SPIRITUALISM

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1920, Page 6

SPIRITUALISM

CLERGY'S REPLY TO SIR A. CONAN DOYLE. AUCKLAND, December 13. Spiritualism and Sir Conan Doyle's lectures came in for considerable attention in the Auckland churches last evening 1 . Preaching 'at St. Mary's Cathedral, the Anglican Bishop (Dr, Averill) said the Lambeth Conference, in dealing with the revival of so-called Spiritualism, for it Avas nothing now, had , dealt gently with the movement, because it had realised that it was a recoil from soul-deadening materialism and the exaggeration of some aspects of truth which the sieence of psychology would reveal in due time. "The conference realised," he said "that the. present movement Avas to some extent the outcome of the Church's failure to teach clearly and authoritatively the full meaning and comfort of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints, Avhich assures us of our continual fellowship with the departed, and of the fact that death is the gate to fuller life." The Conference recognised the honesty of the Psychical Research Society and its endeavours to winnow the " chaff from the Avheat, but strongly deprecated the modern tendency to make a cult or religion of Spiritifalism, for Spiritualism as a religion Avas anti-Christian, denying the great truths of the Incarnation and Redemption. "Spiritualism is purely in the experimental stage," declared the Bishop, (< and it is Averse than folly to accept its pronouncements as established facts, and when the sieence of the niintl, and especially the effects of selfhypnotiam ami mental suggestion, are mroo clearly understood, it .secure almorc clearly understood it seems a.l--the. phenomena which (Spiritualism claims from the spirit Avorld. The conference says such scientific researches have confessedly not reached an advanced'stagc, and avc are supported by the best psychologists in warning our people against accepting us final theories which further knoAvledge may disprove, and still more against the indiscriminate and udisciplined exercise of psychic powers and the habit of recourse to seances, seers and mediums." One of the most interesting attacks \ upon Spiritualism came from the Rev. JJ. W. ShaAv. Concluding his remarks at J-the Mount Eden Presbtycrian Church, the said: "When you remember that ' the alleged spirits tell us nothing about the life they now lead, but only of earthly things; that the mediums avlio arc the high priests and priestesses of the cult almost all suffer moral degeneration as they exercise their sacred office; that ere the strongest minds lose their -balance (as Avitncss Sir Conan Doyle's idea that avc have in our spiritual being a series of skins like an onion, and shed one at cA^ery great emotional crisis, the skin becoming a ghost) ; when you remember that to the average mind dabbling in Spiritualism produces a Avild unrest that all too often ends in. the lunatic asylum you -will consult your own interests, anc the interests of your friends, best bj not worrying your mind over the busi ness. Our dead are safe Avith Christ Could you belieA'C in a universe control 'I led by the God .Tesus revealed, in Avhicl our dead are always striving to get into touch -with us and cannot exeep through some medium.'' _._