Special

By Americo Domingos Nunes Filho

Spiritism and Christianity

From time to time, some publications appear without understanding the Spiritist Codification, claiming that the Spiritist Doctrine has nothing to do with Christianity. When this thinking emerges from dogmatic and intolerant religious groups, we even understand; however, it draws more attention when the original source calls itself Spiritist.

It is interesting to say, especially for those versed in the texts of “The New Testament” that Christ does shows no partiality of people, regardless of the religious movement that follows Him. The fact that where two or three are gathered in His name He will be in the midst of them (Matthew XVIII: 20). Therefore, what characterizes being a Christian is the desire to be with someone else, all attuned to Jesus and, above all, practicing His teachings. Legitimate charity was exemplified by Christ, making of love for others a greater imposition for the divine spark in us, the so-called “Kingdom of God”, to increasingly expand and externalize. who reflects the Master in the next, Jesus making no reference to religion, not even to His sacrifice on the cross, as it is inserted in the so-called “prophetic sermon” (Matthew XXV: 34-40).

Consequently, the Spiritist motto “Outside of charity there is no salvation” is essentially Christian, corresponding, in fact, to the teachings of Christ. On the other hand, Catholicism, for example, affirms that “Outside the Church there is no salvation”, disregarding the Gospel texts mentioned above and presenting itself also antagonistic to reason and progress, requiring this mistaken sentence of urgent rectification, mainly due to the affirmation that outside the Church there is no connection with the Master. We cannot forget that the foundations of this creed, over millennia, were undermined by clerical absolutism allied to temporal power, responsible for the degeneration of Christianity in primeval times, as well as for the thousands of murders committed at the behest of clerics, “in name of God”, through the Crusades and the Inquisition.

If charity in action corresponds to the superior work of the true Christian and the Spiritist Doctrine is based precisely on "loving your neighbor as yourself", we arrive to the conclusion that the belief based on the codification of the unforgettable Allan Kardec is essentially Christian and his transcendental vision of social reality is unmistakably religious.

The Gospel is rich in mentions of charitable work, taught and exemplified by the Master Jesus: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and He will reward each one according to His works” (Matthew 16, 27). ). “Even so faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18); “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26); “What good is it, my dear brothers, for someone to proclaim his faith, if he has no works? Can that faith save you? (James 2:14). “You see thus that both faith and works were working together, and faith was made perfect by works” (James 2:22). “Therefore, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17); and “Even though I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and still have a faith able to move mountains, if I do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Therefore, to experience Christ is to practice, with certainty, what He exemplified, exactly charity in action. The sacrifice on the cross gives support and represents encouragement to those who are also going through pain, in the present incarnation or in the spiritual dimension.

Practitioners of Christianity are precisely those who consider Jesus as their Master and strive to follow Him; Spiritists, therefore, can also be called today's Disciples of Christ. Some people, in small numbers, deny the Christian aspect of the Spiritist Doctrine, arguing that Kardec is the one who pointed Spiritism in that direction, ignoring what was revealed by the wise mentors of the Spiritist codification. It is important to point out that there is no confusion between what is “Christianity of men”, in a very unfortunate confrontation with the majestic “Christianity of Jesus”. Do not confuse Christianity specifically with Catholicism or any dogmatic belief.

Immediately, without mentioning what came from Kardec, we bring some revealing messages from the Superior Spirits that were dictated to the Encoder, revealing Spiritism as an adept of the Doctrine of Christ:

1 - "Jesus is the most perfect type that God has offered to man to serve as a guide and model". (Higher Spirits, “The Book of Spirits”, Q. 625);

2 - "We are in charge of preparing The Book of Spirits of good that Jesus announced" (Superior Spirits, The Book of Spirits, question 627, page 309, FEB);

3 - "All truths are found in Christianity, the errors that are rooted in it are of human origin... ("The Spirit of Truth", "The Gospel According to Spiritism", chapter VI, n° 5);

4 – “The time is approaching when it will be necessary for you to present Spiritism for what it is, showing everyone where the true doctrine taught by Christ can be found. The time is approaching when, in the face of Heaven and Earth, you will have to proclaim that 'Spiritism is the only truly Christian tradition' and 'the only truly divine and human institution". Posthumous”);

4- "Count on us and above all on the great soul of the Master of us all, who protects you in a very particular way ("Posthumous Works", p. 308, FEB).

 5- “You are guided by the true Genius of Christianity, I told you; it is because Christ himself presides over all kinds of works that are in the process of being carried out to open the era of renewal and improvement that your spiritual guides predict for you” (Chateaubriand Spirit- “Spiritist Magazine”, 1860, February, “The Present Time");

6- “You could not believe how proud I am to distribute, to each and every one, the praise and encouragement that the Spirit of Truth, our beloved Master, ordered me to grant to your pious cohorts” (Erastus Spirit, “Spiritist Magazine”, 1861, October);

7- “Preach the good doctrine, the doctrine of Jesus, which the Divine Master himself teaches in his communications, which only repeat and confirm the doctrine of the Gospels. Those who live will see admirable things, I tell you (“Spirit Magazine, 1863, September, Jose).

8- “The divine Savior, the righteous par excellence, has said, and His words will not pass away: “Not all who say: Lord! Sir! They will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; only those who do the will of my Father who is in Heaven will enter. May the Lord of blessings bless you; may the God of light enlighten you; may the tree of life offer you its fruit abundantly! Believe and pray” (“OESE, chap. XVIII, item 16, Simeon, Bordeaux, 1863);

Therefore, to experience Christ is to practice, with certainty, what He exemplified, exactly charity in action. The sacrifice on the cross gives support and represents encouragement to those who are also going through pain, in the present incarnation or in the spiritual dimension.

Practitioners of Christianity are precisely those who consider Jesus as their Master and strive to follow Him; Spiritists, therefore, can also be called today's Disciples of Christ. Some people, in small numbers, deny the Christian aspect of the Spiritist Doctrine, arguing that Kardec is the one who pointed Spiritism in that direction, ignoring what was revealed by the wise mentors of the Spiritist codification. It is important to point out that there is no confusion between what is “Christianity of men”, in a very unfortunate confrontation with the majestic “Christianity of Jesus”. Do not confuse Christianity specifically with Catholicism or any dogmatic belief.

Immediately, without mentioning what came from Kardec, we bring some revealing messages from the Superior Spirits that were dictated to the Encoder, revealing Spiritism as an adept of the Doctrine of Christ:

1 - "Jesus is the most perfect type that God has offered to man to serve as a guide and model". (Higher Spirits, “The Book of Spirits”, Q. 625);

2 - "We are in charge of preparing the Kingdom of good that Jesus announced" (Superior Spirits, The Book of Spirits, question 627, page 309, FEB);

3 - "All truths are found in Christianity, the errors that are rooted in it are of human origin... ("The Spirit of Truth", "The Gospel According to Spiritism", chapter VI, no. 5);

4 – “The time is approaching when it will be necessary for you to present Spiritism for what it is, showing everyone where the true doctrine taught by Christ can be found. The time is approaching when, in the face of Heaven and Earth, you will have to proclaim that Spiritism is the only truly Christian tradition' and 'the only truly divine and human institution". (Superior Spirit to Allan Kardec, “Posthumous Works”);

4- "Count on us and above all on the great soul of the Master of us all, who protects you in a very particular way ("Posthumous Works", p. 308, FEB).

5- “You are guided by the true Genius of Christianity, I told you; it is because Christ himself presides over all kinds of works that are in the process of being carried out to open the era of renewal and improvement that your spiritual guides predict for you” (Chateaubriand Spirit- “Spiritist Magazine”, 1860, February, “The Present Time");

6- “You could not believe how proud I am to distribute, to each and every one, the praise and encouragement that the Spirit of Truth, our beloved Master, ordered me to grant to your pious cohorts” (Erastus Spirit, “Spiritist Magazine”, 1861, October);

7- “Preach the good doctrine, the doctrine of Jesus, which the Divine Master himself teaches in His communications, which only repeat and confirm the doctrine of the Gospels. Those who live will see admirable things, I tell you (“Spiritist Magazine, 1863, September, Jose).

8- “The divine Savior, the righteous par excellence, has said, and His words will not pass away: “Not all who say: Lord! Sir! They will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; only those who do the will of my Father who is in Heaven will enter. May the Lord of blessings bless you; may the God of light enlighten you; may the tree of life offer you its fruit abundantly! Believe and pray” (“OESE, chap. XVIII, item 16, Simeon, Bordeaux, 1863);

9- “Jesus called to himself the intellectual childhood of the formed creature: the weak, the enslaved and the vicious. He could teach nothing to physical childhood, bound by matter, subjected to the yoke of instinct, not yet included in the superior category of reason and will that are exercised around and through it. (...) darkness, the morning light that comes to wake up; He was the initiator of Spiritism, which in turn will attract to Him, not little children, but men of good will” (“OESE”, chap. VIII, item 18, John the Evangelist);

10- “Spiritism is destined to play a very important role on Earth: it is up to reform legislation, as a rule contrary to divine laws, it is up to it to rectify the errors of history and to refine the religion of Christ, transformed, in the hands of the priests, in commerce and in vile traffic. He will institute the true religion, the natural religion, which starts from the heart and goes directly to God, without dependence on the works of the cassock or the steps of the altar. It will forever extinguish atheism and materialism, to which certain men have been dragged by the constant abuses of those who claim to be ministers of God and preach charity with a sword in each hand, sacrificing to their greed and to the spirit of denomination the most sacred rights of humanity” (“Posthumous Works”, “Future of Spiritism”, One Spirit);

11- “Spiritists! The great name of Jesus must float like a banner above your teachings. Before you went, the Savior carried the revelation in his bosom, and his word, measured prudently, indicated each of the stages that you are going through today” (“Spiritist Magazine”, December 1864, John the Evangelist.

Here we leave just a few messages from the Instructors from Beyond that revealed to Kardec the Christian character of the Spiritist Doctrine. Therefore, Spiritism professes Christianity because it was instituted that way and, truly, someone can only call himself a Spiritist when they respect and confess the exposition codified by the magnanimous Kardec.

We know that many comrades who deny this directive, do so because they still carry within themselves the consequences of the torturous wrongdoings, which happened, for example, in the Crusades or the Inquisition, being the victims who disincarnated seeing in the chest of their cruel tormentors the image of the cross. Many, even though they are no longer materialistic, do not accept Christ, even trying to ignore his sublime presence among us. They do everything possible to ignore him or not give authenticity to his brilliant physical existence, so strongly grounded in the mediumship of his disciples

The Spiritists, genuinely, are the proselytes of Jesus and Kardec and we were constituted "ministers of a new testament, not of the letter that kills, but of the Spirit that gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). From the broad knowledge of this "Eternal Gospel", the laws of God will not only be welcomed, but lived in the hearts of men (Jeremiah 31:33).

Therefore, we are before reason amalgamated with faith, scientific knowledge yearned to religion. No longer a belief based on mythical or mystical foundations; however, with the true "religare", the deep communion with God, without hierarchies and without dogmatisms, as the Master preached, speaking to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well: "God is Spirit; and they must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth" (John 4:24).


 

Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br

 
 

     
     

O Consolador
 Revista Semanal de Divulgação Espírita