He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? -Micah 6:8
The Spiritualist movement has a rich and wonderful history regarding involvement in Social Justice issues. Many (if not all) of the early Spiritualists who laid the foundation for Spiritualism as a religious tradition were deeply involved in Reform Movements of the era such as Abolitionism, Women’s Rights, Prison Reform, African-American rights, Labor Reform, Animal Rights, Vegetarianism, Temperence, Pacifism, Childwellfare, Rights for the Disabled, Native American rights, Healthcare Reform, etc. Spiritualist Mediums, Healers, Teachers, and Preachers would draw courage and strength from their commitment to Spiritualist principles and their connection to God and the Spirit World in order to support these movements seeking Justice and the betterment of society. We can look to the historical figures of Amy and Isaac Post, Andrew Jackson Davis, Paschal Beverly Randolph, Achsa Sprague, Victoria Woodhull, William Cooper Nell, Emma Hardinge Britten and many, many others as examples of this commitment and Spiritual calling to better the world that was in the hearts of many of the early Spiritualists. In an early Spiritualist tract, containing channeled teachings of the Spirits to Emma Hardinge Britten, Social Justice issues were touched upon fairly specifically: “Acknowledge all men’s rights to do, think, or speak, to be exactly equal to thine own; and all rights whatsoever that thou dost demand, thou shalt ever accord to others.” “Remember that a wrong done to the least of thy fellow creatures is a wrong done to all; and thou shalt never commit a wrong willfully and consciously to any of thy fellow-men, nor connive at wrong done by others without striving to prevent or protest against it.” Unfortunately, towards the end of the 1800s Spiritualism as an American movement began to lose it’s close associations with Reform movements. Spiritualists began to become complacent, some believing that no more Reform was needed or called for. Many Spiritualists withdrew from the political and social sphere to focus purely on the organization of Spiritualist societies and churches and private Spiritual matters. At its lowest point, actually permitting racism and segregation to infiltrate many Spiritualist churches and organizations. In the present day, institutionalized racism is universally considered abhorrent in Spiritualist organizations and Churches, and are once again open and accepting of all peoples. To be socially conscious is the general norm for Spiritualist churches today. The following are some of the current stances that the NSAC officially takes on social issues: -Freedom of Religious Expression -Accepting of all peoples free of discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation -Feminism: “recognizes the purifying and uplifting power of woman in both public and private life” -Economic and Labor Justice: “to secure justice for the oppressed of the earth; we condem child labor, the sweat shop and industrial oppression and the practical and political disenfranchisement of all.” -Anti-Capital Punishment: “Crime is but the result of ignorance and a diseased mentality and capital punishment is a relic of a partially civilized age” “We support reform measures in the penal system and humane treatment of inmates. Through treatment and education, the criminal is given the opportunity to reform.” -Parenthood: advocates for planned parenthood and the widest dissemination of sex and hygiene knowledge to the end that poverty and social diseases may be eliminated” -Abortion: “it is the individual’s right to make an informed choice in the matter as she alone would be responsible for her actions” -Legitimacy of Birth: denounces the concept of declaring children illegitimate -War: “Abhors war in any form and supports every effort by any nation or group to maintain peace in the world”
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Stephen PatrickYour friendly neighborhood Spiritualist Archives
January 2019
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