| The Urantia Book Teachings of the Urantia Book The book covers a multitude of subjects including theology, cosmology, evolution, anthropology, and history. Consequently, it is difficult to summarize its teachings. Here are a few selected concepts: - The world is viewed as one of 10 million inhabited worlds in our local universe called Nebadon. - God the Universal Father is the ultimate source of all things, yet he is also knowable as a loving personal being. - The Universal Father can act in concert with other deity personalities in a complex association of three trinities, The Trinity of Trinities. - The book describes a form of theistic evolution which deviates from the Bible's account in Genesis, Chapter 1 and 2. It also does not fully agree with Naturalistic Evolution, as it is currently understood by scientists. - Just as lower animals evolved into humans, we are destined to become spirit beings, called finaliters. The book details our long progression of spiritual experiences on other, more advanced, worlds. - The book teaches that an a fragment of God's spirit dwells within each person; this is called a Thought Adjuster. Its role is to guide the individual towards greater spiritual understanding through many lives on this and other planets. - The book corrects the Genesis account of Adam and Eve and the concept of atonement. Adam and Eve did not "fall," although they fell short of their mandate to uplift humankind. People today do not suffer from original sin, and thus do not need to be redeemed by the blood of Christ. They are inherently children of God. - The book counters many beliefs that Christians have traditionally held about the nature and message of Jesus Christ; it expands upon his known teachings. Jesus (who they refer to by his real name of Joshua ben Joseph) is viewed as the 7th incarnation of Michael ofNebadon, the 611,121st Creator Son of God. Christ is believed to have toured the Roman empire with two people from India in the years preceding his ministry. He is believed to have died on the cross and resurrected in a morontial body (an intermediate state between matter and spirit) visible to numerous disciples before his ascension. He now is the sovereign of our universe, where he "represents and actually embodies the personality presence of the Universal Father. " - Jesus boldly proclaimed the spiritual equality of women at a time when women were not even allowed on the main floor of the synagogue. The book explains that Jesus appointed twelve women evangelists, and these women remained faithful even when his apostles denied or betrayed him. - The book attributes the following teachings to Jesus: "Prayer is self-reminding,. worship is self-forgetting. " " Worship must alternate with service, work should alternate with play, religion should be balanced by humor, profound philosophy should be relieved by rhythmic poetry, the strain of living should be relaxed by the restfulness of worship. " - The world's religions are all beneficial, "to the extent that they bring man to God and bring the realization of the Father to man... all contain truth. " "The Hebrews based their religion on goodness; the Greeks on beauty; both religions sought truth. Jesus revealed a Godoflove, and love is all-embracing of truth, beauty, and goodness. " - True religion " is to know God as your Father and man as your brother. Religion is not a slavish belief in threats of punishment or magical promises of future mystical rewards. " References - Copies of The Urantia Book are available from the Urantia Foundation, 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL 60614 (312-525-3319). - Locations of Urantia study groups can be obtained from the Urantia Foundation or from the Fifth Epochal Fellowship, 529 Wrightwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 (312-327-0424). - The urantial mailing list can be subscribed to by sending an Email to listserv@uafsys b .uark.edu Leave the subject blank, and write the following line as text: subscribe urantial <first> <last> where "first" and "last" are your personal first and last names. - The text of the Urantia Book is available at the following sites: httl2:/ /zeta.cs.adfa.oz.au/Urantia/ ftl2 : / / ccnet. com/users/mltunin/urantia/readme - A book which is critical of the Urantia Book but contains interesting historical references is: Martin Gardner, " Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery" Prometheus Books (1995) |
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