Kéops Vasconcelos (photo), a Spiritist since 1996, is member of a number of organisations dedicated to the study of Spiritism and gathering Spiritists in the legal profession. In this interview, he shares his views about Law, its connections to the Gospel of Jesus and the progress of humankind:  Please begin by telling us a bit more about the Association of Spiritist Judges and Magistrates (ABRAME) in the state of Paraíba. Since I became the head of regional branch of the Association’s regional

branch, we began to host monthly lectures and talks on Spiritism in a room of the Campina Grande law courts. In the beginning, only a few Spiritist employees in the building joined us, but now dozens of people, sometimes hundreds, attend regularly, including several of the best-known judges, lawyers as well as volunteers of the local Spiritist community. We held a meeting of Regional Spiritist Judges in 2010, focusing on the theme of dialogue between the society and the legal sector. The success of that event led us to organise the Second Regional Meeting, now in May (18th and 19th). The main aim of this meeting is to discuss the humanisation of Justice and to encourage the spiritualisation of judges.

Are judges in other parts of the country also organised around Spiritism?

There are similar examples in many Brazilian states. More than 700 judges are affiliated to ABRAME, which is the national organisation. There is a wider umbrella organisation, AJE, which gathers other professions in the legal sector, such as lawyers, prosecutors and police commissioners. 

Academics from many fields of knowledge have always been drawn towards the Spiritist teachings. In the study of Law, what would say are the aspects where Spiritism is most relevant?

As a university lecturer, I never shied away from mentioning the principles of Spiritism in the classroom, whenever relevant, of course. How could I not do it when we debate issues such as the death penalty, abortion, euthanasia or anencephaly? The aim here is not to evangelise the students. But I realised later that many of my students eventually became interested in the teachings and began to study it, becoming enthusiastic workers. Many Law academics have attended our monthly meetings in the law courts. It’s only natural that Spiritism shines a light on the legal profession, as The Spirits’ Book highlights in its Chapter XI that one of the main moral laws is the law of justice, love and charity. Human justice, even though directly influenced by divine justice, is still far from perfect and often unfair. But that is due to our limitations as human beings. 

Do you believe Spiritism has already some influence on legal decisions taken in Brazil?

I often say that the Spiritist judge is not necessarily better, or fairer, than non-Spiritist judges. The more you study and understand the implications of the law of cause and effect, the bigger is your responsibility to watch your behaviour and professional excellence, and that includes respect to the moral laws of Christ. The Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) has realised that Brazilian legislation needed to be improved and has just set up a Committee to Monitor the Legal Sector, of which I’m a member. The committee will follow closely all legislation proposed in the National Congress and follow its progress. There are many themes of particular interest to us, as it can eventually hamper our spiritual development, such as abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia and the legalisation of drug use. Our aim is not only to follow the legislation, but also intervene and act when necessary, in order to avoid that such legislation goes through. 

Do you think other countries, especially in the developed world, are taking similar initiatives to safeguard the principles of the Gospel in their legislation?

As we know, the world is going through a period of transition, and the legal sector is part of that process. The spiritual progress of humankind is an ongoing process, it never stops, despite facing some setbacks. With globalisation, people on the planet are communicating with each other in real time, and it’s expected that different cultures will influence each other. Fewer and fewer countries still have the death penalty, or accept euthanasia and the use of drugs. What really concerns us is the fact that pro-abortion movement seem more vocal, even though they face increasing resistance from local societies. But there’s no doubt love will prevail in the end. In Brazil, we have a recent example of successful legislation that shows human justice coming closer in line with the justice of God. New legislation was approved forbidding politicians undergoing investigation for crime or corruption to run for office. 

As someone with great knowledge of Spiritism, what do you think is the most profound lesson of the teachings codified by Allan Kardec?

I believe it’s the law of progress. It seems to me as one of the most sublime and comforting moral laws. The law of progress, when taken in consideration alongside the law of cause and effect, pushes us forward and to a more advanced stage of spiritual evolution. The criminals of today will inevitably be the defenders of the Christian laws in the future. Spiritist literature offers a great number of examples of people who failed in the past, who were invited through their consciences to repent, to expiate the bad they’d done and have became examples of moral progress. Saul of Tarsus – or St Paul – Públio Lentulus (who reincarnated as Emmanuel, the spiritual guide of Chico Xavier) and Judas Iscariotes (who reincarnated as Joanne of Arc) are good examples. And we should bear in mind that this we will inexorably face the same destiny, sooner or later. It will all depend on our free will. 

What link can we establish between Jesus and Law?

Jesus, this sublime soul, has left us a vast legacy of justice being carried out. He was the lawyer and conciliator in the passage of the adulterous woman; he was the fair judge in the passage of the workers of the last hour; he was the magnanimous legislator as he translated all the Christian moral in the sentences “Love God above all things and your neighbour like yourself” and “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to yourself;” he was also the assertive teacher when he told the story of the good Samaritan.  

What is the area of Law that is more closely linked to the current stage of humankind and even with the teachings of Spiritism?

I believe the principles contained in Spiritism can be applied to all areas of Law. However, I would say that family law, penal law, criminal law and the rights of the children and teenagers are those that can gain the most from the Christian teachings in general. There’s a new area of law, environmental law, which is equally important in the current process of human development, as it stops the destruction of the environment and thus helps to save lives. The knowledge of Spiritism can be of great value for judges dealing with domestic violence, as it helps understand the underlying causes of family rows. And we must mention international law, with its crucial role in keeping the peace among the peoples and helping establish functioning democracies around the world. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I thank you greatly for giving me this opportunity to publicise the Spiritist teachings. The motivation for all I’ve been doing is the search for constant moral development, especially in my job as a law enforcer. Judging the acts of others is a tough and complex task, but we must be moved by good will and most of all we must have the determination to face each and every challenge that comes up on the way. We must bear in mind that we are working towards divine justice. And we must bear in mind that we will have to respond for whatever is given to us, and those who get more will have to account for more. So, all that considered, I do believe that I can make it, I can be successful in the task I was given, fully aware that I’m also making up for the mistakes I certainly made in previous incarnations.