The spirit press before controversial issues

The word "controversy" substantive of the adjective "controversial" - came from Greek, polemikós, 'it comes to war,' 'warrior' – it means oral debate, question, controversy.

When, therefore, we refer to this word or the verb polemic, it is understood that we are facing an issue on which there are controversies.

There are many of them in spirit midst, for example, matters relating to the soul evolution and the mineral kingdom, the living conditions on Mars and the different views concerning the application form of so-called magnetic passes.

The three themes were recently treated in our magazine by different authors.

Given this, a reader has got back to a question recently proposed and here focused too:

- Why give attention to a clearly controversial issue when there are so many others to demand our attention?

We said at that time, and we reaffirm now, that, indeed, there is no way to disagree with that observation, because in many situations we faced an argument that does not represent, in fact, priority and, in many cases, it is beyond the main object of Spiritism, as defined by Allan Kardec: 

"Spiritism is at the same time, a science of observation and a philosophical doctrine. As a practical science, it consists of the relations established between us and the Spirits. As a philosophy, it comprises all the moral consequences that flow from these same relations. We can define it like this: Spiritism is a science that deals with the nature, origin and destiny of Spirits, as well as their relationship with the corporeal world." (What's Spiritism, Preamble, p. 50) 

It is good to signalize although that in every case cited the discussion was raised by readers of our magazine, to which, in principle, we pay the closest attention, especially since they are the target of our work.

A magazine like this, which is not directed only to the spirits, but the general public, is read by people of all faiths, and many have no knowledge about the spiritual doctrine that adherents of Spiritism have already had, result of their readings and studies in spirit institutions. Given this, when a reader raises a doubt, we immediately try to clarify it, because that is what the science of communication requires

With regard to controversial issues, we reiterate that it is not our purpose to encourage them, but we do not flee from them, adopting here the same thought of Allan Kardec, exposed in a paper published in the Spirit Magazine (1858 volume, Edicel, p. 305) in which he stated that there was a controversy gender which always turns away: the one that can degenerate into personalism, alleging, however, that there was a controversy that would never back down: a serious discussion of the spirit principles.⁽¹⁾

This magazine was not created to solely publish psychic messages, which already fulfill, in considerable numbers, the production of spirit publishers.

A serious discussion of issues concerning Spiritism, that is one of its main purposes, and that's exactly the purpose we make room to several collaborators, based in different locations in this country and abroad, whose participation gives life to the pages of our magazine, besides enriching them, even if this or other opinion does not please us.

Timely in this sense, to remember, as we have said more than once, that the materials and signed articles published in our magazine not necessarily represent the opinion of the leadership of this journal, being lawful for the reader to agree or disagree with the views or argument used in this or that matter.

In dissent, the magazine offers the interested person the right to publish his criticism in the immediate issue, as our readers know very well and the messages published weekly in the Letters section proves.

⁽¹⁾ About the subject, we suggest to the reader to look at the following editorials published in our magazine:

Edition 198 – http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano4/198/editorial.html
Edition 270 - http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano6/270/editorial.html