The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-02-08
The acts and Fa||acies
Of Modern Spiritism

reality when modern science was still
wrapt in its materialistic slumbers and
vehemently denied the existence of a
spiritual world and spiritual beings.
What we are concerned with is the
Interpretation of these phenomena and
the nature, character, and aim of the
spirit-beings, who are the causes of
their production. 1t is here, the church
contends, where modern science is as
utterly astray as it has admittedly
been astray in it's hitherto in
terpretat ions of the observed phenom-
ena of matter. It is setting up hypo-
theses which the facts of the case do
not warrant, and it is erecting sys-
TEN of religious thought upon conten.
lions which are mere fallacies.
The first of these fallacies is that
science has discovered something new
and wonderful and of deep Importance
to human nature. No more ridiculous
and wholly groundless claim has ever
been made. The practice of necrom-
ancy-the invoking and consulting Of
what were believed to be the spirits
of the dead is as old as the world.
Traces of this practice can be found
in the history of all races and nations
and it may indeed be regarded as the
distinguishing characteristic of the pa
gan civilizations. The Jews, no doubt,
had become familiar with this practice
during their captivity and in their
contact with the Babylonians and had
introduced it amongst their own peo-
pie. But the Jewish rulers and law
givers, so far from regarding these
practices as of any solid value to the
religious and social life of the people,
had always emphatically condemned
them and had enacted severe laws and
penalties against them. A witch, whom
we would today call a medium, was
not allowed to live, and no true son
of the people was permitted "to seek
the truth from the dead" This fact
is beyond doubt to be ascribed to the
circumstance that, as Sir William Bar.
rett, a confirmed spiritist. points out,
all these practices tended to obscure
the divine idea, and to weaken the
supreme faith in and worship of the
One Omnipotent Being, whom the ma
ton was set apart to proclaim. In
stead of the arm of the Lord beyond
and above them, motley crowd of
pious, lying, vain or gibbering spirits
would seem to people the unseen; and
WEAKNESS, perplexity, and finally des-
pair would enervate and destroy the
nation" Many experienced but disillu-
stoned spiritists Of all times and ma
tions have emphatically confirmed the
wisdom and reasonableness of this at
titude of mind and have supported it
by serious and incontrovertible facts.
Our own age furnishes us with an
endless variety of striking incidents
and experiences which impel the eau
tious student of the subject to an iden-
tical conclusion. All such incidents,
unfortunately, are calmly brushed
aside by our scientific spiritists, sim
ply because they are seen to run coun-
ter to belief which they are deter
mined to embrace and from which
they hope SO much for the good of
distracted mankind
But they should at least command
the serious attention of all conscien-
tious and right-minded persons and
lead them to pause and reflect ere
they embark on practices and adopt
beliefs, fascinating and plausible no
doubt, but fraught never the less with
perils to both body and soul.
It will be shown in these articles
in what these perils mainly consist
and what are the fallacies underly.
ing Sir Conan Doyle's contention.