The Revue
Spirite of
1862
Part 9
We continue in this issue the study of the Revue
Spirite corresponding to the year of 1862. The
condensed text of the mentioned volume will hereby be
presented in sixteen parts, based on the translation of
Julio Abreu Filho and published by EDICEL.
Issues for discussion
A. Is homogeneity an important factor for the Spiritist
Doctrine?
B. How did the Spirit of Bernardin associate Spiritism
and Christianity?
C. What are the factors that most contribute to suicide?
Text for reading
91. David, through Mrs. Dozon, describes the last
picture of Ingres, which portrays the baby Jesus among
the Temple doctors. The work, says Lamennais, was
inspired by spirituality to the incarnate artist. (Pages
173-176)
92. The Revue denounces a report by a priest
regarding the millions that Kardec received by using
Spiritism. The Encoder refutes the accusation and says
that the first edition of The Book of Spirits was
at his own risk, because no editor wanted to take charge
of it. The work rendered him about 500 francs. (Pages
176-180)
93. Kardec says that the Vienna Spiritist Society, which
had just entered its third year, appointed him its
honorary president. Plans to spread Spiritism through a
German newspaper are mentioned in the Revue.
(Pages 180 and 181)
94. Commenting on the subject, Kardec applauds the
course adopted by the confreres of Vienna and says that
he accepted the honor given to him, in which he saw not
a tribute to his person, but to the regenerating
principles of Spiritism. (P. 182)
95. E. Collignon writes to Kardec protesting against the
words used in April / 1862 by the Spirit of Gerard de
Codemberg, who referred to the brethren who turn away
from Spiritism by calling them filthy sheep. (P. 183)
96. Kardec recognized that Gerard expressed himself
perhaps a little crudely, but the bottom of his thought
is correct, because homogeneity is the vital principle
of any society or Spiritist meeting. (Pages 183-185)
97. The Revue then publishes a message of the
Spirit of Bernardin, received by E. Collignon (the same
one who had protested against the words of Gerard de
Codemberg), in which the communicant asks that the
false, curious, and unbeliever brothers be excluded from
the Spiritist works, thus aiming exactly at the
homogeneity necessary to the Spiritist groups.
Bernardin, in this message, also says: I - Spiritism is
not a new religion, but the consecration of this
universal religion whose foundations were cast by
Christ. II - It is necessary to leave the dark paths,
full of precipices, to enter the path that leads to
happiness. III - Our future destiny is in our hands: the
duration of our trials depends entirely on us. IV - To
be a martyr one does not have to be a pasture of the
beasts: let us be martyrs of ourselves, destroying all
our carnal instincts, studying our inclinations, tastes
and ideas, distrusting everything that our conscience
fails. V - Spiritism, from the religious point of view,
is only the confirmation of Christianity. (Pages 186 to
188)
98. Opening the July 1862 issue, Kardec shows how
everything in life changes when, by thought, man leaves
the narrow valley of his earthly life and rises in the
radiant, splendid and immeasurable life beyond the
grave. In so doing, earthly life will be seen as a
passing season and the misfortunes it offers us will
become more bearable. Such is the result of the
difference of the point of view under which one looks at
life: one gives us shambles and anxiety; the other,
calmness and serenity. (Pages 191 to 195)
99. Kardec, analyzing the news about the increase in
suicides in France, says that it is simple to attribute
all of them to monomania, which according to Mr.
Gastineau seems to have taken over the human species. If
there are suicides due to monomania, there are also,
according to Kardec, voluntary suicides, carried out
with forethought and full knowledge of the cause. (Pages
196 to 198)
100. In the absence of an official statistics, Kardec
says that it is right to think that the most numerous
cases are determined by the setbacks of fortune, the
disappointments and sorrows of various kinds. In these
cases, suicide is not an act of madness, but of
desperation, and the publicity given to it competes for
its increase. (Pages 198 and 199)
101. Concluding his thought, Kardec says that, however,
the main causes that lead to suicide are incredulity,
doubt about the future, and materialistic ideas, because
they give moral cowardice and this leads one to commit
suicide. (Pages 199 to 202) (Continues
on next issue.)
Answers to the issues
A. Is homogeneity an important factor for the Spiritist
Doctrine?
Yes. Homogeneity is, according to Kardec, the vital
principle of any society or Spiritist meeting. (Revue
Spirite of 1862, pages 183-185).
B. How did the Spirit of Bernardin associate Spiritism
and Christianity?
In a message copied by the Revue, Bernardin says
that Spiritism is not a new religion, but the
consecration of this universal religion whose
foundations were cast by Christ. And, from the religious
point of view, it is only the confirmation of
Christianity. (Ibid, pages 186-188)
C. What are the factors that most contribute to suicide?
Lacking an official statistic, Kardec says that it is
fair to think that more numerous cases are determined by
the reversals of fortune, the disappointments and
sorrows of various types. But indisputably, unbelief,
doubt about the future, and materialistic ideas are
those that mostly lead to suicide, because they give
moral cowardice that leads one to kill himself. (Ibid,
pages 198-202.)
Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br
|