Spiritism

(From Horton Davies, understood to be out of copyright.)

Try the spirits whether they be of God. (1 John 4.1)

Spiritism, the belief that the spirits of the departed actually communicate with the living, is often erroneously styled Spiritualism, but Christians repudiate this claim to spirituality on the part of a cult which uses material proofs. How can the attraction that Spiritism has for its devotees be accounted for? It is suggested that three factors explain its contemporary allurement.

The first and most important factor is the deep longing of the bereaved human heart to know whether its beloved dead survive in another world. It is the men and women who sigh, 'O for the touch of a vanished hand and the sound of a voice that is still', who go to spiritistic seances. It is no cause for wonderment that Spiritism should flourish in an age which has seen two major world wars in three decades. For the attitude of distracted persons twice bereaved in a life-time one can have no scorn, but only a profound sympathy.

The second reason for the success of this cult is that three figures of national importance in Great Britain were avowed Spiritists; namely, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (distinguished novelist and creator of 'Sherlock Holmes', the father of an impressive progeny of literary detectives), Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir William Crookes, the eminent scientists. Spiritism's most renowned contemporary champion is Lord Dowding, former Chief of the Royal Air Force. These men gave to Spiritism the appearance of being a trustworthy creed because they subscribed to it. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that Sir Oliver Lodge condemned much Spiritism as quakery and superstition. It should also be remembered that a man who is an expert in the physical sciences is not thereby automatically qualified as an expert in the spiritual world.

Success has come to Spiritism for a third reason; because many people are under the impression that it is a form of Christianity, owing an allegiance to Jesus Christ. Such confusion was to be expected (possibly was actually encouraged) when the Spiritist assemblies met in buildings with such names as 'The Church of Christian Fellowship', ' The Temple of the Holy Trinity', or 'The Church of the Spirit'. Despite some similarities in teaching, however, it will be seen that there are wide differences between Christianity and Spiritism.

Though this cult has a modern flavour, it has an ancient lineage. In one sense it might be described as a refined form of ancestor worship. It can be traced back to the most primitive form of religion - animism, which attributed souls or spirits to trees, streams and stones. In the dawn of civilisation it was customary to explain the eerie and unaccountable phenomena by reference to the visitation of the spirits of the dead. It was fear-engirded and only a man as desperate as Saul resorted to the witch of Endor to conjure up the dead. The subject was regarded with awesome dread: it was thought to be dangerous and even demonic. The practise was forbidden in the Old Testament and declared to be against the will of God.

Modern Spiritism originated in 1847 in Hydeville in the State of New York, with the announcement that strange revelations through mysterious noises and rappings had been made to Margaret and Kate Fox, children of twelve and nine years, respectively. The children claimed that the spirits sent them messages in answer to their questions in a type of code. Three raps were interpreted as an affirmative answer, one rap as a negative, and two raps as doubtful. The children were pronounced to be 'mediums' and from widespread interest in their supposed achievements arose the multiplication of arranged sittings or seances which are the recognised methods of organising Spiritist meetings to-day. As a result many mediums took up the occult as a lucrative profession and brought the subject into disrepute. A more important result, however, was the foundation of an important body of sincere scientific investigators in 1882, The Society for Psychical Research. The proceedings of this society constitute a most impressive examination of all Spiritist claims. They have established the existence of some remarkable phenomena, but the interpretation of these experiences is inconclusive.

In justice to Spiritism it must be acknowledged that its teaching and Christianity have a considerable area of common ground. Both agree that man is not simply a complicated body; both hold, in fact, that man is a soul and a body. Moreover, both parties are agreed that individuality survives the disintegration of the body and continues to exercise its faculties. Also, both agree that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a reality of profound significance.

Furthermore, Spiritists have emphasised that love is the sole and triumphant operative power in the universe, a belief which is closely akin to the Christian claim that God is wholly love. In addition, there is a close affinity between the teaching of Spiritism and the article of the Apostles Creed which Christians profess: 'I believe in the Communion of Saints'. In face of contemporary materialism, atheism and agnosticism the importance of these common tenets is considerable and to this extent Spiritism and Christianity can be regarded as allies. But there are areas of complete divergence which must now by considered.

What, then, are these differences and are they important? In general, the differences are both in the manner the information is obtained and in the character and quality of that information.

Christianity believes that man is both spiritual and physical. The doctrine is derived by Christian partly from philosophy but mainly from the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Christianity's belief in a future life is founded upon God's mighty act in raising Jesus Christ from the grave and upon our Lord's promise, 'If I live, ye shall live also'.

The Spiritists claim that their information on survival after death and the nature of the after-life is received from the dead themselves; that is, from controls who are supposed to transmit their messages through a medium in a trance in the darkness. The dilemma has been admirably stated by Dr. Glen Atkins thus:

"On the one hand, only those things which are utterly unknown to the living anywhere can be finally and conclusively a testimony to communications from the dead. On the other hand, unless the information thus received is known to the living, its truth or falsity can never be proved or disproved." [1]

Furthermore, the mediums who claim to be in touch with the spirits 'on the other side' are not conspicuously intelligent. Even Sir Oliver Lodge reluctantly describes them as generally 'not particularly able or highly educated folk'. Dr. James Black evinces a Christian's bewilderment at this fact, as follows:

"With the best will in the world, I cannot understand why spirits, presumably purified from the clogging influence of the body, should choose to manifest themselves only or mainly to people of this order. If they manifested themselves to saintly souls or to those who live on a high spiritual level, I could at once appreciate this...Frankly I am puzzled and disturbed by it. God has always chosen the finest instruments to proclaim His finest message." [2]

By contrast, our information as Christians is received through faith in a Master of Life, whose words we can challenge, and whose character and teaching force us to admit by their quality that they are a revelation of God's very nature. The information of Spiritists is obtained from a stranger of whom they know nothing, through the offices of a medium about whom they know next to nothing.

The second divergence between Spiritism and Christianity is seen in the nature of that future life which both systems depict. Spiritists, moreover, claim that the future life is the prerogative of man, simply as man. The Christian, however, claims that God alone is immortal and that He confers the privilege of eternal life with Him only on those who have tried to do His will. Spiritists believe in an automatic future life: Christians believe in eternal life that God alone can give out of His grace. For this eternal life the individual must fulfil certain moral and spiritual conditions. Christians find it hard to believe that every blackguard after his life is over finds immediate entry into God's holy presence. Nor do they believe that God can be uninterested in the difference between right and wrong. Such a conception is impossibly sentimental for them because they believe that the Judge of all the earth is just.

Furthermore, as will be seen later, the Spiritist's picture of life after death is spiritually superficial and tawdry, compared with the richly meaningful Christian conception of eternity. Christians must repudiate any conception of the after-life which regards it essentially as an automatic rest-cure and not primarily as the blessedness of everlasting fellowship with God and His saints. These are real differences and we injure our holy faith if we attempt to gloss them over.

The Christian criticism of Spiritism makes eight serious charges against it, now to be detailed. The first accusationis that Spiritism is frequently a selfish philosophy of life. It encourages adherents to join its ranks for what they can get out of it. In Bede Frost's pointed epigram, it is a "glory for me, not a glory for God religion". It tries to satisfy the personal craving for certainty in spiritual things. It also appeals to the natural man's desire for a heavenly superannuation on easy terms. It is too comfortable a religion: it is, in short, Christianity without the Cross. It appeals not to heroic motives, but to man's desire for security. For our Lord's advice, 'He that loseth his life shall save it', it substitutes the tame motto of 'Safety First'.

The superiority of the Christian faith is seen in the fact that Jesus appeals to both motives. He who said, 'Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest', also said, 'He that would come after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me'. It is true that He promised that His followers should reign with Him in everlasting life, but St. Paul is true to His Master in declaring, 'Those who suffer with Him shall also reign with Him'. Spiritism offers security, but at too cheap a price. Victory is promised, but without the triumph of a successful struggle. Those who are not spiritual invalids and those who are dissatisfied with the world as it is and wish to remould it, prefer the invigoration of fighting behind the Cross of Christ.

Despite its preferred name of 'Spiritualism', Spiritism is often a materialistic religion. This is Christianity's second censure against it. What is so disappointing about Spiritism is the utterly terrestrial nature of the heaven it offers. Heaven is pictured in purely physical terms; it is imagined as a celestial garden city with all the modern conveniences. Should the reader think that this is a gross exaggeration, let him mark the following words which are a record of what the control, Pheneas, is supposed to have told Lady Conan Doyle:

"Your home in the other world is ready for you. There is a round small building in the grounds which is filled with exquisite coloured vibrations into which you go when you want your soul's rejuvenation...There is an oblong pond round which coloured birds come to drink."

'Celestial vibrations', the reader will note, are bodily sensations - pleasant to the eye and tingling to the spine. But what have such sensory impressions to do with the soul?

Revelations received from other mediums only confirm the impression that this heaven of the Spiritists is only the projection of tired spirits in search of a spa and a pump-room. The following excerpt, extracted from the Handbook to Heaven entitled Spirit Intercourse, is sufficient evidence for the charge:

"Summer land is 1,350 miles from the earth; light, 100-110 degrees. Pet animals and birds numerous. Flowers and fruit in rich abundance; habitations of brick and stone interspersed with gardens." [3]

The other advantages are left to our imagination to depict. In the same vein the catalogue might be continued to include comfortably furnished apartments, with electricity, hot and cold water, and all the usual conveniences. If that is heaven, one can as easily imagine a sprightly St. Peter as receptionist, walking down a spiral staircase in spats, wearing immaculate morning-dress, with a carnation in his button-hole and a watch-chain on which hands a bunch of golden keys! This uncelestial cavalcade will not do for Christians. Men and women could be gulled by such a materialist picture of heaven only because they have never understood the meaning of eternal life as it is declared by Christ. Otherwise, they would have rejected so spurious an imitation. The Spiritist after-life is too like Valhalla or the Paradise of fleshly Moslem expectation.

The third charge against Spiritism is that its revelation is untheological - it tells us nothing about God. It seems that communion with God is nowhere envisaged. In fact, God seems to the Spiritists to be entirely uninterested in man, and man's interest in God is purely speculative. It is not too much to say with Dr. James Black "the one thing that Spiritualism lacks it the 'spiritual'". [4] The paucity of references to God in the communications of the controls might lead one to believe that God is entirely an afterthought, instead of being the only conceivable ground and guarantee of the survival of the soul beyond death.

The fourth charge against Spiritism is that it can be a dangerous faith. It is not denied that spirits might have intercourse with human beings. The Bible, in fact, clearly asserts that there are two kinds of spirits - good and evil. Believers are warned, 'Try the spirits, whether they be of God'. And, in this connection, Spiritists themselves admit not only that frauds have taken place in seances, but that evil spirits are occasionally present. The following warning is taken from a book written by a psychic medium, who herself exercised a spiritist practise for over twenty years. The book is Voices from the Void and the author is Mrs. Travers Smith (or, Heather Dowden, her maiden name).