WHY WEALTHY SPIRITUALISTS DO NOT
CONTRIBUTE MORE.
The opposition sneeringly ask, why do
not wealthy Spiritualists
contribute more generously to the cause, and is not their failure so to
do in strange contrast with the generosity of church-members?
We believe that Spiritualists are
even more liberal than churchmembers, when convinced that the cause is
worthy, yet confessedly no great donations have been made by them. The
cause is not far to seek,
when we consider that most donations are made in the last hours of life.
It is then the religious
training becomes dominant. There is almost always a
minister in attendance who uses every
means to influence in favor of his
church. Salvation is bought in this
way, and sins atoned for. If the wealthy lay member gives a thousand or
ten thousand to an asylum, a library, or to
foreign missions, under persuasion of
his pastor, it is heralded as a praiseworthy act by the religious press.
When a Spiritualist nears the end of
earth-life, he is left alone to dispose
of his wealth as he pleases. If a
spiritual speaker should counsel him, it would be regarded as indication
of undue influence or insanity, and
repeatedly wills have been broken on
this ground.
It is thus forced on the attention of
those intending to give, to see to it that they make such disposition as
is pleasing to them, and not await to place their means at others'
disposal. Another reason is that there have been so few measures to
support, schools, asylums and the great charities appear to be
preoccupied by the state as they should be. There is no demand for
foreign mission work. If one should desire to give to the
cause, he would be at a loss where
to best bestow it. And yet there is great
need for means in extending the cause
of Spiritualism. This can best be done through the diffusion of its
literature, its books and its journals. A
large sum might be profitably used
in sustaining mediums that they may
give their services free to those who
investigate, and thus do away with the chief cause and incentive of fraud.
