The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863

Allan Kardec

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One of our correspondents from a Southern city writes the following to us:

Today I will provide you with a new proof that the crusade that I mentioned to you is translated in a thousand ways. Yesterday I attended a meeting in which there was a heated discussion of the pros and cons of Spiritism. One of the attendees said the following: - Mr. Kardec experiences are not better than the ones we have just talked about. In his magazine, Mr. Kardec avoids comments about all the mystifications and tribulations that he faces. You must know, for example, that September last year in a gathering of about thirty people in Mr. Kardec’s house, all the participants were whacked by the Spirits. I was in Paris on the occasion and heard reports from a person that that just attended the meeting and who showed the bruise on his shoulder hit by a violent blow. I did not see the stick, she said, but she felt it.

I would like to know about this type of activity and that I would appreciate any explanation.”

We would not have bothered our readers with such an insignificant case if it would not have some level of instruction which would be useful as we are not able to respond to every one of these absurdities.

Answer: My dear Sr., the fact that you reported is among those things which are possible and about which there is more than one example. By saying that one of them took place in my house is the same as formally accepting the manifestation of the Spirits. The form of the story, however, denotes an intention that does not allow me to agree with the author. He can be a believer but certainly he is not benevolent and forgets the basis of the Spiritist moral: charity. If the reported case had really happened, as stated by this person , I would not let it go quietly because it would be a fact of capital importance about which there would be no doubt it because, as it was said, there was thirty witnesses being bashed by the proof of the existence of the Spirits. Unfortunately, to your story teller, there isn’t a single word that is true in the story. I formally belie him as the other one who said to have attended the session and I challenge both to come to sustain what they say before the Parisian Society as they do two hundred miles away. The story tellers don’t think of everything and fall before their own traps. That is what happens in this case because there is a material impossibility for the fact so positively attested by an eye witness: the fact that the Society interrupts its activities between August 15th and October 1st; that since I left Paris towards the end of August, I only returned on October 20th, consequently that in September I was fully engaged with a trip. As you see this is one of the most authentic alibies.

If the person really carried the marks of walking stick on the shoulder and since there was no meeting in my house that person received them elsewhere and not willing to say where and how she found it interesting to accuse the Spirits, something that was less compromising and avoided any further explanation.

My dear Sir, you really give too much importance to this little story, classifying it as an act of a crusade against Spiritism. There are so many of this kind that it would be necessary to have nothing else to do in order to take the time to respond to them. Hostility is translated by more serious actions and that nonetheless are not less concerning. You take too seriously the diatribes of our adversaries. Hence you must think that the more they agitate to combat Spiritism, the more they demonstrate its importance. If it were a simple myth or dream they would not be so much worried. What does make them so furious and eager against Spiritism is the fact that they see it advancing against the wind and the tides and feel the circle around them closing in more and more. Let the ill-intended ones invent fairytales and the others to throw in the poison of calumny because such gimmicks are a demonstration of their impotence to attack with good arguments. Spiritism has nothing to fear about them. On the contrary, they are the shadows that point out Spiritism’s shine. The liars are worn out by their stories and the slanderers abated by the shame that spills upon them.

Spiritism faces the same attacks as all other new truths that excite the passions of those whose ideas and interests may be hurt. Look and see if all those truths have not prevailed and surpassed all the obstacles that were placed in their way; find one only that has succumbed to the attacks of its enemies. The new ideas that only had a transient light fell on their own because they did not have the vitality that can only be achieved by the truth. These were less attacked because the ones that remained prevailed after more violent attacks.

You must not believe that the war against Spiritism has reached its summit. No. There are still certain things that do need to take place in order to open the eyes of the blind ones. I cannot and I must not say more at this point in time because I should not interfere with the necessary march of the events. I tell you, however, that while we wait: When you hear absurd expression; when you see material acts of hostility from wherever they may come far from being shaken you should applaud them the more they have repercussion. That is one of the announced signs of the forthcoming triumph, soon to take place.

As for the Spiritists these must distinguish themselves by moderation leaving to the antagonists the sad privilege of the defamations and personalities that prove nothing but a lack of skills in the beginning and a lack of good reasons later on. A few more words, if you allow me, about the behavior with respect to the adversaries. It is as much a duty of the good Spiritist to enlighten the ones who seek them in good faith as it is useless to discuss with the ill-faith antagonists or with a pre-conceived idea; they are sometimes more convinced than it seems but do not want to confess. Any polemic is useless with them because there is no objective and cannot change opinion. There are many of good will for us to waste time with the others.

That is the line of conduct that I have always advised and the one that I have invariably followed myself, always abstaining from yielding to provocations with the intent of making me go down to the arena of the controversy. If I occasionally respond to certain attacks and false statements is to show that it is not the possibility of the answer that is missing and to give the Spiritists the means of refutation, if necessary. As a matter of fact, there are some that I spare to later on. Since I am not impatient I observe everything with calm and cold blood. I confidently wait for the right moment that I know will come allowing the adversaries to get to a dead end.

The measure of their aggression has not reached the limit yet. It is necessary that it does. The present prepares the future. Up until now there has been no serious objection that was not refuted in my writings. Hence all I can do is to send it to them to avoid repeating myself incessantly with all those who enjoy speaking of what they don’t know even the first words. Every discussion is superfluous with someone that did not read or, if read, had a preconceived idea. Personal issues disappear before the greatness of the objective and the big picture of the irresistible movement that takes place in the ideas.

Never mind that this one or the other one is against Spiritism when everybody knows that no one can impede the realization of facts. That is what experience confirms every day.

I then say this to every Spiritist: Continue to spread the idea. Spread it through kindness and persuasion and leave it to our adversaries the monopoly of violence and acrimony something that people resource to when there isn’t enough power of reasoning.

Yours sincerely,

A.K.





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