Golden Gate
Spiritualist Church
Celebrating bringing the light of truth to the world for 100 years in 2024
SPIRITUALISM
Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication by means of mediumship with those who live in the Spirit world.
A Spiritualist is one who believes, as the basis of their religion, in the communication between this and the Spirit world by means of mediumship and who endeavors to shape their character and conduct in accordance with the highest teachings derived from such communication.
A medium is one whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the Spirit world and through whose instrumentality, intelligences in that world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism.
A Spiritualist healer is one who, either through their own inherent powers or through their mediumship, is able to impart vital, curative force to pathologic conditions.
The phenomena of Spiritualism consist of Prophecy, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Gift of Tongues (medium, while in trance, communicates from Spirit in foreign languages unknown to the medium), Laying on of Hands, Healing, Visions, Trance, Apports, Levitation, Raps, Automatic and Independent Writings and Paintings, Direct or Independent Voice, Materialization, Photography, Psychometry, and any other manifestation proving the continuity of life as demonstrated through the physical and spiritual senses and faculties of men and women.
Spiritualism and contact with the Spirit world came as a great liberating power that proved eternal life and eternal progression. People had lived for centuries with a prevailing religion that taught eternal damnation as the fate of most people. Religions had denied citizenship and equality to women, condoned slavery and supported outright slavery of married women. From the Spirit world came the Principles of Individual Sovereignty that revealed each person has within them the ability and the duty to think for themselves, that each one is their own test of Truth, that within our own hearts is the faculty to know what is right. Individual sovereignty is the duty to do that which in our heart we know is right, as long as what we do does not trespass on the rights of anyone else.
The Declaration of Principles was adopted in convention by the National Spiritualist Association (NSA), now the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC) in 1899. The NSA was founded at a general meeting of mainstream Spiritualists, assembled for that purpose, in Chicago in September 1893.
The mainstream of Spiritualism resisted in forming any large organization for the first almost fifty years of Spiritualism. They had lived through the creeds and dogma that prevailed in the orthodox churches of the time and did not want that to happen to Spiritualism, where people were free and encouraged to think for themselves.
When mediums began to be persecuted by some states' laws, mainstream Spiritualist felt being organized as a national group would help them defend the mediums in court. In courts, Spiritualists found they were often asked for a statement of belief. In 1897, Spiritualists decided to develop a set of uniform principles that could be presented in court. A committee was appointed at the 1897 convention to develop the principles, and a set of six principles were adopted at the 1899 convention in Chicago. The other three principles were added and refined at various times in the twentieth century. The nine principles are the principles defining Modern Spiritualism today.
Objectives of Spiritualism
The mission of the Religion of Spiritualism, as represented by NSAC, is, in part, as follows:
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To teach the truths and principles expressed in its Declarations of Principles, and in the definitions of Spiritualism, a Spiritualist, a Medium, and a Spiritualist Healer.
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To teach and proclaim the Science, Philosophy and Religion of Modern Spiritualism.
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To encourage lectures on all subjects pertaining to the spiritual and secular welfare of humanity.
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To protest against every attempt to compel humanity to worship God in an particular or prescribed manner.
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To advocate and promote spiritual healing, and to protect and encourage Spiritualist teachers and mediums in all laudable efforts in giving evidence to humanity of a continued communication between the living and the so-called dead.
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To encourage every person to hold their beliefs always open to examination as growing thought and investigation reveal new understanding of truths, thereby leaving every individual free to follow the dictates of reason and conscience in spiritual as well as secular affairs.
The Motto of Spiritualism
“As the sunflower turns its face toward the light of the sun,
so Spiritualism turns the face of humanity toward the light of truth.”
The Principles of Spiritualism
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We believe in Infinite Intelligence.
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We believe that the phenomena of nature, both physical and spiritual, are the expression of Infinite Intelligence.
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We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith constitute true religion.
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We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continue after the change called death.
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We affirm that communication with the so-called dead is a fact, scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism.
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We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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We affirm the moral responsibility of individuals, and that we make our own happiness or unhappiness as we obey or disobey Nature's physical and spiritual laws.
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We affirm that the doorway to reformation is never closed against any soul here or hereafter.
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We affirm that the precepts of Prophecy and Healing are divine attributes proven through Mediumship.
We are a member of the National Spiritualist Association of Churches
www.nsac.org
Thank you to the NSAC for The Objectives of Spiritualism, from the pamphlet "Spiritualism and NSAC"
Definition of a Medium
A medium is one whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the Spirit World and through whose instrumentality intelligences in that world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism.
The difference between a medium and a psychic is mediums convey messages from the Spirit World, while psychics are picking up directly from objects, events and people (you, the recipient), not through the intervention
of intelligences in the Spirit World.
WHEN YOU ARE RECEIVING A READING (NOT AN IN-SERVICE GREETING AND MESSAGE FROM SPIRIT) FROM A MEDIUM:
Be prepared to be sympathetic towards the Medium; there is nothing to fear.
Mediums are prepared to listen, sense, discern, and receive thoughts, i.e. spirit greetings or messages. They act rather like a telephone operator, or are comparable to being used as a mental television receiver, or a computer with adaptable interface for incoming information.
Do not tell the medium about yourself, or your reasons for making the appointment.
You will not have your fortune told, nor a forecast of your life ahead.
Send thoughts prior to the meeting, to those departed souls whom you hope may be able to contact you through the Medium, but do not insist upon one particular individual only.
Put the problems of the day aside.
The Medium is only going to talk to you, so listen carefully, waiting patiently for the possible identification of the contact for which you may be hoping.
Mediums adjust mentally, spiritually, and psychically, to receive communication from people known to you earlier, but now are physically dead (departed to the Spirit World.) Departed souls anxious to communicate with you may be able to use a Spiritualist Medium's sensitivity and attunement to do so.
It may happen that people in spirit come through who may be unknown to you at the moment. Just accept the person without going to any length to try to search your memory. Pay attention to the message that they bring, as it may reveal something about the person in spirit. They still have work to do in spirit and are attempting to help you.
Just know that the unrecognized person in spirit wants to help you with your life circumstances. Experience has shown that you may eventually remember this person, and that may be an hour, a day, a week, even months later.
Should the relayed information be meaningful, occasionally acknowledge it verbally to the Medium with a simple "yes, "that is correct", "valid" or even "I'm sorry, that means nothing to me right now."
A relaxes attitude and affirmation or denial is important to the sensitive Medium, who is not obtaining information from you, but the communicating intelligence or spirit after death.
