The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-04-12
THE FACTS AND PALACES OF
MODERN SPlRlTiSM is SIR
CONAN DOYLE IN COMMUNlCA-
TON WITH THE SPIRITS OF
THE DEAD?
written by Sir J. Godfrey Raupert,
x. S. c.
ARTICLE V.

1t VIII nave been seen from the
brief preceding statements that the
structure upon which Sir Conan Doyle
and his cO-workerS are seeking to
build up their New Revelation" is
possibly withstand the assaults of full
and accurate information and of ordi
nary common sense. Their mode of
procedure is not an unfamiliar one.
True science gathers together all the
facts respecting any particular prob
lem that are available and then con-
structs it's interpretations and theories
accordingly. Pseudo science starts
with theory and fits the facts into
it as best it can, entirely discarding
and ignoring those which run counter
to it.
Sir Conan Doyle's method is of the
latter order, and we may rightly say
that just as Christian Science is
neither Christian nor Science, SO the
New Revelation" is neither new nor
revelation. 1t is an ancient error,
revived and presented in attractive
modern form, and it has its origin in
the vivid imagination of some semi
pantheistic and very imperfectly in
formed enthusiasts. It's danger to
true Christianity does not lie in it's
force and reasonableness but in the
state of the public mind, which, as we
all know, is but too receptive just now
of a fascinating form of thought of
this kind. We can scarcely be sur
prised that an age which could swal-
low the Christian Science nonsense
should become enthusiastic over the
New Revelation" Strange to say
both forms of thought, while widely
diverging in other respects, are of one
mind respecting that fundamental
truth of Christianity upon which ey-
cry thing turns. Both deny the atom
ing and redemptive power of suffer
ing, as it finds its highest and fullest
expression in the doctrine of the Cross
of Christ. Both cody ignore the
! forceful and persistent testimony to
| it's truth of millions of the best and
noblest of mankind. Both present to
the world interpretations of Scripture
which are manifest peryersions of it..
And as the founder of Christian Sci
ence TOO dabbled in Scripture. and it's
| tenets bear a remarkable resemblance
to the illusions obtained by automatic
| writing, it is more than probable that
both systems of thought emanate from
| the same source.
New Revelation.
We may be confident, therefore, that
when Christian Science and the New
Rev elation' shall have had their day
| and men shall have grown weary of
/ them, the root error which they en-
body will re-appear, dressed UP in
some other attractive form.
The limits of space imposed upon
me here have necessitated very in
adequate treatment of the subject.
/ have however dealt with it very fully
and from many different points of view
| in a new book which | have entitled
1.-The New Black Magic and which
will, hope, issue from the press very
shortly. There are but two other
points on which I can briefly comment
here.
Sir Conan Doyle asserts that re
ligion, as it is now taught in the
Churches, has failed because it
is not believed" And in his book he
goes on to say that christianity :.
has deferred the changes (the recon.
struction) very long until her churches
are half empty, women her chief sup
porters," etc, etc.
But it would surely be more correct
to say that a certain kind or brand OF
Christianity has failed. And it is that
kind, as all the world knows, which
breaches the Christ of the New Rev.
elation" and of singular modern
thought movements. And the Church
les which are more than half empty
are those which have become mere
| entertainment bureaus and cheap va