WHY SPIRITUALISM SURVIVES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17021, 18 December 1920, Page 9

WHY SPIRITUALISM SURVIVES.

THE REV. W. READY'S CRITICISM. Tho Great "War has roused the world to think, to speak, and act in many new directions. It has roused men to think afresh concerning the great beyond. Beforo the war the great mass of our people seemed to bo very little interested in tho question of natural immortality, and tho preacher who spoko upon it was looked upon as tho othor-world jpan. But the Great War has changed all that. Tho war lias changed more than the face of Europe; it has changed its soul, and outlook. To-day persons are only too glad to hear a whisper, or welcome a breezo from tho invisible world to which their ■ dear ones have gone in their thousands. Tide has turned. Materialism is bankrupt. Broken-hearted men and women have turned away from co|d, comfortless materialism, and aro now found clinging to some straw which may release tho strain of their poor hearts, and the straws many are clinging to are crystals, table-rapping, seances, mediums, fairies, and last, but not least, the photographs, or what Conan Doyle calls "psychic photography," where the medium loses from 20 to 301b in the process of exhibition, really a lino remedy for anti-fat. The revival of Spiritualism in our day may bo traced a great deal to the advocacy of Sir Oliver Lodge, and Sir Conan Doyle. To behold these men trying, and coming to a conclusion in tho belief of the spirit-world is really pathetic. When science and literature in theso distinguished men proclaim with the eagerness and fervour of an evangel, that the veil is lifted, and wo can _ speak with those who are behind the veil, and that intercourse can be attained by the practise of seances, mediums, automatic writing, ■ photographs, and by touch of the dead, naturally many hungry hearts, as well as many curious minds, begin to seek and indulge in the hope of a visit from some loved one. Catering to a Craving. The publication of Sir Oliver Lodge's book, "Raymond." and Sir Arthur Conan 3>oyie with his visit of his son who was killed at Mons, and his ' 'psychic photographs" aTe a manifest symptom of the " universal hunger and desire for the spirit-world. *By these very men a little while ago, our belief in a beyond was put out of .court, and they tried to shut the gates of hope against us, and now we aro asked to swallow, on Spiritualistic evidence, such as mediums, etc., that natural immortality is the lot of mankind, and we can commune With tho dead. Surely • we cannot take them too seriously; although Sir Conan Doyle has come out into the open and denounced his materialistic belief and affirmed his belief m conscious personality beyond the grave. Thank God, the Church has never wavered in her belief in personal and conscious existence beyond the grave. I cannot refrain from thanking "Tho Press" for the sensible and candid article in Thursday's paper on the teaching of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It ia no use to pooh-pooh, or ridicule, or abuse tho devotees of Spiritualism. I am glad that Sir Arthur has exchanged his cold materialism for a belief m another world, but I am deeply disappointed that such a man should come all this way to preach a mere gospel of uncertainty and conjecture, ■which can only, be established on what he calls "animal magnetism." Nothing Presh but the Fairies. There is really nothing new in his teaching of Spiritualism; it is hoary with age and tradition. Tho only thing that is now is his "fairy gospel, and in that I fancv he is merely trying to "Dull our legs," and is laughing'up his sleeve at the readiness of his infant followers to swallow anything he might sav. It is strange that in theso days wo should have in our midst soothsavers, fortune-tellers, spirit rappers, ctc. with their charms, crystals, books of fate, fnirv tales, and photographs, and that there are so many persons with more or less faith in these diviners of the future, ready to l>p duped hv them. I am a real spiritualist, and therefore believe in Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that beheveth m Me shall never die. Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in Me. . In My Father s house are many"mansions,' etc. Spiritism, as being taught by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others is detrimental to the true soiritual welfare or tho people. Out of" it are growing frauds, and fortune-tellers, some of whom .are now in gaol —one is doing three months gaol in trying to dupe the public. Their devotees arc finding their way luna-y etc." While I rejoice in- all candid' investigation and criticism, and in everv endeavour to enrich our outlook in" this life, and the life to come, I cannot see any wisdom m leaving the Divine Tcacher Christ, who said, "lam the way, the truth, and the life, ' • And he that followeth Me Bhall not walk in darkness, lij|t shall have tho li£ht of

life," for the uncertain and shadowy thoughts and suggestions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I did hope Sir Arthur would give his audience something moro substantial to build upon than shadows on photographs, or psychic pictures. I am afraid his mission will leave behind him more clouds and fog than clear light of truth. We rest not upon departed spirits, but upon Jesus Christ, who brought life and immortality to light by flis Gospel. Ho is the centre of all true Spiritualism and relic ion. LAMBETH CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS. ! "When being interviewed by a "Press"_ reporter yesterday. Dr. Julius said that he was not, at the moment, without warning, prepared to give an utterance on the subject of Spiritualism, and the campaign which is at present being conducted in support of that cult. Two resolutions, which he described as 'weighty, had been passed at the Lambeth conference. These v.-ere : — "The conference, while prepared to expect and welcome new light from psychical research noon the powers and process of the spirit of man, urges strongly that a larger place should bo given in the teaching of the Clnirch, to the explanation of the true grounds of Christian belief in eternal life, and immortality,. and of the true content of belief in the Communion■ of Saints, as involving real fellowship through the love cf God in' Christ Jesus." "The conference, while recognising that the results of investigation hjve encouraged many people to find a spiritual'meaning and purpose in human life, and led them to believe in survival after death, sees grave dangers in the tendency to mako a religion 'of i Spiritualism. • The practice of Spiritual- i ism as a cult involves tho subordination of tlie intelligence and the will to unknown forces or personalities, and to that extent an abdication of tho selfcontrol to which God has called us."