Topic:Seek opinion.
ED. COPY OF TAPE OF TRANCE CIRCLE MEETING No.576. Held 30th Nov 2004.

Seek Opinion

Spirit (Ling): Greetings.

Tonight’s talk is more of guidance than a spiritual teaching, and it’s on one word that we feel is used incorrectly. The word is ‘opinion’.

May we suggest that you look it up in a dictionary, mainly the first two or three lines?

But once you give an opinion you are at a disadvantage, for example in discussing religion, you may say, “Well in my opinion, Spiritualism is the answer,” and you are immediately in the position where they can turn and say, “Prove it to us, tell us what makes you say that.” You are on the defensive.

But if you had first of all been able to say, “I’m interested in what you say, please give me your opinion”, then you have reversed it. They have to prove to you, why your religion is not correct, in their opinion. It is very unwise to use that word in any form.

You may use it to describe someone. “In my opinion that person is worthy of the position that you are offering”. Immediately you become responsible for that person’s mistakes. I don’t mean that they will turn round and say, “He embezzled money therefore you are responsible”, but it takes the shine shall we say, off your integrity, you have made a mistake. It may have been better if you had worded it differently, not giving your opinion but wondering whether the man would be suitable.

Once you use the word ‘opinion’, it becomes, in most people’s hearing, a positive with the responsibility on your shoulders, and so often in teaching such as Spiritualism, or discussing Spiritualism, “My opinion” comes into it. But if you can get it reversed so that the person says, “In my opinion it’s a lot of ‘poppycock’ I think you say, ‘poppycock?’

Sitter: Yes.

Spirit: Then it is up to them, to prove that to you.

We have heard it misused, this word, so often, and to the detriment of the person who is using it – and therefore particularly when you are speaking of something that you are sincere about, and you are wanting to give enlightenment to someone, it is far better to have them giving their opinion to you, so that you can contradict it, rather than the other way around.

It is a word that is really unsafe to use, so we would suggest that you try and find an alternative. This is merely what we think, what we believe… you yourselves may think quite differently and wish to use it, but when you do, think carefully… is it putting you in a position to enlighten, to explain your position, or is it putting you on the defensive?

Now, you’re teaching or talking about spirit, (possibly about your circle, about what you have learnt or what you hope to learn), is important to you. In your opinion it is important, but to the other person it is not. They have got to convince you that it’s not important; while you subtly convince them it is important. This may seem a small thing to you, but we have had, perhaps a little more experience in trying to get knowledge over to people who don’t want to know, and who automatically put up a barrier.
So we would ask that you think carefully, particularly if you are talking to someone who is nearing the end of his or her life. Do not disturb them by being opiniated in your manner of talking to them, let them do the talking; you give the answers if you can.

We hope that this may enable you to think more carefully on what you say, particularly if you have been (as we hope), carefully in your mind going over ‘The Seven Principles’, because each one of those, has an answer for someone… not perhaps each one, and maybe you will be able to verify their belief.

Many now accept ‘The Fatherhood Of God’, but which God? Get them to tell you… “Well what is your opinion of The Fatherhood Of God?” then they will say, “In general”, you hope. Or they may be specific, and then that opens perhaps the path to greater dialogue.

‘The Brotherhood Of Man’. “Oh, no, not the Jews, not the blacks”. There again get their opinion as to why, don’t you jump in and say what you believe, contradict their opinion when they give it – and so on through ‘The Seven Principles”.

It may be just a starting point for you; we’d like to think it is. Please don’t forget to look it up in the dictionary.

God bless you.

Goodnight.

The source of this material is Ken Hanson of Waiheke Island, New Zealand, whose Cockney wife is the Medium.
Ken passed to the Higher Life in August, 2009.

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