I have summarized the teachings as I understand them and assigned the numbers given to the order of the Seven Principles when the SNU adopted them as the basis of the faith in 1902, to my comments. (We are allowed, as Spiritualists, to interpret the Principles as we wish-they are not ‘dogma’ and as understanding changes, personal and ‘official’ interpretations may change.)

God is central to our faith. The Fatherhood of God( Principle1) can be thought of as ‘parenthood’, ‘Father-Mother God’  or any other, but God is neither male nor female. Combined with principle 2 we can see where the teaching that we (and all life) are sons and daughters of God  comes from. From God we get our soul. All living things have souls. How else could our beloved pets come to our churches to give us comfort, as they frequently do?

The soul leaves the physical body at ‘death’ and Spiritualist mediums give evidence of survival. The spirit may come over as when passing,  but after a while, with a review of previous thoughts, words, and deeds, even the most unpleasant soul may come back to say ’sorry’.(3&7)Some Spiritualists believe that if we (our soul) feel that we did not achieve what we intended before passing we may reincarnate. We may even do so several times to refine the soul until fit to join God. (4,6, 7)
God the Creator made the universe and all life forms in it, including, no doubt, many not known to us. It can be assumed that all have souls like our pets and ourselves, though they may not be as individualised, but be part of a group soul.

By studying the universe created by Him and natural laws we can see order, planning and balance, the sign that there is a Mind in charge. Natural disasters are not the result of an angry or vindictive Mind but occur through some natural law perhaps not fully understood  by us. Similarly, there are no miracles: they are merely a result of some natural law not yet known or recognized by us.

Beyond the physical universe there is a spiritual dimension. We must accept this without fully understanding it. All religious beliefs do accept this and most accept that we survive ‘death’. Spiritualists endeavour to prove this in their services by giving evidence that only the recipient of the evidence would know from their past  or recent activities and happenings. Spiritualist teachings focus on developing the spiritual nature of those who come to their services and classes, allowing them to perpetuate the practices of mediumship and healing in future generations.

A recent philosophy given to Minister Judith Seaman from Spirit which she calls ‘Spirit in Action’  speaks of how Spirit and spirituality could effect change in our physical world, spreading peace in this warlike world through healing and a change of attitudes to respect towards all people, with any further evolution as it was in the past, being the result of a focussed Mind.

‘Peace’ does not have to be just the absence of war, but a personal tranquillity for all, leading to absence of war. Could this be achieved by thought if the world was populated by spiritual people, as distant healing can be carried out by thought by Healing Mediums?

‘Respect’ is perhaps the key. A positive understanding of individuals of all races  creeds  and species with goodwill for all.