Robyn Lebron It does not accept the concept that priests or ministers are necessary mediators between God and man, or that there is any need for religious offices, temples, or churches It adopts no kinds of ceremonies, nor does it perform any rituals It doesn’t advocate the use of special clothing, symbolism, ornamentation for its services, reverent gestures, or incense The spiritism religion is an act of devotion that is performed within each heart It is the elevation of one’s sentiments, of love for one’s fellow beings, and of constant work in favor of one’s neighbor Spiritism, then, seeks to revive the teachings of Jesus in all their simplicity and sincerity, without luxury or social conventions, without pomp or ceremony (It is possible, for this reason, that mainline churches have had a negative concept of Spiritism since the philosophy could make them obsolete.) From a religious point of view, however, Spiritism is based on the fundamental truths of every religion: God, the soul, immortality, future punishments, and rewards Its goal is to prove to those who negate the soul’s existence that the soul survives after the body, that it experiences after death the consequences of the good or evil practiced during its corporeal life These concepts are common to most religions One can, therefore, be a Catholic or Protestant, a Greek or a Roman, a Jew or a Muslim and yet believe in the manifestations of the spirits and, consequently, be a Spiritist.19 The essential aim of Spiritism is human improvement It is useless to believe if this faith does not make one progress positively and also the utmost for one’s fellow creatures Spiritism’s faith is only useful for those who can say “we are better today than yesterday.” Under the natural laws of evolution and progress, our Creator has ordained that each of His children, all spirits created in equal states of simplicity and ignorance, will one day reach the ultimate goal of relative perfection The spirit, having been given free will, has total control over its own destiny In all, we have the possibility of developing, evolving, and perfecting ourselves just like a student in school who learns and progresses through each year of study Spiritual evolution requires learning and growth, which can only be achieved by living in a material world ~ 206 ~