Waldenir Aparecido Cuin:

”A moralized creature will always be a good person wherever he is”
 

The manager Waldenir Aparecido Cuin (picture) writes in several Spiritist journals distributed in Votuporanga (SP), city where he’s lived since the 70’s when he arrived with his family, originally from Cosmorama (SP). Spiritist since 1972, Cuin was one of the founders, along with other teenagers, of the Spiritist Youth at the Spiritist Center Humberto de Campos, in Votuporanga, where he currently presides. Author of seven books, the confrere was also one of the main responsible for the creation of the Beneficent Association “Brother Mariano Dias”, department at the
Spiritist Center Humberto de Campos, where they help 170 kids and teens. At the institution, which is also a day care, they are taught painting, foreign language, handicraft, computer science, embroidery, and school support. According to Cuin, who is also the general coordinator, the institution also caters for the parents of the kids providing courses like electricity, hydraulics and embroidery.

O Consolador: What roles have you performed in the Spiritist movement?

We founded the Spiritist Youth at the Spiritist Center Humberto de Campos, but after some time, due to problems at the Center, when all the board left, followed by many people, the guys from the Youth group took over with enormous difficulties and efforts, surely counting on the spiritual help, we managed to reorganize it, so that the Spiritist Center Humberto de Campos is up and running until today.  

O Consolador: What is your current role?

I’m the president at the Spiritist Center Humberto de Campos and general coordinator of the Beneficent Association “Brother Mariano Dias”. As for divulgation, we publish two weekly Spiritist columns, one at the “Votuporanga Diary” and the other at the newspaper “The City”, also from Votuporanga. In the Spiritist press, we publish monthly articles in the “Spiritist Paper”, bi-monthly articles in the “Spiritist Magazine Truth and Light”, from Lisbon, Portugal; frequent articles in the electronic magazine “O Consolador” and various sites. We’ve also published seven books, and the profit, although small, is destined to the care activities and human promotion at the Beneficent Association “Brother Mariano Dias”.

O Consolador: When was your first contact with Spiritism?

Through a cousin, because we knew of his option for Spiritism, while all our family kept being Catholic. For curiosity we approached him to get more information about life after the death of body. At the time, in the 70’s, he gave us the book “The Gospel According to Spiritism”, by Allan Kardec, and the book “Voices from Beyond”, by diverse Spirits, psychographed by Francisco Candido Xavier. The reading of such books seemed familiar, something that should really be true. But what really counted was our dream about being a soccer player. At age 17 we started our career at the Associação Atlética Votuporanguense, the town’s team which played at the 1st state division. However, six months later, we suffered a serious injury on the right knee, undergoing surgery, unsuccessfully, where we spent more than six months in the medical department, and it was not possible to keep the dream. Our career got interrupted and a great frustration led us to wonder about it. After some search, and not able to play soccer anymore, we started to work, because the material necessity worried a lot our family. At work we met a very generous man, José Bruno Mattiazzo, who heard us sometimes, and, with our story, led us to the Spiritist Center Humberto de Campos, where we are until today, for other challenges, not in the field, but against problems and pain that are inflicted on the human heart.

O Consolador: What was your family’s reaction?

Initially they got worried, because of a rumor in our community, which said that whoever joined the Spiritist Center became fanatic and ended up in an evil religion. But time and our perseverance proved contrary. Today, almost all the family is Spiritist, like my parents, brothers, wife, son and daughter-in-law, great allies and collaborators of the activities we perform.

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

The three of them are fundamental in order to understand Spiritism. The scientific aspect clarifies and explains the mediumistic phenomena and its coverage; the philosophical aspect teaches us the correct form to live, to make the most of the opportunities life gives us and the religious one shows us the conditions for the necessary and urgent inner reform. The knowledge and lifestyle are really important, but the inner growth, the moral prosperity, the spiritual progress, with the development of feelings such as love and fraternity, are urgent and paramount, and we get this once we understand and practice the Gospel of Christ. That’s why we are fond of the religious aspect of Spiritism. A moralized creature will always be a good person wherever he is.

O Consolador: What are your favorite Spiritist authors?

I like Pedro de Camargo (Vinícius), Richard Simonetti, Léon Denis, Herculano Pires, and others.

O Consolador: What books do you consider indispensable for those who are starting off in Spiritism?

It’s important to start well: “The Spiritist Beginner”, “What is Spiritism?” and “The Spirits’ Book”, it means, books by Allan Kardec, which are easy to understand and, from then on, the student will be able to study other books, with no risks of getting lost in dubious books that we have in the Spiritist movement.

O Consolador: If you were to spend some years in a desert place, with restricted access to Spiritist activity, which books would you take?

I’d take books by Kardec, André Luiz, Emmanuel, and the book “Living fountain”, also by 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?

Without any doubts, it is a religion, once it introduces us to Jesus Christ with such clarity and depth. Spiritism doesn’t add anything else but Jesus, but explains Him in such a way and logic that allows everybody to understand His concepts, inducing the inner reform in each one of us.

O Consolador: Another topic of great debates is about the book published in France by J. B. Roustaing. What do you make of it?

Confusing and not worth it. It hasn’t added anything to Allan Kardec and the Spirit of Truth’s team. We have Kardec, Leon Denis, Herculano Pires, Bozzano, Pedro de Camargo (Vinicius), and Emmanuel, André Luiz, Manoel Philomeno de Miranda, Bezerra de Menezes, Humberto de Campos and so many others of the Spiritist literature which offer material for long and deep study. We don’t need to read what is dubious, since we have what’s correct already.

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 agree with J. Herculano Pires, since the biblical passages say that Jesus also did that, laying the hands upon the needy and helping them with fluids. The pass is our desire to help others, counting on the help of the Spirit-world. So we don’t believe that there must be a pattern to express love and fraternity. 

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?

“The Spirits’ Book”, in item 358, says: “Every transgression of the law of God is a crime. The mother, or any other, who takes the life of an unborn child, is necessarily criminal”. Therefore, abortion is preventing the Spirit from coming to the physical world to undergo new trials. We as Spiritist need, indeed, to dare more, obviously in a balanced way, but we need to avoid, through whatever means within our reach, that the legalization of abortion will never happen.

Unfortunately the Surgeon General Minister, Dr. José Gomes Temporão, supports the idea that the legalization of abortion will solve an issue of public health, referring to the enormous amount of illegal abortions. So, we ask: The drugs, widely used now, have made a great deal of sick people and criminals and are, therefore, an issue of public health and security. Shall we, then, legalize the use of cocaine, crack, dope, do ecstasy and others? 

A law may turn the abortion into a legal procedure, but it will keep on being immoral, incurring debts to the authors, parents, doctors, those who supported etc. Our fight should always be for life and never for death.

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?

The doctor studies for a long time to save lives relieve pain and suffering of the creatures. So, not caring for a terminal patient, so that he dies is, at least, omission of help. Science cannot accurately precise the moment when the sick person will die. The drama can last for days, months or years. There are many cases of people who lasted much longer than the predicted. This way, if a Spirit needs to go through the experience to spend some time in a body that has no conditions of life, the Medicine can help him in it. We are of the opinion that we should do everything pro-life, while there is a slim possibility for someone to remain in the physical body, since minutes of reflection of a Spirit engaged to the body can avoid great and long problems in the future.

O Consolador: Does the Spiritist movement in Brazil please you or is there anything that could be improved?

The Spiritist Doctrine has been spread with great efforts and determination. There’s always room for more, so that Spiritism can reach everyone, being up to them to accept it or not. Financial resources have been scarce and human material is not abundant either, because the task is long, hard and takes courage, perseverance, idealism and awareness to pass on what makes us feel good. We believe that the Spiritist movement has been doing what is possible. We should keep praying for God give us more strength so that all tasks follow their due course, always growing.

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

The levels of criminality and violence are worrisome, and, education is the only thing to modify such picture. Educate so that to build up the character of people and by that raise good men. Family, which is the basis of society, has not been performing their role. The fads, the dangerous tolerances, the omission, the inversion of moral values, are factors that compromise the creatures inside the home. Our children also need religious education, as well as doctors, dentists, clothes, shoes, school. We need to take care of the body, but also the Spirit, because we reincarnated to correct old habits and learn new lessons of dignity.

In the social context that we live in, we can do a lot to combat criminality and violence. Let’s build philanthropic institutions and human promotion ones and create opportunities for kids and teens that need them. Computer, music, plastic arts, dance, o handicraft and so many other activities have helped so much those who were in need.  Let’s give examples of dignity, honor and decency to the parents of families with little income. There are no bad kids in fact, but simply those who don’t find decent opportunities and, because of that, make mistakes.

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?

In an interview, Chico Xavier said that Brazil will be what Brazilians make of it. Following the same line we can say that the Earth will be what we make of it. It’s our duty to transform the world of trials and expiations into a regenerating one.  Obviously, there’s no definite date for that. Everything hinges on our efforts to promote the inner changes, replacing faults with virtues, and overcome evil doing good. There are many points of serious conflicts on Earth. A war of worldwide proportion, for sure, would be a catastrophe and an evident delay in this.    

Let’s do our bit, undertaking all the possible efforts to help build a more just and fraternal society, and will be contributing decisively for that Earth will become a regenerating world.

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

To do our utmost so that the invaluable lessons of Jesus Christ reach everybody in Brazil and the world. Peace will only be possible on Earth if Jesus, definitely, live in the heart of every man. Many, certainly, won’t accept him, others will keep idle, but a great majority of the worldwide population, tired of mistakes and illusions, will undergo the so-called inner reform, “that ye put away the old man, and put on the new man”, as Paul said. The Spiritist leaders, above all, should give examples living the Gospel of Christ, because the words inform, the letters instruct, but only the examples convince.