The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863

“Dear Father Morezeau,

You are surprised that after two years I have not responded to your brochure against Spiritism. You are mistaken because I have addressed most of the questions that you raised since its release in several articles of our Spiritist Review. I recognize that you would have preferred a personal response, a counter publication; that I would take on your arguments one by one to give you the pleasure of my replys. Well, I made an irreparable mistaken by not even mentioning you but I am certain that your modesty will not consider that as a crime. Today I fix that omission but do not think that I intend to engage in a controversial discussion with you; no, my only intention is to offer you some simple reflections and to explain my reasons.

To begin with, I must tell you that I did not respond directly to your brochure because you had announced that it would bury us alive. I wanted to give you time since that article so that I could have the pleasure to tell you that we are not dead; that Spiritism itself is stronger than before; that the number of societies multiply in all countries; that in all corners where it was preached against the number of followers increased; that such a growth is directly proportional to the violence of the attacks. These are not theories but facts given my position. Furthermore I attest that the homeless people, who were forbidden by zealous priests to receive the bread of life from the charitable Spiritists because they were the bread of the devil, they did not die for having eaten that; that the bakers who were told not to receive the Spiritists because they would be robbed by the devil, did not lose anything; that the workers who were subtracted from their bread winning activities just out of pure evangelical zeal found compensation with the new customers that in turn increased the number of followers.

I have no doubt that you disapprove such a way of attacking Spiritism but the facts, nonetheless, are the facts. You must agree with me that such means are not the most adequate to bring back to religion the ones that have been away. Fear may momentarily stop but it is a fragile link that breaks at first contact; the only strong bonds are those of the heart, cemented by conviction. Conviction, though, cannot be imposed by force.

You must know, Father, that your article was followed by many others. Above many of them yours has the merit of civility. You want to kill us politely and I thank you for that but the arguments are the same everywhere, stated more or less politely and in a more or less correct French. In order to refute them all, article per article, it would be necessary that I would repeat myself incessantly and frankly speaking I have more serious things to attend. In fact, it has no use and you will understand why.

I am a positive person, without enthusiasm, that analyzes everything with reasonableness; I reason according to the facts and say: considering that the Spiritists count on a number that is larger than ever before, despite Father Marouzeau’s brochure and all others, despite all sermons and commandments, it means that the arguments that they presented did not convince the masses but had the opposite effect. I believe to be elemental logic to judge the value of a cause based on its effects. Hence, why refuting them? If they are good to us instead of causing us harm we should avoid to create obstacles to them. I see things differently from you, Father. Like a general that observes the movement of the battle, I analyzed the power of the blows, the effect that they produce and not the noise that they make. I look at the whole picture. The whole picture is satisfactory and that is all I need. Hence individual answers would not have utility.

When I deal in general terms with questions that are raised by a given adversary it is not to have him convinced because that is not my concern, absolutely, and even less to make him renounce his belief that I respect when it is sincere. It is exclusively to the instruction of the Spiritists and because I found a point that needs to developed or clarified. I refute principles not individuals because the principles remain and the individuals disappear. That is why I give little importance to personalities that may not even exist tomorrow and from whom nobody will hear about whatever the importance given to them.

I see the future much more than the present; the whole and important things more than the isolated and secondary facts. Redirect people to the good path is the true conversion to us. A man that is yanked from his bad tendencies and redirected to God and to charity towards everyone by Spiritism is to us the most useful victory; that is the one that brings us true joy and we thank God for having had that so many times.

To us the most honorable victory is not in moving people away from this or that cult, of this or that belief by violence or fear but to deviate people from evilness by persuasion. We appreciate all sincere convictions and not those obtained by fore or just apparent.

That is how, for example, when you ask in your brochure about the miracles that Spiritism can invoke in its favor. I answered that question in our February 1862 issue of the Spiritist Review in the article entitled “Is Spiritism demonstrated by miracles?” On that occasion, I responded to all others who framed the same question.

You ask about the miracles of Spiritism but is there a greater one than its incredible propagation despite everything and against everything, despite the attacks that it suffers; despite, above all, the terrible attacks that you yourself has launched against it? Isn’t that a fact that demonstrates the will of God?

“No, you will say, it is the will of the devil.” You must then agree that the will of the devil is stronger than the will of God, that it is stronger than the Church since the Church cannot stop it. But this is not the only miracle made by Spiritism. It does it every day by bringing unbelievers to God and converting those who do bad to good, given them the strength to succeed over their bad passions.

Father, I like time and space. On another occasion, I will say a few words that may serve you in the new book that you are working on and that must annihilate Spiritism and the Spiritists forever. I wish this one better luck than the previous one. A few passages of this current issue may perhaps clarify you about the difficulties that you are going to face in order to succeed.

Yours sincerely,

Allan Kardec