The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-03-15
Dangers Of Modern Spiritism


ly skeptical turn of mind-for a long
series of years and, for all practical
purposes, the final verdict has been
given. 1t is absolutely certain today
that, under given conditions, abnormal
phenomena occur and that these phe-
nOmena are due to some kind of in
telligence Independent of and apart
from the experimenter. The man who
doubts this today is simply ignorant
of the facts of the case. and unac-
quainted with the evidence which eX-
| lists. The basal claims of spiritism
therefore are fully admitted. The
Catholic Church has never doubted
| them and indeed has maintained their
reality when modern science was still
| wrapped in it's materialistic slumbers
and vehemently denied the existence
Of spiritual world and spiritual be-
ings What we are concerned with is
the Interpretation" of these phe-
nomena 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 interpretations OF the OBJ
served phenomena of matter. 1t is
setting up hypothesis which the facts
erecting a system of religious thought
upon contentious which are mere fall
lacies.
No New Discovery.
The first of these fallacies is that
science has discovered something
new and wonderful and of deep i'm
portance to human nature. No more
ridiculous and wholly groundless
claim has ever been made. The prac
tice of necromancy-the invoking and
consulting Of what were believed tC
be the spirits of the dead-is as old
as the world Traces of this practice
can be found in the history of al
races and nations and it may indeed
be regarded as the distinguishing
characteristic of the pagan civiliza
tons. The Jews no doubt had be
come familiar with this practice dur
ing their captivity and in their con
PRODUCED it amongst their own people
But the Jewish rulers and law-givers
so far from regarding these practice:
as of any solid value to the religion.
and social life of the people, had al
: ways emphatically condemned then
| cd nd
alties against them. A witch, whom
we would today call a medium, wa
not allowed to live, and no true son O
the people was permitted Ito seek tn
truth from the dead" This fact is be
yond doubt to be ascribed to the Gil
t cumstance that, as Sir William Bar
) rett, a confirmed spiritist, points out
all these practices tended to OF
scure the divine idea, and to weaker
the supreme faith in and worship o
the One Omnipotent Being, whom tn
nation was set apart to proclaim In
stead of the arm of the Lord beyon'
and above them, a motley crowd o
pious, lying, vain or gibbering spirit
, would seem to people the unseen; an
, WEAKNESS, perplexity, and finally de
spair would enervate and destroy tn
nation" Many experienced but dis
+ illusioned spiritists of all times an
, nations have emphatically conflrme
the wisdom and reasonableness of thi
: attitude of mind and have supporte
p it by serious and incontrovertibl
facts.
Our own age furnishes us with a
: endless variety of striking incident
: and experiences which impel the cal
: tious student Of the subject to a
: Identical conclusion. All such inc
: dents, unfortunately, are calml
p itists, simply because they are see
O to run counter to a belief which the
V are determined to embrace and fror
o which they hope so much for the goo
+ of distracted mankind.
, But they should at least comman
p the serious attention of all conscie1
: tious and right-minded persons an
+ lead them to pause and reflect er
4 they embark on practices and adoI
beliefs, fascinating and plausible n
doubt, but fraught nevertheless wit
perils to both body and soul.
e 1t will be shown in these article
e in what these perils mainly consis
l. and what are the fallacies underyin
J. Sir Conan Doyle's contention
n (To be continued)