Parenting in Todays' World
Long Island Spiritist Doctrine Studies
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"God has placed in you the seed of filial and parental
love. Through this love, the members of a family are led
to help each other - a duty that, in the present state of
your society, you too often lose sight of." -The Book of
Spirits by Allan Kardec
What do you believe the greatest challenge we face
today as parents? Drugs & Alcohol? Teen pregnancy?
Sexually transmitted diseases? Teen depression? What
issues are you most concerned about? What do you as a
parent feel you have control over? While all those issues
we just mentioned are serious problems facing todays
teenagers, they are not the greatest challenges facing
parents today. The greatest challenge is the moral
responsibility that falls upon us. It is our mission as
parents to not only educate our children's minds but also
their spirits. There is a prevalence in society today to
allow the education system to shape the minds of our
children. What of the education of the spirit? Do we
place that instruction in the hands of the church? If that is
the case, what then are our responsibilities? In the Book
of Spirits it clearly states, a parent's responsibility is to
"improve the spirit of the child they've brought into the
world. It is given to them for that purpose, and they are
expected to help it advance. A difficult child is often sent
as a trial to the parents." As parents in the modern
world, shouldn't we give our children all the tools they
will need to succeed in this ever changing world?
love. Through this love, the members of a family are led
to help each other - a duty that, in the present state of
your society, you too often lose sight of." -The Book of
Spirits by Allan Kardec
What do you believe the greatest challenge we face
today as parents? Drugs & Alcohol? Teen pregnancy?
Sexually transmitted diseases? Teen depression? What
issues are you most concerned about? What do you as a
parent feel you have control over? While all those issues
we just mentioned are serious problems facing todays
teenagers, they are not the greatest challenges facing
parents today. The greatest challenge is the moral
responsibility that falls upon us. It is our mission as
parents to not only educate our children's minds but also
their spirits. There is a prevalence in society today to
allow the education system to shape the minds of our
children. What of the education of the spirit? Do we
place that instruction in the hands of the church? If that is
the case, what then are our responsibilities? In the Book
of Spirits it clearly states, a parent's responsibility is to
"improve the spirit of the child they've brought into the
world. It is given to them for that purpose, and they are
expected to help it advance. A difficult child is often sent
as a trial to the parents." As parents in the modern
world, shouldn't we give our children all the tools they
will need to succeed in this ever changing world?
According to Spiritism, "Blood ties do not necessarily create bonds between Spirits.
The body comes from the body. But the Spirit does not proceed the Spirit, since the
Spirit already existed before the formation of the body. The parents do not create the
Spirit of the child; they do nothing more than supply the material wrapping, although it is
their duty to help the intellectual and moral development of their child, in order to further
its progress.
Those incarnated in the same family, especially as close relations, are as often as not,
congenial Spirits linked by past relationships, which express themselves during their
earthly lives by their reciprocated affections. But it can also
happen that these people are complete strangers to each
other, or they may be distant from each other due to past
aversions, which while on Earth are translated into mutual
antagonisms that serve as probation. The real family ties
are not those of blood then, but those of mutual sympathy
and the communion of ideas that hold spirits together,
before, during and after their incarnations. From this it
follows that two people born of different parents may be
more like brothers and sisters than if they were of the same blood. They can attract
each other, search for each other and so feel happy together. Whereas two blood
brothers may be repelled by each other, as is frequently seen. This moral problem is
one that only Spiritism can resolve through the explanation of the plurality of existences."
excerpts from The Gospel According to Spiritism by Allan Kardec
Our children continually surprise us with a depth of knowledge that sometimes leaves us
speechless. Until about the age of Seven, sometimes even later, children retain much of
the imprint of previous lives. Unfortunately, perhaps we are too quick to dismiss what
our children have to say as nonsense. Extensive research done by noted psychiatrists
and researches has offered us proof of previous lives. The Late Dr. Ian Stevenson, a
noted psychiatrist and researcher and the former head of the Department of Psychiatry
at the University of Virginia devoted over 40 years of scientific research into the
past-life memories of children from all over the world and has over 3000 cases in his
files. During his original research into various cases involving children's memories of past
lives, Dr. Stevenson did note with interest the fact that these children frequently bore
lasting birthmarks which supposedly related to their murder or the death they suffered in
a previous life.
The body comes from the body. But the Spirit does not proceed the Spirit, since the
Spirit already existed before the formation of the body. The parents do not create the
Spirit of the child; they do nothing more than supply the material wrapping, although it is
their duty to help the intellectual and moral development of their child, in order to further
its progress.
Those incarnated in the same family, especially as close relations, are as often as not,
congenial Spirits linked by past relationships, which express themselves during their
earthly lives by their reciprocated affections. But it can also
happen that these people are complete strangers to each
other, or they may be distant from each other due to past
aversions, which while on Earth are translated into mutual
antagonisms that serve as probation. The real family ties
are not those of blood then, but those of mutual sympathy
and the communion of ideas that hold spirits together,
before, during and after their incarnations. From this it
follows that two people born of different parents may be
more like brothers and sisters than if they were of the same blood. They can attract
each other, search for each other and so feel happy together. Whereas two blood
brothers may be repelled by each other, as is frequently seen. This moral problem is
one that only Spiritism can resolve through the explanation of the plurality of existences."
excerpts from The Gospel According to Spiritism by Allan Kardec
Our children continually surprise us with a depth of knowledge that sometimes leaves us
speechless. Until about the age of Seven, sometimes even later, children retain much of
the imprint of previous lives. Unfortunately, perhaps we are too quick to dismiss what
our children have to say as nonsense. Extensive research done by noted psychiatrists
and researches has offered us proof of previous lives. The Late Dr. Ian Stevenson, a
noted psychiatrist and researcher and the former head of the Department of Psychiatry
at the University of Virginia devoted over 40 years of scientific research into the
past-life memories of children from all over the world and has over 3000 cases in his
files. During his original research into various cases involving children's memories of past
lives, Dr. Stevenson did note with interest the fact that these children frequently bore
lasting birthmarks which supposedly related to their murder or the death they suffered in
a previous life.
| "The universal law of karma ... Is that of action and reaction, cause and effect, sowing and reaping. In the course of natural righteousness, man, by his thoughts and actions, becomes the arbiter of his destiny." - Paramahansa Yogananda |
| Figure 1. Hypopigmented macule on chest of an Indian youth who, as a child, said he remembered the life of a man, Maha Ram, who was killed with a shotgun fired at close range. |
Apart from simply elucidating cases of
reincarnation, Stevenson’s research has also
provided some recurrent features. These include:
* Most past lives are recalled by children between
the ages of 2 and 8, and forgotten after this point.
* Often ‘announcing dreams’ occur, in which the
deceased tells someone in the family they are about
to be reborn to them.
* There is a high incidence of violent death in the
persons whose lives are remembered.
* That birthmarks can occur which correspond
closely in size and location with a wound causing
death in the previous life.
Dr. Ian Stevenson has traveled the globe – he has
investigated cases in India, Sri Lanka, Lebanon,
Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, Europe and North
America. He and his team have more than 2600
investigated cases on their books – though he is
quick to point out that they are of varying quality
and thoroughness.
reincarnation, Stevenson’s research has also
provided some recurrent features. These include:
* Most past lives are recalled by children between
the ages of 2 and 8, and forgotten after this point.
* Often ‘announcing dreams’ occur, in which the
deceased tells someone in the family they are about
to be reborn to them.
* There is a high incidence of violent death in the
persons whose lives are remembered.
* That birthmarks can occur which correspond
closely in size and location with a wound causing
death in the previous life.
Dr. Ian Stevenson has traveled the globe – he has
investigated cases in India, Sri Lanka, Lebanon,
Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, Europe and North
America. He and his team have more than 2600
investigated cases on their books – though he is
quick to point out that they are of varying quality
and thoroughness.
| "My idea of God is that He is evolving. I don’t believe in the watchmaker God, the original creator who built the watch and then lets it tick. I believe in a “self-maker God” who is evolving and experimenting; so are we as parts of Him."- Dr. Ian Stevenson |
Perhaps, child prodigies offer another example of reincarnation and the proof of
preexistence at work. Are children who exhibit these extraordinary abilities simply
spirits who have cultivated these gifts throughout the centuries? How do we explain
the numerous examples throughout history of children capable of miracles of nature?
The painting to the right was painted by
a 9 year old, Akiane Kramarik. This is the
most perfect example of the child prodigy,
her gift is most certainly a gift from God. It
seems her abilities have been honed through
preexistence. The theory of heredity simply
cannot explain the cases of celebrated infant
prodigies like the musicians Mozart and
Paganini, the mathematicians Mondeaux
and Inaudi, the painter Picasso and Akiane,
and many other remarkable children
whose genius cannot be traced back
to their ancestors. We as parents must
always keep in mind that children, whether
prodigies or not carry with them an imprint
of who they are as well as who they have
been....who they will be is greatly influenced
by the way we raise them. Perhaps the best way to raise your children today is to
measure your own behavior. A simple guide would be; are my actions something I
would be proud to have my children witness? If this is not the case, then most
assuredly you should stop what you are doing.
preexistence at work. Are children who exhibit these extraordinary abilities simply
spirits who have cultivated these gifts throughout the centuries? How do we explain
the numerous examples throughout history of children capable of miracles of nature?
The painting to the right was painted by
a 9 year old, Akiane Kramarik. This is the
most perfect example of the child prodigy,
her gift is most certainly a gift from God. It
seems her abilities have been honed through
preexistence. The theory of heredity simply
cannot explain the cases of celebrated infant
prodigies like the musicians Mozart and
Paganini, the mathematicians Mondeaux
and Inaudi, the painter Picasso and Akiane,
and many other remarkable children
whose genius cannot be traced back
to their ancestors. We as parents must
always keep in mind that children, whether
prodigies or not carry with them an imprint
of who they are as well as who they have
been....who they will be is greatly influenced
by the way we raise them. Perhaps the best way to raise your children today is to
measure your own behavior. A simple guide would be; are my actions something I
would be proud to have my children witness? If this is not the case, then most
assuredly you should stop what you are doing.
