Benjamin Fish Austin - Spiritualism

Spiritualism

Spiritualism, the 'fraudulent system' that Dr. Austin was accused of supporting, and under whose banner he later worked in Rochester and Los Angeles was a religious movement with its modern roots in the mid 1840s. The movement continues to this day and the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (which is the modern continuation of an organisation with which Dr. Austin had contact) lists the following as its guiding principles .

• 1. We believe in Infinite Intelligence.
• 2. We believe that the phenomena of Nature, both physical and spiritual, are the expression of Infinite Intelligence.
• 3. We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith, constitute true religion.
• 4. We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continue after the change called death.
• 5. We affirm that communication with the so-called dead is a fact, scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism.
• 6. We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: "Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye also unto them."
• 7. We affirm the moral responsibility of individuals, and that we make our own happiness or unhappiness as we obey or disobey Nature's physical and spiritual laws.
• 8. We affirm that the doorway to reformation is never closed against any human soul here or hereafter.
• 9. We affirm that the precepts of Prophecy and Healing are Divine attributes proven through Mediumship.

The movement was formed primarily from the well-educated classes and contained many formerly Christian theologians. Many were driven away from Christianity by that faith's, as they saw it, overly strict application of doctrine and its denial of certain phenomena such as astral projection viii. It was a large movement and in 1878 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boston estimated the total number of Spiritualists in the United States to be over 10 million. The exact number was hard to pinpoint, however, there were many levels of Spiritualist belief. Some Spiritualists still saw themselves as devoted Christians while others denounced their former faith in public. All estimates at their total numbers were only approximate ii.

Dr. Austin first became interested in the area of Spiritualism when researching for his paper Glimpses of the Unseen. When conducting research into the many reported sightings of paranormal events (return of the Spirits of the dead, etc.) Austin became convinced of the veracity of the reports ii.

In the beginning Dr. Austin saw Spiritualism as a renewed and perfected form of Christianity. He saw the acceptance of modern 'miracles' such as those found in séances as a continuation of the miracles of Biblical times. In the sermon for which he was expelled from the Methodist Church Dr. Austin said, ""Why should inspiration be limited to one past age? If Truth came to Paul 1900 years ago it can come to you today. After all, Heaven is as near to-day, God is as loving and as kind to-day, and truth as abundant to-day, as in the ages when men are said to have possessed inspiration." v If a scientific view could be taken to such experience in the modern age, then a better understanding could be had of God's past revelations to Biblical prophets. Dr Austin also thought that this new view might draw some skeptics who had become atheists for lack of proof of the Divine's interaction with man back to religion. If one could explain a modern séance one could explain how God spoke to the prophets of the Old Testament, and this rational understanding would encourage belief among the skeptical.

In his book The A. B. C. of Spiritualism (published in 1920) Dr Austin explained many of the movement's ideas and goals. The work is written in the format of a hypothetical dialogue between a Christian and a Spiritualist with the former asking questions of the later. The Spiritualist proceeds to explain his movement's positions on a variety of important issues. When asked if Spiritualism finds any church or creed to be divine the answer is that they are divine in that they rise from man's spiritual nature in wishing to reach towards God. All are attempts to answer important questions. Spiritualism denies, however, that any one system has been able to answer these questions satisfactorily. It does point out that Christianity "is certainly the one perfect and infallible and supernatural religion if there be one" . The Christian bible is, however, only a collection the views of many past men and societies. It may be useful, but it is not perfect.

When asked directly if Spiritualists believe in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth the book gives a very interesting answer. "Most assuredly", it says, "Spiritualists believe in the divinity of all men. Every man is divine in that he is a child of God and inherits a divinely spiritual nature. We are all 'God made manifest in the flesh'" ix. This view of all people (one can assume that Dr. Austin meant 'Men' to be read as 'Humans') as being divine by their existence echoes many modern Humanist teachings.

A 1906 edition of Reason (the Spiritualist Magazine published by Dr. Austin and his family) contained a section called 100 Conundrums for the Clergy. The work is made up of 100 rhetorical questions asked to "The orthodox Clergy" (by which Dr. Austin meant traditionally non-Spiritualist Churches, not Eastern Christians). The 100 conundrua were reprinted in book form later in the year . While some of the questions lead to obvious Spiritualist answers others merely attack the Christian notion that one specific book could be a definitive source of Truth so perfect as to be unquestionable. An entire section, for example, centres on the compilation of the bible in the fourth century;

"16 – Who decided on the Canon of Scripture? Where did the deciders get their authority for rejecting some books and including others? Was the selection process infallibly inspired? What proof can you offer of this? 17- Was not the First Council of Nicaea convened by Constantine the Great? A man who murdered his father-in-law, cut the throat of his 12-year-old nephew and in the same year he convened the council beheaded his eldest son, and put Fausta his wife to death?

18- Is the inspiration that would come to a Council presided over by such a monster likely to be 'plenary' and 'divine' and 'infallible'? … 22 – Is it true that there were 50 gospels submitted and only four accepted, and that Luke had a majority of one vote?"

The entire work is an effort to discredit the mainstream Christian movement. It shows an amazing change in opinion for a man who had been the head of a Christian school only seven years before x.

While the work may seem to be something of a bitter diatribe against the organisation that ostracized him it should be remembered that Dr. Austin referred to Christianity with great respect in many other works. He attacked the religion's blind faith in its own infallibility without ever losing sight of the Church's many beneficial traits. In a 1928 edition of The Austin Pulpit (a sister publication to Reason) Dr. Austin referred to the bible as being the "First among equals" among religious texts, provided that it is "interpreted rationally". In his 1920 book The ABC of Spiritualism Dr Austin answered the question of how Spiritualists should relate to the organised Christian church by reminding his readers that Churches have "done good in many ways". He advised his followers to learn from the many centuries that the Christian church has in religious work as "they cannot but have learned some wisdom". He does finish, it must be admitted, by saying that "a frank acknowledgment of the good done by churches makes the way open for a clear statement on their fallacies and falsities" ix. As in all things Dr Austin praised an honest and frank view of the Truth.