Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

SPIRITISM AND CHRISTIANITY 217
Allan Cardec pointed out, fifty years before, that
while the Old Testament was the first law of God,
the New Testament was the second in Christ, and
Spiritism is now the third revealed law of God. Is
this the source of Sir A. Conan Doyle's remarks?
To talk of Spiritism as "a law" seems almost more
confusing and ridiculous than to think of it as "a
revelation."
Change
or Perish
Sir A. Conan Doyle says that Christianity must
"either change or perish." There can be no doubt,
however, that it is just -in proportion as it has changed
that it has perished.
He sees "no justice in a vicarious sacrifice,
none!" Nor in "redemption from sin," nor in
"cleansing by the blood of the Lamb," when it
has become certain that man has not fallen. "There
never was any evidence of the fall of man."* "But
if no fall, what becomes of atonement, redemption,
and original sin?" (What, indeed? but the "if"
is a big one.)
He further says, "Spiritism is only
fatal to one
religion." (I wish he would say which he means; it
cannot be Christianity, for it is still alive !)
He points out that, in his opinion, "Christ has
done no more for man than thousands in the war."
All this is pretty bad, and, if true, certainly destructive
of Christianity; and yet we read further on,
"As Christ said, 'I am not come to destroy the law
but to fulfil it,' so Spiritism says, 'I (who is the
*
Many, however, since the horrible revelations of the late
war have come to believe in it again.