Ricardo Baesso
de Oliveira:
"Spiritism is
essentially
evolutionist"
The co-author of
the book
Breve História
de Todos Nós:
Uma Síntese do
Tema Espiritismo
e Evolução
(Brief History
of All of Us: A
Synthesis of
Spiritism and
Evolution)
talks about his
work
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About two years
ago five fellow
Spiritists set
up a wroke group
in the Spiritist
Movement of the
city of Juiz de
Fora, in
Brazil's Minas
Gerais state.
They began the
systematic study
of Spiritism and
the theme of
evolution. The
result of the
book was the
publication of a
book Breve
Historia de
Todos Nos: Uma
Sintese do Tema
Espiritismo e
Evolucao (Brief
|
History of
All of Us: A
Synthesis of Spiritism and
Evolution),
which is the
main theme of
this interview
with Ricardo
Baesso de
Oliveira. He is
a doctor based
in Juiz de Fora
and one of the
book's authors: |
What is the book
about?
It is a summary
of the theme
Spiritism and
Evolution. We
looked into the
latest studies
about scientific
evolutionism and
established the
links with
Spritism,
focusing mainly
on the work of
Allan Kardec and
the books
written through
the mediumship
of Chico Xavier
in Brazil. We
also studied
some of the
classics of
Spiritism, such
as Bozzano,
Gabriel Delanne
and Leon Denis,
as well as
Brazilian
Spiritists Jorge
Andrea and
Hernani
Guimaraes
Andrade.
Who are the
other authors?
They are members
of the Spiritist
Movement in the
city, people who
have studied the
Teachings for
many years.
Carlos Eduardo
Nogueres is a
Chemistry
teacher; David
Sergio A. de
Gouvea and
Geraldo Marques
are lecturers at
the Engineering
Faculty in the
Juiz de Fora's
Federal
University; and
Lyderson F.
Viccini is a
Genetics
lecturer at the
same university.
And I am a
medical doctor.
How did the idea
of writing a
book come up?
It all began
with the
realisation that
incarnate
Spirits have
always played an
important role,
as authors, in
the formation of
Spiritism.
Kardec codified
the Teachings
based on the
messages sent
from the
Spiritual World,
but he was the
great figure
that organised
the work and set
up its basic
principles. He
always
underlined that.
In the first
chapter of
Genesis he
said that the
Spiritist
revelation was
unique for being
divine in its
origin, as it
comes from the
Spirits, but it
is formed
through the work
of men. Almost
at the same time
as Kardec,
important
Spiritist
authors such as
Leon Denis,
Camille
Flammarion and
Gabriel Delanne
were around,
incarnated and
taking forward
the ideas of the
codifier. There
were many others
after, including
Bozzano, Carlos
Imbassahy,
Herculano Pires,
Eliseu Rigonati,
Hernani G.
Andrade, Jorge
Andrea and
Herminio
Miranda, not to
mention the
mediumship work
of Chico Xavier,
Yvonne Pereira,
Divaldo Franco
and others. But
in the past few
decades we have
noticed that the
role of
incarnate
authors has been
somewhat
devalued. I do
not know exactly
why, but
Spiritist novels
have gained
amazing
prominence in
Spiritism, and
the theory
books, which
should be the
main focus of
our scholars and
researchers,
have all but
disappeared. We
formed this
group in order
to give our
contribution to
the development
of a very
complex issue.
We met regularly
for 18 months,
debated the
issue and wrote
our conclusions.
The book now
published is the
result of all
those meetings.
Kardec lived in
an era where
creationism was
the dominant
theory. What was
his assessment
of
evolutionism?
Kardec was an
evolutionist.
And the Spirits
who took part in
the codification
of Spiritism
also defended
evolutionism. In
question 607a of
The Spirits'
Book they
said that the
intelligent
principle is
formed in the
experiences
suffered by
nature's
inferior beings.
The problems we
have observed in
some items of
the same book
and the
considerations
about
spontaneous
generation do
not invalidate
the main
approach of
Allan Kardec.
Spiritism is
essentially
evolutionist.
The formation of
the Spirit
through many
existences in
the different
kingdoms of
nature is a core
principle of the
Spiritist
Teachings.
How do you
conciliate the
materialism of
science with
spiritual
evolution?
Some scientists
are
materialists,
but many are
not. A book was
published
recently -- Test
of Faith, by
Ruth Bancewicz
-- in which the
great names of
modern science
publicly admit
their religious
principles. I
think we should
say science is
neutral when it
comes to
spiritual
matters. We may
not be able to
prove that the
Spirits exist,
but the
materialists are
equally unable
to prove that
they do not
exist. As for
the scientific
approach to
evolution, it
can be summed up
in Neodarwinism,
which says that
random mutations
were responsible
for the
modifications of
living beings.
It adds that the
emergence of new
species and
natural
selection
justify the
disappearance of
all species that
become extinct.
What do the
Spiritist
authors say
about that?
Andre Luiz and
Emmanuel had the
opportunity to
express their
support to
Neodarwinism.
The difference
between
Spiritism and
official science
lies in the
consideration
that the
evolution
process was
aided by the
evolving
intelligent
principle and in
the continuous
work of the
Building
Spirits, who
intervened in
crucial points
of earth's
history. They
directed the
mutations that
were needed. All
that has taken
place on earth
was aimed at
facilitating the
development of
the Spirit, said
Alfred Russel
Wallace.
There are many
doubts about the
emergence of
self-conscience,
or, in other
words, Homo
Sapiens. How
important were
the spiritual
factors in that
transition from
monkey to man?
Self-conscience
was the result
of a long
process of
expansion of the
possibilities of
the spirit,
which was
created simple
and ignorant,
and yet
containing the
principles of
perfection in
its core -- the
innate drive for
improvement. We
must also take
into account the
migration to
earth of a great
number of
Spirits from a
different
galaxy, defined
by Allan Kardec
and the Adamic
race. We believe
they arrived
here some 50,000
years ago and
were responsible
for the huge
cultural leap
that took place
at that time. If
not for the
exiles of Capela,
who were
deported to our
planet, I am
convinced that
we would still
be in the Stone
Age.
To buy the book,
contact the
Instituto de
Difusão Espírita
in Juiz de Fora
on
divulgacao.idejf@gmail.com.
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