I found myself, then, confronted with an unexplained fact that was, in appearance, contrary to the laws of nature and that my reason rejected. I had not yet seen or investigated anything; the experiments done in the presence of honorable and trustworthy people had at least confirmed for me the possibility of the purely material effect, but the idea of a talking table still did not enter my mind.In May 1855, I witnessed for the first time the phenomenon of rapping tables, which jumped and moved under conditions that precluded doubt.

These meetings provided me with my first opportunity for serious studies of the subject that later led to the Spiritist Doctrine-study filled less with revelation and more with systematic observation. As to any new subject, I applied rigorous method to the investigation: avoiding preconceived notions, I observed attentively, compared observations, and deduced the consequences. I tried to identify the causes of the phenomena by linking the facts logically, and I did not accept an explanation as valid unless it could resolve all the difficulties of the question. This was the way I had always, from the age of fifteen or sixteen, proceeded in my scientific investigations. I understood from the beginning the gravity of the exploration I was undertaking. I foresaw in those phenomena, the key to the solution of problems so obscure and so disputed, both in the past and in the future, which I had searched for all my life; the phenomena posed a complete revolution in ideas and beliefs. It was necessary, therefore, to act not lightly, but rather with circumspection, to be positive rather than idealistic, so as not to be carried away by illusions.

One of my first observations was that the spirits, being only the souls of men and women, did not have either absolute wisdom or absolute knowledge; their knowledge was limited to the level of their advancement and their remarks had only the value of a personal opinion. Recognizing this fact from the beginning saved me from the serious error of believing in the spirits’ infallibility, and prevented me from formulating premature theories based upon the opinion of only one or a few spirits.

The mere fact of communication with the spirits, no matter what they said, proved the existence of an invisible world. This, in itself, was a fantastic discovery, opening an immense field for exploration and providing a key to understanding a multitude of unexplained phenomena. No less important, it furnished the means to understand the state of that world and its customs, if we may thus call them. I observed early on that each spirit, with its own personal position and knowledge, unveiled to me an aspect of that world, just as one comes to know about a country by interrogating inhabitants of all classes and circumstances, each able to impart something and none able, individually, to impart everything. Any observer is obliged to form a picture of the whole by examining the material collected from different sources, which he must compile, coordinate, and compare. I, then, dealt with the spirits as I would have dealt with human subjects; from the lowest to the most elevated, they were, for me, simply a means of gathering information, not infallible experts.

Allan Kardec, the nom de plume of H. Leon Denizard Rivail, was a French educator and philosopher born in Lyon on October 3, 1804. Rivail spoke several languages, and his impressive intellectual background allowed him to teach courses in comparative physiology, astronomy, chemistry and physics in a prestigious scientific school in Paris. For one of his research papers, he was inducted into the Royal Academy of Arras. He organized and taught free courses for the underprivileged.In 1854, at the age of 50, Rivail heard of the mysterious paranormal phenomena that had taken America and Europe by storm. Despite his skepticism, he was convinced by close friends to attend an experimental meeting where he was able to witness such occurrences first-hand. His intellectual curiosity and scientific instincts told him that there had to be a rational explanation for these phenomena. Consequently, he began soon afterward to conduct investigations of his own.

Using the same logical rigor that he had applied to his work in education and science, Rivail set out to understand the phenomena. He submitted questions to different channels (mediums), in different countries. The answers were compared, analyzed, and organized for inclusion in The Spirits’ Book, which was first published in 1857.

To keep his new area of research apart from his writings on education, Rivail – on the advice of spirit instructors – adopted the name Allan Kardec, which he was told had been his name in a previous incarnation. In addition to the publication of the books listed below, he founded the Spiritist Society of Paris and La Revue Spirite, a journal he edited until his death on March 31, 1869.

Allan Kardec was one of the most influential thinkers in modern history. The body of work that he produced changed the religious landscape of 19th Century Europe and reestablished the spirit, or the soul, as the center of human life. At a time when the ferment of positivism and ideas on natural evolution began to coalesce to destabilize traditional theology, Kardec broke ground with a new vision for the human spirit.To provide a focus for these notes, it is fitting to highlight, first Allan Kardec’s extraordinary intellect and second, his intense devotion to two causes: the sublime superiority of the Gospel of Jesus as an ethical code of behavior, and the primacy of reason and freedom of inquiry.

Allan Kardec was born to a family of lawyers in Catholic France and educated in traditionally protestant Switzerland. In spite of his upbringing, he was ill at ease with the religious establishment’s intransigence toward free-inquiry and scientific theories. At that time, England, France, and Germany were the greatest centers of scientific progress.

After almost 10 years of uninterrupted work he published his most important books: The Spirits’ Book in 1857, The Gospel Explained by the Spiritist Doctrine, in 1864, during this time he also published a monthly magazine called Revue Spirite. In a clear and scholarly manner, he advanced the concept of interacting with and learning from souls no longer in the physical body. Thus, his works expanded the horizons of human life and challenged the dogmas at the heart of Catholic and Protestant theologies. The books and periodicals that he made available to the public became the main forces behind the fast propagation of Spiritist ideas throughout Europe. The number of centers and study cells grew almost exponentially in France, Belgium, and the rest of Europe. Allan Kardec became a prominent figure and an authority on matters related to spiritual philosophy.

Because of continual communication with followers, mediums, and all others who felt comforted with the new ideas, he understood the importance of becoming a visible touchstone for the new vision. Hence, in 1862 he undertook a lengthy tour of France’s major centers of Spiritist activity. He traveled by train, boat, and horse carriage; he visited 22 cities in 2 1/2 months, in a very intense effort to inspire and guide the new movement.

On one hand, there was the character of the religious currents that colored people’s convictions, and on the other the acerbic materialism of the intellectual elites. Therefore, it is opportune that we revisit the genius of Allan Kardec’s approach. He lectured in every city and spent precious time with workers and local leaders. The methodology he used had four components that later became the central focus of the Spiritist vision.

Christian Love and Charity
Christian charity is the corner stone of the Spiritist vision. Earthly life is an invitation for the human soul to do good and learn to care about all living beings. In God’s designs, no expression of goodness is wasted. Every generous action produces fruits in time. It does not matter whether our actions are acknowledged by others; the pleasure of serving and giving is the reward of those who seek God. The sole purpose for the mentoring and caring work that enlightened spirits do is make human beings better, righteous, and loving. These devoted mentoring spirits inspire human beings on the path of self-knowledge, and sustain them in the struggle to overcome selfishness and pride. It is then understood why the long-standing dictum ‘without the Church there is no salvation’ changed into a universal hymn ‘Without Charity there is no salvation’.

Spiritual Gifts Are Not An End
Spiritism values and nurtures this exceptional dimension of human nature. These gifts are not privileges reserved for a selected few, they happen naturally and almost randomly in the population. As any other human endowment, they must be developed further into sublime levels, much as painting or music writing is developed into masterpieces. Anybody can be a medium, but only the person, who exercises this faculty selflessly, in the service of love and the wellbeing of others, meets the standard of mediums in Christian Spiritism. A spiritual gift shall not be a source of pride, or a means to enjoy financial benefits. The true miracle is not that which transcends human knowledge, but that which results from the care and unselfish service one extends to his or her neighbor.

Religions Are Strengthened by Spiritism
As a spiritual philosophy, the Spiritist Doctrine stands as a new bridge to integrate science and religion, and further encourage people toward a communion with God. Spiritism does not adopt the liturgy and practices of any religion, or their points of dogma. It respects all expressions of human faith in the Divine, and works to raise awareness to the realities of the spirit and future life. The essential mission of Spiritism is to encourage all beings to join under the banner of Christian charity and love.

Spiritual Evolution Instead of Salvation By Grace
Evolution is a law of nature and the evolution of the physical forms on Earth follows precise laws. The spirit, or soul, lives for a few decades in the physical body, and later it continues its journey onward. Progress and evolution are part of the divine design in all realms. Thus, by learning about the future life and its laws, human beings realize the importance of self-knowledge and inner-reformation. Contrary to theological traditions, the Spiritist philosophy sees grace not as a state that one receives, but a state that one attains through personal effort, work, faith, and service. Accordingly, the Spiritist Doctrine fulfills its purpose by helping to raise the moral consciousness and overall goodness in humanity.

Allan Kardec’s missionary journeys established Spiritism as a movement of social reform and spiritual transformation and became the public face for the movement. His keen intellect and breadth of scientific knowledge reinforced Spiritism’s character as an open and rational philosophy. He completed five long missionary tours between 1860 and 1867. The trips he took in 1862 proved the most comprehensive and of greatest impact to the Spiritist community. The chronicles of his journeys are published in the Revue Spirite

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http://instituicaocasadeauxilioefraternidadeolhosdaluz.com

http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/planetarium/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_hypothesis

http://www.mibba.com/Articles/People/956/The-Perils-of-Indifference/

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700045266/Indifference-is-the-universal-destroyer-of-the-human-spirit.html?pg=all

http://scdivinelight.org/scdl

Cart: $0.00 (0 items) – Cart – Empty Title: The Gospel – Explained by the Spiritist Doctrine Author: Allan Kardec Publisher: AKES $15.00 Summary: The moral teachings of the Holy Bible – New Testament interpreted and explained by illuminated intelligences. It represents the moral centerpiece of the Spiritist thought. Title: The Spirits’ Book Author: Allan Kardec Publisher: AKES $15.00 Summary: The book that defines the Spiritist philosophy and establishes a framework for the possibility of soul survival, and reincarnation. Superb modern English translation, annotated and explained with scientific references. Title: The Gospel at Home – Study Guide Author: P & R Team Publisher: AKES $10.00 Summary: It addresses the sternest challenge the human spirit faces on earth, the need to heal relationships. A practice that furthers the inner transformation of the soul. Title: Introduction to the Spiritist Philosophy Author: Allan Kardec Publisher: AKES $12.00 Summary: A primer on the Spiritist thought. It includes two of Allan Kardec’s classic works: What is Spiritist and Spiritism in its Simplest Expression.

VERITAS OF OUR LORD GOD

VERITAS OF OUR LORD GOD

SPIRITISM IS OUR LORD JESUS HOLY SPIRITS REVELATION