The law of adoration in Spiritism: what prayer is, what it is for and what the doctrine criticises

The law of adoration is the second of the ten moral laws of Spiritism. It occupies chapter II of the third part of O Livro dos Espíritos (The Spirits' Book), questions 649 to 673, and deals with a subject that often surprises people coming to the doctrine: what the book says about outward worship, about praying a great deal without changing one's conduct and about a life devoted only to contemplation.

Guatambu Travel organises Spiritist caravans departing from Porto Alegre for the Triângulo Mineiro, and this is the law that comes up most often when someone from another religion asks whether they will find ritual, an altar or an obligation to pray. Here we set out what the doctrine states, giving the question number for each quotation so that readers can check it.

What is adoration for Spiritism?

The definition is short and mentions neither temple nor ceremony: “In the elevation of thought to God. By adoration, man draws his soul nearer to Him.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 649)

The book holds that the feeling is not taught but native: “An innate feeling, like that of the existence of God. The awareness of his own weakness leads man to bow before the one who can protect him.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 650)

For that reason it classes it as part of natural law: “Adoration is in natural law, since it results from a feeling innate in man. For that reason it exists among all peoples, although in different forms.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 652)

Is Spiritism against outward worship?

It is not against it, but it sets conditions. On the need for outward expression, the answer begins with the inner life: “True adoration is of the heart. In all your actions, always remember that the Lord has his gaze upon you.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 653)

Asked whether outward adoration is useful, the book answers yes, with a caveat: “Yes, if it does not consist of an empty show. It is always useful to set a good example, but those who do so merely out of affectation and self-love, belying their apparent piety by their conduct, set a bad example and do not imagine the harm they cause.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 653)

The next comparison is the one most often quoted, because it places conduct above ritual: “God prefers those who adore him from the depths of the heart, sincerely, doing good and avoiding evil, to those who think they honour him with ceremonies that do not make them better towards their fellow human beings.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 654)

In the same question, the book rejects the idea that any one form is privileged: “All men are brothers and children of God. He draws to himself all who obey his laws, whatever the form in which they express them.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 654)

What about someone who takes part in a religion they do not believe in, out of respect for family?

The book distinguishes by intention, and the answer is more generous than one might expect: “He does not act wrongly who, in doing so, has in view only respect for the beliefs of others. He acts better than one who ridicules them, because then he fails in charity.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 655)

The censure falls on a different case: “But whoever practises it out of interest and ambition becomes contemptible in the eyes of God and of men.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 655)

This is the point that speaks most to those travelling on a Spiritist caravan who come from Catholicism, and we cover it in what a Spiritist caravan is.

Is it better to pray alone or in a group?

The book recognises the strength of the group without devaluing individual prayer: “United by the communion of thoughts and feelings, men have more strength to attract good Spirits. The same happens when they gather to adore God.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 656)

And it adds: “Do not believe, however, that private adoration is any less valuable, for each person can adore God by thinking of him.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 656)

What does Spiritism say about the contemplative life?

This is one of the points on which the doctrine departs from monastic traditions. Asked whether those who devote themselves only to contemplation have merit, the answer is negative: “No, for although it is true that they do no evil, it is equally true that they do no good and are useless. Moreover, not doing good is already an evil.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 657)

The reason follows: “God wants man to think of him, but does not want him to think only of him, since he has imposed duties on him to fulfil on Earth.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 657)

This demand for practical usefulness is what links this law to the law of work and to the law of justice, love and charity.

Does praying a lot help?

The book answers that quantity is not the criterion: “The essential thing is not to pray much, but to pray well.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 660)

And it explains why some people pray a great deal and remain of poor character: “These people suppose that all the merit lies in the length of the prayer and close their eyes to their own defects. They make prayer an occupation, a way of spending time, never a study of themselves.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 660)

On asking forgiveness without changing anything, the answer is direct: “Whoever asks God to forgive his faults obtains forgiveness only by changing his conduct. Good deeds are the best prayer, because acts are worth more than words.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 661)

The book also defines what prayer is, in three verbs: “Prayer is an act of adoration. To pray to God is to think of him; it is to draw near to him; it is to place oneself in communication with him. We can set ourselves three things by means of prayer: to praise, to ask, to give thanks.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 659)

Does prayer change what is going to happen?

Not in the way people often imagine. On changing the course of trials, the book answers that some must be lived through to the end, and it places the effect of prayer elsewhere: “Prayer brings good Spirits close to you and, as they give you the strength to bear them courageously, they seem less harsh to you.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 663)

And it adds a clear limit: “Besides, it is not possible for God to change the order of nature at the whim of each person” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 663).

On praying for those who have passed away, the book states that relief exists, but without altering divine justice: “Prayer cannot have the effect of changing God's designs, but the soul for whom one prays feels relief, because it thus receives a testimony of the interest it inspires in the one who asks on its behalf” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 664).

What the doctrine says about sacrifices and religious wars

The chapter closes by dealing with ancient practices. On human sacrifices offered with religious intent, the answer allows no exception: “No, never. God, however, judges by intention.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 670)

On so-called holy wars, the book is equally categorical: “They are driven by evil Spirits and, by making war on their fellow beings, they go against the will of God, who commands that each person love his brother as himself.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 671)

And, in the same answer, an argument that serves as a summary of the whole law of adoration: “All religions, or rather, all peoples adore one and the same God, whatever name they give him.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 671)

Asked about offerings, the book returns the practical criterion: “The best way to honour him is to lessen the sufferings of the poor and the afflicted.” (O Livro dos Espíritos, question 673)

Where to read this law for yourself

The whole chapter is in O Livro dos Espíritos, Part Three, chapter II, questions 649 to 673, divided into four sections: outward adoration, the contemplative life, prayer and polytheism.

The theme of prayer is taken up and expanded in O Evangelho segundo o Espiritismo (The Gospel According to Spiritism), which includes a collection of Spiritist prayers in its final part. Both works are available as PDFs, free of charge, in the downloads area of the Federação Espírita Brasileira.

Where can adoration without outward worship be seen, as the chapter describes?

The chapter distinguishes adoration from outward worship, and that difference becomes concrete at a meeting in a centro espírita (Spiritist centre), which has no altar and no ritual. The Spiritist caravan from Guatambu Travel includes visits to Spiritist centres in Minas Gerais, departing from Porto Alegre. The itinerary is on the Spiritist caravan page.

If the group already exists, the route is different. A Spiritist centre, a study group or a large family that wants to travel together does not need to buy single seats: Guatambu Travel arranges the bus charter through partner operators and does not own a fleet, and it puts together the itinerary for that closed group. How this works, what the law requires of the operator and how to check the company is explained in bus charter for groups. Anyone organising a trip in another state who needs support in Rio Grande do Sul will find the equivalent in receptivo (local ground services) for groups.

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This text is part of a series on the ten moral laws of Spiritism, published by Guatambu Travel.

Sources

All quotations in this text were checked question by question against the edition indicated above.

Cover image: title page of O Livro dos Espíritos (Le Livre des Esprits), by Allan Kardec, 1860 edition, public domain, scan by Fran6fran6, via Wikimedia Commons, image resized (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_Livre_des_Esprits_2.jpg).