The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: Professes To Be Coming World Religion

I. “World Federation of Christendom” an Spiritualistic Platform

Spiritualism boldly asserts that the basic reason for the divisions of Christendom has been man’s failure to maintain the Early Church communication with the “spirit-world.” Thus Johannes Greber, a former Catholic priest, asserts that a spirit gave him the following message: CFF2 1072.1

“Since the time when communication with God’s spirit-world as the sole road to truth was dispensed with, errors of the most varied and farreaching nature have crept into Christianity.” ¹ CFF2 1072.2

The most conspicuous division in Christendom is doubtless the historic split between Protestantism and Catholicism, which breach has thus far remained unhealed. This breach Spiritualism aspires to heal. CFF2 1072.3

1. SPIRIT MESSAGES LALL FOR “RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION.”

Recent Spiritualist spokesmen assure us that Spiritualism’s doctrines alone “represent the true teachings” of the Early Church. They therefore hold that a return to the guidance of Spiritualism provides the sole remedy for these divisions. Spirit guidance, they insist, constitutes the primary source of truth-for the spirits, they avow, are the “messengers of God.” This comports with the previously noted assertions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that the spirits are bringing a “new revelation” from the “other side” that calls for a radical “reconstruction” of traditional Christianity. CFF2 1072.4

In other words, Spiritualism professes to provide the basis for a “World Federation of Christendom,” under an allembracing “SpiritSynthesis” of religion. Thus Protestantism and Catholicism can be reunited by, and upon, a spiritistic platform-a universal religion of “scientifically demonstrated” “survival.” Such is Spiritualism’s frank objective. It is a threefold union. CFF2 1073.1

2. AUDACIOUS CLAIMS FOR SPIRITISM AS HUMANITY’S SAVIOR

As indicated, Conan Doyle contends that Spiritualism is actually the “central teaching” of Christianity itself, the “most powerful ally” of all the creeds. Spiritualism is thus set forth as an angel of light, a savior of humanity. It is even asserted that the results of Pentecost will pale into insignificance in comparison with what Modern Spiritualism is prepared to bring to pass. CFF2 1073.2

Spiritualism envisions converting Christian churches into seance chambers for the demonstration of life after death, with materialized “direct-voice” spirit teachers and preachers. ² Shaw Desmond goes so far as to predict that “the Atomic World will be riddled with the psychic, steered by the psychic.” ³ CFF2 1073.3

3. SCIENTIFIC “SPIRIT CONTACT” THROUGH ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

Some psychic experimenters are now seeking to so harness “supersonic” rays, or vibrations, as to establish electronic communication with the Spirit world an the “Other Side.” Some in the Spirit Electronic Communications Society envision a “super-ray” so sensitive that it will pick up the “spoken-word” vibrations in the “etheric Soundwaves,” in order that one may tune in an spirit conversations without a medium, much as one tunes in an a radio or television conversation from a broadcast station. This device they call an “electroencephalograph” (not to be confused with the medical Instrument of the same name), which they hope will develop into an “etheric speech microphone.” ⁴ That is one of the current “scientific” anticipations. CFF2 1073.4

This is similar to the radical “new outlook” envisioned by Ernest Thompson-“scientific spirit communication” uniting humanity with spirit beings much as radio now unites the Eastern and Western hemispheres. ⁵ Such are the avowed goals of current psychical scientism and its fantastic experiments. CFF2 1074.1