Materialists and unbelievers: How to approach them?

 The greatest happiness of love belongs to those who love

“Above the shadows shines the sun” -  Joanna de Ângelis.

 
When we catch sight of the Light, after millennia of being immersed in the densest obscurity of ignorance; in the moment in which Spiritist Doctrine starts to light up the night of our millenary existence, a very natural desire is born to make this light to reach our attachments of the heart. And, still dazzled with the first rays of the new clarity, we invest, although still a bit muddled up, in the objective of taking spiritist clarifications to everyone. Our case was not an exception.

But, when we reap the sour cup of indifference, of mockery, of disrespect and even of the cutting irony of funny comparisons, we lose heart... A Spiritual Benefactor, measuring our frustration and anguish, has told us in an affectionate and mild tone, but with great wisdom: “My son, the Father has unimaginable solutions for everything. If your affections of the heart do not understand you now, tomorrow they will be walking the same paths upon which you today, blessed of God’s kindness, have found. Do not get distressed, as... Wait for time and, for now, follow it alone; later, who knows!?...” There is time for everything, as the Ecclesiastes said.

As the renowned Lyonaise¹ master affirms: “It is very natural and praise-worthy, in all followers, the desire to make proselytes. Aiming to ease this task for them, here we propose to examine the way which seems to us safer to reach this objective, in order to save them from useless effort.”

Spiritism is all a science, is all a philosophy. Those who then, seriously want to know it must as first condition, apply themselves to serious study and persuade themselves it cannot, as with any other science, be learned by playing.

The Spiritist Doctrine is made up of all the questions that interest Humanity. It has a broad field, and what is mainly convenient is to face this field by its consequences. It is formed, undoubtedly, on the basis in the belief in the Spirits, but this belief it is not enough to make a clarified spiritist out of anyone, as the belief in God is not enough to make anyone, whoever it might be, a theologist. We will see then, which the best manner to pass on the teachings of the Spiritist Doctrine, to pass it on with more assurance to the conviction. But do not be alarmed with the word “teaching”. Teaching is not only made up of the kind that one passes on to the pupil or to the tribune. There is also the type which is only about a simple conversation. It teaches those who try to persuade their fellow being, be it by the process of explanations, be it by experiences. What we desire is that their effort produce fruits and it is for this reason that we judge it as our duty to give some advice, from which one could equally take advantage of such advice to instruct oneself. A few will find a way to arrive more assuredly and quicker to the objective. 

It is a general belief that, in order to hold a conversation; it is enough to present facts. This, with effect, seems the most logical path. However, experience shows that this is not always the best way, as that at each new step people are found for whom the most patent facts do not absolutely convince. Where to attribute this? This is what we will try to demonstrate”. 

Every methodical teaching has to part from the known to the unknown 

“In Spiritism, the question regarding Spirits is secondary and consecutive; it is not the starting point. This is precisely the mistake through which many followers fall and that leads certain people to failure. The Spirits are nothing more than souls of men; the true starting point is the existence of the soul. Well, how can a materialist admit that, outside the material world there are beings that live, since they believe themselves that everything is matter? How can they believe that, exterior to a person, there are Spirits, when they don’t believe there is one inside them? It will be useless to pile up the most palpable proofs in front their eyes. They will contest them all because they do not admit the principle. 

Well, for the materialist, that which is known is matter: therefore one has to start from matter and before everything else, making sure that he observes it and convince him that there is something in him which escapes the laws of matter. In one word, before you turn him into spiritist, take care to turn him into spiritualist. But, for such, the order of facts that one has to launch hands into, one need to go through other processes. One should talk to him about the Spirits, before he becomes convinced he has a soul, it is to start from where one must end, because it will not be possible to accept the conclusion, without one to admit the premises... 

Before, then, trying to convince a disbeliever, even by the means of facts, it is necessary that we certify ourselves of his opinion in relation to the soul, that is, we must verify if he believes in the existence of the soul, in its survival after death, in its individuality after death. If the answer is negative, to talk to him about Spirits would be waste of time. That is the rule. However we do not rule out exceptions.

Since that the possibility of fact is recognised, three quarters of the conviction are obtained 

(...) The pure materialist has for his mistake the excuse of good faith; it will be possible to undeceive him, proving to him the mistake upon which he reasons. On the other hand, there is a settled determination, against which all the arguments will crash themselves in vain. Time will undertake the task of opening his eyes and to show him, perhaps at his own cost, where his true interests were, as, not being able to impede that the truth expands itself, he will dragged by the torrent, as well as the interests he judged to be preserved.

(...) The means to convince vary greatly, according to individuals. That which persuades some will produce nothing in others. Some are convinced by the observation of material manifestations, others by the effect of intelligent communication, but the largest number are persuaded by reasoning. We can even say that, for the majority of those who do not prepare themselves by reasoning, material phenomena have almost no weight. The more these phenomena are extraordinary, the more they distance themselves from known laws. They encounter more opposition and this is for one simple reason only: that we all are led naturally to doubt something which does not have a rational explanation. Each person considers it from their own point of view and explains it in their own way: The materialist attributes it to a purely physical cause or to a trick; the ignorant and the superstitious to a supernatural or satanic cause, whereas a previous explanation would produce the effect of destroying preconceived ideas and show, if not the reality, at least the possibility that something is understood before being seen. Well, since the possibility of a fact is recognised, three quarters of the conviction is obtained.” 

In relation to one who has not convinced himself through reasoning or by facts, the conclusion to be reached is that the proof of incredibility still has to be fulfilled. The charge of preparing him for more favourable circumstance must, therefore be left to Providence, as there are not those who long for reception of the Light, in order for one to lose one’s time with those who refuse it. 

Without reasoning, the phenomena are not enough to determine the conviction 

The beginner must start with the theory. Following Kardec’s ¹ explanation, “It is in the theory that all the phenomena are appreciated, explained, so the student gets to know them, to understand in them their possibility, to know in which conditions they can be produced and which obstacles they can find. Therefore, whatever be the order in which they present themselves, they will not be surprised.

This way still offers another advantage: sparing those who want to operate by themselves a large amount of disillusionment. Forewarned against difficulties, they will know to keep themselves on guard and avoid the conjuncture of acquiring the experience at their own cost. We talk from our own experience and so, we also say the best method of directing spiritist teaching consists of reasoning. This is the method we follow in our lessons and is the only one we are pleased with. 

The previous study of the theory immediately shows the grandness of the objective and the scope of the science (...) Without reasoning, the phenomena are not enough to determine the conviction. A previous explanation, putting an end to preventions and showing the facts are not contrary to reasoning, makes the individual accept them.

This is so true that, out of ten complete beginners in the subject who watch a experimentation session, even if it is one of the most successful ones according to the followers’ opinion, nine will come out without being convinced and some will be more disbelieving than before, because the experience did not correspond to their expectation. 

The opposite will take place with those who could understand the facts, based on prior theoretical knowledge. For these people, the theory constitutes a way of verification, without anything surprising them, not even failure, because they know the conditions in which the phenomena can be produced and that they should not ask that which cannot be delivered.

Thus previous intelligence of facts not only sets in conditions for them to perceive all the anomalies, but also to learn an infinite of particularities, of hues, sometimes very delicate, which escape the ignorant observer. 

To those are sincerely willing to learn Spiritism and afterwards practice it, boosting in their own identity the teachings of Jesus, one is first advised to read the following books in their respective order: “What is Spiritism”, “The Spirits’ Book, “The Mediums’ Book”, “The Gospel according to Spiritism”, “Heaven and Hell”, “Genesis”, and “Reveu Spirite”, all by Allan Kardec; and follow on with the hundreds of serious secondary works. 

The Spiritist-Christian ethics do not stimulate nor allow group proselytism by extreme and forceful insistence 

We shall know how to direct our attention to the creatures that really show themselves to be receptive. We should force neither the obdurate disbeliever nor the materialist who revels in his ignorance. The Spiritist-Christian ethics do not allow proselytism by extreme and forceful insistence... And if one of our dear affection is amongst the refractory people, let the Father show them, in due time, the paths of their own evolution, surrender ourselves unconditionally to the One who assured that “none of the sheep entrusted to the Father, would be lost”. 

Here is the lucid advice from Joanna de Angelis^2:

 “Forget the shadows that imbue the darkness of your hopes, and the light which lightens up in the path of those who search for you will be the clarifying light bulb to illuminate the path of your own feet”. 

Love, striving yourself in principle, even that the resentment of many disaffections that are launched at you, last for a while in your affective experience and you will notice, smiling, that the greatest happiness in love belongs to the one who loves. 

It is so true that there is much incomprehension on Earth, not less sure is that there is much aspiration for understanding amongst the Spirits who advance in the path of Infinite Directions.

Allow yourself, therefore, to transform in a harp of love touched by spiritual hands, and the vibrations of the chords scattered in the suffered community in which you find yourself, will form the beautiful symphony of the good, translator of Infinite Good on all the Earth.

Jesus, misunderstood in the stronghold of the most affectionate affections, broadened the expressions of self-sacrifice, sipping without complaint or claim the abundant content of the bile and the vinegar of unwillingness, encouraging, loving the irresolute companions and singing with them the music of hope, for the fixation of the Good News in the country of the heart, making of Himself, He himself, the most magnificent offering of Love to Humanity”. 

[1] KARDEC, Allan. The Mediums’ Book. 71. ed. Rio [de Janeiro]: FEB, 2003, 1^st part, 3^rd chapter, 18^th and following ones paragraphs.