It is the great nursery where the followers are recruited, but they cannot be considered yet.
Among the real Spiritists, those that form the true body of followers, there are certain distinctions to be made. In the first line we must put the followers of heart, driven by a sincere faith, that understand the objective and the reach of the doctrine, and accept all the consequences to themselves; their dedication is unfailing and without ulterior motive; the interests of the cause, that are of humanity, are sacred to them, and these will never be sacrificed before an issue of self-love or personal interest. To them, the moral side is not a simple theory; they strive to preach by example; they do not only have the courage of opinion but also take pride on it and know to pay with their person if needed.
Next come those that accept the idea as a philosophy, because it satisfies their reason, but whose moral fiber is not sufficiently touched to comprehend the obligations that the doctrine imposes on those that adopt it. The old man is always there, and the reformation of oneself seems to painstaking a task to them. But since they are nonetheless firmly convinced, propagators and zealous defenders are found among them.
Then there are the lighthearted persons, to whom Spiritism is entirely in the manifestations. To them it is a fact, nothing else. The philosophical side goes unnoticed. The attraction of curiosity is their main drive. They are delighted by the phenomenon and remain cold before a moral consequence.
Finally, there is the very large number of Spiritists, more or less serious, that could not overcome prejudices and the opinions of others, held back by the fear of ridicule, as those whose personal or family considerations and interests, sometimes respectable, are in a way forced to stay away. All those, in short, that for one reason or another, good or bad, do not stand out. Most would ask no better than confessing Spiritist, but they dare not or cannot. This will come later, as they see others doing it and notice that there is no danger. These will be the Spiritists of tomorrow, as others are the Spiritists of the day before. However, we cannot blame them too much since it is necessary a strength of character that not everyone has to defy public opinion, in certain cases. We must then take human weakness into account. Spiritism does not enjoy the privilege of suddenly transforming humanity, and if there is something remarkable is the number of reforms that it has already produced, in such a short time. While with some, where it finds the prepared terrain, it comes in, so to speak, all at once, with others it only penetrates drop by drop, according to the resistance found in character and habits.
All these followers are counted, and however imperfect they might be, they are always useful, although to a limited extent. If they only served, until further notice, to reduce the ranks of opposition, that would already be something. That is one we must not neglect any sincere adhesion, even if partial.
But when it comes to an important collective work, where everyone must bring their contingent of action, such as that of a general fund, for example, it is appropriate to take these considerations into account, because the efficacy of the support that one may expect is proportional to the category to which the followers belong. It is obvious that we cannot rely much on those that do not take the moral side of the doctrine to their heart, and even less on those that dare not show themselves.
There remains, therefore, the followers of the first category. From them, of course, anything can be expected. These are the soldiers of vanguard, those that more frequently do not wait for the call when it comes to give testimonies of abnegation and devotion, but in a financial cooperative, each one contribute according to their means, and the poor can only give their mite. To the eyes of God this mite has a great value, but to the material needs it only has its intrinsic value. Excluding all those whose means of living are limited, the very ones who live on their work, the number of those that could contribute more and in a more efficient way is relatively small.
One observation, at the same time interesting and instructive, is the proportion of the followers according to their categories. Such a proportion has varied significantly and changes according to the progress of the doctrine; but at this moment it could be assessed approximately like this:
1st category, complete Spiritists of heart and devotion, 10%
2nd category, incomplete Spiritists, seeking more the scientific than the moral side, 25%
3rd category, lighthearted Spiritists, only interested in the material facts, 5% (this proportion was the opposite ten years ago)
4th category, concealed or hidden Spiritists, 60%
Relatively to their social position, two general classes stick out: on one side, those whose fortune is independent; on the other, those that make a living from their work. In 100 Spiritists of the first category there are, on average, 5 rich ones to 95 workers; in the second category, 70 rich to 30 workers; in the third category, 80 rich to 20 workers and in the fourth category, 99 rich ones to 1 worker.
It would therefore be delusional to believe that in such conditions a general fund could satisfy all the needs, while that of the richest banker would not be sufficient. It would not be a few thousand francs that would be needed every year, but millions.
Where does this difference in the proportion of those that are rich, and the others come from? The reason is very simple: the sufferers find in Spiritism a great consolation that helps them to endure the load of the miseries of life; provides them with a reason for such miseries and the certainty of a compensation. Thus, it is not surprising that taking more advantage of the benefits, they appreciate it more and take it more seriously than the happy ones of the world.
People were surprised that, when similar projects came to the public, we did not promptly support and sponsor them. Fact is that we associate ourselves, before anything else, to positive and practical ideas; Spiritism is a very serious thing to us to prematurely engage it in avenues where it could find disappointments. From our side there isn’t carelessness nor cowardice, but prudence, and whenever Spiritism is mature to advance, we will not stay behind. It is not that we believe to have more perspicacity than the others, but that our position, allowing the vision of the whole, allows us to assess the strong and weak points, perhaps better than those that are in a more limited circle. As a matter of fact, we give our opinion and do not pretend to impose it to anybody.
What has just been said about the creation of a general and central relief fund, is naturally applicable to the projects of foundation of hospitals and other outfits. Now, the utopia here is even more evident. If it is easy to sketch a project on paper, it is not the same when it is time for the execution. Building an edifice ad hoc is already huge, and when it would be ready, it would be necessary to provide it with sufficient and capable personnel, and afterwards ensure its maintenance, for such endeavors cost a lot and yield nothing. It is not only large capital that is required but large returns as well.
Let us admit, however, that by force of perseverance and sacrifice, a small model is created, as they say; how small wouldn’t be the needs that it could satisfy, relatively to the masses and the spread of sufferers in a vast territory! It would be a drop of water in the ocean, and if there are so many difficulties to a single project, even in a small scale, it would be much worse if they were to be multiplied. Money employed in such a way, therefore, would benefit only a few individuals, whereas if it were judiciously shared, it would help the lives of many in need.
It would be a model, an example, be it, but why strive to create chimeras when things do exist, ready-made, organized, with powerful means that individuals will never possess? These establishments are not ideal; there is abuse, they do not attend every need, that is evident, however, when they are compared to what they were less than a century ago, we attest an immense difference and a constant progress. One can see improvements every day. We cannot doubt, therefore, that new progresses will take place with time, by the force of things. The Spiritist ideas must infallibly speed up the reform of every abuse, because better than the others, they penetrate mankind with the feeling of duty; wherever they penetrate, abuse will fall and progress stand. Hence, one must strive to propagate them; that is the practical and possible thing to do; that is the true lever, an irresistible lever when it has acquired a sufficient strength by the complete development of the principles, and by the number of serious followers.
Judging the future by the present, we can affirm that Spiritism would have led to the reform of many things long before the Spiritists would be able to finish the first establishment of the kind that we are talking about, if they ever do, even if everyone had to give a penny a week. Why then spending their energy in superfluous efforts, instead of concentrating them on an accessible point, and that can certainly lead to the objective? A thousand followers gained to the cause, spread over a thousand different places, will speed up more the march of progress than an edifice.
The Spirit that dictated the message above says that Spiritism must stand and show what it is by a lasting monument to charity. But what would be the point of a monument to charity if charity were not in the heart? Spiritism carries out a work that is more durable than a monument of stone; it is the doctrine and its consequences to good and humanity. It is for this that everyone must work with all their strengths, for it will last longer than the pyramids of Egypt.
The fact that this Spirit is mistaken about this point, as we believe, does not deprive her from any of her qualities. The Spirit is incontestably driven by excellent feelings, but a Spirit may be very good, without being an infallible assessor of all things; not every good soldier is necessarily a good general.
A project of a less chimerical realization is the formation of mutual aid societies among the Spiritists of the same locality. But, even here, it is not possible to avoid some of the difficulties that we pointed out: the lack of agglomeration and the still small budget of those with whom one may count on for an effective support. Another difficulty stems out of the false assimilation that is made of the Spiritists to certain classes of individuals. Each profession as a perfectly marked delimitation. One can easily establish a society of mutual aid for the individuals of the same profession, among persons of the same cult, because they are distinguished by something characteristic, and because of their position, up to a certain point official and recognized. This is not the case with the Spiritists that are not registered as such anywhere, and whose belief is not attested by any title. There are Spiritists of all social classes, in all professions, in all cults, and nowhere do they constitute a distinct class. Since Spiritism is a belief founded on an intimate conviction, that is not anybody’s business, we only know the ones that stick their heads out or that attend the groups, and not the considerable number of those that, without hiding, do not take part in any regular meeting. That is why, despite the assurance that the number of followers is high, it is difficult to get to the necessary budget, when it comes to a collective operation.
Regarding the societies of mutual help, there is another consideration. Spiritism does not form, and must not form a distinct class, since it addresses everybody; from its principle, it must extend its charity indistinctly, without questioning about belief, for all men are brothers. If it creates institutions of exclusive charity to its followers, it will be forced to enquiry the one that seeks assistance: “Are you one of us? What are the proofs? If not, we cannot do anything for you.” It would then deserve the criticism of intolerance that Spiritism addresses to others. No, to do good the Spiritist must not probe the conscience and the opinion, and even when facing an enemy of his faith, but unfortunate, he must reach out to the limit of his capacities. By acting like this Spiritism will show what it is and will prove that it is more worthy than what is opposed to it.
The societies of mutual aid multiply everywhere and in every working class. It is an excellent institution, a prelude to the kingdom of fraternity and solidarity that we are lacking. The benefit the Spiritist members as well as everybody else. Why founding them for the latter only, excluding the former? We must help to propagate them because they are useful; to make them better, have the Spiritist influence permeating there, making them more beneficial to them and to the doctrine. In the name of the evangelical charity inscribed in its flag; in the name of the interests of Spiritism, we incite you to avoid everything that may create obstacles between them and society. Now that moral progress tends to diminish the ones that divide the peoples, Spiritism must not erect them; it essence is to penetrate everywhere; its mission is to better everything that exists; it would fail if it isolated itself. Since the beneficence must be individual, in this case wouldn’t its action be more limited than if it were collective? Collective beneficence has incontestable advantages, and far from criticizing, we encourage it. Nothing easier than practicing it in the groups, collecting the elements of a mutual relief fund through regular contributions of facultative donations. But then, acting within a limited circle, the control of true needs is easy; the knowledge that is possible to have about them allows a fairer and more fruitful distribution. With a small and well distributed budged, given with discernment, more real services may be done than with a large budget that is given without knowledge of cause, and serendipitously, so to speak. It is, therefore, necessary to be aware of certain details, if one does not want to spend its resources pointlessly. It is understandable that such caution would be impossible when operating in large scale. No red tape here, no need for administrative personnel. A few persons of good will, that is all. We can only encourage with all our heart the collective benevolence in the Spiritist groups. We know some of them in Paris, in the country and abroad, that are founded, if not exclusively, at least partially, with that objective, and whose organization is second to none. Dedicated members visit the homes, enquiring about the sufferings and taking what sometimes is more valuable than the material help: consolations and encouragement. May they be honored because they deserve Spiritism! May each group act like this in their sphere of activities, and all together will realize a greater sum of benefits than a central fund four times richer.
“My dear son, I am going to speak to you for a moment about the issues of charity that concerned you this morning, on the way to work. The children that are delivered to hired nurses, and the poor women that are forced, in defiance of their pudicity, that is dear to them, to serve in hospitals as experimental material to doctors and medical students, are two great plagues that every good heart must apply themselves to cure, and it is not impossible. May the Spiritists do as the Catholic do. May they save a little bit every week, and capitalizing these resources they will get to serious, great, and truly efficient foundations. The charity that relieves a current illness is a holy charity, that I encourage with all my heart, but the charity that is perpetuated in immortal foundations, like the miseries that they are supposed to alleviate, is an intelligent charity that would make me happy to see it put in practice.
I would like to see a work elaborated with the objective of creating first an establishment of limited proportions. When we see the good result of this first creation, we would then move to another one that would grow gradually, as God wishes it to be, because progress happens in a slow, wise, and calculated march. I repeat that what I am proposing is not difficult; there wouldn’t be a single true Spiritist that would dare fail to respond to the appeal for the relief of their fellow human beings, and the Spiritists are in large number to form, by the accumulation of a weekly amount, a capital that is sufficient for the first establishment to serve the sick women, that would be cared for by women, and who would then no longer hide their sufferings to keep their pudicity.
I deliver these reflections for the meditation of the benevolent persons that attend the session, and I have no doubt that they will bear good fruits. The groups in the country would promptly rally to such a beautiful, and at the same time, so useful and paternal idea. It would, moreover, be a monument to the moral value of Spiritism, so slandered and that will continue to be so for a long time to come.
I said, local charity is good and benefits an individual, but it does not uplift the mind of the masses, like a lasting work. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could repel slander by telling the slanders: “This is what we have done; the tree is recognized by the fruit; a bad tree does not bear good fruits, and the good tree does not bear bad ones.”
Also think of the poor children that leave hospitals to die in mercenary hands, two simultaneous crimes: to give away a weak and helpless child, and the one that sacrificed her mercilessly. May everyone send their prayers to the sad victims of the improvident society and seek a solution to rescue them from their miseries. God wants us to try, giving the means to reach the objective; it is necessary to act. We succeed when we have faith, and faith move mountains. Let Mr. Kardec deals with the matter in his journal, and you will see how it is going to be welcome with dedication and enthusiasm. I said that it was necessary to have a material monument that attested the faith of the Spiritists, like the pyramids in Egypt attest the vanity of the Pharos, but instead of doing foolish things, do works that carry the seal of God Himself. Everybody must understand me, I do not insist.
I leave, my dear child. You good grandmother, as you see, always loves her grandchildren, as I loved you when you were a little child. I want you to love them, as I do, and think about finding a good organization. You can if you wish so, and we will help you, if necessary. I bless you,
Marie G…”
The idea of a central and general relief fund formed among the Spiritist has already been conceived and expressed by persons with excellent intentions, but it is not enough that an idea be great, beautiful and generous; it must, above all, be practical. We have certainly given enough proofs of our devotion to the cause of Spiritism, not to be suspected of indifference about it. Well, it is precisely by force of our very solicitude that we seek to warn against blind enthusiasm. Before undertaking something, it is necessary to assess its pros and cons, avoiding the always unpleasant setbacks, that would certainly be exploited by our adversaries. Spiritism must always march with certainty, and when it sets foot onto something, it must be sure that it is stepping on solid ground. Victory does not always come to the hurried one, but much more surely to the one that waits for the right moment. There are results that can only be the work of time and the infiltration of the idea into the minds of the masses. Let us, therefore, know to wait for the tree to be formed, before demanding an abundant harvest.
For a long time now, we have been proposing that you analyze the question in depth, placing it in its true ground, forewarning against delusions of projects that are more generous than considered, and whose abortion would have unfortunate consequences. The communication given above, about which we were kindly asked to give our opinion, offers a very natural occasion to us. Let us then examine both, the project of centralization of the funds as well as some other institutions and special establishments for Spiritism.
Before anything else, it is appropriate to realize the real state of things. There is no doubt that the Spiritists are in large number, and this number grows incessantly. From that point of view, if offers an unique spectacle, that of an unheard of propagation in the history of the philosophical doctrines, for there isn’t a single one, without exception of Christianity, that has connected so many followers in such a small number of years. This is a notorious fact that confounds even the antagonists. And what is not less characteristic, is the fact that the propagation, instead of taking place in a single center, takes place simultaneously, over the entire surface of the globe, and in thousands of centers. It results that the followers, although in large numbers, still do not form a compact agglomeration anywhere. Such a dispersion, that at first glance seems a sign of weakness, is on the contrary, an element of strength. A hundred thousand Spiritists scattered around a country do more for the propagation of the idea than if they were crowded in a city. Each individuality is a focus of action, a germ that produces offspring; the sprout in turn produces more or less, and the stems that get together little by little, will cover a region more thoroughly than if the action came from a single point. It is as if a handful of seeds were thrown into the wind, instead of all of them been put together in the same hole. Thanks to this number of small centers, the doctrine is less vulnerable than if there were only one, against which its enemies could direct all their power.
An originally compact army that is dispersed by force or by any other cause, is a lost army. Here the case is different. The dissemination of the Spiritists is not a case of dispersion, it is the original state tending to concentration, to form a vast unity. The former is in the end; the latter is in its birth.
To those, therefore, that complain about their isolation in a given place, we say: thank heavens, on the contrary, for having chosen you as the first pioneers of the work in your region. It is up to you to sow the first seeds there; perhaps they will not germinate immediately; perhaps you will not be able to collect the fruits; perhaps you will have even to suffer in your work, but think that one cannot prepare the soil without work, and rest assured that, sooner or later, what you have sown will bear fruits. The harder the endeavor, the more merits you will have, even if you had only cleared the way for those that will come after you.
Without doubt, if the Spiritists were to remain always in isolation, it would be a permanent cause of weakness; but experience proves how much the doctrine is alive, and we know that for each abated branch, ten others are born. Its generalization is, therefore, a matter of time. Well, however fast its march is, there is still the need for sufficient time, and while the work is under way, one must know to wait for the fruit to be ripe before it is picked. This momentary dissemination of the Spiritists, essentially favorable to the propagation of the doctrine, is an obstacle to the execution of collective works of certain importance, given the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of bringing together a large enough number of elements in the same place. It is precisely, some will say, to remove this obstacle, to straighten the links of fraternity among the isolated members of the great Spiritist family, that the creation of central relief fund is proposed. This is certainly a great and generous idea, that seduces at first sight, but have one already thought about the difficulties in the execution?
A first question arises. How far will the action of this fund go? Will it be limited to France, or would it encompass other countries? There are Spiritists in the whole world. Aren’t those of every country, every cast, and every cult our brothers? If the fund, therefore, receives donations from foreign Spiritists, something that would happen infallibly, would it have the right to limit its assistance to only one nationality? Could it conscientiously and charitably ask the sufferer if he is Russian, Polish, German, Spanish or French? Unless it failed in its duty, its objective, it should extend its action from Peru to China. It is enough to think about the complications of such an undertake to see how much chimeric it is.
Suppose it constrained to France, and it would not be a less colossal of an administration, a true ministry. Who would like to take responsibility for the administration of such a fund? For such a management, integrity and devotion would not be enough, it would require a high administrative capacity. Admitting, however, that the first difficulties are overcome, how to exercise an efficient control upon the extent and reality of the needs, over the sincerity about the quality of Spiritist? Such an institution would soon see the surge of millions of followers, or that are said so, but these would not be the ones to fund the budget. From the moment it existed it would be believed to be inexhaustible, and it would soon be incapable of satisfying all the demands of its mandate. Founded upon such a vast scale, we believe it to be impracticable, and from our side we would not lend a hand.
Wouldn’t it also have to fear opposition to its own constitution? Spiritism has just been born, and it does not carry yet an air of holiness everywhere, to be considered shielded from malevolent suppositions. Couldn’t they be mistaken about its intentions in an operation of such a kind? Couldn’t they suppose that it hides another objective, under a cover? In a word, make assimilations that the adversaries could utilize to raise suspicion against it?
Spiritism, by its nature, is not and cannot be either a filiation, or a congregation. It must, therefore, in its own interest, avoid everything that may give it such an appearance. Then, is it necessary that Spiritism remain stationary, out of fear? Isn’t that by acting, they will ask, that Spiritism will show what it is, hence dissipating mistrust and thwarting slander? Not a shade of doubt, but one cannot ask a child for something that requires the strength of adulthood. Far from serving Spiritism, it would compromise and expose it to the blows and mockery of the adversaries and associate its name to chimerical things. It must certainly act, but to the extent of the possible. Let it therefore acquire the necessary forces, and it will then give more than we think. It is not even completely formed in theory yet. How do we want it to give what can only be the result of the complement of the doctrine?
There are, moreover, other aspects that must be considered.
Spiritism is a philosophical belief, and it is enough to sympathize with the fundamental principles of the doctrine to be Spiritist. We speak of true Spiritists, and not those that just put the mask on for interest or other just a little honorable reason. These are not counted since there is not conviction in them. They say they are Spiritists today, in hopes that they will take advantages; they will be adversaries tomorrow, if they do not find what they are looking for, or they will play victims of their fictitious dedication, and will accuse the Spiritists of ingratitude for not supporting them. These would not be the last ones to exploit the fund, to compensate for aborted speculations or to repair disasters caused by their negligence or improvidence and throw stones at it if it did not satisfy them. All that must not seem strange, for every cult counts on similar auxiliaries and witness such comedies playing out.
There is also the considerable mass of Spiritists by intuition; the ones that are Spiritists by tendency and the predisposition of ideas, without a previous study; the indecisive, that still float around, waiting for the necessary elements of conviction. Without exaggeration, we can estimate them in a quarter of the population. It is the great nursery where the followers are recruited, but they cannot be considered yet.
Among the real Spiritists, those that form the true body of followers, there are certain distinctions to be made. In the first line we must put the followers of heart, driven by a sincere faith, that understand the objective and the reach of the doctrine, and accept all the consequences to themselves; their dedication is unfailing and without ulterior motive; the interests of the cause, that are of humanity, are sacred to them, and these will never be sacrificed before an issue of self-love or personal interest. To them, the moral side is not a simple theory; they strive to preach by example; they do not only have the courage of opinion but also take pride on it and know to pay with their person if needed.
Next come those that accept the idea as a philosophy, because it satisfies their reason, but whose moral fiber is not sufficiently touched to comprehend the obligations that the doctrine imposes on those that adopt it. The old man is always there, and the reformation of oneself seems to painstaking a task to them. But since they are nonetheless firmly convinced, propagators and zealous defenders are found among them.
Then there are the lighthearted persons, to whom Spiritism is entirely in the manifestations. To them it is a fact, nothing else. The philosophical side goes unnoticed. The attraction of curiosity is their main drive. They are delighted by the phenomenon and remain cold before a moral consequence.
Finally, there is the very large number of Spiritists, more or less serious, that could not overcome prejudices and the opinions of others, held back by the fear of ridicule, as those whose personal or family considerations and interests, sometimes respectable, are in a way forced to stay away. All those, in short, that for one reason or another, good or bad, do not stand out. Most would ask no better than confessing Spiritist, but they dare not or cannot. This will come later, as they see others doing it and notice that there is no danger. These will be the Spiritists of tomorrow, as others are the Spiritists of the day before. However, we cannot blame them too much since it is necessary a strength of character that not everyone has to defy public opinion, in certain cases. We must then take human weakness into account. Spiritism does not enjoy the privilege of suddenly transforming humanity, and if there is something remarkable is the number of reforms that it has already produced, in such a short time. While with some, where it finds the prepared terrain, it comes in, so to speak, all at once, with others it only penetrates drop by drop, according to the resistance found in character and habits.
All these followers are counted, and however imperfect they might be, they are always useful, although to a limited extent. If they only served, until further notice, to reduce the ranks of opposition, that would already be something. That is one we must not neglect any sincere adhesion, even if partial.
But when it comes to an important collective work, where everyone must bring their contingent of action, such as that of a general fund, for example, it is appropriate to take these considerations into account, because the efficacy of the support that one may expect is proportional to the category to which the followers belong. It is obvious that we cannot rely much on those that do not take the moral side of the doctrine to their heart, and even less on those that dare not show themselves.
There remains, therefore, the followers of the first category. From them, of course, anything can be expected. These are the soldiers of vanguard, those that more frequently do not wait for the call when it comes to give testimonies of abnegation and devotion, but in a financial cooperative, each one contribute according to their means, and the poor can only give their mite. To the eyes of God this mite has a great value, but to the material needs it only has its intrinsic value. Excluding all those whose means of living are limited, the very ones who live on their work, the number of those that could contribute more and in a more efficient way is relatively small.
One observation, at the same time interesting and instructive, is the proportion of the followers according to their categories. Such a proportion has varied significantly and changes according to the progress of the doctrine; but at this moment it could be assessed approximately like this:
1st category, complete Spiritists of heart and devotion, 10%
2nd category, incomplete Spiritists, seeking more the scientific than the moral side, 25%
3rd category, lighthearted Spiritists, only interested in the material facts, 5% (this proportion was the opposite ten years ago)
4th category, concealed or hidden Spiritists, 60%
Relatively to their social position, two general classes stick out: on one side, those whose fortune is independent; on the other, those that make a living from their work. In 100 Spiritists of the first category there are, on average, 5 rich ones to 95 workers; in the second category, 70 rich to 30 workers; in the third category, 80 rich to 20 workers and in the fourth category, 99 rich ones to 1 worker.
It would therefore be delusional to believe that in such conditions a general fund could satisfy all the needs, while that of the richest banker would not be sufficient. It would not be a few thousand francs that would be needed every year, but millions.
Where does this difference in the proportion of those that are rich, and the others come from? The reason is very simple: the sufferers find in Spiritism a great consolation that helps them to endure the load of the miseries of life; provides them with a reason for such miseries and the certainty of a compensation. Thus, it is not surprising that taking more advantage of the benefits, they appreciate it more and take it more seriously than the happy ones of the world.
People were surprised that, when similar projects came to the public, we did not promptly support and sponsor them. Fact is that we associate ourselves, before anything else, to positive and practical ideas; Spiritism is a very serious thing to us to prematurely engage it in avenues where it could find disappointments. From our side there isn’t carelessness nor cowardice, but prudence, and whenever Spiritism is mature to advance, we will not stay behind. It is not that we believe to have more perspicacity than the others, but that our position, allowing the vision of the whole, allows us to assess the strong and weak points, perhaps better than those that are in a more limited circle. As a matter of fact, we give our opinion and do not pretend to impose it to anybody.
What has just been said about the creation of a general and central relief fund, is naturally applicable to the projects of foundation of hospitals and other outfits. Now, the utopia here is even more evident. If it is easy to sketch a project on paper, it is not the same when it is time for the execution. Building an edifice ad hoc is already huge, and when it would be ready, it would be necessary to provide it with sufficient and capable personnel, and afterwards ensure its maintenance, for such endeavors cost a lot and yield nothing. It is not only large capital that is required but large returns as well.
Let us admit, however, that by force of perseverance and sacrifice, a small model is created, as they say; how small wouldn’t be the needs that it could satisfy, relatively to the masses and the spread of sufferers in a vast territory! It would be a drop of water in the ocean, and if there are so many difficulties to a single project, even in a small scale, it would be much worse if they were to be multiplied. Money employed in such a way, therefore, would benefit only a few individuals, whereas if it were judiciously shared, it would help the lives of many in need.
It would be a model, an example, be it, but why strive to create chimeras when things do exist, ready-made, organized, with powerful means that individuals will never possess? These establishments are not ideal; there is abuse, they do not attend every need, that is evident, however, when they are compared to what they were less than a century ago, we attest an immense difference and a constant progress. One can see improvements every day. We cannot doubt, therefore, that new progresses will take place with time, by the force of things. The Spiritist ideas must infallibly speed up the reform of every abuse, because better than the others, they penetrate mankind with the feeling of duty; wherever they penetrate, abuse will fall and progress stand. Hence, one must strive to propagate them; that is the practical and possible thing to do; that is the true lever, an irresistible lever when it has acquired a sufficient strength by the complete development of the principles, and by the number of serious followers.
Judging the future by the present, we can affirm that Spiritism would have led to the reform of many things long before the Spiritists would be able to finish the first establishment of the kind that we are talking about, if they ever do, even if everyone had to give a penny a week. Why then spending their energy in superfluous efforts, instead of concentrating them on an accessible point, and that can certainly lead to the objective? A thousand followers gained to the cause, spread over a thousand different places, will speed up more the march of progress than an edifice.
The Spirit that dictated the message above says that Spiritism must stand and show what it is by a lasting monument to charity. But what would be the point of a monument to charity if charity were not in the heart? Spiritism carries out a work that is more durable than a monument of stone; it is the doctrine and its consequences to good and humanity. It is for this that everyone must work with all their strengths, for it will last longer than the pyramids of Egypt.
The fact that this Spirit is mistaken about this point, as we believe, does not deprive her from any of her qualities. The Spirit is incontestably driven by excellent feelings, but a Spirit may be very good, without being an infallible assessor of all things; not every good soldier is necessarily a good general.
A project of a less chimerical realization is the formation of mutual aid societies among the Spiritists of the same locality. But, even here, it is not possible to avoid some of the difficulties that we pointed out: the lack of agglomeration and the still small budget of those with whom one may count on for an effective support. Another difficulty stems out of the false assimilation that is made of the Spiritists to certain classes of individuals. Each profession as a perfectly marked delimitation. One can easily establish a society of mutual aid for the individuals of the same profession, among persons of the same cult, because they are distinguished by something characteristic, and because of their position, up to a certain point official and recognized. This is not the case with the Spiritists that are not registered as such anywhere, and whose belief is not attested by any title. There are Spiritists of all social classes, in all professions, in all cults, and nowhere do they constitute a distinct class. Since Spiritism is a belief founded on an intimate conviction, that is not anybody’s business, we only know the ones that stick their heads out or that attend the groups, and not the considerable number of those that, without hiding, do not take part in any regular meeting. That is why, despite the assurance that the number of followers is high, it is difficult to get to the necessary budget, when it comes to a collective operation.
Regarding the societies of mutual help, there is another consideration. Spiritism does not form, and must not form a distinct class, since it addresses everybody; from its principle, it must extend its charity indistinctly, without questioning about belief, for all men are brothers. If it creates institutions of exclusive charity to its followers, it will be forced to enquiry the one that seeks assistance: “Are you one of us? What are the proofs? If not, we cannot do anything for you.” It would then deserve the criticism of intolerance that Spiritism addresses to others. No, to do good the Spiritist must not probe the conscience and the opinion, and even when facing an enemy of his faith, but unfortunate, he must reach out to the limit of his capacities. By acting like this Spiritism will show what it is and will prove that it is more worthy than what is opposed to it.
The societies of mutual aid multiply everywhere and in every working class. It is an excellent institution, a prelude to the kingdom of fraternity and solidarity that we are lacking. The benefit the Spiritist members as well as everybody else. Why founding them for the latter only, excluding the former? We must help to propagate them because they are useful; to make them better, have the Spiritist influence permeating there, making them more beneficial to them and to the doctrine. In the name of the evangelical charity inscribed in its flag; in the name of the interests of Spiritism, we incite you to avoid everything that may create obstacles between them and society. Now that moral progress tends to diminish the ones that divide the peoples, Spiritism must not erect them; it essence is to penetrate everywhere; its mission is to better everything that exists; it would fail if it isolated itself. Since the beneficence must be individual, in this case wouldn’t its action be more limited than if it were collective? Collective beneficence has incontestable advantages, and far from criticizing, we encourage it. Nothing easier than practicing it in the groups, collecting the elements of a mutual relief fund through regular contributions of facultative donations. But then, acting within a limited circle, the control of true needs is easy; the knowledge that is possible to have about them allows a fairer and more fruitful distribution. With a small and well distributed budged, given with discernment, more real services may be done than with a large budget that is given without knowledge of cause, and serendipitously, so to speak. It is, therefore, necessary to be aware of certain details, if one does not want to spend its resources pointlessly. It is understandable that such caution would be impossible when operating in large scale. No red tape here, no need for administrative personnel. A few persons of good will, that is all. We can only encourage with all our heart the collective benevolence in the Spiritist groups. We know some of them in Paris, in the country and abroad, that are founded, if not exclusively, at least partially, with that objective, and whose organization is second to none. Dedicated members visit the homes, enquiring about the sufferings and taking what sometimes is more valuable than the material help: consolations and encouragement. May they be honored because they deserve Spiritism! May each group act like this in their sphere of activities, and all together will realize a greater sum of benefits than a central fund four times richer.