Spiritism appeals to reasoning and not to a blind belief

"(...) It would be too much to presume of human nature to suppose that it could be suddenly transformed by the effect of Spiritist ideas". (L.E. – The Book of Spirits - Conclusion, VII, 3^rd).

When mankind is sufficiently matured to take hold of eternal truths, God sends His emissaries to shed light in the darkness of ignorance. So when the time comes for a new revelation to take place, it does not suddenly appear overnight, for a very intense light dazzles rather than illuminates. First there are soft flashes here and there that build up over time, and finally a God-sent creature arrives to gather the sparse elements and sew them together in a logical and homogeneous whole.

It is easy to understand, therefore, the quick propagation of the Spiritist ideas, since in a few years they have conquered thousands of followers at practically all levels of social classes throughout the world... This was due not only to superficial sympathy, but to the clear way that Kardec used to present its doctrinal content all based on the most rigorous scientific precepts, using the experimental method. The Master from Lyon was not lost in the mazes of a complicated metaphysics and the texts became light, allowing a reading without tiredness and with increasing interest in unveiling everything.

According to the noble Spirits who worked in the making of the Spiritist Codification" (…) various effects are produced in the mind of the creature by the Spiritist ideas: they develop a religious feeling, resignation is given in the difficulties of life and stimulate in man the indulgence towards the defects of others, besides encouraging him to forgive..."

Kardec says¹: "(...) Spiritist ideas advance”... It would seem that they are in the air, and certainly owe nothing to the drums of the small or large periodic press. If they advance despite everything, including the unwillingness found in certain regions, it is because they have enough vitality to suffice themselves. The one who goes to the trouble of developing this issue regarding Spiritism, finds in it such great moral satisfaction, the solution of so many problems from which he had in vain asked for an explanation to the ordinary theories; the future opens before him in a way so clear, so precise, so LOGICAL, that it is said that it is impossible for things not to happen like this, and wonders why he did not understand them sooner; that an inner feeling told him that it had to be there; The developed Spiritist science does nothing but formulate, removing from the fog the ideas already existing in its interior forum; since then the future has, for him, a clear, precise, transparently defined objective; no longer does he walk in the vague, he sees his way; it is no longer a future of happiness or unhappiness that reason could not understand, and that due to this very reason he repelled it; it is a rational future, a consequence of the laws of nature itself, and can endure the most severe examination; so he is happy, and as if relieved from an immense weight: that of uncertainty, because uncertainty is an ordeal. Man, in spite of himself, probes the depths of the future, and cannot prevent himself from seeing it eternal – he compares it with the brevity and fragility of earthly existence. If the future offers him no certainty, he is stunned, he bends over the present, and to make it more bearable, nothing matters to him; it will be in vain for his conscience to speak to him about good and evil; he tells himself: good is what makes me happy. What reason would he have to see the good elsewhere?  Why endure deprivation? He wants to be happy, and for him to be happy, he wants to enjoy; enjoy what others have; he wants gold, a lot of gold; he has it as his life, because gold is the vehicle of all material enjoyments; why should he care about the welfare of his fellow? He comes in the first place; he wants to be happy in the present, not knowing if he will be able to do it later, in a future in which he does not believe; he becomes greedy, jealous, selfish, and, with all these joys, he is not happy, because the present seems to him very short.

With the certainty of the future, everything changes of aspect for him; the present is but ephemeral, he sees it flowing without regret; is less eager for the earthly joys, for they give him only a passing, fleeting sensation which leaves emptiness in his heart; he aspires to a more durable and consequently more real happiness; and where can you find it, if it is not in the future? Spiritism, showing him, proving to him this future, frees him from the ordeal of uncertainty, and that is why he becomes happy; now, what brings happiness always finds followers.

Spiritism’s opponents attribute its rapid propagation to a superstitious fever that seizes humanity: to the love of the marvelous; but it is necessary, first of all, to be logical; we will accept their reasoning - if we can call this reasoning - when they clearly explain why this fever reaches precisely the enlightened classes of society, rather than the ignorant classes. As for us, we say that it is because Spiritism appeals to reasoning and not to a blind belief, which enlightened classes examine, reflect and understand; now, superstitious ideas do not support the examination.

Besides, all of you who fight against Spiritism, do you understand it? Have you studied it, examined it in its details, maturely weighing all its consequences? No, not a thousand times! You speak of something you do not know; all your criticisms - I do not speak of the foolish, inelegant and gross diatribes, devoid of all reasoning and that have no value - I do speak of those that have at least the appearance of seriousness; all your criticisms, I say, show the most complete ignorance of the matter.

To criticize it is necessary to compare one reasoning with another and one proof to another proof; is this possible without a thorough knowledge of the subject matter? What would you think of him who wanted to criticize a painting without having, at least in theory, the rules of drawing and painting; to discuss the merits of an opera without knowing anything about music at all? Do you know the consequence of an ignorant critic? It is to be considered ridiculous and to show lack of judgment. The more the critical position is significant, the more it is in evidence, the more its interest sends it circumspection, not to expose itself to receive denials, always easy to give to anyone who speaks of what he does not know. That is why the attacks against Spiritism are so unimportant and favor its development rather than stops it. These attacks are propaganda; causing its evaluation (and the evaluation can only be favorable to us), because we are guided by reason. There is not one of the articles published against this Doctrine that has not brought an increase in the number of subscribers and that has not made us sell more works. But let us return to less material things. As long as they only fight Spiritism with arguments of this nature, it has nothing to fear.

We repeat that the main source of the advance  of Spiritism’s ideas lies in the satisfaction it provides to all those who develop them, and in them they see something other than a futile pastime; now, since one wants to be happy above everything else, it is no surprise that one is tied to an idea that makes him happy. We said before that in the case of Spiritism, the phase of curiosity has passed, and the time of reasoning and of philosophy followed. Curiosity has only one stage: once it is satisfied, its object is changed and passes to another; and the same does not occur to the one who addresses serious thinking and judgment. Spiritism has, above all, advanced after it was best understood in its innermost essence, after its importance has been seen, because it touches man’s most sensitive chord: that of his happiness, even in this world; therein is the cause of its advance, the secret of the power that will make it succeed. All of you who attack it, do you want then the right means to do with success? I will tell you: replace it with something better; find a MORE LOGIC solution for all the issues that it solves; give man ANOTHER ASSURANCE that will make him happier, and understand well the importance of the word assurance, because man does not accept as assurance what does not seem logicalto him; do not be satisfied just by saying that it is not. This is very easy; prove not by a denial, but based on facts, that this is not, has never been and CAN NOT BE; prove, finally, that the consequences of Spiritism are not those of making men better by practicing the purest gospel, moral which is praised very much, but which is practiced so little. When you have done this, I will be the first to bow before you. Until then, let me consider your doctrines, which are the denial of every future, as the source of selfishness, the rodent of society, and, therefore, as a true scourge.

Yes, Spiritism is strong, stronger than you, because it rests on the very foundations of religion: God, the soul, the penalties and the future rewards based on good and evil that has been done, you lean on unbelief: it invites men to happiness, to hope, to true fraternity; you offer NOTHING as a perspective and SELFISHNESS by consolation: it explains everything and you explain nothing; it proves based on facts, you explain nothing; it proves by facts, and you prove nothing; how do you want someone to oscillate between the two doctrines?!

Summarizing, we find, and each one sees and feels like us, that Spiritism has taken a huge step during the year that has just passed, and this step is the guarantee of what cannot fail to do during the year that begins; not only was the number of its supporters considerably increased, but it made a remarkable change in general opinion, even among the indifferent; it is said that at the bottom of all this there might well be something; that it is not necessary to rush into judgment; those who, in this capacity, raised their shoulders, begin to fear ridicule for themselves, by linking their name to a hasty judgment, which can be denied; they prefer to keep quiet and wait. No doubt there will still be for a long time, people who, having nothing to lose in the opinion of posterity, will try to denigrate it, but this does not affect it any longer, because at the bottom of these attacks one sees an absolute lack of reason. The weapon of ridicule - that weapon which is said so terrible - evidently weakens and falls from the hands of those who held it; has it lost its power? No, but on the condition of not striking any more blows in false. Ridicule only harms but the one who is ridiculous in himself and only has the appearance of seriousness, because he whips the hypocrite and tears off his mask; but the one who is truly serious can only receive temporarily blows and always ends the fight in triumph. Note if a single one of the great ideas that were crumpled in its origin by the ignorant and jealous mob fell to no more arise! Spiritism is one of the greatest ideas, because it touches on the most vital question: that of man's happiness and one cannot play with this issue with impunity; it is strong, because it has its roots in the very laws of Nature, and responds to its enemies from the beginning making the return to the world.

In a few years its detractors, unable to fight it by reasoning, will be found so overwhelmed by opinion, so isolated, that it will be a must for them to either keep quiet or open their eyes to the light".

[1] KARDEC, Allan. Revue Spirite. Janeiro de 1860. Araras: IDE, 1993. Pages 2 to 5.