SNU Spiritualism - A Modern Religion
SNU Spiritualism is a modern religion which is neither evangelical nor overly prescriptive. It is one of the few religions that has always believed and promoted the equality of all peoples and has treated men and women equally in faith and opportunity. Spirituality is open to and welcomes all, and is a community of likeminded individuals who accept, promote and believe in the Seven Principles of Spirituality and try to incorporate them into their spiritual practices and daily life.
Spiritualism has a number of unique features that singles it out amongst all the other religions. One such feature is Mediumship, contact with spirit, is a significant and unique part of Spiritualism both within the confines of Spiritualist churches but also as part of individual life. It not a party trick for entertainment or something to boost the ego of the practitioner. Instead, it is a gift from God, the creator of all things, to offer proof of the eternal existence and continuation of spirit. It is a gift that offers comfort to those that need comfort and reassurance that life has meaning and purpose and is not an empty shallow thing.
Spiritualism has a number of unique features that singles it out amongst all the other religions. One such feature is Mediumship, contact with spirit, is a significant and unique part of Spiritualism both within the confines of Spiritualist churches but also as part of individual life. It not a party trick for entertainment or something to boost the ego of the practitioner. Instead, it is a gift from God, the creator of all things, to offer proof of the eternal existence and continuation of spirit. It is a gift that offers comfort to those that need comfort and reassurance that life has meaning and purpose and is not an empty shallow thing.
Another significant and unique part of Spiritualism can be experienced within a Spiritualist church service. A platform medium, conducting the service will offer an address to the congregation. Not a reading from a canonised text like the Bible, but rather an inspired address from spirit. The medium will endeavour to contact spirit and offer a salient message to the whole congregation that will hopefully resonate and bring inspiration and peace to all present. There is no prior preparation made for the address but rather the medium trusts in the presence of the divine and spirit to guide them through the message. Suzanne is a truly inspired speaker and has for many years had the privilege to offer wonderful uplifting addresses and messages from spirit to congregations all over the country. Suzanne believes that such addresses are an important part of Spiritualism because, since time is limited, not all members of a congregation can be given a personal message and it is the address that has the potential of affecting and helping the most people.
The Seven Principles of SNU Spiritualism
1. The Fatherhood of God
There is an intelligent ongoing creative force in the universe whose complete nature is unknown to us. Through the laws of cause and effect, it created all things including us. You can experience the wonders of that creation all around you and we call that creation force God and we acknowledge God as our father and the father of all things.
2. The Brotherhood of Man
We all originate from the same universal life source and therefore, beyond our corporal earthly differences, we are all kindred in spirit. As part of the divine family, we have an obligation to one another to seek truth and understanding so that we may assist each other. There is a need for a community of mutual support and comfort so that we may learn to give and receive freely and thereby, promote balance within our own lives and the lives of others.
3. The Communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels
Through communication with departed spirits, Spiritualism is the only religion that activity demonstrates that there is life after physical death. Spiritualism offers the opportunity to communicate with loved relatives and friends who continue to show an interest in our welfare and us. Furthermore, there are many spirit people, living beyond physical death, who are also part of the Spiritualist ministry, dedicated to the welfare and service of mankind. One such individual is Silver Birch, who is channelled through the mediumship of Maurice Barbanell, who brings inspiration and teachings. Other spirit people, both well-known and less-known, help within the ministry with Mediumship, teaching, readings, healing, services and addresses.
4. The Continuous Existence of the Human Soul
Many people will look at a rock and acknowledge that it is real but then find it difficult to acknowledge that the observer, themselves, is equally real. Instead, they see the human body as a machine that produces consciousness as a by-product and when that machine fails, and they physically die, they believe that their consciousness will cease to exist. Such beliefs make little sense, and despite claims to the contrary, they are completely incongruent with scientific understanding.
If one turns on a light, the light bulb will emit light, a form of energy. When one turns off the light, the light that was emitted does not cease to exist. It has moved on. Just because the light bulb no longer emits light, that does not invalidate the existence of the light that has already been emitted. Furthermore, the reductive theory that the human body is a biochemical machine that utilises electrical impulses as part of its functioning and that those impulses are the sum totality of consciousness. Is a strange idea. It implies that there is no difference between electrical impulses in a wire and the energy that one experiences as the conscious observer of creation. Empirical evidence suggests otherwise and perhaps science is just behind the curve.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Instead, it has many forms. ‘Science’ readily acknowledges Matter, light, radio waves, etc. as forms of energy. But prior to modern equipment to detect radio waves, microwaves etc., science made no such acknowledgement. Spiritualism recognises and acknowledges other forms of energy that currently cannot detected by scientific instrument. Life energy, thought energy, conscious energy, exists, regardless of the limitations of science to detect it.
Conscious energy that moves on after physical death is Spirit. Upon the death of a physical body, its spirit continues as an integral part of a different non-corporal energy-based existence, the spirit world. As part of the spirit world, everyone is as they were in corporal life, but more. Free of their corporal existence and all the issues and anxieties that entails they can reflect on what has pasted in their lives and perhaps gain a greater understanding. Life’s purpose is the progression of our conscious spirit energy, to become more conscious through our endeavours during life and after death.
If one turns on a light, the light bulb will emit light, a form of energy. When one turns off the light, the light that was emitted does not cease to exist. It has moved on. Just because the light bulb no longer emits light, that does not invalidate the existence of the light that has already been emitted. Furthermore, the reductive theory that the human body is a biochemical machine that utilises electrical impulses as part of its functioning and that those impulses are the sum totality of consciousness. Is a strange idea. It implies that there is no difference between electrical impulses in a wire and the energy that one experiences as the conscious observer of creation. Empirical evidence suggests otherwise and perhaps science is just behind the curve.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Instead, it has many forms. ‘Science’ readily acknowledges Matter, light, radio waves, etc. as forms of energy. But prior to modern equipment to detect radio waves, microwaves etc., science made no such acknowledgement. Spiritualism recognises and acknowledges other forms of energy that currently cannot detected by scientific instrument. Life energy, thought energy, conscious energy, exists, regardless of the limitations of science to detect it.
Conscious energy that moves on after physical death is Spirit. Upon the death of a physical body, its spirit continues as an integral part of a different non-corporal energy-based existence, the spirit world. As part of the spirit world, everyone is as they were in corporal life, but more. Free of their corporal existence and all the issues and anxieties that entails they can reflect on what has pasted in their lives and perhaps gain a greater understanding. Life’s purpose is the progression of our conscious spirit energy, to become more conscious through our endeavours during life and after death.
5. Personal Responsibility
Personal responsibility has nothing to do with being burdened, but rather, self-empowerment and liberation. It is the realisation that you have the power and ability to choose for yourself, your actions and the path of your life. In so doing, you must also acknowledge that your choices define your life and your ongoing personal and spiritual development. The principle of self-responsibility simply states that every aspect of your life is your responsibility and no one else’s. It is not reasonable to blame outside influences when it is you that allow those influences to have their effect. Yes, while it is often difficult to resist outside influences, and perhaps even dangerous, still, no matter how difficult or dangerous, the decisions that you make and the actions that you take, are your responsibility.
Life is eternal, but corporal life is not. If you choose to priorities your corporal life and its concerns over your eternal life and thereby sacrifice or compromise elements of your eternal life, then that is your choice and your responsibility. Along with your freewill, the ability to choose, you also, explicitly and implicitly, know what is healthy and developmental for your spiritual existence and what is not. To claim otherwise is to deceive yourself. The choice is yours; fundamentally, we are all individually responsible for all our words, deeds and thoughts.
Life is eternal, but corporal life is not. If you choose to priorities your corporal life and its concerns over your eternal life and thereby sacrifice or compromise elements of your eternal life, then that is your choice and your responsibility. Along with your freewill, the ability to choose, you also, explicitly and implicitly, know what is healthy and developmental for your spiritual existence and what is not. To claim otherwise is to deceive yourself. The choice is yours; fundamentally, we are all individually responsible for all our words, deeds and thoughts.
6. Compensation and Retribution Hereafter for all the Good and Evil Deeds done on Earth
The language of this principle may seem somewhat dramatic or hyperbolic, and perhaps old fashioned. However, it is designed as a ‘wake-up’ call to convey a significant and important message. Its message does not concern an all-powerful giant white man sitting on a cloud in the sky, who gets bitterly disappointed and angry with you for your ill-deeds and therefore, punishes you with eternal damnation. No. It is a principle that echoes a simple natural law of cause and effect; ‘one reaps what one sows’.
One cannot be ill willed, cruel or vindictive towards others and reasonably expect existence to be a bed of rose petals. Abhorrent behaviour reaps its own rewards, both here in the corporal world and within the spirit world. Your existence is created by you. If you fill your heart and life with hatred, resentment and ill-deeds, it will impact upon you. It will poison you. You cannot act with impunity in this world nor the next. Drinking poison hoping that it will poison others, only serves to poison you. There is no delay on cause and effect, it operates in the here and now. We all make mistakes and will suffer the consequences in the here and now. And as such, upon reflection, we also can also act with immediacy and endeavour to repair those mistakes, learn from those mistakes and perhaps, make less mistakes, or at least, different mistakes. Be truthful with yourself and acknowledge your errors and perhaps set them right in this world before you move onto the next.
One cannot be ill willed, cruel or vindictive towards others and reasonably expect existence to be a bed of rose petals. Abhorrent behaviour reaps its own rewards, both here in the corporal world and within the spirit world. Your existence is created by you. If you fill your heart and life with hatred, resentment and ill-deeds, it will impact upon you. It will poison you. You cannot act with impunity in this world nor the next. Drinking poison hoping that it will poison others, only serves to poison you. There is no delay on cause and effect, it operates in the here and now. We all make mistakes and will suffer the consequences in the here and now. And as such, upon reflection, we also can also act with immediacy and endeavour to repair those mistakes, learn from those mistakes and perhaps, make less mistakes, or at least, different mistakes. Be truthful with yourself and acknowledge your errors and perhaps set them right in this world before you move onto the next.
7. Eternal Progress Open to every Human Soul
The conscious energy that is Soul in physical life and Spirit within the spirit world, is on a journey of growth and change. That motive force is felt within most people as a desire for personal, relational and spiritual growth through the advancement of truth, genuine love and wisdom. All who desire to tread the path to enlightenment and freedom through spiritual wisdom and understanding, have the opportunity to do so and are welcome within the Spiritualist movement and will receive succour; help and support therein. The realisations that we, our conscious energy, our soul, is eternal and that progress is always available and present, can help us come to terms with the challenges of this world. And everyone’s progress is in their hands and their responsibility and proportional to the level of dedication, time and expended effective effort.
More Information
If you are considering joining a congregation, becoming a Spiritualist or just want more information, please feel free to contact Minister Suzanne. She will be more than happy to assist you.