This is a question that I have been asking myself ever since entering Spiritualism some three years ago. I think I had a rather fanciful visualisation that everyone would be floating around the church with wings whilst polishing their halos this is not so! It isnt that my fellow Spiritualists are unkind, unjust or irresponsible, it is simply that they are human. My aversion to other religions is the apparent lack of personal responsibility within them. Spiritualism is not that way, as Spiritualists we are expected to consider the impact of every thought, word, act and deed before imparting it on someone or something else. Largely this is possible, if you break down your daily actions and are truthful to yourself. There really is very little that you cannot modify or endeavour to make a difference to the lives of other people or animals. Spiritualists work on 7 Principles rather than a bible and our fifth principle, which to me is one of the main ones, is that of Personal Responsibility. I believe that we must work with our given free will and accept that our actions can have ramifications beyond that immediately obvious. Take a hypothetical example, Mr Betts is a Spiritualist and usually sits in a closed development circle on a Monday night with other members of his church. However, on this particular occasion as Mr Betts makes his way to church he notices a film showing at the cinema that he wants to see, and knowing that he has engagements for the rest of week he chooses to by-pass sitting in circle to watch the film. Although this is a fictional scenario imagine that not only has Mr Betts upset the balance within the circle (because circle development works best with the same energies sitting together on a regular basis), but when asked by the circle leader why he was absent he says he had to work overtime. So, not only has he lied to someone who is attempting to encourage him along his spiritual pathway, he will also have to deceive other friends within the circle and ultimately risk putting the proverbial foot in it if he mentions visiting the cinema. This is a totally minor example of the point I am trying to make, but if you put it in a wider context you can surely envisage the resulting knock on effect. It is very easy to tell white lies these days, its done with relationships, marriages, workplaces, etc., etc., it is easy to be spiteful in word or deed under the pretence of a sarcastic quip or playful set up, but deep down we know the effects that we our words are having because we choose them in such a way to have this impact. I work as a platform medium at church services, and consider myself to be a relatively selfless person. I take my work for Spirit seriously and make a point of attending regular development courses, workshops, etc., however there is an enormous amount of bitching within this side of Spiritualism too. I remember when I began development many years ago, I was nervous and desperate not to make a fool of myself. I kept asking Spirit why are you so determined to make me stand in front of so many people I dont know and put my neck on the line by giving out information that is coming from I dont know where? Some time on as I took my seat after my first public demonstration the chairperson, who had been very supportive until this point, leaned across to me and said Im doing 22 demonstrations next year Im very popular. I can only assume that she found my abilities a threat in some way. I say this because it is something I see regularly when in church and on courses, the desire to prove that you are better at it than another person. I realise that humans are naturally competitive, but spirituality is not about being better than another, it is about being the best that YOU can be. When Spirit choose you to further your development psychically or as a medium, it is about what YOU can bring from your own life experiences and interpretations not about being more gifted or more aware or more in tune than another. If you are true to yourself and do the best in life to have the purest actions, thoughts and deeds, then there is very little chance that you will hurt another person. |
