Gorete Newton: 

“Violence is the absence of love and justice, which has most of times its roots in education” 

The president of the Spiritist Center Union in Switzerland says that if we roll up our sleeves and work for the good, raising citizens more aware of their realities and potentials, the change in the world may happen sooner and love and justice will remain
in the human heart

Born in Cubatão (SP), Maria Gorete Araújo Newton (picture), who currently lives in Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland, talks in this interview about several questions related to the Doctrine and the Spiritist movement, simple and complex ones. President of the UCESS – Spiritist Center Union in Switzerland and good-humored, she makes a point of registering her love for Spiritism. “In first place in my life – she says – is my family which I love and dedicate fifty percent of my existence. In second place is Spiritism, to which I work and dedicate the other half, because it is a legacy for Humanity and I feel responsible for the future of the world.” “And if I’m alive today  and  a total different person  from
23 years ago, and I’m so happy, I owe it to Spiritism.”

Up next, the main points of the interview she delivered:

O Consolador: Why, being born in Brazil, did you end up moving to Switzerland?

After getting married I went to live in Rio de Janeiro. As my family lived in Salvador, I wanted to move back there and my husband went to resign from the company he used to work, but they didn’t accept and offered him a good job in Mexico. We lived there for almost 2 years.  Then they offered to move to Switzerland or come back to Brazil. We opted for Switzerland, since it would be for only 2 years. We have been here for 16 years already.

O Consolador: What roles or functions have you already performed in the Spiritist Movement? 

In Brazil I used to only attend, but when my husband and I moved to Switzerland I took part in a group that was being created in Zurich and which originated AFFA – Philosophical Spiritist Association Francis of Assisi, Zurich’s first Spiritist Center, in which I was the director for philosophical matters for nearly five years. With the arrival of my third son, it was hard to go three times a week to Zurich. So we decided to establish, some friends and I the CEEAK (Allan Kardec Spiritist Studies Center) in Winterthur, and I’ve been the president since then. 

O Consolador: Besides presiding CEEAK, do you perform other activities? 

Yes. In the Spiritist area I perform several activities. I also preside three more institutions, the UCESS – Spiritist Center Union of Switzerland, which integrates all the Spiritist Centers in the country and promotes doctrinal activities together. I’m the president of EDICEI Suisse, first section of CEI – International Spiritist Council, which will be responsible for translation, edition, and sales de of books by CEI. And I’m also president of LICHTVERLAG, the publisher responsible for publishing independent books which CEI and FEB own the copyrights.  

O Consolador: When did you have your first contact with Spiritism? 

It’s a long story... But, it happened in Brazil, in the end of 1985, in Salvador, Bahia. 

O Consolador: Was there anything which caused this contact? 

Yes, I entered in Spiritism by the door of pain. I was in a terrible state, caused first by emotional problems and then it went on to become a serious obsessive process, with visual and hearing hallucinations. Without solution, my mom took me, against my will, to the Spiritist Center Way to Redemption, where I met the medium Divaldo Pereira Franco and in less than 24 hours I was healed, which is rare, but it happened.  

O Consolador: From the three aspects of Spiritism – Science, Philosophy, Religion – which of them is more appealing to you? 

For me they complete each other, I can’t understand philosophy without science or religion and I can’t understand science without philosophy or putting my thoughts in the divine laws. In short, all the aspects have their importance and in my point of view they shouldn’t be studied or lived separately. 

O Consolador: What are your favorite Spiritist authors? 

First Kardec; then, André Luiz, Joanna de Angelis and Emmanuel. 

O Consolador: The doctrinal differences in our movement are not many. One of them talks about the secular Spiritism. Is Spiritism a religion for you? 

If there’s anything that makes me suffer, are those endless discussions in our Spiritist environment. They don’t take us anywhere, and I can’t see what people want with that. Do they want to know who is right? Study the books by Kardec, all is written there. We know already that Spiritism is philosophy, because it investigates, arguments, analyzes, discusses, reflects the ideas about the world, the man and everything. It’s also a science, but not like academic science, because it works with intelligences which have their own free-will and doesn’t allow, many times, the repeated experiences as it happens in Chemistry or Physics labs, where the facts are proved after some experimentation; and it’s also a religion, but not like the others, since we don’t have sacraments, rites, special gear or hierarchy, but we are religious by love, we dedicate to work with Jesus and seek God through prayer and doing good to people as other religious also do. But it annoys me to see discussions about it. It’s enough to reflect and everything gets clear. Another important thing to know is that, if in Brazil Spiritism found a fertile land, it was due to the religiousness that was taking shape and meeting the desires of spirituality in making Brazil a barn which would take the seeds to the world. While in Europe everything is rational, Brazil was prepared to close down this triangle between philosophy, science and religion, which made Spiritism echoed in the hearts of Humanity. What I feel, living for 16 years in Europe, is that the human beings who are born in such countries are thirsty for a religiosity which fills their souls, and Spiritism has this, since it’s not imposed by force or dogmas, but by a faith that is possible to explain and religiosity which reaches the hearts of pure feelings.

O Consolador: Another subject in the Spiritist practice sometimes presents differences related to so-called standardized passes, proposed by Edgar Armond. Though we know the most common procedure is the laying of hands as José Herculano Pires, what’s your opinion about it? 

I have studied passes in all books for over 20 years. I just conclude we are all the same, always looking for divergences based on our inner conflicts, sometimes not flexible. Edgard Armond was a kind of a pioneer publishing the first book about it in the Spiritist movement. From the start, that I remember, we had few alternatives to study this. I think Edgard Armond’s contribution is good, well-intentioned, but far too complicated for something so simple. Then other books came out and I realized that all these books have something in common. And I follow the lesson of the Spirits which made the Compilation, mainly about the Gospel. They based themselves on the converging points, where everyone, regardless of religion, they preach the same. For me when everybody agrees about something it’s true, which makes the divergences silent, since it’s clear. As for passes I deliver seminars in the Centers, show the existing techniques, and coherently I advise every one of them to choose the technique they want, or find better, but with common sense, with a conscientious preparation of pass-givers, without sensationalism, since the common point is the love, this healing energy, which doesn’t matter, inside a Spiritist Center, of technique, because we work with the aid of the Spirits, which supply our needs. The most amazing pass I’ve ever had was with an old and fragile lady, illiterate, who didn’t know of any technique, but looked at me so lovely and laid her hands on my head. I got into a trance. She was a pass-giver in a Spiritist Center in Salvador. By no means should we touch the patient, since it’s not ethical and may compromise the Spiritist Center, I just give the example I had 22 years ago. She couldn’t afford a course about giving passes, but she knew how to behave and who would think badly of her being so fragile and old? Our guide should be the common sense. Let’s give love, live free, but we shouldn’t come up with different techniques and stuff for something we are not entirely responsible for. We are just instruments, and we need to be meek enough to do well.

O Consolador: How do you see the discussion about abortion? As you see things, should Spiritist be bolder in defense of life, as the Church?  How is it in Switzerland?  

I know of a real story with a happy end for those who don’t perform abortion. A lady got pregnant, her boyfriend wanted her to have an abortion, but she didn’t give in, faced the difficulties alone, until the day when he came back and the baby was one year old already, and they went on to marry some time later. On a trip they made they were robbed; five men attacked them. The lady was a medium, person I trust, and said she was so calm when she went out of the car saying:  Be calm, we are a family we are a family... And came back to take the baby at the back seat. When the robbers saw the baby they shouted: They have a kid, don’t shoot! And went away. When everything was normal again, and they were about to hit the road, a Spirit came in and said: Father, the daughter you wanted to kill saved your life today! Had the girl aborted and that would be their last moment together. Another thing is that it’s too difficult for a couple to live together after an abortion. And if the woman gives in, she feels that she made a mistake afterwards. I know of marriages that ended after an abortion, and others adopting kids as if they could make up for what they did, so it’s difficult. Every human creature is inserted in a sacred context, and we don’t know all about it. This story was just an example, but we know there are other examples as well, including missionaries, who could have been aborted and thanks God and those brave women didn’t and, had the opportunity to perform their missions on Earth, but there were also those who didn’t make it. How many physical and mentally-challenged we are creating, aborting them, fearing them? Abortion postpones happiness, and in most of cases (when the reincarnating Spirit is not fully developed) we buy some heavy burden from that. Most of disabled today were aborted yesterday. Switzerland is a country of freedom, and unfortunately we do have abortions here. The end of abortion will only come with family and Spirit education. We need to spiritualize the family, teaching about the immortality to children, and the necessity to be born, come what may. Never kill a kid.  

O Consolador: Euthanasia is a practice that has no support from the Spiritist doctrine. Kardec and other authors, such as Joanna de Angelis, got their point across already. Lately, though, there has been this idea of orthothanasia, even backed by Spiritist doctors. What is your opinion? 

I’m against it. What doctors and Spiritist in general have to do is spread the palliative Medicine, who assists patients the best way possible, soothing their pains and waiting for the soul to live the body. This is a specific area of Medicine, at least here in Switzerland. But, for my sadness, I live in a country that accepts this. They murder people and say that they can choose how to die. Awful! People come from other countries to die here. Two institutions perform it here. They’re called EXIT and DIGNITAS. I always pray for them. They even kill people in parking lots and hotels! And even healthy people do it. You just need to pay. 

O Consolador: How’s it going the Spiritist movement in Italy? Do you agree the Doctrine has been well taught? 

There are many worthy people here. We are 8 Spiritist Centers here, but we still lack literature, in special German. Together we hold a book fair every two years, which gathers all the Centers and people. This has been very good to us, and they have been attending more. In our last meeting we had a whole lecture delivered in German. We all got touched; a dream come true. We’re expanding. This year alone we’ve had two more Spiritist Centers joining UCESS - (www.spiritismus.ch), in Yverdon and Zurich, coincidentally with the same name CEEJA –Joanna de Angelis Spiritist Studies Center. We only need to have one in the Italian part now. We also lack money. Many times we need to pay from our pockets the rent (which is not the case of our Center), but we lack money in general. Most of Spiritist books are still in Portuguese. But it’ll change. That’s why we’ve been translating, and CEI is aware of it, but they can’t afford it either. We’re progressing little by little... 

O Consolador: How do Swiss feel about Spiritism? 

I can’t talk on behalf of others, as I don’t know very well. As for CEEAK, we’re glad to see Brazilian people becoming Spiritist here, since only a few were Spiritist in Brazil. We’re also progressing with the natives. They’ve been studying in our Center for 4 years now, coordinated by our sister Edith Burkhard, a lady who lived in Brazil and is Divaldo Franco’s translator here. The Swiss study group is being prepared for the future. The Swiss people are ready to accept Spiritism, since 60% of their population believes in reincarnation!

O Consolador: how do you see criminality and violence in our country? How can Spiritist help in this situation? 

Violence is the absence of love and justice, which has most of times its roots in education. Sometimes I reflect about it. Only with education and work can we overcome crime. The criminality here is too low. Why? Because you can be a garbage collector and you’ll be well paid here. If you are a bricklayer you needed to study to be one, you’re proud of your profession and you can make ends meet, have a family. Let’s professionalize the youth, offer good schools. If he can’t be an excellent student, he may learn another profession. Here in Switzerland everybody knows their profession is important!! IMPORTANT!

In Brazil everybody wants to own a company and it generates insecurity among others.

I used to live well in Brazil, and I know how embarrassing it could be if I said that my daughter’s boyfriend is a plumber. We don’t have it here. Today I have no prejudice anymore. Thanks God.

O Consolador: How long do you think it will take for Earth to be promoted from his current status, world of tests and atonement, to the condition of regenerating world, according to Saint Augustin, the word love will be written in all fronts and a perfect balance will ensure relationships? 

When Spiritism turned 150, we received a message saying that 150 years is like 15 minutes for a great change. So we still have 1,425 years!!! Let’s see. If we keep on discussing the sex of angels it might take longer. But if we roll up our sleeves and work for the good, raising citizens more aware of their realities and potentials, the change in the world may happen sooner and love and justice will remain in the human heart

O Consolador: About the problems that the earthly society is facing, what should be the top priority for Spiritism in the world? 

Spread the Doctrine, of course. But it’s hard. We need to invest in Spiritism outside Brazil, and CEI has been trying to spread Spiritism around, but it’s a challenge that demands more than effort. It demands money. We need to earn it by ourselves. 

O Consolador: Your final words. 

This was a very well-structured interview and I would like to say thanks for this magazine that is read worldwide. Thanks for the team of “O Consolador”. Hugs from Switzerland, may Jesus abide upon us all. Pray for us.