“The Urantia Book”

[Opmmur]

First I'd like to say this book is not for everyone, like the Bible or other holy books.

Has anyone checked out the “The Urantia Book” the book is divided into four major sections. I have owned my book for well over 40 years, when I was doing a lot of traveling and took it with me for somethings to read.

The Urantia Book is 2,097 pages long, and consists of an introductory foreword followed by 196 "papers" divided into four parts:

The Foreword is presented as a guide to the terminology developed in greater detail in Part I, and provides an explanation for words and phrases that are "in designation of Deity and certain associated concepts of the things, meanings, and values of universal reality."

Part I consists of 31 papers that address what are considered the highest levels of creation, beginning with the eternal and infinite "Universal Father", his Trinity associates, and the "Isle of Paradise".

Part II is composed of 25 papers pertaining to the origin, administration and personalities of "local universes," in particular the local universe of "Nebadon" that is said to contain Urantia. It presents narratives on the inhabitants of local universes and their work as it is coordinated with a scheme of spiritual ascension and progression of different orders of beings, including humans.

Part III includes 48 papers that compile a broad history of the Earth, presenting a purported explanation of the origin, purpose, evolution, and destiny of our world and its inhabitants. An additional 15 papers cover various topics such as "Religion in Human Experience", the concept of the Thought Adjuster, "Personality Survival", and "The Bestowals of Christ Michael".

Part IV is presented in 77 papers and narrates "The Life and Teachings of Jesus". Included are papers about his childhood, teenage years, family life, public ministry, and the events that led to his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. It continues with papers about appearances after he rose, Pentecost, and finally, "The Faith of Jesus". Part IV illustrates many of the concepts presented in the first three parts through the story of Jesus' life.

Here is a link for those who wish to explore and read “The Urantia Book” The Urantia Book | Urantia Book | Urantia Foundation

 

[kurisu]

This is interesting particularly Part IV. I'm interested in what Jesus's child/teen life was like. I'm a little confused about the book though is it written from someones point of views on the subjects or is it more like a collection of information regarding the subjects?

 

[Opmmur]

Information from the Urantia Foundation:


The Urantia Book, first published by Urantia Foundation in 1955, claims to have been presented by celestial beings as a revelation to our planet, Urantia.

The writings in The Urantia Book instruct us on the genesis, history, and destiny of humanity and on our relationship with God the Father. They present a unique and compelling portrayal of the life and teachings of Jesus. They open new vistas of time and eternity to the human spirit, and offer new details of our ascending adventure in a friendly and carefully administered universe.

The Urantia Book offers a clear and concise integration of science, philosophy, and religion. Those who read and study it believe that The Urantia Book has the capacity to make a significant contribution to the religious and philosophical thinking of people worldwide.

The Urantia Book is not a "religion" per se. It builds upon the religious heritages of the past and present, encouraging a personal, living religious faith.

Readers around the world have told us that reading The Urantia Book has profoundly affected them and often changed their lives. It has inspired them to reach new levels of spiritual growth and enhanced their sense of the value of human life.


Please Note: My personal opinion and feelings about religion is that it is a personal thing, between God and yourself. For the most part, I will not be commenting or interpreting the Urantia Book for others. If you take 10 people that reads the book and now you have 10 different opinions about what each read, this is just the way humans are. I tend to keep my own personal opinions private regarding religion and the Urantia Book.

Professor Opmmur

 

[Samstwitch]

I heard about this many years ago, and I actually had the chance to buy one at the Library Book Store, but I didn't realize what it was until it was gone! I'm very curious about the author of it.

My faith is set firm in the Bible and some Apocryphas, but I don't keep my head in the ground. I wouldn't mind looking through it if I had one handy, but I would not allow it to change my beliefs.

 

[Samstwitch]

I just found something that was very helpful and definitely worth posting. There's a book on Amazon.com entitled, Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery by Martin Gardener. (It has a 'Look Inside' feature so you can check it out.) I found a very informative Book Review that I'm posting below. Martin Gardener explains what he discovered and believes to be the origins of the book's authors and sources. (I'm going to break it up into paragraphs for easier reading.)

AMAZON REVIEW​

Engaging expose' of the Urantia movement April 12, 1999 ​

Martin Gardner's book entitled URANTIA: The Great Cult Mystery is a skeptic's critique of The URANTIA Book (UB), a 2097-page compilation of several papers allegedly authored by several `divine revelators,' each one claiming to be a representative of God's vast celestial hierarchy. These `authors' were commissioned by their heavenly `supervisors' to enlighten the inhabitants of this planet (which they call Urantia) as to how mankind has been supposedly misled throughout human history by the errors of religious thinking. ​

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The primary target for which the UB `authors' claim is in need of `correction' in the arena of religion is the Bible, with all its misconceptions regarding the nature of God, who Jesus was, etc. Mr. Gardner, although not a Bible-believer himself, finds it difficult to accept the truth-claims that these alleged celestial authors present, in light of several factors. ​

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To begin with, Gardner takes exception to the many scientific errors to be discovered within the pages of the UB. He devotes two full chapters of his book to illustrate portions of the UB's vast science content which have been rendered outdated because of discoveries made since its publication in 1955. In some cases, the science content became outdated even before the UB was published, and in still others, the purported scientific `facts' were already incongruent with the science of the time, which can only be attributed as outright errors on the part of these alleged higher minds! ​

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Why would these divine revelators allow the publishing of such self-damning evidence? Gardner points out a disclaimer inserted in an attempt to `inform' the reader that the authors were given a `prime directive' by their superiors not to reveal any unearned science to us evolving mortals and to write their scientific treatises within the limits of our then-current vernacular. However, Gardner does not buy this pitch, because at the same time these intergalactic messengers are bedazzling us with their brilliance as pertains to things known, they also baffle us with a fantastic model of the universe that is beyond our wildest dreams and which is, of course, unearned science. ​

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One might be compelled to ask how the UB allegedly got into print in the first place, assuming it was commissioned by unseen heavenly beings. In probing for answers to this question, Gardner provides more compelling evidence that the UB was the brainchild not of celestials, but of mere terrestrials. The UB authors purport that its papers were presented through the thought patterns of a certain unnamed human contact whose disposition was suitable for said transferences of knowledge. By some `unrevealed' process, these revelations were transposed into a written format, from whence we got the UB after several of these `contact' sessions. The term `channeling' comes to mind, although UB adherents vehemently deny that this was the method used, preferring instead to keep both the method and the human contact a mystery for the sake of mystique. ​

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However, Gardner's skeptical nose smells a rat. He reports that a man named Wilfred C. Kellogg, patient and brother-in-law of then psychiatrist William S. Sadler III, was the `human contact' from whose subconscious the revelations began to emanate. In addition to the spiritual content of the early sections of the UB (the source of which may well have been Kellogg's channelings), Gardner cites Sadler as a major contributor to the making of the UB. Gardner provides ample evidence to substantiate his assertion. ​

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Dr. Sadler's earlier published books reveal him to be a racist and a proponent of eugenics, both concepts of which are given full endorsement by the `divine revelators.' But what tips the scale of human invention is the weight of Seventh Day Adventist influence to be found in the UB. Both Sadler and Kellogg were one-time Adventists who were expelled from the church around 1906; and henceforth began the nocturnal `contact sessions' at the good doctor's residence. ​

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The UB authors wholeheartedly endorse such 7DA doctrines as soul-sleep, the annihilation of the wicked, the denial of the existence of hell, and that Jesus Christ is (the archangel) Michael. ​

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What Gardner denotes as amazing irony is Sadler's connection with Ellen White, Adventism's seer and prophetess. Prior to his expulsion, Sadler wrote a letter to Sister White (a complete copy of which can be found in Gardner's book), wherein he began questioning her authenticity as a prophetess in light of her recently-discovered plagiaristic tendencies. One can read between the lines of Sadler's letter that he was really asking whether plagiarism was a legitimate mode of divine revelation (as though he were contemplating the same). ​

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Not coincidentally, Gardner lastly reveals and elaborates upon a long list of plagiarisms recently discovered within the pages of the UB! If the reader is endowed with even a basic ground-level knowledge of the Bible, then many particular contrasts will stand out clearly when comparing notes. ​

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As Mr. Gardner points out, the UB vehemently denies such historic Christian doctrines as the Atonement and the Virgin Birth. But even though Gardner's book provides ample and compelling evidence that the UB was written by humans, Gardner does not go far enough to expose the spiritual con from this Christian's point of view. ​

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In exchange for bestowing divinity upon the would-be believer, the UB compromises traditional Christian doctrine. These are but a few of the observations that a discerning Christian will make when comparing the UB with the Bible. The UB author(s):
1) Claim that the Old Testament represents the evolved religion of a superstitious desert clan; ​

2) Rewrite the four Gospels to fit their own preconceived agenda; ​

3) Write up a history of Jesus' years as a youth and young adult, again agenda-driven; ​

4) Disparage Paul as having influenced Christianity by injecting Hellenism and Paganism; ​

5) State that Jesus was not the Messiah, nor did He claim to be; and the list goes on and on...​

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Martin Gardner's book is a fascinating and entertaining read, if the reader can get beyond his penchant for making condescending remarks toward UB adherents.​

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[Opmmur]

I do not like Martin Gardner’s book report and analysis of The Urantia Book. I also believe that the Bible like The Urantia Book is not a book that someone can sit down and read and give a book report. Those are my opinions: right or wrong.

I never read much of section 1 or 4; I was always reading sections 2 and 3. My interest was a spiritual history and origin of mankind physical, spiritual, and how we came to be the humans we are today.