THE GOD OF SPIRITUALISM.
By J. H. W.
An editorial in the Banner of Light says: “The fundamental idea of Spiritualism is God, the Infinite Spirit, the animating life of all souls, inspiring all with his immanent presence,” &c. From their frequent mention of, and appeals to, God, we should be led to suppose that Spiritualists really believe in the existence of such a being; but again we often hear them ridiculing the Christian or Bible idea of God, and are at a loss to know what they do believe, if they have any belief on the subject. Last year I attended some of the meetings of the Ohio State Convention of Spiritualists, where a prominent speaker made frequent mention of God. Knowing that he had been a Methodist preacher I presumed that he had retained that part of his former faith, till he explained as follows: “We do not believe in a personal God. When we speak of God we mean that combination of principles by which things exist in their present form.” Whether this is an intelligent “combination of principles” or not, I suppose they would not undertake to say. But that makes no difference; as the homage of Spiritualism would be more fitly offered to a stock than to an intelligent, holy Being. J. H. W.