EDITORIAL

This month our bulletin brings contributions from several friends. We continue  with  the  second  part of Chibeni's article "The Spiritist Paradigm" which  discusses  the  scientific  aspect of Spiritism  and we present a new message by Emmanuel.

Similar  to  the texts sent by Dr. Theàrach and Elizabeth (see below) we  encourage  all  our  friend  to  send  information on their local Spiritist activities.

GEAE Editors

As you  suggested,  here is a text for "The Spiritist Messenger" from the Church in Canada:

WELCOME TO CANADA'S ONLY SPIRITIST CHURCH

In 1971 a Methodist clergyman in Calgary,  Alberta, Canada,  incorporated  The  National Spiritist Church of Alberta as registered society  #50006530 under The Societies Act of Alberta. It took until December, 1976 with much hard  work  and  determination to reach the government requirements for recognition as a religious denomination.

When, finally, all the requirements had been fulfilled, the Government of Alberta, Division of Vital Statistics, granted full recognition of The  National Spiritist Church of Alberta and gave it authority under The  Marriage  Act  of  Alberta  to  appoint  clergy  and  to perform  marriages recognized by the government.

What  led  up to the founding of the  Spiritist group  in Canada, was that Dr. Teàrlach Dunsford-Mac a' Phearsoin  had become disillusioned with the hypocrisies of the various existing Christian denominations. He had looked into Spiritualism (which is also a recognized religious denomination in Canada) but  had found much fraud among it's mediums. He  also found that the Spiritualist Church theology was lacking in a firm definition.

About  this  time, 1970, Dr. Dunsford-Mac a' Phearsoin discovered the works of Allan  Kardec  and the firmly-defined theology of Spiritism, in such works as The Spirit's Book, The Medium's Book and The Gospels as Explained by  Spiritism. Once convinced that Spiritism (as defined by the Kardecist works)  had  the  real  answer, Dr. Mac a' Phearsoin went ahead and had  a  Spiritist Society formed under the laws of the Province of Alberta. The rest is history.

At the  present  time, The National Spiritist Church of Alberta has a number of registered divisions. The Church in Southern Alberta (where Dr. Mac a' Phearsoin lives) is called: Church of St. Lazarus,N.S.C.A. and  the  church in the diocese of Northern Alberta is called: Church of St. Jude, N.S.C.A.

Other  divisions  are:  PTS   Ministries,   N.S.C.A.  for  people  of alternative  orientation,  and,  Church  of  St.  Lazarus also has an extensive  prison ministry.  Later  this  year  (1998)  Church of St. Lazarus  is  opening  a  halfway  house, called KARDEC HOUSE, for the housing and treatment  of  prisoners  released  from prison on parole with residency requirements. The  Government  of  Canada will pay our Church  $47  per day per inmate for supplying them with residence and healing programs.

We also  have  a  registered  division  called:  Deganawida Spiritist  Society. This is for Native Indian persons who practice Native Spirituality. We became the first Church in the history of Canada to have a Native  Indian  Elder appointed as a clergy with authority to perform marriages. Later  this  year,  an  Indian Band in Alberta is going to support us in the  starting  of  DEGANAWIDA HOUSE a halfway house for Native Spirituality prisoners on parole.

Our Church in Canada also has a herbal medicine clinic called: KARDEC CLINICS. We treat people around the world by sending Absent Spiritual Healing  (for free) and Herbal Medicine (for fee) as well as teaching a 3 year correspondence course in herbal medicine. The government has given us the authority to grant graduating students the title: Doctor of Remedial Herbology, after the student finishes the course.

Last year,  the Government of Alberta, gave us authorization to grant the  honorary  title:  Doctor  of  Divinity,  to deserving Spiritist people  around  the  world.  So,  if  anyone  knows  of people in the Spiritist Movement who deserve such recognition,  please feel free to e-mail us further.

Also,  if  there  are any people in the Spiritist Movement around the world who wish  to  study  our  3 year  professional  herbal medicine course, we will be happy to give large discounts to any students.

So, that  is  a short history of the Spiritist activities in Alberta. We are the only  recognized  Spiritist Church in Canada. Actually, it is  true  that,  generally,  around  the world, Spiritists call their organizations  "societies"  or  "groups"  we  decided for a number of legal and societal  reasons to have Spiritism in Canada recognized as a  legal religious denomination. So, in that respect, we are somewhat different  from  other  groups,  however,  we  completely  accept and practice  (to  the best of our ability) Spiritism as presented in the Kardecist works, The Spirit's Book, The Medium's Book and The Gospels As  Explained By Spiritism. We do absent and contact healing (without charge) and train people as mediums.

The  National  Spiritist  Church of Alberta (Church of St. Lazarus in Calgary,  Alberta,  Telephone  # (403) 277-3565)) welcomes e-mail from Spiritists around the world at e-mail address:

dunsford@calcna.ab.ca

as well as letters sent to our mailing address at:

Church of St. Lazarus, N.S.C.A., Suite 481,
300, 8120 Beddington Blvd., N.W.,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada. T3K 2A8

So,  everyone,  WRITE  TO  US!  Let's get to know each other and work together!
Yours for G-d, Christ & Charity,

+Teàrlach

Rev. Dr. Teàrlach Dunsford-Mac a' Phearsoin,
Bishop and Founder, The National Spiritist Church of Alberta,
Church of St. Lazarus, Calgary, CANADA

Added Note (by GEAE): The Church in Canada has also a web page:
http://www.connect.ab.ca/~rev/nscahom.htm

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY
Elisabeth Barcelar, Danbury, USA

Dear Mother

You  are  a  glittering star that brightens in my pathway, guiding me through  the  clouds  of  my  uncertainties, through the storms of my daily  difficulties,  through  the  darkness  of  my own ignorance on admitting my mistakes.

* I am so grateful for the light of your wisdom that never allowed me to get lost on my way.

You  are  a live example of infinite love and constant dedication. On the  most  important  moments  in my life, you were there, beside me, either celebrating my victories, or  wiping off the tears on my face.

* I am so grateful for your support and incomparable friendship.

You  are  a model of strength, struggle and honesty. The moral values that  you  taught  me  shaped  my  personality, and kept me away from ambition  and  selfishness. I've  learned to share and to help others without waiting for anything in return.

* I  am  so  grateful  because you helped me to acquire the qualities that characterize a dignified person.

You are an  ideal  of  incommensurable  faith in God, and the one who showed  me  the  Spiritist Doctrine, its principles of fraternity and dedication  to studying the Gospel. We made our home an oasis of love and  divine  protection  through  the  weekly Gospel studies, and the efforts of each one of us to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

* On  such  a  special  day, I would like to offer you these singular verses  that express my pure and sincere love for you, my mother. God bless you today and always... Happy Mother's Day!

Elizabeth Barcelar

THE SPIRITIST PARADIGM - Part II
S. S. Chibeni

I. Introduction - Report 5
II. A Sketch of the Kuhnian philosophy of science -  Report 6
III. The Spiritist paradigm - Report 7
IV. References - Report 7

PART II- A SKETCH OF THE KUHNIAN PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Kuhn  began  his  academic  career  as  a  theoretical physicist, and  afterwards became interested in history of science. Undertaking important  historical  research  from the perspective of a new historiographical  tradition, according to which past scientific theories should be   analyzed in their own scientific context, Kuhn realized that the traditional  conception  of  science  did  not  at all match with the actual  process of genesis and evolution of the theories of mature science  (physics, chemistry).  Such  a perception of the historical inadequacy  of the current opinions concerning the nature of science led him finally to philosophy of science. His studies in  this  field were first published in a systematic  way  in  his book of 1962, "The Structure  of Scientific Revolutions", which had a profound influence  on the development of philosophy of science. In a language apparently accessible  to the non-specialist, Kuhn advances in this book several  sophisticated epistemological theses about scientific knowledge, that soon  became  object  of  hot  debate amongst philosophers. We cannot  evidently  enter  into  these  technical  discussions here, but shall attempt  at  a  simplified  exposition   of  some  of the most widely accepted contributions of this American philosopher.

Kuhn's   theory   of   science   spins   around  the  thesis that the typical development  of a scientific  discipline  occurs according to the following open structure:

pre-paradigmatic phase -> normal science ->  crisis  -> revolution -> new normal science  ->  new crisis  ->  new  revolution  -> ...

The pre-paradigmatic phase represents, so to speak, the "pre-history" of a science, that period in which reigns a wide disagreement amongst the researchers,  or  groups of researchers, about fundamental topics such as: what  phenomena  should be explained, and according to which theoretical principle; what are the relations of the theoretical principles  one  with  another and with theories of neighboring domains; what methods  and  values  should guide  the  search of new phenomena and new principles; what techniques and instruments can be used, etc. While such  a  state  of  affairs  persists, the discipline cannot be said to be truly 'scientific'.

A  discipline  becomes  scientific  when  it  acquires a  scientific 'paradigm',  capable  of  putting an end to the generalized and deep-reaching disagreement  of its initial period. The term 'paradigm' has several meanings in Kuhn's book, and we cannot discuss its intricacies here.  In  its  original,  pre-Kuhnian  signification, the term means 'example',  'model',  as  used,  for instance, in grammar. Kuhn keeps part of this  meaning  when  he  proposes  that the transition to the scientific period  requires the acknowledgment, from the part of the community  of  researches,  of  an  exemplary  scientific achievement settling the issues  at  dispute in the pre-paradigmatic  phase. Aristotle's   mechanics,  Newtons's optics, Boyle's chemistry, Franklin's electricity  theory  are  some  of the examples given by Kuhn of paradigms  that  promoted the respective disciplines to the categories of sciences.

It  is not easy to explicit (specially in few sentences) the elements that  form   a  Kuhninan  paradigm. Kuhn  even  claims  that  such an explication can never be complete, because  the  knowledge  of a paradigm is  partially  'tacit', acquired by direct acquaintance with the way of doing science  determined by the paradigm. Thus, it is only by 'doing'  optics in the way Newton did, or electromagnetism in the way Maxwell  did  that  one  can  know  exactly  the   paradigms  of  Newtonian optics and of electromagnetism, for instance. However, we  can mention, as integral parts of a paradigm: 1) an ontology,  indicating the  kind  of things  which constitutes reality;2) fundamental theoretical principles, specifying the laws which regulate the behaviour of the things;  3)  auxiliary theoretical  principles,  establishing the connections of the basic principles with the phenomena, as well  with theories of contiguous domains; 4) methodological rules, standards and values,  directing  the  further articulation of the paradigm; 5) concrete examples of applications of the theory to the facts, etc.

A  paradigm  provides  the  foundations upon which the scientific community  works. It  represents a "map" to be used by the scientists in the exploration of Nature. Research  firmly grounded on the theories, methods and examples of a paradigm is called 'normal science' by Kuhn. Normal science aims to extend the knowledge of the facts that the paradigm identifies as relevant, by further elaboration of the theory and by more accurate observations.

Normal  science  is  a  highly directed  and, in  a  sense, selective  activity.  This  is  essential to the development of science, as Kuhn has shown. It is  only  by  focusing their  attention  on  a selected range of phenomena and  explanatory  theoretical  principles that the scientists succeed in going deep in the study of Nature. No scientific research  is  possible  without the guidance of a body of theoretical and  methodological   principles:  they  allow  the  selection, under standing  and  evaluation  of  what  is  observed.  One  of the  main mistakes  of  the  classical  conception  of  science  was  precisely the belief  that the  progress  of  observation  can,  and should, be theoretically  neutral.  It is acknowledged  today that the facts and theories are closely interdependent.  There  is a kind of "symbiosis" between them; facts give support  to  the theories, and theories make possible   their   classification,   concatenation,   prediction  and  explanation. Working  under the direction of a paradigm the scientist need  not  constantly  reconstruct  the  foundations  of  this field, explain  the  meaning and usefulness of the concepts he uses, and justify the observations he chooses to make.

Kuhn  describes normal science as a "puzzle-solving" activity. It presupposes well  defined  rules,  like  ordinary puzzles. It may happen that along the development of a paradigm some of the puzzles posed by Nature prove to be hard to solve. The scientists duty is to insist in the rules and basic principles of the paradigm. In the same way as in a jigsaw puzzle,  for  example,  to cut off  a non-fitting  edge of a  piece is not a valid move, in normal science the fundamental laws and standards  should  not  be abandoned  or  mutilated when a problem is tackled. Kuhn emphasizes that as  long as the paradigm experiences no serious  and  generalized  failures  the  scientists should hold fast their  commitment  to  the paradigm. The progress of science requires that paradigms should not be  too  lightly  abandoned. All paradigms, specially  in their initial periods, face difficulties, and a certain amount  of  conservation  is  necessary  to give them time to exhibit their full strength.

But this calculated tolerance  should  have  a limit, of course. When unsolved puzzles - called 'anomalies' by Kuhn - do  not  yield to the best efforts of the best scientists for a long time, and  furthermore strike on vital areas of the paradigm, the time  is  ripe to  considering the  substitution  of the  whole paradigm. In such situations of 'crisis', the most daring  and creative members of the scientific community come out with  alternative  paradigms.  Once the confidence on the  dominant paradigm is lost, such alternatives become appealing to a  growing  number  of scientists. Discussions and disagreements over fundamental resembling those of the pre-paradigmatic take place, with the difference that  during  a crisis  the old paradigm continues  to guide research until a better paradigm is clearly at hand.

When  a  new paradigm is finally adopted, science will have undergone what Kuhn calls a 'scientific revolution'.  The   most  controversial theses  put  forward by  Kuhn concern scientific revolutions. For our purposes here, however, we fortunately need not occupy ourselves with this  complex  philosophical  issue. The analysis of Spiritism to be developed in the following  section  will  hinge  only on the general schema of the nature of science  reproduced above, which is generally agreed by contemporary philosophers of science.

SPIRIT WORD

Master's words are clear and firm.

We  will  not be freed by the "aspects of the truth" or by "provisory truths"  which  we eventually own within the limits of our passionate declarations.

In politics, philosophy, science and religion  many  get  attached to certain  angles  of  the  truth  and  transform  their  lives  into a desperate battle field, when they are  in fact prisoners of their own "point-of-view".

Many  accept  the  truth,  spread its lessons,  defend  its cause and proclaim  its merits.  However,  we  only know the truth which really sets free by incessantly working for the Eternal Good.

To see into it is to understand our duties.

To distinguish it is to renew our own understanding and transform our existence into a field of responsibility committed to the *best*.

True freedom only  exists  through submission to faithfully fulfilled tasks.

Therefore, to know the truth is to realize the sense of our Life.

And  to  realize the sense of Life is to grow by working and constant upgrading.

In this way, examine your position before the Light...

Every  one  who  only  indistinctly  discerns  the  dazzling glory of reality talks to much and  takes  little action. Those,  however, who see into its indefinable greatness talk little and do more.