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Originally Posted by deepsea
Are you aware that the spiritualist movement have their own churches,their own ministers?
Spiritualist ministers can conduct services for instance funeral services?
To me that is a religion.
Deepsea. |
Thank you. I know a bit about Spiritualism because I grew up with it - nearly 6 decades ago now. My mother and my grandmother were both Spiritualists and as a teenager I had the magnificent experience of attending several honest-to-gosh seances. They were fabulous, and definitely not fake.
So yes, there was a lot of talking to dead people -- and our spirit guides -- but there most definitely was a very beautiful (IMO) philosophy - or Statement of Principles - that went along with that as well as prayer, hymns, sermons, etc: -- oops, can't post links until I have 15 posts. Oh well, it's Wikipedia, National Spiritualist Association of Churches
So Spiritualism is very much a religion, though I suppose movement is an apt term too. In fact, that term brings up the best google info. And here's a bit of history: (a BBC article listed in google search results)
I think there are still a few pockets left here and there -- a camp in Florida and one in Indiana, probably New York where it all began. These are sweet little retreat areas where people can go. I grew up in Illinois so was able to attend Camp Chesterfield in Indiana a couple of times with my mother. Just stepping onto the grounds was a healing experience. You're engulfed with the deepest, most profound sense of peace imaginable. My deepest meditations haven't produced quite that level of peace since.
That same Wikipedia page reports this:
Membership: In 2002 the association reported 144 member congregations. There are ten state associations and 11 camps. There were also four affiliated congregations of the National Spiritualist Churches of Canada in Ontario and Quebec.
Times have changed, so very much. In those days (my youth), mediums had to go into a trance to channel Spirit. Nowadays with Earth having ascended as much as she has, trance is unnecessary, thank heaven, and most of us can learn to channel for ourselves if we choose to.
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I sure enjoyed this opportunity to revisit those memories of my youth. Thanks!