How to find a TRULY HEATHY and THRIVING Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre! #2--Critical Media Literacy and Website Analysis--Spiritualism Content

On reflecting on my last blog entry I realized that I forgot to add a few other details about how a truly healthy and thriving Spiritualist Church promotes itself if it wants continue to attract the increasingly spiritually and internet savvy public.

As well as posting who the regular church workers are on their web site it is customary that the church calendar (if posted online) show which workers are working on what dates few months a head of time so that seekers can check out different workers and plan their busy lives accordingly.

Again, I cannot stress how important the detailed biographies of the Spiritualist Educators selling courses are to prospective students. Given that the bios are often how discerning people judge when choosing their teachers, one cannot blame seekers for wanting to know WHO the instructors are and WHAT qualifies them to teach the courses they are expecting students to shell out serious cash for.

If an instructor is truly up to snuff and current they will have no problem indicating this in a detailed bio online. Of particular interest to experienced seekers is how current the instructor’s education in Spiritualism is and what current research and articles they have written for Spiritualist publications. It is also helpful to know what postsecondary diplomas and degrees these folks have outside of their Spiritualism training as this will give you a good idea just how broad these “teachers’” knowledge base is and if they are able to teach to people who may or may not have more education than they do.

While it is true that there is less dogma and creed in Spiritualism it is NOT dogma free as much as some would like to delude themselves it is. As soon as one sets themselves up as a teacher selling courses in Spiritualism they are saying that "THIS is what Spiritualism IS!" And yet they do not see how they are telling others what spirit is or is not? Where does the personal journey of learning or individual understanding of Spirit (that is to come from within) fit in this case?



It is definitely a matter of personal interpretation and if that is the case why do you need to spend cash and time meeting the standards of one particular Spiritualist Minister or another when all you need to do is move on when you have had your fill? But wait isn't this kind of free thinking and fluid movement that is touted as part of the no creed no dogma kind of Spiritualism actually the same kind of attitude that the New Age is often faulted for by Spiritualist Leaders? Hmmm now I am confused... No dogma so move on when you have had enough but we need standards in education??? Who sets those standards if Spiritualism is supposed to be for free thinkers?

So the rub is this Spiritualism is for free thinkers and is apparently without dogma and creed but if you want to participate in the churches you then are saddled with what their ministers’ vision of what Spiritualism is or should be.

The even sadder truth is that some Spiritualist ministers are so disparate for a congregation and church workers that they will put new students up on the platform well before they are truly ready. For may of these "newbies" the experience of working in the churches starts out as gratifying and after a time will come to be a whole lot of work as they are asked to do more and more without consideration for their need for family/life balance. New church worker burnout is all too common and usually happens in a very short time.

More experienced mediums know to pace themselves and they know how not to get in over their heads. They have learned how to say "No sorry cant do that...." and they also look for Spiritualist Churches and Learning Centres where there is a group of people dividing the church duties so they do not become over whelmed. If you are a new church worker do not let the minister suck you into being at the church more than you are comfortable attending. Go to additional events if you are interested but do not let anyone make you feel obligated.

Organizational problems and politics aside, the history and methods of Spiritualism do need to be taught if Spiritualism is going to truly thrive, but how do leaders accomplish this in a way that allows for reasonable continuity between the churches if none of them is willing to truly work together? It is obvious that the principle of The Brotherhood of Man is pontificated about more than it is exercised in some cases!

Add to the infighting in and among the different organizations the fact that there are different styles/kinds of Spiritualist Churches and you have a combination where there is little hope to reasonably standardize the education offered. This being the case then begs the question, how is the public supposed to judge what is good or bad mediumship let alone what is good education and what is rubbish? Further if this lack of consistency and varying standards of education are the norm how can Spiritualists actually claim that mediums are better than psychics? I don't know but the argument is often made regardless.

The only way to find out what is good and what is not in Spiritualism is to check out the various Spiritualist Churches and Learning Centres and make up your own mind. My intent here is not to tell folks what they should do or think but rather to give useful suggestions based on thorough critical media literacy and web site analysis experience that will help the seeker read and interpret more carefully what they are viewing online so that they can use better discernment. If my experiences help others rethink and question more thoroughly those who set themselves up as "experts" and "educators" in Spiritualism so they can avoid the nonsense and the politics and yet enjoy what the religion, philosophy and science of Spiritualism has to offer then I am pleased to help.