CHAPTER II
I. LAW OF WORSHIP
Purpose of worship.—External worship.—Life of contemplation.—Prayer.
—Polytheism.—Sacrifices.
Purpose of worship.
649. What is worship?
“The elevation of thought towards the Creator. The soul gets closer
to God through worship.”
650. Is worship the consequence of an intrinsic feeling, or the product
of education?
“An intrinsic sense, like the belief in God. Being aware of their
weaknesses leads humankind to humbly bow before the Supreme Being
who can protect them.”
651. Are there nations or groups of people entirely devoid of any sense
of worship?
“No, because there never was a country or ethnic group solely
comprised of atheists. Everyone feels that there is a Supreme Intelligence
above them.”
652. Can we regard worship as being rooted in natural law?
“It is included in natural law, since it is the result of an intrinsic
sense in human beings. This is why it is found across all nations and
ethnic groups in different forms.”
External worship.
653. Are external displays necessary for worship?
“True worship exists in the heart. Remember that God’s eyes are
always watching you.”
a) Are external displays of worship beneficial or constructive?
Yes, if they are not merely done for show. Setting a good example
is always important. People who perform acts of worship merely
for the sake of appearances and whose behavior contradicts their superficial
piety, set a bad example and do more harm than they know
or imagine.”
654. Does God prefer any specific type of worship?
“God prefers people who sincerely worship from the heart by doing
good and avoiding wrongdoing, over those who follow elaborate
rituals or ceremonies but are not truly better than their neighbors.”
“All human beings are brothers and sisters, and also God’s children.
God calls out to everyone who follows Divine or natural laws, no
matter how they show their deference and respect.”
“People who are only superficially pious are hypocrites. When
their worship is only a sham and contradicts their behavior, they set a
bad example.”
“Those who claim to worship Christ yet are proud, spiteful, jealous,
cruel and unforgiving of others, ambitious for material goods, I declare
to you that they have religion for outward appearances only and not
in their hearts, God who sees everything will say: ‘Those who know the
truth and do not follow it is a hundredfold more guilty in the evil they
do than the ignorant savage, and will be treated accordingly on judgment
day.’ You can excuse a blind man if he runs into you as he passes
by. If the same thing is done by a man who can see you, you complain
and with good reason.”
“Do not ask if any specific form of worship is more acceptable than
another because that is akin to asking if God prefers to be worshiped
in one language over another. Remember that the hymns addressed to
God can only reach their target through the heart.”
655. Is it wrong to participate in ceremonies and practice the sacraments
of a religion in which we do not sincerely believe, when done out of respect
for our loved ones and acquaintances and in order not to offend those who
think differently?
“As in so many other things, the intention determines the worth
of the act. When a person is simply showing respect for the beliefs of
others, it is not wrong. This is better than the person who ridicules
them because that would show a lack of charity. However, those who
carry out such practices simply for selfish motives or ambition are despicable
in the eyes of God and humanity. God gets no gratification or
joy out of seeing those who pretend to humble themselves solely for
the approval of their fellow human beings.”
656. Is group worship preferable to individual worship?
“When individuals have similar thoughts and feelings and are assembled
together, they have more power to attract good spirits. The
same applies when they are gathered to worship God. However, this
does not mean that private worship is less acceptable as people can
worship God in their own thoughts.”
Life of contemplation.
657. Do those who have devoted themselves to a life of contemplation, doing
no evil, and thinking only of God get any special merit?
“No, because if they do no wrongdoing, then they do not do good
either. Moreover, not doing good, in itself, is wrong. God wants us to
think of Him, but God does not want us to think only of Himself, since
God has given the human being duties to fulfill on earth. Those who
spend their entire lives in meditation and contemplation do nothing
praiseworthy in God’s eyes because such a life is completely private
and useless to humankind. God will ask them to account for the good
they have failed to do.” (See no. 640.)
Prayer.
658. Is prayer pleasing to God?
“Prayer is always pleasing to God when it comes from the heart.
Intention is everything in God’s eyes and a prayer from the heart is
preferable to one read from a book, no matter how beautiful it may be,
if you read more with the lips than with the thought. Prayer is pleasing
to God when it is offered with faith, passion and sincerity. God will
ignore the prayer of a vain, proud or selfish person, unless it is offered
as an act of sincere repentance and humility.”
659. What is the general nature of prayer?
“Prayer is an act of worship. Praying to God is a mean to think, get
closer and communicate with God. A person who prays may do three
things: praise, ask and offer thanks.”
660. Does prayer make humankind better?
“Yes. Those who enthusiastically and confidently pray have more
strength to withstand the temptations of evil, and to get help from the
good spirits sent by God to assist them in so doing. Such help is never
refused when honestly asked for.”
a) How is it that some individuals who pray for long periods of time are
sometimes repulsive, jealous, envious and harsh, lacking in compassion and
mercy, and even extremely cruel?
“What matters is how you pray, and not how much you pray. These
individuals presume that all the virtue of prayer lies in its length and
duration, and turn a blind eye to their own flaws. For them, prayer is
an occupation, a means of passing their time, but not a true study of
themselves. In these instances, it is not the remedy that is ineffective, but
the manner in which it is employed.”
661. Is there any use in asking God to forgive us for our faults?
“God sees good and bad, and prayer does not hide any flaws. Those
who ask God to forgive their faults only obtain that forgiveness if they
change their behavior. Good actions are the best prayers, because actions
are worth more than words.”
662. Can we pray effectively for others?
“People who pray exercise an influence through their desire to
do good. By prayer, they attract good spirits who take part in the good
they desire to do.”
Through our thought and will, we possess a power of action
that extends far beyond the limits of our physical world. To
pray for others is an act of volition. If our will is passionate and
sincere, it calls good spirits to the aid of the party prayed for,
and helps that person by suggesting good thoughts and providing
the strength of body and soul that he or she needs. Once
again, a prayer from the heart is everything, while that of just
the lips is worthless.
663. Can we avoid our trials or change their nature by praying for ourselves?
“Your trials are in God’s hands, and there are some through which
you must persevere right to the very end. God always takes into account
the submission with which they are endured. Prayer calls good
spirits to your side who give you strength to bear these trials with courage,
so that they seem less severe. Prayer is never useless when it is
sincere, because it gives you strength, which is important. After all,
‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ God could not change the
natural circumstances to suit the various opposing demands that are
made, because what appears to be a great misfortune to you, from your
narrow perspective, and in relation to your temporary life on Earth, is
often a great blessing for the general order of the universe. Anyway,
how many troubles in life do humans create for themselves through
their own short-sightedness or wrongdoing! One is punished where one has sinned. However, reasonable requests are granted more often
than you believe. You think your prayer has not been answered
because God has not produced a miracle for you, while in fact God
has actually assisted you in such a natural manner that it seems to have
been the effect of chance or the ordinary course of events. God even
suggests the thought of what you must do to help yourselves when in
trouble or when experiencing any kind of difficulty.”
664. Is there any point in praying for the dead or suffering spirits? If so, in
what way can our prayers alleviate or shorten their suffering? Do they have
the power to escape God’s justice?
“Prayer has no effect on God’s designs, but the spirits for whom
you pray are consoled by your prayers because you are showing them
proof of your interest. They are comforted by the kindness of those
who are compassionate towards their pain. Your prayers may also motive
them to repent and to do everything within their power to become
happy. This is how you may shorten the term of their suffering,
provided that they support your action by that of their own wills. This
desire for betterment, motivated by your prayers, attracts higher spirits
who come to enlighten them, console them and give them hope. Jesus
prayed for the sheep that went astray, and in so doing showed that you,
in order to have a clear conscience, must do the same for those who
desperately need your prayers.”
665. What should we think of the opinion that rejects the idea of praying for
the dead because it is not noted in the Gospel?
“Christ preached to all humanity to ‘Love one another.’ This implies
the duty of using every possible means of showing affection for
each other, without going into any details in terms of reaching that
end. If it is true that nothing can stop the Creator from applying
absolute justice, then your prayer, on behalf of suffering spirits, is
accepted as proof of honor and acknowledgment, which never fails
to bring relief to the subjects. As soon as those for whom you pray
show the slightest sign of repentance, and only then, help is sent to
them. They are always informed that a sympathetic heart has thought
of them, and they are always left with the consoling impression that
this friendly intervention has been of use to them. Therefore, your
prayer induces gratitude and affection for the friend who has given
them this proof of kindness and pity. The mutual love that Christ
shines upon all humankind either develops further or awakens between
you and them. Both you and those for whom you pray will
have obeyed the law of love and union imposed on all the beings of the universe, a Divine law that will introduce the reign of unity and
harmony, the ultimate goal of all spirits.” *
* Response given by the spirit of Mr. Monod, Protestant priest from Paris,
died in April 1856. The previous response, no. 664, is that of the spirit of
Saint Louis. A.K.
666. Can we pray to spirits?
“You can pray to good spirits since they are God’s messengers and
they execute God’s will. Their power is always proportionate to their
superiority, and depends entirely on the Master of all things, without
whose permission nothing takes place. For this reason, prayers addressed
to them are only effective if accepted by God.”
Polytheism.
667. Why is polytheism one of the oldest and most widespread of human beliefs,
despite being false?
“The concept of a single God could only have resulted from the
evolutionary development of human thought. Incapable of conceiving
an immaterial being with the power to act on matter, humankind
naturally attributed physical features to God, basically a form and
a face. From that point forward, everything that appeared to transcend
ordinary human intelligence was regarded as Divine. Whatever
humans could not understand was regarded as being the work of a
supernatural power, and led to the belief in the existence of as many
separate powers as the numerous effects that were witnessed but for
which they could not account. However, there have been enlightened
human beings in every era who have understood that it would
be impossible for the world to be governed by this array of powers
without a supreme ruler, and who were led to formulate the concept
of the one and only God.”
668. As spirit phenomena have occurred around the world since the dawn of
time, could these phenomena have helped prompt a belief in multiple gods?
“Of course, because human beings applied the term god to whatever
transcended humanity. Spirits were many gods for them. Whenever
individual humans set themselves apart from others by their actions,
their genius, or a mysterious power beyond the understanding of their
fellow humans, they were made into gods and were worshiped as such
after their deaths.” (See no. 603.)
In ancient times, the word god had a variety of meanings.
It did not represent the Master of Nature as it does today,
but was a generic term applied to all beings that appeared
to transcend ordinary human beings. As spirit manifestations
revealed the existence of intangible beings acting as one of
the elementary powers of nature, they called them gods, just
as we call them spirits. This is merely a question of words, with
the difference being that they built temples and altars out of
ignorance, and gave offerings that became highly lucrative for
those whose interests were served. For us, spirits are more or
less advanced creatures that have shed their human envelope.
If we carefully study the different features of pagan divinities,
we can easily recognize those of the spirits today at every level
of the spirit hierarchy, their physical state in superior worlds,
the role assumed by them in human life, and the various properties
of the perispirit.
In shining its divine light on our world, Christianity has
taught us to only adore the sole object for which this esteem is
due. It could not destroy an element of nature and the belief
in the existence of spiritual beings around us that has been
preserved under different names. Their manifestations have
never stopped, but they have been interpreted diversely and
often exploited under the shroud of mystery hiding their true
nature. While religion has regarded these spirit communications
as miraculous, skeptics have labeled them as fraudulent.
Spiritism is free from the superstition that has distorted the
perception of these phenomena for ages therefore through
scientific investigation and serious study it can now reveal one
of the most sublime and important principles of nature.
Sacrifices.
669. The practice of offering human sacrifices dates back to antiquity. How
could humankind ever think that God would appreciate this?
“First, they did not understand that God is the source of all goodness.
Among primitive populations, matter outweighs the spirit. Due
to the undeveloped state of their moral qualities, they surrendered to
their animal instincts and that is why they were generally so cruel to
their instincts of brutality. Second, the humans of prehistoric periods
naturally considered a living creature to be much more valuable in
God’s eyes than any material object. This led them to offer sacrifices to
their gods, first animals and then humans, because they thought that
the value of a sacrifice was proportionate to the significance of the
victim. When purchasing a gift for someone, you choose something
with a cost or worth that is proportionate to how much love, respect or
thought you would like to convey to the recipient. It was only natural for primitive human beings who were unaware of the nature of the
Supreme Being to do the same.”
a) Did the sacrificing of animals precede that of human beings?
“There is no doubt about it.”
b) According to this explanation, the practice of sacrificing human beings
did not originate simply out of cruelty.
“No, it originated from a false idea as to what would be pleasing to
God. For instance, look at the story of Abraham. In later times, humans
have further corrupted this false idea by killing their enemies, the objects
of their personal hostility. God has never carried out sacrifices of
any kind, neither animals nor human beings. God would find no honor
in the useless destruction of creation.”
670. Has God ever appreciated human sacrifices, when offered with a sincere,
religious intention?
“Never, but God always considers the intention that motivates any
act. As primitive peoples were ignorant, they may have believed that
they were performing a praiseworthy deed in sacrificing their fellow
beings. In such a case, God would accept their intention, but not their
act. The human race, in working on its own betterment, naturally
came to recognize its error and loathe the idea of sacrifices, which
never should have entered ‘enlightened’ minds. I say ‘enlightened’
because, back then, spirits were enveloped by the veil of matter, and
their free will was enough to give them a flickering glimpse of their
origin and destiny. Many among them already understood the evil they
were committing intuitively, but they did it anyway for the gratification
of their passions.”
671. What should we think of “religious” wars? It seems that the sentiment
that induces a nation of fanatics to exterminate the greatest possible number
of people who do not share their beliefs, in order to please God, comes from the
same source as that which formerly led them to massacre their fellow beings
as sacrifices.
“These wars are encouraged by wicked spirits and the humans who
wage them place themselves in direct opposition to God’s will, which
is that all human beings should love their brothers and sisters as they
love themselves. All religions, or rather all people, worship the same
God, regardless of the name they use. Why then would one attempt
to exterminate the other simply because they believe in different religions,
or because one has not yet reached the same degree of enlightenment
as that of the aggressor? People may be excused for not
believing in the word of the one who was animated by the Spirit of God and sent by God, especially since they have not seen him and have not
witnessed the divine acts. In any event, how can you honestly hope that
they would heed his message of peace, when you try to force it upon
them with violence? It is true that they need to be enlightened and it
is your duty to try to teach them Christ’s doctrine. However, this must
be done calmly and peacefully, not through violence. Consider that
most of you do not believe in the communications we have with some
humans. How could you then expect strangers to believe your claims
in regard to this fact, if your acts contradict what you preach?”
672. Is offering the fruits of the Earth more acceptable in God’s eyes than
sacrificing animals?
“I have already answered your question by saying that God judges
the intention behind an action. Of course offering the fruits of the
Earth is more acceptable than the blood of victims. As we have told
you and always repeat a prayer from the heart is a hundredfold more
pleasing to God than all the offerings you could possibly make. The
intention is everything, while the fact is nothing.”
673. Could these offerings be made more pleasing to God by using them to
assist those who are poor and lack the necessities of life? In that case, couldn’t
the sacrificing of animals be considered commendable when accomplished for
a useful purpose have been more meritorious than an abusive sacrifice that
served no useful end, or benefited only those who lacked for nothing Is there
not something truly virtuous in setting aside the fruits of all that God has
given us for the poor?
“God always blesses those who do good. To help the poor and
those who are suffering is the best way to honor God. I do not mean
to say that God disapproves of the ceremonies you use when you pray.
However, a good deal of the money spent on these events can be better
spent. God loves simplicity in all things. A person who attaches more
importance to external matters than to the heart is narrow-minded.
How could God attach more importance to the form than to the sentiment
motivating your actions?”
