St Vincent Seminary - Symposium Yearbook (Latrobe, PA)

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Slllllli Ellllllg of darkness, and that we are entering on the first steps of a career of demoniac manifestations, the issues of which men cannot conjecture. Q Sir William Barrett says: Spiritualism reveals the existence of some mys- terious power which may be of a more or less malignant character. It is necessary to be on our guard against the invasion of our will by a lower T order ofintehigence and n1oraHty.Hi J. Godfrey Raupert states: I know of numerous instances of this kind, some of which exhibit an amount of cunning and malice on the part of the unseen operators, such as the ordinary mind can scarcely conceive. 1' 'The rnost carehn invesdgators adnnt the evH character of these intelligences and, therefore, confirm our conclusion that demons are the causes of genuinely preternatural phenomena. Since the source of Spiritism is evil, the results cannot be other than evil. Spiritists themselves admit that Spiritism is a danger- ous practice. The dangers are not only physical, but also moral. The physical dangers of Spiritism arise from the fact that vital or nerve energy is withdrawn from the organism of the medium during the production of the phenomena. Speaking of mediums, J. Godfrey Raupert says: In professional mediums who exert their power incessantly and for pecuniary gain, this prostration is apt to be so great that they become helpless nervous wrecks after a time. I In extreme cases this strain on the life-forces of the medium results in a complete breakdown or in permanent insanhy. The great lesson which psychic science teaches is that all psychic activity is not only abnormal, but also in the highest degree injurious to body as well as to the mind. The class of psychics known as med- iums, are to the last degree neurotic. Exceptions may be found only in cases where the psychic powers are of very recent development. The fact remains that habitual indulgence in psychic prac- tices of any kind, grade or character invariably results in some form of nervous development or 5Dale Owen, Footfalls on the Boundary ofthe Other World. IEcclesiastical Review. Vol. 59. 'Sir William Barret, Threshold of the Unseen. TJ. Godfrey Raupert, Dangers nf Spiritualism SIIIIIIE , , Qllllllg ll48l

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f-R gunuuuua Xxx Sllllllllllllll. illlg 5.Im-E nu lu 5 5 - E 1 2 5 ' . lu rlilllillllllla . . ,, . Q . - Q ' 7 0 1 l , 0 I . ., r 1 v 'lllllllllllllf 7 Y , . I I s . . . . . ll . ! Y . . If , . JIIIIIIIIIIIIL h 2 . zlllllli 2 nulmgmf ij factory account of how he has that cognition 'F This knowledge of individual material things enables the demon s angelic though fallen nature to penetrate even the recesses of the human organ- ism and discern what IS there taking place Briefly these fallen spirits can apprehend those free acts of man which are mani- fested by divers external signs and moreover can know the .acts of the senses and even of the imagination when revealed by some modification of the internal or external senses. T More- over, since their knowledge is not limited by space, they can know even distant events. From the above indications, it is evident that evil spirits or demons can influence material objects-even the bodily organ- ism-and that they can have knowledge of distant events. We conclude, therefore, that it is possible for evil spirits to be the cause of the genuine phenomena of Spiritism. That they are truly the cause may be shown by the following argument: Investigators maintain that at least a few spiritistic phenomena are genuine and of preternatural origin. Therefore, they must have a cause. The Spiritistic Theory does not furnish a satisfactory explanation of these phenomena for the reasons already indicated. Good spirits are not the cause, for the messages communicated are often deceptive, untruthful, malicious, and immoral. God is not the cause for the same reason. Therefore, only malignant or evil spirits are the true cause. We find a confirmation of our conclusion in the fact that not a few scientists many of whom are men inclined to scoff at the idea of Satan speak of the spirits as evil and detestable. Thus for instance Stanton Moses, an ex-Anglican minister and well- known Spiritist says: Some spirits will assent to leading questions and possessed apparently with the desire to please, or unconscious of the import of what they say, or without moral consciousness will say anything. Such motiveless lying bespeaks a deeply evil nature ...... Such an impostor acting with an air of sincerity must be as Satan clothed in light. I Dale Owen writes: There are more' plausible reasons than many imagine for the opinion entertained by some able men Protestant as well as Catholic that the , communications in question come from the powers Gad and His Creatures. TBlackmore op.c1It IStanton Moses, Spirit Identity. ki ll47ll J llllllllllll. 'illlllllllllll 7 7 7 . A l . I I glllg

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1 ' fi 15 , - I... A , . F, E'f:Y.?::: Z uvxx 51: n mu Jllllllllllllt 1 S E S-.mi I1 f 1 at Q ilfis g---5 . , nsfuu fl , , p,W,g!lll.Q u . . , A . . ,,,!,,- 3 ' lui Williams'-.i . g 0 . l 0 I , . Q . ' Y . . . . t ' Y 1 wnmnmr S53-:Q 'K f disease and if carried to excess or continued long, will result in insanity or 1mbec1l1ty The moral dangers arise from two sources In the first place the direct physical action of the spirits on the nervous system tends to weaken the will and cause a powerful inclination to strong drink and immoral practices In the second place the teachings of the spirits when accepted in good faith, tend to ruin religious and moral principles Many are the instances of this religious and moral downfall. They manifest themselves 1n the form of possession. The real ultimate aim of the intelligence seems to be the control of the sen.s1Itive. The Fox sisters, and Eusapia Palladino, noted mediums, took to evil ways under the rule of evil spirits. Numerous instances of possession are sup- pressed as much as possible, in the interest of Spiritism and of the reputations of the persons themselves. With such perils as these threatening the physical, mental, and moral well-being of the faithful, the Church naturally could not remain silent. As under the law of the Old Testament divina- tion was forbidden, so under the New Law Spiritism is con- demned. This condemnation is based on doctrinal as well as on moral grounds. Let us consider first the doctrinal grounds. Spiritism claims to be a New Revelation with a creed revealed by spirits, and supposed to supplant Christianity. The Casnist explains this aspect of Spiritism when it says: The 'creed' of Spiritism as gathered from its most - authoritative literature and from the disclosure of the spirit intelligence, is anti-Christian. However diverse their teaching may be on secondary mat- ters, there is absolute agreement on the following pomts: Christianity 1S not a special and unique revela- t1on It is one of many forms of high spirit manifestation designed to enforce on man the binding obligation of the moral law inherent in his nature. Christ IS not divine 1n the sense of the Catholic Church. He is 'a purely human being who possessed wonderf ul psychic powers The teachlng of the Church regarding the passion and death of Christ is all wrong due to human error and weakness SDL Hudson Scientzfc Demonstration of the Future Life. Casnist Vol III i l , 1 lllllllllllllll- Elll: -:llll:- 'mn mmm! 3. Q . i . X...Z Il49ll