Marco
Milani
Text
published in the Revista Dirigente Espírita – ed. 197, Sep/Oct 2023, p. 18-19
In the Spiritist Review of
September/1858, Allan Kardec predicted that the spread of Spiritism would occur
in four distinct periods, beginning with the curiosity aroused by physical
effect phenomena, progressing through the philosophical phase represented by
doctrinal structuring, then solidifying as a universally recognized belief in
the so-called admission period, and finally reaching the period of influence on
social order due to the moralization of the individual, contributing to the
happiness of humanity.
Five years later, faced with
some events that led Kardec to revise these stages, he added two more. In the
Spiritist Review of December/1863, the six periods of Spiritism are listed as
follows:
1. 1. Period of curiosity;
2.
2. Philosophical period;
3.
3. Period of struggle;
4.
4. Religious period (initially called admission);
5.
5. Intermediate period;
6.
6. Period of social renewal.
In the early years, Spiritist
Doctrine attracted social attention to mediumistic manifestations and quickly
gathered followers in different countries with the publication of doctrinal
principles and values in the work 'The Spirits Book.'
Its rapid spread began to
generate concerns and attract increasingly intense attacks from its detractors.
The period of struggle was added in the march of Spiritism considering the
strong resistance and conflicts promoted by representatives of certain segments
of society who saw their convictions threatened by Spiritist ideas.
The Auto de Fé in Barcelona
(Spain), which occurred on October 9, 1861, where 300 Spiritist books were burned in
public by order of the local Catholic bishop, exemplified the ferocity of
opponents who already sensed the depth of the changes brought about by the new
spiritualist philosophy.
In a text published in the
Spiritist Review of January/1867, evaluating the situation of the Spiritist
movement at the time, Kardec emphasized that the period of struggle had not
ended and was far from coming to an end.
Even in the face of clear
advancements in the spread of Spiritist ideas, opponents acted intransigently,
and confrontation was inevitable and necessary, albeit with the certainty that
the future would bring calm after the storm.
On march 31, 1869, Kardec passed
away, striving to promote the bond of fraternity that should unite all
followers and was necessary for Spiritism to enter the religious period, just
as he himself had already affirmed the philosophical sense of religion (see Spiritist Review, December/1868), but the period of struggle was still in full swing.
Nearly two centuries after the
release of his first fundamental work, Spiritism still finds itself fighting
against the onslaughts promoted by materialists and representatives of fanatic
and exclusive beliefs, as well as attempts at syncretic and mystical
distortions that produce anti-doctrinal oddities.
One of the greatest challenges
currently present to value the unity of the theoretical body of Spiritism,
however, is internal to the Spiritist movement and is linked to the awareness
of followers about Kardec's methodological superiority to validate doctrinal
information in the face of simple opinionated manifestations expressed in books
and individual speeches. In other words, opinions contained in literary works
on the Spiritist theme by this or that incarnate or disincarnate author, or
uttered in speeches by enthusiastic speakers, cannot be embraced as new
"revelations" that would surpass the teachings of the Spirits
published by Allan Kardec. To recognize information as valid, it must first
have objective evidence to support it and not depend on the authority argument
of specific mediums or Spirits.
The adversaries' tactic took
on specific contours, intensifying corrosive dissimulation by planting seeds of
discord and hatred among the followers themselves in an attempt to fragment and
corrode Spiritist principles and values.
In another front of combat,
stemming from utopian illusions, many political-partisan militants who
self-identify as Spiritists select and reinterpret doctrinal concepts to
legitimize the socio-economic model they venerate. Under the guise of
"updating," they seek to adapt Spiritism to their partisan
ideologies, using relativism to distort Spiritist principles and achieve the
desired alignment with the social praxis they conceive.
Paradoxically, in the name of
a supposed social justice and driven by the certainty that they are building a
tolerant and fraternal society, they attack and disrespect all other Spiritist
followers who do not identify with the same partisan flags, acting contrary to
their own conception of tolerance and fraternity...
As relevant internal
detractors currently, one sign for overcoming the period of struggle will occur
when followers start to understand and value doctrinal coherence and prioritize
the main battle to be fought, not in external arenas in passionate discussions,
but in the intimate field of each individual by combating pride and selfishness
and seriously instructing themselves about the reality of being.
The exercise of benevolence
towards all, indulgence towards the imperfections of others, and forgiveness of
offenses, just as the true meaning of charity from the Spiritist perspective,
is the path that still seems distant from the current world but constitutes the
primary struggle that the Spiritist should exemplify. At this stage of
overcoming, Spiritism will advance to the religious period, marked by
affectionate bonds among its followers and reasoned faith. Subsequently, it
will move towards the intermediate period and the period of social
renewal."
[1] See the article 'Trojan in
Spiritist Groups,' written by me, published in the Correio Fraterno newspaper,
edition 501, Oct/21. Link: https://correio.news/reflexoes/trojan-em-grupos-espiritas
[2] See question number 886 in
The Spirits' Book by Allan Kardec.
Source: https://usesp.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/reDE-197.pdf
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