THE SPIRITUALIST MENACE.

NZ Truth, Issue 602, 30 December 1916, Page 8

THE SPIRITUALIST MENACE.

Dear "Truth," — At ho period In human history were Dante's immortal words, "All hope abandon ye that enter here," more fittingly applicable. Cursed as society now is by the degrading ■piritualJstic atrocities, called "seance" circles, • these melancholy words could With justice be inscribed m letters not of gold, but of blood and deeper dye, upon the portals under which dwell the spiritualist quacks. Considering that knowledge of all the sciences and of biblical criticism has made such rapid strides, one would fain believe that recourse to the strong arm of the law for. purposes of suppressing impostcrs was a thing of a. decadent and barbaTous past. Alas, and alack. It were a grave error to believe that the days of diabolical imposture are past, and that humanity has for ever left behind the debasing beliefs of paganism. Progressive science, evolution, social equality, cheap literature, and kindred increasing facilities for the acquisition of knowledge have done much, but not enough, to protect the morbid- mind from current imposture. The mood m which the community receives these traders upon nervous, hysterical, credulity, when detected, is not at all In proportion to the gravity of the offence.

No word for th« Rationalist should b« dearer than tolerance, yet I confess I j have no sympathy with this organised I system of deceit and impudent, arrogant imposture called "spiritual , seance." The gambler, card -sharper, bogus medico, the vagrant, we fine or ; imprison. But let some plausible i charlatan assume the. titlo of "professor" and "madam" and describe himself or herself as Australia's leading psychic diagnoses clalrvoyante, etc., hire a' hall or sumptuous rooms, advertise their nostrums through the "dailies" at !5a for the "circle." or 5s for predictions (sic!) from locks of hair, spoons, I purses, handkerchiefs, etc., belonging to deceased persons, call their infamous traffic "spirit manifestations," and the ! police and public allow them to escape scot free. Myriads of lives and homes have been broken by these arch impostors, who trade so lavishly on credulity. ; Indeed, not a few of our matrimonial j misfits owe all their troubles to "seance" influence . The' knavery of these so-called spiritualists is phenomenal. To such an extent is this debasing system carried on that not very long ago, m Auckland, an individual of this description after having been spoken of as a "most wonderful person," and having distinguished himself by various eccentricities, completed his i harvest and left bis patrons to reflect upo"h his "honesty" and their own folly. It cannot be too widely made . known that encouragement of this spiritualist menace, In not a few Instances has led not merely to domestic discard and 1 ruin but to actual insanity. Notwithstanding these fearful catastrophes, there are semi sane men and women who not only give themselves up to it, i but also attempt to induce others to ! follow their example, and who may, | therefore, bo far as ,the tendency of I this delusion operates, be rationally considered as lunatics — if not mattatoid criminals. Even under prohibition there could be no solid basis for safety, for do not spiritist exponents of the Osbome Moore type and charter warn us that "mediums" can and do impress sensitive natures, no matter where they may be. Now, were this true, what an appalling state of affairs obtains. Such theory at once disposes of "free will." It todies over all individual responsibility, all regard for the moral law, and all agency making for human progress. Under these conditions spiritualism is decidedly a dread menace, and a most unhealthy pursuit. It ruins its votaries for life or citizenship. It makes them utterly unreliable creatures, never freo from malign influence . It tends to hysteria and gross morbid development of every sort. This much is conceded by spiritualißta themselves. It Is an Infinitely graver

sin than moral prostitution, for the spirit — allowing it exists — undeniably is more sacred than the material body. 'It is utterly Impossible to coin words i with which to express one's loathing ! for men and women bearing the air j and appearance of pseudo-respectabil--1 ity, lending their bodies and souls to be exploited by any great criminal debauchee and profligate who may chose to occupy the "temple" of the spiritualist medium m seance circles. To do this base thing publicly with knowledge beforehand of what may happen then, reveals the most depraved of natures — Faust's compact with "Old Nick" was, by comparison, a decent and honorable bargain. He at least knew the terms of the contract. But those female "mediums" who profess to go off into disgusting trances! The wanton upon our streets Is, by, comparison, an angel of purity. To the woman who deliberately handa over mind as well as body to any restless criminal spook willing to accept the polluted gift, surely these foolish ones do not realise the debasement they -wH- \ lingly submit their bodies to^ It may jbe a Deeming, a Charles Peace, an j Henry VUL or other profligate .spirit I assassin! Is it thus that spiritual life is I heightened? Can chastity be retained 1 under such revolting conditions? To believe m such a state were to spell doom of the human race. Better a / thousand medieval hells than such existence as seance mediums predict Happily, for the race, the thing Is absurd and is amply proved by the methods by which tiknee mediums are prone to describe spirit friends. Surely it is our duty to legislate against such-im-pudent impostures, as we have legislated against other charlatans and criminals who were wont to tell the fortunes of credulous girls and women who would be wives and mothers? It '• shows a most unhealthy state of so- ! ciety that allows its cities to be honeycombed with these vile seance Imposters. To-day nature's "laws'* are demonstrable and prove that the legends and fables of sacred writ are fallacies upon which mbral conduct cannot be grounded. The discoveries of Darwin, Huxley. Wallace, Spencer, and others, and the research and learning of Hume, Clodd, Lankester, McCabe, and other illustrious scholars discredit biblical lore. Evolution and not creation is the trend of modern thought and action. As little can man ascend to Venus, Mars, or Saturn as can spirit converse without organs of speech. No bile, no liver, no brain, no thought. Before we trouble to discover the topography of the "unknown" country from whence no weary traveller ever returns, let us make ourselves familiar with all the laws of nature relative to this world. One may attempt to conceive strange lights and hear mysterious sounds. But even here, we fail to realise at the behest of Borne spiritualist charlatan — clouds like a camel, a whale, a weaseL All strange phenomena must bo studied from the rational point of view. Belief m spirit manifestations is dangerous to the last degree. Believe these arch imposters and tho immutable laws of nature are based on falsehood. Untruthful hypocrites are addicted to all the pious frauds that go to make up metaphysical tergiversation, which, Bad to say, have their origin In the morbid mind preventing full recognition of the moral law In human organisations. Finally, spiritualism should receive attention from the law officers. It is a serious crime against society. — Tours, etc., "BARA FOSTTJS" Auckland.