What is Christian Rationalism?

Christian Rationalism is a science, a philosophy and is based on the non-biblical christian philosophy. Its fundamental principles encompass concepts as old as the Universe and life, as well as a sound pattern of behaviour for those who wish to follow it. This behaviour, thanks to the knowledge it provides, leads man to the knowledge of himself as Force and Matter. It shows that in every manifestation of life there is a flicker of Intelligence, which, like in ourselves, is part of Total Life. Thus we learn that we are but small torches of life, still very blunt, part of an immense flash of lightning driving forward the Cosmos - which is Universal Intelligent Life.

Christian Rationalism as a science.

In this regard there is no better person to explain why Christian Rationalism is a science than Dr. Antonio Pinheiro Guedes (brazilian scientist and physician). In his book Spiritualistic Science wrote the following:

"Science is the knowledge of things, facts and phenomena in themselves, in their nature and in the relationship between them and everything that surrounds them. Such knowledge can only be obtained through systematic study, close observation and detailed analysis. Consequently, science is the product of our intelligence, the result of our work. It aims at a goal, it fulfils a need of our spirit. The spirit ceaselessly feels the need to investigate. It is eager for knowledge. It always wants light, more light.

The purpose of Spiritualistic Science (which is the case of Christian Rationalism) is to enlighten us about other worlds and life after death, to prove the existence of the soul, its preexistence and survival to the body... It studies the extraordinary but numerous, very numerous facts constituting a class of phenomena which until recently were considered supernatural and thus disdained as impossible, unworthy of study. However, if adequately researched, these facts prove the existence of the spirit, enlighten us about Life and place a new world before our dazzled, amazed eyes.

The facts which 'Spiritualistic Science' deals with are not supernatural, not even extraordinary. They simply escape the observation of those who do not know how to see. They are natural, like everything else in the Universe. They are common, ordinary and even frequent.But to see them, learn to notice them and recognise them whenever and wherever they are present, it was necessary to discover an instrument capable of recording them, making them evident and obvious. Such instrument is the medium.Once the instrument was found and its capabilities studied, facts began to be observed. First spontaneous facts, later induced ones were observed with the purpose in mind of recognising the nature of the cause which produced such phenomena. As a result of spiritualistic studies, the immortality of the soul is established on principles determined by perfectly irrefutable evidence.

The reincarnation of the human spirit, consisting of successive existences or multiple bodily lives of a conscious individual, is a law to which all spirits are subject and is an essential condition for its advancement. Thus Spiritualistic Science (Christian Rationalism) aims a purpose, studies a class of facts, uses its own exclusive methods, processes and instruments. It develops theories, establishes principles and laws. Therefore, it fulfils all the requirements of scientific research.Consequently there is no doubt that Spiritualism (Christian Rationalism) is a science. A vast, deep, eclectic science, it builds up a synthesis of human life. It encircles the cycle of evolution of the spirit, from beginning to infinity. Its principles and laws have universal application. they are a guiding light in the middle of the surrounding darkness, a lighthouse in the stormy sea of life."

Christian Rationalism as a philosophy.

There is a Philosophical School called "Rationalism" that should not be confused with Christian Rationalism. The former is of materialistic nature while the latter is eminently spiritualistic. Therefore they are diametrically opposed. For that reason every time we refer to the Christian Rationalist Doctrine we say Christian Rationalism and not just "Rationalism".

Christian Rationalism is not associated with and is not similar to any other religion or doctrine on Earth. It is unique and consists of only one code and only one discipline. Practices and routines in Christian Rationalist Centres world-wide are identical and in all the same unchangeable Principles prevail.

This philosophy with its theoretical and practical teachings offers humanity the best opportunity to live in a conscious and rational manner so human beings can put into practice a secure and efficient working program with no wastefulness, no mistakes and within the principles of solidarity and confraternisation. It is an enlightening, constructive, moralist and purifying Doctrine, engaged in restoring the Truth about life spiritual concepts. This a spiritualistic philosophy that explains in a simple and rational manner, who are we, where did we come from and where are we going to.

Our philosophy was codified by Luiz de Mattos in 1912 with the launching of the basic work 'Christian Rationalism' in 1914. However its principles are as old as the world itself. It's a spiritualistic philosophy, free from mysticism or religiosity, and therefore does not acknowledge the supernatural, mysteries and dogmas. Everything in the Universe and in Life holds a rational explanation, within the common, natural and unchangeable laws that rule all things.
Why Christian?

Thousands of years ago great men driven by ideals of reform tried with their teachings to debrutalize humanity. Such men like Jesus, Budda, Confucius and Mohammed taught similar spiritual principles, however besides not being understood, ended up deified by the illiterate masses. Once the idea of divinization took hold, the respective religions were created, each preaching a different form of speculative worship, and the followers of each flocked together. Jesus Christ and all the others were just men, remarkable MEN in fact, but nevertheless, human beings like all of us, without any divine affiliations. All lectured the principles that Christian Rationalism now teaches and thus despite its name, CR is not in any way linked to the biblical Jesus Christ. In our view, the Jesus described in the Bible never existed! The person known as Jesus was just a man, though one of the the greatest men that ever existed on Earth!

Luiz de Mattos the founder of this philosophy understood the above and since mankind was and is in regrettable moral conditions, he codified CR to present humanity with ethical patterns of behaviour and individual's norms of conduct, in accordance with the Christian philosophy. This is why this philosophy and science is also called Christian.

Please click on the links below to learn more about Christian Rationalism.