By Judy Merrill
Spiritualism has no dogma or creed. It does have rituals. Without dogma or creed, it becomes the home for those individuals seeking their own spirituality through various practices as they apply to the 7 principles.
While this open seeking is a strength, it is also a weakeness in Spiritualism.
As a strength: Spiritualism offers the fellowship in which the individual can examine themselves and find their own spirituality. When the individual spirit is satisfied, it accomplishes so much in this life. Telling others what that spirit is or contains can only come from the individual. Spiritualism welcomes everyone to seek this spirituality within themselves, without any dogma or creed.
As a weakness: Without any dogma or creed, a lot of free thinkers are stymied by the practices of Spiritualism on a regular basis. For sure, it is good to examine what you join in with in all your resources. Whether it is time, money, effort it is important to understand what you are striving to accomplish. Those that are most discontent in the end is because their 'expectations' have not been met.
So the education in Spiritualism becomes a matter of aiding the personal journey and seeking of the individual. There are no 'right' answers, only seeking to be gained. Those that have gained some information are willing and able to share that which they know and that education is what helps those that come to seek.
The law of attraction works so well. Those that need the message of any particular source, are drawn to that source. Those that have learned all that is offered are free to move on to another source. Trying to judge any one source as not sufficient just doesn't apply. There is always another venue.