John MacIntosh Stewart was born in Scotland and became a Spiritualist as a teenager. He was president of our church from 1930-1939. 1940-1942 and was interim president in 1948. He was present at the opening of our current building in 1955, and the picture is of John Stewart at the laying of the foundation stone. He was also a former Treasurer of the SNU. He was active in the ultimately successful campaign to remove the Witchcraft Act (1735) from the statute book. He worked closely with Sir Arthur and Lady Conan-Doyle, as well as Ernest Oaten, a former SNU president and editor of Two Worlds.
As we approach our centenary in 2026 We will be publishing more about John Stewart and many others who contributed so much to our church and to Spiritualism.
Below is the Philosophy of John Stewart in his own words. This was published in the Two Worlds newspaper.
My Philosophy By John Stewart. Two Worlds, May 29th, 1954
Philosophy in general, may be said to stand for inquiry. Not so much after particular facts, which is the domain of science, but rather as to the fundamental character of the world in which we live, and the kind of life which in such a world it behoves us to live.
One’s own personal philosophy s of life is formed by contemplation, in an endeavour to understand the problems of existence and of behaviour, and in that way to discover what should be our attitude towards life.
There is no doubt as to the value or the need for a personal philosophy of life, if life is to be anything more than a succession of isolated experiences of no educative value to oneself or of influence upon others.
Without such a philosophy the tendency would be to shuffle through life with no guiding principles or standard of values.
A sound philosophy will make our lives more harmonious and consistent, but its usefulness will of course depend upon having a right conception of life and the degree to which we are able to make it manifest.
In my late teens, I set out in earnest to formulate my philosophy of life. Brought up in the faith of the Church of Scotland, I became dissatisfied with its dogmatic teaching, and particularly its plan of salvation. For about two years I visited practically every denomination in Glasgow, religious and secular, and made careful notes of all that I heard and read.
It was in the field of politics that I first heard Dr. I. C. Kenworthy and was very impressed by his ay system of economics. He believed in the ideal law of society to be “Love thy neighbour as thyself” as the basis of all true economic principles, and that all economic questions are wholly dominated by moral or ethical considerations. I was able to accept these propositions and gave them a place and still do, in my philosophy of life.
HIS FIRST MEETING
I found later that Dr. Kenworthy was also a Spiritualist and the next time I heard him was from the platform of the Glasgow Association. This was my first contact with Spiritualism. I felt it was what I had been looking for and that if it wasn’t true, it ought to be. So sure was I of this that at the close of the meeting, I joined the Association as a member.
I read the literature of Spiritualism and it opened up for me a new way of life and thought. I got all the proof that was necessary to convince me of the truth of life of after death and came to realise that life was a much larger thing than that which belonged to the material part, which at longest is but short.
I acquired some knowledge of my spiritual nature, my innate powers and potentialities. In this way, my philosophy of life became deepened and widened. I began to realise my relationship to the universe and to the power behind it. I also acquired a better understanding of the meaning and purpose of life.
I found that there were two sides to human nature, the actual and the potential. The actual is what we have developed into expression, and the potential is what remains undeveloped and hidden; what is undeveloped will unfold just as fast and as far as humanity develops the capacity for divine expression.
A basic and essential part of my philosophy is a belief in the divinity of humanity and that as we are all linked up in the divine life of the universe there is no real meaning in our individual lives detached from each other; that in proportion as we become conscious of this common bond will our lives become reasonable and brotherly.
This idea of brotherhood should be no mere thought or phrase but an irresistible feeling. It should create in us the conviction that we are responsible, in part at least, for all that is wrong in the world around us and should be ready to join hands with those who are working for the improvement of this present life.
In this way, we will be making “angels upon earth,” men and women who will be acceptable to the life of the beyond.
Life to be properly understood must always be considered as a whole and not as a part. This philosophy enables me to take up this attitude and see myself in the larger relation to both material and spiritual, which are simply different sides of one life. It is a case of holding a proper balance between the two.
ETERNAL GROWTH
The life hereafter will be the natural and inevitable sequel to the life lived here. When this is realised, it will make us all careful of the lives that we live, of our thoughts, of the studies we pursue and to give more time to the things which are enduring.
An encouraging feature of this philosophy is that our characters, which count for most in the next stage of life, are not fixed or definite creations, that at any time are made. They are always in the making. It is a good thing to feel that we are always growing, bringing more of ourselves into play in the ordinary business of living.
The important thing is to keep ourselves physically fit so that our powers, whatever they may be, may always be exercised at their highest and best.
An essential part of this philosophy is not to worry about the past, or to have fears about the future, but to grip on to the ever-present now. By this concentration upon today we are most completely redeeming our yesterday and doing the best we can for tomorrow.
The thing to do is to cultivate a proper sense of values so that we can distinguish between those things which matter from those which do not and endeavour to catch glimpses, at least, of the spiritual significance of events.
It should be remembered that the good life begins with ourselves. Goodness is not conferred from without. Nothing becomes the possession of character except as a result of effort on the part of the individual.
On the ladder of spiritual progress, there are no favourites. Every rung has to be climbed by our own efforts. If circumstances mould us it is because we are pliable. We are the willing clay whereas we might be the sculptor.
I would like to qualify as a laughing philosopher. I have found that life is all the time on the side of the merry soul. It is a mistake to be too solemn. There is no essential connection between sanctity and seriousness. We should try to avoid the danger of taking ourselves too seriously and endeavour to preserve a sense of humour and proportion in all things.
Something good can be said about everyone and we have only to say it. I have learned the value of a word of appreciation. There is magic in a word of praise. No one is entirely careless of it and when given in a manner not calculated to flattery it is most acceptable.
I have also learned to accept people for what they are and not to find fault because they are not something else. When there is a divergence of opinion it is best to be tolerant and as patient as we can under misrepresentation.
People are rarely moved by argument. The critic who only sees weakness and mistaken endeavour is of little value to progress. As a rule, it requires more ability to see the good side of things.
If there is one thing more than another that I would like to stand out in my philosophy, it is my belief in the efficacy of prayer. It is a way of life as old as the human race. The spirit people come in at the open door and prayer is the opening of the door.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Prayer raises our consciousness so that we become more attuned to the spiritual influences which surround us. It paves the way for the inspiration which is ours when we are ready to receive it.
The philosophy of life which I have outlined will only accomplish its purpose when it improves our characters, increases our knowledge and adds to our usefulness, opens up a vista of progressive development and emphasises the necessity for personal unfoldment in the bringing about of a better state of humanity. If we would put the world right we must first of all put ourselves right.
My philosophy may be summarised thus: the sacredness personality; everyone counts as one; the reality of fellowship; we are all members one of another; the duty of service; to live for and not on each other, and the power of self-sacrifice, that what we give to the whole we still have and possess.
