How the authors know these things is no mystery -- the
authors live in a reality different from ours and information such as
you've mentioned is readily available to them, much like someone living
near the Library of Congress and having ready access to its more than
18 million books compared with someone having no internet or library
connection living in a rural area. They know more because they have
access to more. A large part of The Urantia Book is its revelatory
nature - the authors reveal things that have been heretofore either
unknown, or forgotten, or misunderstood. The subjects that you
mentioned are part of that revealed knowledge. The stories of
put our history into a new,
understandable, and Divine perspective - they help us to gain a new
worldview of ourselves - our origins and our destiny.
Maybe the question you really wanted to ask is, why should I
believe this information since it's not found elsewhere?
First, you shouldn't believe anything just because someone says you
should believe it. You're in possession of a rational mind that can
provide you with reality and truth responses and you're the only one
responsible for your own beliefs. If something doesn't seem rational,
doesn't seem real, doesn't seem true to you then either you should do
more investigation or you should reject it. Second, perhaps 90% of
what's contained within the pages of The Urantia Book is found at least
in part in other published works; they may not be well known but then
that's part of the purpose of The Urantia Book, to make them known, for
them to be identified and to be studied. Furthemore, you are in
possession of the Spirit of Truth - the literal
representation of Jesus, who he promised he would leave with us when he
left our earth. This is our sure and ever-present guide into all truth.
There's only one way to know if The Urantia Book is real and if it is
true and that is to read it for yourself and to decide for yourself. Is
it logical? Does it make sense? Does it exhibit truth, goodness,
beauty? Does it give you hope and enhance your thinking and your
living? Most importantly, does its teachings help you to become closer
to God, and improve your relationship with him? If you find the answers
to these questions being yes, then why be confused
by anything less?
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Q: I am quite intrigued about your facts about Jesus. I have been
searching for the life style of Jesus before he started his ministry.
But I have a question: How did you get your
information? That is, about Jesus, God, Yahweh ,
Melchizedek, etc.
A: Thank you for your note and we're glad to hear that
you're
intrigued by the material we offer about Jesus.May I suggest that the
more you read and know and understand the life and teachings of Jesus
the more real he will become and the stronger the connection you will
experience. You can begin the story as it is related in The Urantia
Book from our site
HERE
where
you can also listen to the text as you read along.
To understand how this information has become
available you have to have an understanding of The Urantia Book; the
recounting of Jesus' life and teachings is but one of the four
parts
that comprise this masterful book, first printed in 1955. The purpose
of the book is not only to lift Jesus' life and teachings up from the
Christian dogma that has surrounded it for the past 2,000 years but
also to place it in context with the most recent
revelation of
spiritual truth to our world, the Urantia revelation, which is
sometimes described as a handbook for
acquiring cosmic citizenry.
May I also recommend that if you're not already signed up
that you consider subscribing to the
Quote of
the Day. It's a free
service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable
teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and
inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to
understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe click on the
Quote of
the Day link on the left side of our home page and follow the
instructions.
Best wishes in your search and please feel free to write any
time.
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The very first paragraph of the book states that the authors
were "authorized to translate into the English
language..." I think one
reason that the authors chose English is that it is a very fluid
language, ever adaptable and full of derivative words from many
languages.
This is surely no accidental or unthinking choice.
All we have to do is look around us and we see that many countries
educate their children in English, and
English, I have heard, is becoming the language of business as well.
And we know how important commerce is to establishing global unity and
cooperation.
Jesus was conversant in several
languages, and this is a
trend that is developing throughout the world. For example, here in
America, English co-exists with Spanish in many communities.
Language
is an evolutionary development, and it is going to take a long time
before we reach the stage of a "one tongue" world, which is a feature
of the ages of Light and Life.
Some may question the
decisions that have been made regarding translations into other
languages, but it seems to me that if you want to reach a wide
audience, you do what is necessary. Jesus said that we were to spread
this message to all the world... better that people should get this
message in their own language right now; later on, they may be able to
master English because of it. But regardless, they will have gotten the
good news.
We are given no concrete guidance in the book
regarding this issue, but since the Urantia
Revelation is meant to feed
humanity for the next millenium or so, I think translations in other
languages at this early stage is entirely appropriate. In the end, the
message of The Urantia Book - in any language - must be translated by
each individual into "the language of the spirit..." that Jesus spoke
of.
Thanks for this interesting question!
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Thanks for this great question!
On evolutionary planets, epochal
revelation from celestial beings is part of the normal progression of events. Within one hundred years of man's achieving an upright posture, the Planetary Prince arrives, bringing a "new dispensation." "The prince and his staff make the first revelations of higher truth and universe organization" to the primitive races of man.
Following this dispensation, which can last as long as 500,000 years, there comes the Adamic dispensation
(Adam and Eve) who introduce agriculture and horticulture, and ultimately, the gift of their life plasm, which upsteps the races intellectually and accelerates spiritual progress.
As you likely know, on Urantia, both of these dispensations met with at least partial failure - the Planetary Prince through the Lucifer Rebellion, and the Adamic dispensation by default of Adam and Eve in their stated mission. Since then, our world has been on an abnormal course, as it was plunged into spiritual darkness through rebellion, and through the Adamic default, we lost our Material Son and Daughter, who should have been with us even now, as they are on normal planets.
Instead of the normal progression of dispensations, we received an emergency bestowal in the form of
Machiventa Melchizedek, who was sent in order to rescue the one-God concept, which was nearly lost in the years after the default of Adam and Eve. And after that, we received Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man, Son of God, who effectively took over the post of Planetary Prince from Caligastia, our deposed planetary prince. Unfortunately, even the
revelation of God to man of Jesus was in some ways a partial failure, as Jesus was rejected and murdered for his efforts. And even today, there exists a great deal of confusion regarding his message and his purpose for coming here.
The Urantia Book is the fifth epochal
revelation of God to man to be bestowed upon our planet. It builds upon all previous revelations, and most importantly, it restates for our modern times the life and teachings of Jesus. Is it normal? No, it is not a normal occurrence to receive such a revelation. For one thing, all other revelations have been in the form of beings - our Urantia revelation is in the form of a book, authored, as you observe, by celestial beings. But then, very little on Urantia has been "normal," as regards the revelation of God to man.
As to the specific reasons for this
revelation coming in this way, he authors tell us something about the reasons for presenting a book:
You who today enjoy the advantages of the art of printing little understand how difficult it was to perpetuate truth during these earlier times; how easy it was to lose sight of a new doctrine from one generation to another. There was always a tendency for the new doctrine to become absorbed into the older body of religious teaching and magical practice. A new
revelation is always contaminated by the older evolutionary beliefs.
The Urantia Book, Page 1022
(93:7.4)
A
revelation in book form will definitely reach far more people than a revelation of one being, or even a group of beings. And, given the rise of the internet, this type of revelation is being spread throughout the world pretty effectively. And it has far less chance of default, it would seem.
The fact that our planet is so disordered, and the success of our previous
revelations so spotty, the revelators were mandated by the Ancients of Days to present this newest revelation to us in this way - in book form, and in the English
language. Once the text was protected by copyright, as in the first 50 years or so, The Urantia Book is now being disseminated throughout the world at cyber-speed.
Thank you for this interesting question. I hope the answer has been helpful.
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Here is a Urantia Book description of sleeping survivors - those who
are awaiting dispensational resurrection:
Sleeping Survivors. All mortals of survival status, in the custody of
personal guardians of destiny, pass through the portals of natural
death and, on the third period, personalize on the mansion worlds.
Those accredited beings who have, for any reason, been unable to attain
that level of intelligence mastery and endowment of spirituality which
would entitle them to personal guardians, cannot thus immediately and
directly go to the mansion worlds. Such surviving
souls must rest in
unconscious sleep until the judgment day of a new epoch, a new
dispensation, the coming of a Son of God to call the rolls of the age
and adjudicate the realm, and this is the general practice throughout
all Nebadon. It was said of Christ Michael that, when he ascended on
high at the conclusion of his work on earth, "He led a great multitude
of captives." And these captives were the sleeping survivors from the
days of Adam to the day of the Master's resurrection on Urantia.p341:1
(30:4.4)
As you can see, the key here is whether one has been entitled to a
personal guardian. From The Urantia Book: "since the bestowal of
Michael, they [personal guardians] are assigned in accordance with
human intelligence, spirituality, and destiny. "
This attainment of a personal guardian has much to do with the
seven cosmic
circles of attainment. I suggest you
give this a careful read.
Another Urantia Book passage on this subject:
Mortals of the individual orders of ascension. The individual progress
of human beings is measured by their successive attainment and
traversal (mastery) of the seven cosmic circles. These circles of
mortal progression are levels of associated intellectual, social,
spiritual, and cosmic-insight values. Starting out in the seventh
circle, mortals strive for the first, and all who have attained the
third immediately have personal guardians of destiny assigned to them.
These mortals may be repersonalized in the morontia life independent of
dispensational or other adjudications.p569:3
(49:6.8)
These circles are a spiritual kind of benchmark by which human progress
is measured. There are no precise definitions given - in fact only a
few of these circles are described at all, but this following passage
does shed some light on the subject, and offers clues as to the kind of
behavior and attitude one should cultivate in order to successfully
navigate them:
It is to the mind of perfect poise, housed in a body of clean habits,
stabilized neural energies, and balanced chemical
function—when the physical, mental, and spiritual powers are
in triune harmony of development—that a maximum of light and
truth can be imparted with a minimum of temporal danger or risk to the
real welfare of such a being. By such a balanced growth does man ascend
the circles of planetary progression one by one, from the seventh to
the first. p1209:4
(110:6.4)
It is not necessarily a bad thing to be a sleeping survivor - it could
be that many of us will be in that group - it simply means that the
growth needed for attaining that third circles was not attained before
death. This could be due to any number of factors - some may be beyond
one's control; nonetheless, all sleeping survivors are still counted
among the saved, as they are resurrected in groups at the end of divine
dispensations, such as that of Jesus, when he finally departed from
Earth. They go on to progress in eternity just as do all others.
Thanks for this interesting question!
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Thank you for your note to
Truthbook.com
and yes, it does sound pretty preposterous doesn't it? You didn't
mention the fact that
Adam and Eve were supposed to be close to 8 feet
tall when the native population was under 6 feet tall -- that would
seem pretty preposterous, too. Also, that it's recounted that their
bodies gave off a slight aura of color that could be seen with normal
vision. If you want to pick at preposterousness then the recounting of
the story of Adam and Eve is a great place to begin.
I think
you'd have to understand a bit about what else The Urantia Book relates
before being able to pluck the story of Adam and Eve from it and have
it make much sense. Let me supply a bit of background for you.
Primarily,
reality isn't material only; it's both material and spiritual although
our relationship with the spiritual is tenuous at best -- we are, after
all, the lowest form of free-will and
personality endowed creatures in
the universe and are intended to be living a nearly totally material
existence here. Notwithstanding our ignorance, there is a spiritual
overcontrol and administration that is ultimately in control of all
material reality; it's responsible for, among many other things, seeing
that each inhabited world receives an Adam and Eve at the appropriate
time.
Adam and Eve are actually special creations called
Material Sons (sometimes Material Sons and Daughters). The Urantia Book
contains considerable information about these Material Sons, you can
read a bit about them here...
http://www.truthbook.com/index.cfm?linkID=1292#U45_5
and here...
http://www.truthbook.com/index.cfm?linkID=1298
Feel free to further your critique once you've read the material.
Human
evolution on an inhabited world proceeds along a normal evolutionary
course and human beings naturally evolve up to an apex of physical,
mental, and spiritual capacity. In order to develop beyond this limited
natural apex an infusion of superior DNA is required, again a normal
but rather spectacular event on a planet. This is done by these
specially designed beings, the Material Sons, often called biologic
uplifters, coming in person. Here's a bit more detailed write-up about
this event if you're interested...
www.urantia-book-club.org/Documents/Handouts/PDF/HaveWeBeenVisited.pdf
...
which appears to scientifically verify this preposterous appearing
event having occurred at the exact time in ancient history where The
Urantia Book places it.
However, to address your point
specifically; the purpose of an Adam and Eve when they are bestowed
upon a planet, is to have children. Childbirth is not painful for Eve,
it's her primary function and purpose for being here and she can and
does have children one after another. So, yes, we do honestly believe
that a superhuman woman such as Eve can give birth to considerably more
than 63 children. The process our brain goes through is to understand
what and why The Urantia Book relates the wealth of significant
material it does. We don't deny what is and what isn't scientifically
possible, and not only have woken up because of our study of The
Urantia Book, we hope to assist everyone who can intelligently assess
this material to wake up as well.
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The authors of The Urantia Book tell us that our average sense
endowment numbers twelve. Now, I am only aware of the usual five sense
- sight, smell, taste, feeling, and hearing, so, it gets one to
thinking... They call these twelve sense "physical-sense endowments,"
and I wonder if at
least one of them could be connected to the legacy of animal fear that
we have inherited. Fear can be a very visceral reaction. I also wonder
if one of our senses could be connected to discernment of the passage
of time or our ability to discern the presence of another
personality - or non-personality. Additionally, our bodies possess an
innate ability to heal
themselves. Perhaps memory is considered a "sense." And then, there's
always the "sense of humor and the "sense of fairness," or the "sense
of right and wrong." Or, it could just be that our senses simply fall
below
what is considered "average" when taken in total against all humans in
the cosmos. It is an interesting subject to think about, right?
Here is a quote:
The average special physical-sense endowment of human
beings is twelve, though the special senses of the three-brained
mortals are extended slightly beyond those of the one- and two-brained
types; they can see and hear considerably more than the Urantia races.
p564:5
(49:4.3)
I find it interesting to conjecture whether we would have developed
keener senses had
Adam and Eve not defaulted, and we had had the
benefit of their superior life plasm. Consider this quote:
Both the physical and spiritual visions of Adam and Eve
were far superior to those of the present-day peoples. Their special
senses were much more acute, and they were able to see the midwayers
and the angelic hosts, the Melchizedeks, and the fallen Prince
Caligastia, who several times came to confer with his noble successor.
They retained the ability to see these celestial beings for over one
hundred years after the default. These special senses were not so
acutely present in their children and tended to diminish with each
succeeding generation. p851:3
(76:4.5)
I say it is a pity, for I would love to be able to see our friends in
the spiritual realms.
We can look forward to some extra- and enhanced senses once we pass
through the
portals of death and assume our morontia existence, as in this quote:
The morontia senses are seventy, and the higher spiritual orders of
reaction response vary in different types of beings from seventy to two
hundred and ten.p154:5
(14:2.3)
And to give you an idea of how inadequate our physical senses are in
discerning spiritual reality, consider this quote about the central
universe and Havona:
None of the physical beings of the central universe would
be visible to Urantians. Neither would any of the physical stimuli of
those faraway worlds excite a reaction in your gross sense organs. If a
Urantia mortal could be transported to Havona, he would there be deaf,
blind, and utterly lacking in all other sense reactions; he could only
function as a limited self-conscious being deprived of all
environmental stimuli and all reactions thereto. p154:6
(14:2.4)
Finally, as to special abilities, I think that mortals are variously
gifted with many different abilities - in art, music, writing,
mathmatics, science, etc. Some people have amazing abilities that no
one even understands - like savants in math or music or memory who are
otherwise seemingly mentally retarded. Some of these folks are an
endless source of wonder for us all.
Here's a quote that helps illuminate some of this for us:
There are three possible sources of special human ability: At the
bottom always there exists the natural or inherent aptitude. Special
ability is never an arbitrary gift of the Gods; there is always an
ancestral foundation for every outstanding talent. In addition to this
natural ability, or rather supplemental thereto, there may be
contributed the leadings of the Thought Adjuster in those individuals
whose indwelling Adjusters may have had actual and bona fide
experiences along such lines on other worlds and in other mortal
creatures. In those cases where both the human mind and the indwelling
Adjuster are unusually skillful, the spirit artisans may be delegated
to act as harmonizers of these talents and otherwise to assist and
inspire these mortals to seek for ever-perfecting ideals and to attempt
their enhanced portrayal for the edification of the realm. p507:7
(44:8.2)
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About God
When our Master revealed to us the true nature and character of God, he demonstrated by his very life that God goes out in search of the wrongdoer, as the true shepherd leaves the flock to go out in search of the lost sheep. Since our Heavenly Father is changeless and perfect, his divine purpose has always been to constantly minister mercy and to show unwavering goodness to every being. It is literally true: He would "have all men be saved by coming into the knowledge of the truth." He is "not willing that any should perish."
God desires that all be in communion with him. We are all beloved sons and daughters of God. It is only the continued rejection of the Father's constant proffer of divine mercy that distances the wrongdoer from experiencing the unqualified love of God. The Father never wavers from his boundless mercy. Man need not be saved from God's wrath, but he most certainly needs to be saved from himself, from his own base and selfish tendencies.
"God is inherently kind, naturally compassionate, and everlastingly merciful. And never is it necessary that any influence be brought to bear upon the Father to call forth his loving-kindness. The creature's need is wholly sufficient to insure the full flow of the Father's tender mercies and his saving grace. Since God knows all about his children, it is easy for him to forgive."
(The Urantia Book, Page 38,
2:4.2)
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The Urantia Book teaches unequivocally that there is only one God, the first source and center of all things and beings. However, God manifests in myriad ways, the most important of which is through the Paradise Trinity. When the authors of the book refer to God and his associate deities they often make reference to "the Gods." This can be confusing when taken out of context. However, reading the book helps to provide a conceptual understanding that all these manifestations are in reality the many facets of the one true God.
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In Truthbook's "Answers to Life's Toughest Questions" section we list
The
Urantia Book's
answer to the timeless human question "Why does God permit suffering
and evil?" We hope you will take the time to read it as well.
Is it correct to assume that God micro-manages the universe?
Is it correct to assume that God wills bad into the lives of his
creatures? God has given us the gifts of
personality and free-will and
provided a vast and diverse evolving creation in which we exist.
Because we are free to choose, we alone decide what we will do with
this grand opportunity we call life, and often times we learn as much
and more from the bad things that happen as we learn from good times.
Some bad things that happen happen as a result of chance and some
because of poor choices. Ultimately, we have the ability to make our
lives meaningful and valuable or not. If we did not have this right to
choose, even to choose unwisely, our free-will would be meaningless.
The answer to why
God permits evil and suffering is answered in depth in
The Urantia Book,
this is why it is of such value to inquiring minds. You might begin
your reading with this link
(3:5.5)
- the "inevitabilities."
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Yes, most certainly both father and mother, masculine and feminine take origin in God. God is all and in all. According to
The Urantia Book, the Second Person of the Paradise Trinity is considered the Spirit Mother of all creature creation. The feminine aspect of God is equal in every way to the masculine aspect, and this reality is true on all levels of creation, from
Paradise
all the way to the lowly spheres of time and space.
Read about the
Universe
Mother Spirit.
Jesus once said this to a man who was mistreating his wife in public,
"The Father in heaven treats the Spirit Mother of the children of the universe as one equal to himself. It is Godlike to share your life and all that relates thereto on equal terms with the mother partner who so fully shares with you that divine experience of reproducing yourselves in the lives of your children. If you can only love your children as God loves you, you will love and cherish your wife as the Father in heaven honors and exalts the Infinite Spirit, the mother of all the spirit children of a vast universe."
The Urantia Book, Page 1471,
(133:2.2)
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To ponder the creation of God can only lead to pondering the creation of that entity which created God. Sooner or later one has to conclude that there is a source that has always been, one without beginning or ending; a creative source that is existential. The Urantia Book calls this reality "the first great creative source and center of all things and beings."
Because all finite human beings have a beginning, it becomes nearly impossible for us to comprehend any reality that is without beginning or end. Such a reality as God is by definition then, Infinite. Just as surely as a finite reality exists, an infinite one does also. In fact, it makes perfect sense that only an infinite reality could bring finite reality into existence, the finite reality being but the shadow of the greater infinite reality.
There's a great deal of evidence supporting the existence of God for anyone honestly seeking to find God. Ironically, it's not evidence that can be offered to anyone as conclusive proof. The existence of God can only be validated by each individual's personal experience with God and such experience comes only as a result of reaching out with faith to find him and to know him.
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You may wish to begin by
reading here: (148:5.1).
All evolutionary creature life is beset by certain inevitabilities. Consider the following:
Is courage--strength of character--desirable? Then must man be reared in an environment which necessitates grappling with hardships and reacting to disappointments.
Is altruism--service of one's fellows--desirable? Then must life experience provide for encountering situations of social inequality.
Is hope--the grandeur of trust--desirable?Then human existence must constantly be confronted with insecurities and recurrent uncertainties.
Is faith--the supreme assertion of human thought--desirable? Then must the mind of man find itself in that troublesome predicament where it ever knows less than it can believe.
Is the love of truth and the willingness to go wherever it leads, desirable? Then must man grow up in a world where error is present and falsehood always possible.
Is idealism--the approaching concept of the divine--desirable? Then must man struggle in an environment of relative goodness and beauty, surroundings stimulative of the irrepressible reach for better things.
Is loyalty--devotion to highest duty--desirable? Then must man carry on amid the possibilities of betrayal and desertion. The valor of devotion to duty consists in the implied danger of default.
Is unselfishness--the spirit of self-forgetfulness--desirable? Then must mortal man live face to face with the incessant clamoring of an inescapable self for recognition and honor. Man could not dynamically choose the divine life if there were no self-life to forsake.
The Urantia Book, Page 51,
(3:5.5)
One of the reasons for the gift of
The Urantia Book
is there is a clear misunderstanding of God throughout all religions and theologies.
Everything that Jesus tried to instill in his
apostles
and
believers was replaced by superstition and tradition very soon after he was
made politically correct by the
Roman Emperor,
Paul's Christian
re-working of Mithraism and Judaism put God in control of all things, and made God
to be a stern judge who demanded his son's death.
Nowadays, although
heaven
and
hell
are thought to be largely fantasy realms,
it is assumed that there is a God somewhere.
It is assumed that God is in control of everything, and that God is to
blame for everything, therefore, good luck and bad luck depend upon God's favor; those who perish in massive disasters were not under God's protection at that time.
Therefore, as a primitive tribe of superstitious half-hearted believers, whenever major tragedy strikes, God gets the blame.
It is difficult to formulate theology that is appealing concerning a loving and forgiving heavenly Father. The preferred method
is to provide rules by which one can bribe one's way into heaven, or at least avoid the tortures of hell. And, as long as God is seen as angry,
jealous, judgmental, and all too human, people are being frightened into specious
belief as a survival technique.
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God has always just BEEN - he is the Uncaused Cause, the Uncreated
Creator. Before the creation of the worlds of time and space, such as
our world, God just WAS. He began his creation with the Eternal Son and
the Infinite Spirit who, with God, form the Paradise Trinity - Father,
Son and Holy Spirit And before that, God IS, and always has
been. I can't pretend to understand this...God is, above all, quite a
mystery.
Trying to understand these kinds of mysteries is largely an exercise in
futility, as we are time-space creatures, and we think in linear time
constraints. The universal Father is infinite, and not at all limited
by either time or space. So, trying to understand his ways are
difficult indeed for us mere mortals.
But I do know that God is love, and he created the Eternal Son as an
expression of that love, as well as the Infinite Spirit. From this
Trinity - who are all equally God - sprang all else -
all of the Universe of Universes. And the Universal Father sheds his
love throughout all of his vast creation.
Another thing that I know is that God, even while being the farthest
from us, is a a real, loving
personality who dwells in
intimate association with each of us in this time-space creation of
earth, in the form of a pre-personal fragment of himself. In this way,
he does escape his purely infinite existence, and can experience OUR
lives with us as we live them here on Earth. God is our true Spirit
Father, as well as the Creator of the Universe. This section,
titled
The
Mystery of God can help you to understand this
concept better than I could ever explain it.
Perhaps the following section will also help you somewhat: It is called
The
Infinity of God .
The best advice I can give you regarding this question is to access our
on-line Urantia Book, and begin at the beginning, where the nature of
God is fully explored. Please go
here
for a great adventure. You will discover God, revealed as a loving
Person, a merciful Father, and the Source of all truth, goodness and
beauty, as well as all of the material creation. Even though many of
the mysteries about God are unfathomable, the authors of The
Urantia Book manage to reveal the Universal Father in a way that is
largely understandable, comforting, and ever-inspiring.
Also, If you have not done so, I would like to invite you to subscribe
to our free service -
Quote of
the Day - which will deliver to your
inbox an inspiring Urantia Book quote to assist you in your spiritual
life. And this short movie -
Finding
God - is a wonderful inspiration for anyone who
wants to feel closer to our loving Heavenly Father.
Thanks for this very deep question - I hope you will enjoy exploring
The Urantia Book, and discovering the mysteries of God for yourself.
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Male and female are the two expressions of material beings, similar
to positive and negative being the two expressions of electricity. It
takes both for completeness. God is neither male nor female -- those
terms apply to material beings and not spirit -- God is complete. We
have some difficulty wrappng our minds around this concept because we
live on a planet where male and female are a fact of our existence, so
trying to think of God as neither male nor female can be a challenge.
God has many names in many places and on many other worlds of his
creation. However, The Urantia Book teaches that, for all practical
purposes, we should learn to think of God as a Father. And
yes, there is one God for all of creation and that God has a presence
within you. The only gift you can offer to God is your will to do God's
will.
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It isn't a matter of our not being allowed to see God or Jesus...the
evidence of God is all around us -- which you can see any time
you desire. The simple fact is that as material beings we're so far
spiritually removed
from the actual presence of God that we will have to wait until we've
become pure spirit beings in the far distant future to stand before
him. Until that time, you'll still be able to see the evidence of God's
existence any time you desire. Every person that you meet carries a
spark of God within them, just as you do. Love, caring, tolerance,
forgiveness, unselfish service of others - all of these are attributes
of God manifesting in the lives of people, and the evidence of his
presence in human life. The vastness and grandeur of the universe is
another evidence of God - the orderly and sure progression of space
bodies in their orbits is an evidence of the mind-planned nature
of creation...
Why can't you see Jesus? Like God, the evidence of Jesus is all around
us and you can see or experience it any time you desire. Jesus doesn't
live here now, except as the indwelling Spirit of Truth. Jesus is a
spirit being but you can make contact with Jesus through prayer and
through the desires of your mind. You can communicate with
Jesus as the Spirit of Truth by simply asking, and by meditation. Seek,
and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
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God didn't "come from" anywhere...God is entirely self-contained. God
has always "been," and there would be no reality without him. If there
was "something" before God, then that something would be God.
God is the First Source and Center - the Uncaused Cause. It
is difficult to wrap our minds around this concept of the eternal and
infinite God, but The Urantia Book helps a great deal. God is
indeed mysterious, but much about him can be comprehended by human
beings:
THE UNIVERSAL FATHER is the God of all creation, the First Source and
Center of all things and beings. First think of God as a creator, then
as a controller, and lastly as an infinite upholder. The truth about
the Universal Father had begun to dawn upon mankind when the prophet
said: "You, God, are alone; there is none beside you. You have created
the
heaven
and the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts; you
preserve and control them. By the Sons of God were the universes made.
The Creator covers himself with light as with a garment and stretches
out the heavens as a curtain." Only the concept of the Universal
Father—one God in the place of many gods—enabled
mortal man to comprehend the Father as divine creator and infinite
controller.
p21:2 (1:0.2)
The
myriads of planetary systems were all made to be eventually inhabited
by many different types of intelligent creatures, beings who could know
God, receive the divine affection, and love him in return. The universe
of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse
creatures. "God created the heavens and formed the earth; he
established the universe and created this world not in vain; he formed
it to be inhabited."
p21:3 (1:0.3)
The enlightened worlds all recognize
and worship the Universal Father, the eternal maker and infinite
upholder of all creation. The will creatures of universe upon universe
have embarked upon the long, long
Paradise
journey, the fascinating
struggle of the eternal adventure of attaining God the Father. The
transcendent goal of the children of time is to find the eternal God,
to comprehend the divine nature, to recognize the Universal Father.
God-knowing creatures have only one supreme ambition, just one
consuming desire, and that is to become, as they are in their spheres,
like him as he is in his Paradise perfection of personality and in his
universal sphere of righteous supremacy. From the Universal Father who
inhabits eternity there has gone forth the supreme mandate, "Be you
perfect, even as I am perfect." In love and mercy the messengers of
Paradise have carried this divine exhortation down through the ages and
out through the universes, even to such lowly animal-origin creatures
as the human races of Urantia.
This quote is from the very first Paper of The Urantia Book. I would
suggest to you that you read it through: The
Universal Father. It may help you to understand better the
immensity
and also the loving personality of the Universal Father. And if you
have not already done so, please feel free to subscribe (free) to
Truthbook's Quote
of the Day service.
Thanks for this question. I hope you will take advantage of our online
Urantia Book, as well as the many helpful features of our site, and
fully satisfy your curiosity about God.
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This is a wonderful question, and I am happy
to help you explore the
subject as it is treated in The Urantia Book. It is actually a more
elusive subject than one might think at first glance. In this following
quote we find the first mention of the will of God:
(1:3.6)
In the universes God the Father is, in potential, the
overcontroller of matter, mind, and spirit. Only by means of his
far-flung
personality circuit does God deal directly with the
personalities of his vast creation of will creatures, but he is
contactable (outside of Paradise) only in the presences of his
fragmented entities, the will of God abroad in the universes. This
Paradise spirit that indwells the minds of the mortals of time and
there fosters the evolution of the immortal
soul of the surviving
creature is of the nature and divinity of the Universal Father. But the
minds of such evolutionary creatures originate in the local universes
and must gain divine perfection by achieving those experiential
transformations of spiritual attainment which are the inevitable result
of a creature's choosing to do the will of the Father in heaven.
This quote explains that the will of God is present in our world, but
it exists only in the Spirit of God which indwells all normal-minded
mortals. The good Spirit actually IS God, and is our only means of
contacting God outside of
Paradise.
This is a wonderful and reassuring
truth - that God actually DOES indwell our minds, and through our own
efforts, we can use this indwelling presence to progressively discern
the will of God.
____________________--
This following quote further explains just how we, as mortals of
earthly origin, grow to adopt the leadings of the indwelling Spirit,
the "will of God," thereby achieving ultimate eternal survival. When we
choose to be led by the Spirit-within, we then create that
indestructible entity known as the
soul, which is the very part of us
that survives.
(1:3.7)
In the inner experience of man, mind is joined to
matter. Such material-linked minds cannot survive mortal death. The
technique of survival is embraced in those adjustments of the human
will and those transformations in the mortal mind whereby such a
God-conscious intellect gradually becomes spirit taught and eventually
spirit led. This evolution of the human mind from matter association to
spirit union results in the transmutation of the potentially spirit
phases of the mortal mind into the morontia realities of the immortal
soul. Mortal mind subservient to matter is destined to become
increasingly material and consequently to suffer eventual
personality
extinction; mind yielded to spirit is destined to become increasingly
spiritual and ultimately to achieve oneness with the surviving and
guiding divine spirit and in this way to attain survival and eternity
of personality existence.
______________________
Although you did not specifically ask, I thought you might like to have
further information regarding the will of God - for example, how the
will of God is discerned and performed in a human life. How do we
actually DO the will of God? These quotes may give you some direction
and encouragement:
p1221:2
(111:5.1)
The doing of the will of God is nothing
more or less
than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with
God—with the very God who has made such a creature life of
inner meaning-value possible. Sharing is Godlike—divine. God
shares all with the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit, while they, in
turn, share all things with the divine Sons and spirit Daughters of the
universes.
The imitation of God is the key to perfection; the
doing of his will is the secret of survival and of perfection in
survival.
p1221:7
(111:5.6)
This choosing of the Father's will is the
spiritual
finding of the spirit Father by mortal man, even though an age must
pass before the creature son may actually stand in the factual presence
of God on Paradise. This choosing does not so much consist in the
negation of creature will—"Not my will but yours be
done"—as it consists in the creature's positive affirmation:
"It is my will that your will be done."
_______________________
So, we can now see that the "will of God" is truly an "inside job." The
will of God exists in the form of the indwelling Spirit of God in the
minds of mortals (known in Urantia Book teachings as the Thought
Adjuster, or Mystery Monitor), and the finding and doing of that will
consists in sharing that inner life - the life apart from the purely
mechanical function of the brain - the life of the mind, and in the
arena of free will. In other words, it is our mandate to choose, of our
own free will, to do the will of God, allowing the leadings of the
indwelling Spirit to inform our choices in life. Finally, I chose the
following quotes to give you an even broader view of the function of
the will of God in the mind of man.
p138:2
(12:7.7)
The will of God does not uniformly prevail
in the
heart of the God-seeking material mortal, but if the time frame is
enlarged beyond the moment to embrace the whole of the first life, then
does God's will become increasingly discernible in the spirit fruits
which are borne in the lives of the spirit-led children of God.
p382:6
(34:7.6)
... present-day mortals would experience
less of this
apparent warfare between the flesh and the spirit if they would enter
the spirit kingdom, wherein the faith sons of God enjoy comparative
deliverance from the slave-bondage of the flesh in the enlightened and
liberating service of wholehearted devotion to doing the will of the
Father in heaven.
p435:7
(39:4.14)
The keys of the
kingdom of heaven
are: sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity. All men have these keys. Men use
them—advance in spirit status—by decisions, by more
decisions, and by more decisions. The highest moral choice is the
choice of the highest possible value, and always—in any
sphere, in all of them—this is to choose to do the will of
God. If man thus chooses, he is great, though he be the humblest
citizen of Jerusem or even the least of mortals on Urantia.
p1176:4
(107:0.4)
Any mortal who has seen a Creator Son has
seen the
Universal Father, and he who is indwelt by a divine Adjuster is indwelt
by the Paradise Father. Every mortal who is consciously or
unconsciously following the leading of his indwelling Adjuster is
living in accordance with the will of God. Consciousness of Adjuster
presence is consciousness of God's presence.
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Q: God wrote the ten commandments who
gave them to Moses. Moses told the followers. That is what my Catholic
religion taught me.
A:Thank you for your note to Truthbook.com.
We agree what you say about your Catholic religion. It has taught you that: "God wrote
the ten commandments who gave them to Moses. Moses told the followers.
That is what my catholic religion taught me."
It's our belief
that God has more to say to us than just what we may have been given in
the past and that if such additional information meets our standards
for truthfulness and goodness, for being logically consistent, and for
spiritual fragrance then that too should sincerely be considered.
That's why we study The Urantia Book and why there are people from all
walks of life, Christians - like Catholics, Baptists, Mormons and
Presbyterians, agnostics and atheists, Buddhists, Muslims,
Jews,
Hindus,
lay persons and clergy - people such as these who study the
Urantia
revelation. No one religion is "right" or "wrong" -- they each
contain truth; students of the Urantia revelation find that study of
the book augments their religious heritage, provides new insight and
answers the questions they may have that aren't answered to their
satisfaction by that religion.
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Our God is a wonderful administrator, as well as the Universal Father,
God of all creation and "perfect in all aspects." He is the perfect
Executive among all of his other sterling attributes.
What makes a perfect executive? Well, good executives always delegate
authority. The Universal Father has delegated authority in the persons
of the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit, for starters, creating the
perfect Trinity. It is a mystery, but this Trinity of the persons of
God are, like him, eternally present, having had no beginning. A
great mystery, but true nonetheless.
Together with the three persons of the Trinity, there are four other
Deity manifestations -
seven
in all You have named God the Supreme,
and God the Ultimate:
God the
Supreme—the actualizing or evolving God of time and
space. Personal Deity associatively realizing the time-space
experiential achievement of creature-Creator identity. The Supreme
Being is personally experiencing the achievement of Deity unity as the
evolving and experiential God of the evolutionary creatures of time and
space.p4:9(0:2.12)
It is through the Supreme that the First Source and Center experiences
individuality and creation. God the Supreme allows the Universal Father
to experience growth - the growth of the time-space creations. The
Universal Father, in and of himself, is already perfect, as you pointed
out. He has no need to experience growth, as he is perfect. Through the
Supreme,
he is able to escape that "limitation."
Having achieved
existential Deity expression of himself in the Son and
the Spirit, the Father is now achieving experiential expression on
hitherto impersonal and unrevealed deity levels as God the Supreme, God
the Ultimate, and God the Absolute; but these experiential Deities are
not now fully existent; they are in process of actualization. p10:11
(0:7.4)
Finally:
Do not entertain the idea
that, since the Universal Father has
delegated so much of himself and his power to others, he is a silent or
inactive member of the Deity partnership. Aside from personality
domains and Adjuster bestowal, he is apparently the least active of the
Paradise Deities in that he allows his Deity co-ordinates, his Sons,
and numerous created intelligences to perform so much in the carrying
out of his eternal purpose. He is the silent member of the creative
trio only in that he never does aught which any of his co-ordinate or
subordinate associates can do. p362:5(32:4.1)
So, to sum up: The Universal Father is, was and always will be. He had
no beginning and he will have no end. His is primal force and power.
The Son is the Father's divine Word, and the Spirit is eternal Action.
All three are eternal, and have no beginning or end. The
remaining Deity manifestations are experiential and evolutionary. They
did have a beginning, but will have no end, as they eventually manifest
their purposes in the Universe of Universes.
So, even though God is
indeed, perfect in himself, he has created a situation where he is
able to escape that perfection to such an extent that he can actually
experience imperfection. Another way he does this is to bestow himself
in the form of the Thought Adjusters, and so, he even experiences the
day-to-day lives of even his lowliest creatures like you and me.
To me, it seems a brilliant plan - and who could expect any less of our
great and good Spirit Father?
I hope this has been helpful to you. If you would like to pursue
further study, nothing will take the place of actually reading The
Urantia Book in its entirety; however, you can do spot-studies by using
our
search
feature, which can help you to pinpoint words and phrases.
And please feel free to sign up for Quote of the Day, our daily
offering of the best of Urantia Book quotes sent to your inbox, free
of charge. Go
HERE
, or just click on
subscribe
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I guess it might seem like some sort of a game that God is playing, but
somehow, I don't think that is the case. To me, it is a very
interesting, but also very logical thing he does...far more than a mere
"game," it is an amazing
opportunity that he gives to his mortal and finite
children of time.
Mortal beings are endowed with
personality, but Adjusters are not -
they are designated "pre-personal," indicating that they have
personality potential. But while Adjusters do
not possess personality, they do possess divine "identity," while the
mortal does not, except as potential in the evolving
soul. And so, the
eventual fusion of the pre-personal Adjuster and the personality of man
constitutes the creation of a new kind of being altogether - one with
the characteristics and the identity of both the human and the Divine.
In order for the human to achieve this divinity, s/he must make those
kinds of decisions and choices throughout life that constitute
"spirit-identification," by allying the self with the will of God.
These kinds of decisions result in the growth of an immortal
soul; it is this immortal entity that is able to eventually
fuse with the pre-personal Adjuster. In this way, the Adjuster achieves
fusion with that aspect of
personality which was once bestowed upon the
mortal, and with which that mortal was able to effect those decisions
to be like God. In turn, the mortal becomes eternally God-identified.
The two become one - a whole new creature capable of completing the
Paradise
ascent - the return to the Paradise Father who bestowed both
of
these components. Unless this happens, the mortal creature cannot make
this supernal journey.
Far from being alien to each other, these two components of God do -
with the consent of the mortal of their indwelling - conspire and
cooperate in this amazing creation of a being of eternal status and
dignity. The
personality and the Thought Adjuster - both gifts
of God to evolving mortals - are really the closest of associations in
potential. It is the decision of the freewill mortal that activates and
completes this liaison. By taking advantage of this opportunity, we can
progress from the lowest of the low, to the highest of the high.
As an aside, you might enjoy this intriguing section about the
Universal Father as
The
God of Personality.
I hope this answer has been helpful....
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Q: What is GOD's name? According to the bible and the Jehova's Witness,
his name is Jehova (YHWH in Hebrew). How important is it that we
recognize his name?
A: Perhaps the best way to look at this is if you have a wonderful
father yourself, one you love deeply and respect and look up to and
wanted to please you'll probably call him daddy or dad or father.
That's what Jesus did... he called God "Father" and God is our Father
just like he is Jesus' Father. So why not think of God as your Father
or your heavenly Father?
Yes, I understand the name thing is big with Jehovah's Witnesses and
Jehovah is a perfectly fine name, as are Abba and Allah and Yahweh, or
any of the other thousand names for God, but personally I don't think
any one name carries more weight than any other. What we call God is
less important than our attitude toward God in our hearts and the final
sentence in The Urantia Book is, "When all is said and done, the Father
idea is still the highest human concept of God." That's good enough for
me.
Thank you for the question and best wishes. I hope this reply has
helped you come to a decision.
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About Jesus
According to
The Urantia Book,
God is the First Source, the one uncaused Cause, the Origin of all things and beings. From infinity God, as the Universal Father, sends his own Spirit into all the universes of time and space to live within the higher reaches of the mind of each person, there to guide each of us throughout mortal life in the making of those decisions which will nurture the growth of our potentially eternal
souls.
Jesus is his Creator Son who hails from "the right hand of the Father" in Paradise, and who is now the Master Sovereign of this universe of his own making. Throughout his incarnation on this world, Urantia, Jesus perfectly did the Father's will, revealing his oneness with the Father. Jesus was the "Word" of God made flesh.
"Jesus is the new and living way from man to God, from the partial to the perfect, from the earthly to the heavenly, from time to eternity."
(129:4.7, Pg 1426)
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The first answer would be "the human race" but you may wish to
read Paper 122, beginning here. (122:1.1)
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Following are three direct quotes from the book that we feel address your question. The first quote is from Jesus as he spoke to the two brothers from Emaus, not long after his resurrection. The other two are from sections near the end of the book entitled, Meaning Of The Death On The Cross and Lessons From The Cross.
As they walked along, Jesus said to them: "How slow you are to comprehend the truth! When you tell me that it is about the teachings and work of this man that you have your discussions, then may I enlighten you since I am more than familiar with these teachings. Do you not remember that this Jesus always taught that his kingdom was not of this world, and that all men, being the sons of God, should find liberty and freedom in the spiritual joy of the fellowship of the brotherhood of loving service in this new kingdom of the truth of the heavenly Father's love? Do you not recall how this Son of Man proclaimed the salvation of God for all men, ministering to the sick and afflicted and setting free those who were bound by fear and enslaved by evil? Do you not know that this man of
Nazareth
told his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem,
be delivered up to his enemies, who would put him to death, and that he would arise on the third day? Have you not been told all this? And have you never read in the
Scripture
concerning this day of salvation for
Jew
and gentile, where it says that in him shall all the families of the earth be blessed; that he will hear the cry of the needy and save the
souls of the poor who seek him; that all nations shall call him blessed? That such a Deliverer shall be as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. That he will feed the flock like a true shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arms and tenderly carrying them in his bosom. That he will open the eyes of the spiritually blind and bring the prisoners of despair out into full liberty and light; that all who sit in darkness shall see the great light of eternal salvation. That he will bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives of sin, and open up the prison to those who are enslaved by fear and bound by evil. That he will comfort those who mourn and bestow upon them the joy of salvation in the place of sorrow and heaviness. That he shall be the desire of all nations and the everlasting joy of those who seek righteousness. That this Son of truth and righteousness shall rise upon the world with healing light and saving power; even that he will save his people from their sins; that he will really seek and save those who are lost. That he will not destroy the weak but minister salvation to all who hunger and thirst for righteousness. That those who believe in him shall have
eternal life. That he will pour out his spirit upon all flesh, and that this Spirit of Truth shall be in each believer a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. Did you not understand how great was the gospel of the kingdom which this man delivered to you? Do you not perceive how great a salvation has come upon you?"
The Urantia Book, Page 2035,
(190:5.4)
When once you grasp the idea of God as a true and loving Father, the only concept which Jesus ever taught, you must forthwith, in all consistency, utterly abandon all those primitive notions about God as an offended monarch, a stern and all-powerful ruler whose chief delight is to detect his subjects in wrongdoing and to see that they are adequately punished, unless some being almost equal to himself should volunteer to suffer for them, to die as a substitute and in their stead. The whole idea of ransom and
atonement is incompatible with the concept of God as it was taught and exemplified by Jesus of Nazareth. The infinite love of God is not secondary to anything in the divine nature.
The Urantia Book, Page 2017,
(188:4.8)
The cross forever shows that the attitude of Jesus toward sinners was neither condemnation nor condonation, but rather eternal and loving salvation. Jesus is truly a savior in the sense that his life and death do win men over to goodness and righteous survival. Jesus loves men so much that his love awakens the response of love in the human heart.
The Urantia Book, Page 2018
(188:5.1)
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They are in fact one and the same.
Joshua ben Joseph was Jesus given name at birth, he grew up being known as Joshua. He was only later called Jesus by the Greeks, Jesus being the Greek form of Joshua.
The Urantia Book,
(136:2.3, Pg. 1511)
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Jesus was revealing God to man and doing good as he passed by. Jesus
took delight in living as a mortal, in meeting with and learning from
the people around him, in using whatever opportunity presented itself
to help those he came in contact with to understand the value of their
lives and their relationship to one another and to the heavenly Father.
Here are two sections from
The Urantia Book that
beautifully depict Jesus' earthly ministry,
(171:7.1)
and
(132:4.1).
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Several quotes relate directly to this question:
"Though it is hardly proper to speak of Jesus as a sacrificer, a ransomer, or a redeemer, it is wholly correct to refer to him as a savior."
(188:4.7,Pg 2017)
"Jesus is truly a savior in the sense that his life and death do win men over to goodness and righteous survival. Jesus loves men so much that his love awakens the response of love in the human heart." (188:5.2, Pg 2018)
According to
The Urantia Book,
Jesus' life among us served to illuminate the way of salvation, but his death was not a ransom paid to appease an offended God. It was, and still is, his life of unselfish service and his
revelation of the true and loving nature of our Heavenly Father that illuminated and opened the way of salvation for all who sincerely seek it. Jesus does save us, not from God, but from our own base, ignorant, and selfish natures.
Jesus revealed that each person, by wholeheartedly trusting in the absolute goodness of God as his infinitely-loving Spirit Father, may experience the profoundly personal inner assurance of sonship as the Father's free gift.
He once said,
"No child has aught to do with earning the status of son or daughter. The earth child comes into being by the will of its parents. Even so, the child of God comes into grace and the new life of the spirit by the will of the Father in heaven."
(144:4.3, Pg 1621)
Unselfish service to one's fellows, righteous living for God's sake, and the striving for divine perfection, become, then, man's supreme motivation for living, as opposed to the selfish clamoring for survival. Jesus' provided a new way of living which consists in salvation from self. Salvation (survival beyond mortal death) is the gift of God, and should be taken for granted by all who are sincere of heart, who humbly seek God and desire to be like him.
"When men believe this gospel, which is a revelation of the goodness of God, they will be led to voluntary repentance of all known sin. Realization of sonship is incompatible with the desire to sin."
(Jesus, 150:5.5, Pg 1683)
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In essence, Jesus' gospel is simply: That all men and women are in reality the sons and daughters of God, and that by faith each one may come to realize and daily experience this ennobling truth.
Always the burden of his message was: the fact of the heavenly Father's love and the truth of his mercy, coupled with the good news that man is a faith-son of this same God of love.
The Urantia Book,
Page 1460,
(132:4.1)
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You may begin to read here:
(187:2.1)
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Jesus is a Sovereign Son of God and his incarnation on this world, was a perfect representation of God to mankind. Jesus did the Father's will in perfection, and was truly God's "Word made flesh."
Although our Father in heaven sends his own Spirit to live and work within each of us, personally guiding us through this mortal life in the making of decisions that will nurture the growth of our potentially eternal
souls, He also touches every person through the worldwide presence of the Spirit of his bestowal Son, Jesus, whose life served as a
revelation of God to mankind, and of mankind to God.
It can be said that Jesus makes God's hand small enough for us to hold.
"Jesus is the spiritual lens in human likeness which makes visible to the material creature Him who is invisible. He is your elder brother who, in the flesh, makes known to you a Being of infinite attributes whom not even the celestial hosts can presume fully to understand."
The Urantia Book, Page 1857,
(169:4.13)
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Your question - "When was the
first picture/painting done of Jesus, by
who, and who was the model?" is an interesting one. I wish I had the
answer but, unfortunately,I don't think anyone can know for sure.
I think that you are asking about the earliest known
portrait of Jesus.
I have done some searching in books and on the internet about the
topic. The earliest portrait that we know about was probably painted
some 1,700 years ago, during the 3rd or 4th century AD. My guess is
that it was painted in Byzantium, (now Istanbul) which was one of the
centers of early Christianity. Of course, that image of Jesus would not
be a real portrait, as 200-300 years would have passed since He lived
on earth. We also could not be sure that a human model was used to
create the image. Portraits done during that time were often stylized
paintings or mosaics called icons, which didn't try to capture a real
likeness of Jesus, but instead were created to emphasize certain
beliefs held by different branches of Christianity.
That's the best I can do to answer your question. If you
want to learn
more, I'd suggest a trip to your library or anywhere you can find books
on the history of religious art. I would also be happy to recommend
some books to you on this topic.
I'm personally grateful for your question because it led
me to imagine
who might have drawn the very first picture of Jesus. Of course, that
picture would not exist today, because materials used to write or draw
upon during that time were not only scarce but highly perishable. And
most people would not have access to them, especially the poor and
unfortunate to whom he ministered. Also, the
Jews
who knew Jesus so
well were forbidden by law from making images.
Maybe the artist was a local craftsman who was impressed
by Jesus'
gracious character as He visited with people in his neighborhood. Or
maybe she was a quiet follower of Jesus who wanted to remember his
kindly face, healing words, and understanding ways (we need to remember
how restricted a women was in that society, and how daring the women
were who followed Jesus). See
The
Women Who Followed Jesus
Or maybe the first portrait was painted just after his death,
created
by someone who tried to remember what he looked like, or from the
memories of those who knew him. In the Urantia Book we find many
stories and descriptions of Jesus that help us understand why people
were so attracted to him. I especially love the Section titled,
As
Jesus Passed By
Personally, I like to imagine that a small child was the
first to
capture Jesus' likeness, using a stick to draw in the sand or dirt near
the family home. Maybe this child was playing with the other children
when Jesus appeared, sat down under a nearby tree, and started telling
a story. We read that Jesus loved the little children, and that they
loved him in return. Perhaps this little child discovered a new
experience of love and trust when she rested in Jesus' arms or when he
listened, spellbound, to his story. Drawing a picture of the Master
would be a natural way to express the childlike joy of being in His
presence.
Thank you again, Jean for your question. I hope that
this has been helpful. It certainly was enjoyable to think about!
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Part of the purpose for Jesus coming to earth was to live and
experience a typical mortal life. To that end Jesus was the first-born
of a family of 9: Jesus, born 7 B.C.; James, 3 B.C., Miriam, 2 B.C.;
Joseph, 1 A.D.; Simon, 2 A.D., Martha, 3 A.D., Jude, 5 A.D., Amos, 7
A.D., and Ruth, 9 A.D. who was born about 8 months after the death of
her father, Joseph, at which time Jesus became head of the household at
age 15.
A similar question was recently asked: "Can you give me the
Biblical references to the physical brothers and sisters of Jesus." to
which the reply was:
The Gospel According to St. Matthew --
27:56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and
Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
The Gospel According to St. Mark --
6:3. Is not this the
carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of
Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were
offended at him.
15:40. There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary
Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and
Salome
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians --
1:19. But other of the
apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's
brother.
The General Epistle of Jude --
1:1. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them
that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ,
and called:
These references were found by a text search for "brother" and "casting
lots" in the King James text version of the
New Testament.
There may be
other references as well, but these were the most obvious.
It is thought by some that most references to Jesus' family, if they
ever did exist, may have been removed from what became our
Scripture
during the early Church's attempt to deify Mary. The best existing
references to Jesus' earth family, mother, father, brothers and
sisters, will be found in
The Urantia Book
which is produced from the angelic records made at that time.
I am including a link to one of our features on Truthbook which
explores
The
Siblings of Jesus. I hope you will enjoy it!
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The Urantia Book is not specific about Jesus looks. However, it does give the following general account of him:
Although Jesus was poor, his social standing in
Nazareth
was in no way impaired. He was one of the foremost young men of the city and very highly regarded by most of the young women. Since Jesus was such a splendid specimen of robust and intellectual manhood...
(127:5.1)
The Master displayed great wisdom and manifested perfect fairness in all of his dealings with his
apostles and with all of his disciples. Jesus was truly a master of men; he exercised great influence over his fellow men because of the combined charm and force of his
personality. There was a subtle commanding influence in his rugged, nomadic, and homeless life. There was intellectual attractiveness and spiritual drawing power in his authoritative manner of teaching, in his lucid logic, his strength of reasoning, his sagacious insight, his alertness of mind, his matchless poise, and his sublime tolerance. He was simple, manly, honest, and fearless. With all of this physical and intellectual influence manifest in the Master's presence, there were also all those spiritual charms of being which have become associated with his personality--
patience, tenderness, meekness, gentleness, and humility.
(141:3.1)
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Dear ELisha,
Are there only 13 years in question? It seems to me that there are a
lot more years than that which are unaccounted for. The Urantia Book
more than makes up for any missing years in the Master's life. The
final section of The Urantia Book is devoted entirely to the life and
teachings of Jesus, from his birth, through his babyhood, childhood,
adolescence, young adulthood, and into his ministry, including Holy
Week, and culminating with Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and all of
his resurrection appearances. We see Jesus as he interacts with his
parents, his friends, the
Jewish
authorities, and his
apostles and
disciples. For the most complete accounting of Jesus' life, Part IV of
The Urantia Book will answer all of your questions. It is a most
satisfying and edifying read, unparalleled anywhere.
In addition, Truthbook has put together a wonderful new feature called
"Great Jesus Stories," which you can find on the right-hand side of the
front page, or in the section on the left called "Jesus and The Urantia
Book." In Great Jesus Stories, we have isolated just the
stories from Part IV. There are more than 350 stories of Jesus' life:
his daily activities, his childhood friends, his sorrows, joys and
adventures as a boy, and his eventual dawning consciousness of who he
was and what he was meant to do on this earth. In these stories, we see
Jesus in his appealing humanness, and his inspiring Divinity. All of
these stories were taken verbatim from Part IV of The Urantia Book,
arranged for easy reading, and illlustrated with the best of
world-class fine art. I hope you'll have a look. All the Great Jesus
Stories are also contained in Part IV; reading either one will help you
understand where Jesus was and what he was doing through ALL the years
of his life in Earth.
In a short time, we will be expanding Great Jesus Stories to encompass
Holy Week as well; for now, all of these matchless stories can be found
in Part IV.
"Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the
religious life of Jesus and
how he lived
it."
196:1.3
If you have not yet done so, I would invite you to subscribe to
Truthbook's free service - Quote of the Day. Many of Jesus' teachings
find their way into this daily inspirational service, as well as other
inspirational quotes from The Urantia Book.
Thank you for writing. I hope this reply is helpful to you. Please
visit Truthbook often, and write again anytime.
Sincerely,
MaryJo
Truthbook.com
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Here are several quotes from the UB that speak to your question ...
On several occasions Jesus had made statements which led his hearers to
infer that, while he intended presently to leave this world, he would
most certainly return to consummate the work of the heavenly kingdom.
As the conviction grew on his followers that he was going to leave
them, and after he had departed from this world, it was only natural
for all believers to lay fast hold upon these promises to return. The
doctrine of the second coming of Christ thus became early
incorporated into the teachings of the Christians, and almost every
subsequent generation of disciples has devoutly believed this truth and
has confidently looked forward to his sometime coming.
If they were to part with their Master and Teacher, how much more did
these first disciples and the apostles grasp at this promise to return,
and they lost no time in associating the predicted
destruction of Jerusalem
with this promised second coming. And they continued thus to
interpret his words notwithstanding that, throughout this evening of
instruction on
Mount Olivet,
the Master took particular pains to
prevent just such a mistake.
(176:2.2)
Of all the discourses which the Master gave his apostles, none ever
became so confused in their minds as this one, given this Tuesday
evening on the Mount of Olives, regarding the
twofold subject of the destruction of Jerusalem and his own second
coming. There was, therefore, little agreement between the subsequent
written accounts based on the memories of what the Master said on this
extraordinary occasion. Consequently, when the records were left blank
concerning much that was said that Tuesday evening, there
grew up many traditions; and very
early in the second century a
Jewish
apocalyptic about the
Messiah
written by one Selta, who was attached to the court of the Emperor
Caligula, was bodily copied into the
Matthew Gospel and subsequently
added (in part) to the Mark and Luke records. It was in these writings
of Selta that the parable of the ten virgins appeared. No
part of the
gospel
record ever suffered such confusing misconstruction as this evening's
teaching. But the Apostle John never became thus
confused.
(176:2.8)
Jesus did, on numerous occasions and to many individuals, declare his
intention of returning to this world. As his followers awakened to the
fact that their Master was not going to function as a temporal
deliverer, and as they listened to his predictions of the overthrow of
Jerusalem and the downfall of the Jewish nation, they most naturally
began to associate his promised return with these catastrophic events.
But when the
Roman armiesv
leveled the walls of Jerusalem, destroyed the
temple, and dispersed the Judean Jews, and still the Master did not
reveal himself in power and glory, his followers began the formulation
of that belief which eventually associated the second coming of Christ
with the end of the age, even with the end of the world.
(176:4.2)
When Jesus' immediate followers recognized their partial failure to
realize his ideal of the establishment of the kingdom in the hearts of
men by the spirit's domination and guidance of the individual believer,
they set about to save his teaching from being wholly lost by
substituting for the Master's ideal of the kingdom the gradual creation
of a visible social organization, the Christian church. And when they
had accomplished this program of substitution, in order to maintain
consistency and to provide for the recognition of the Master's teaching
regarding the fact of the kingdom, they proceeded to set the kingdom
off into the future. The church, just as soon as it was well
established, began to teach that the kingdom was in reality to appear
at the culmination of the Christian age, at the second coming of
Christ.
(170:5.12)
His
apostles and disciples most certainly linked these two teachings
together. When the kingdom failed to materialize as they had expected,
recalling the Master's teaching concerning a future kingdom and
remembering his promise to come again, they jumped to the conclusion
that these promises referred to an identical event; and therefore they
lived in hope of his immediate second coming to establish the kingdom
in its fullness and with power and glory. And so have successive
believing generations lived on earth entertaining the same inspiring
but disappointing hope.
(170:4.6)
Sooner or later another and greater John the Baptist is due to arise
proclaiming "the kingdom of God is at hand"--meaning a return to the
high spiritual concept of Jesus, who proclaimed that the kingdom is the
will of his heavenly Father dominant and transcendent in the heart of
the believer--and doing all this without in any way referring either to
the visible church on earth or to the anticipated second coming of
Christ. There must come a revival of the actual teachings of Jesus,
such a
restatement as will undo the work of
his early followers who went about to create a sociophilosophical
system of belief regarding the fact of Michael's sojourn on earth. In a
short time the teaching of this story about Jesus nearly supplanted the
preaching of Jesus' gospel of the kingdom. In this way a historical
religion displaced that teaching in which Jesus had blended man's
highest moral ideas and spiritual ideals with man's most sublime hope
for the future--
eternal life. And that was the gospel of the
kingdom.
(170:5.17)
The gospel of the kingdom, the message of Jesus, had been suddenly
changed into the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They now proclaimed
the facts of his life, death, and resurrection and preached the hope of
his speedy return to this world to finish the work he began. Thus the
message of the early believers had to do with preaching about the facts
of his first coming and with teaching the hope of his second coming, an
event which they deemed to be very near at hand.
(194:4.5)
"But the times of the reappearing of the Son of
Man are known only in the councils of Paradise; not even the
angels of
heaven
know when this will occur. However, you should understand that,
when this gospel of the kingdom shall have been proclaimed to all the
world for the salvation of all peoples, and when the fullness of the
age has come to pass, the Father will send you another dispensational
bestowal, or else the Son of Man will return to adjudge the
age."
(176:2.5)
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Good question!
Until the appearance of The Urantia Book. we were all left wondering
about all of those years between the time Jesus was found in the
Temple, and the beginnings of his public ministry.
Jesus lived an amazing life. As you know, he was a Divine Son of God,
incarnated on this planet as a helpless baby. He was truly human as
well as truly Divine, and as a human, he lived the same kind of life as
all humans live; he was born, he had parents, he had playmates, he went
to school, he learned how to work with wood, he played a musical
instrument, he was popular with his peers, and, as a young adult, he
traveled his world.
He was a good student, and a good son; he had brothers and sisters, and
became a father-brother to them following Joseph's untimely death when
Jesus was but 15 years-old.
He lived a normal, unpretentious kind of a life, along with all the ups
and downs that most people are subject to, not unlike that of his
contemporaries. And during this physical life that he lived, he also
had a rich inner life in which he gradually became aware of who he was
and what his true mission on this world was to be. This is, of course,
what set Jesus apart from everyone else - then and now. For Jesus
discovered at age fourteen just what that mission was to be, and just
who he truly was. After that, his whole life was focused upon the ways
and means of executing his mission according to the will of his Father
in Heaven. But he never abandoned his purely human life, along with all
of its responsibilities; he was ever true to the duties that he had as
a member of his family, and a upstanding citizen of his community. And
at the end of this phase of his life, he was finally able to devote
himself wholly to his mission - that of publicly proclaiming the "good
news" of man's sonship with God and salvation by faith.
You'll be happy to know that now you can read the complete story of
Jesus' matchless life, including all of those missing years, by going
to this link:
The
Life and Teachings of Jesus.
This link will start you off at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. In
this amazing document, you'll read about all of the above times of
Jesus' life, and much, much more. Even the events that you have known
from reading
the Bible
are expanded and elaborated - restated for our
21st century times. The message of Jesus' life is so powerful and so
life-changing that The Urantia Book states:
p2090:4
(196:1.3)
Of all human knowledge, that which
is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he
lived it.
That religious life of Jesus started long before his ministry began,
and I hope you'll enjoy reading about it in its entirety. Today, as
2000 years ago, Jesus stands as the
highest example of a human being living a life dedicated to God.
In the narrative of Jesus' life, you'll hear Jesus referred to as
"Michael" many times, and in order to
understand this designation, part of the revealed knowledge of The
Urantia Book, you might want to read the following
section of The Urantia Book as well:
The
Spirit of Bestowal.
I hope you will also take advantage of our free service -
Quote of
the Day - and have delivered to your inbox a daily quote
from The Urantia
Book (many times the words of Jesus), which will give you spiritual
inspiration and comfort as you go
through your life. We also offer serveral short movies about Jesus -
Jesus
Light of the World and
Who
Was Jesus? which you
will enjoy.
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Thank you for writing to us at Truthbook.com
I am including a reference which you might find interesting
here.
In
this article, entitled "Theism: The Fatherhood of God," the author,
Robert L. Waggoner, cites many
instances of the Fatherhood of God contained in the
New Testament.
I found this article with a Google search, and there may be others.
I also did a search for "brotherhood of man," but I was not able to
find specific Biblical references using those particular words;
however, the concept of the
brotherhood of man is well-illuminated in
these important references which definitely carry the essence of the
Master's teachings regarding the brotherhood of man:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your
soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first
commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as
yourself" (Matt. 22:36-39)
"He said to him, 'What is written in the law? How do you read?' The
lawyer answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your
soul, and with all your strength, and with all your
mind; and your neighbor as yourself."' Then Jesus told him, "You have
answered right; do this, and you will live" (Luke 10:26-28).
Finally, the story of The
Good
Samaritan is an excellent reference to
this topic and it is found in Luke 10:29-37
Another resource that you might find useful is
The
Paramony, which is a
comparison of specific books of
the Bible
with corresponding
information in The Urantia Book.
As you may know from reading The Urantia Book and the Life and
Teachings of Jesus, the religion OF Jesus was quickly transformed into
the religion ABOUT Jesus after his death and resurrection. Following
the bestowal of the Spirit of Truth at
Pentecost,
a whole new direction
was taken.
Here is a passage from The Urantia Book which details this:
p2066:4
(194:4.4)
What has happened to these men whom Jesus had ordained
to go forth preaching the gospel of the kingdom, the fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man? They have a new gospel; they are on fire
with a new experience; they are filled with a new spiritual energy.
Their message has suddenly shifted to the proclamation of the risen
Christ: "Jesus of Nazareth, a man God approved by mighty works and
wonders; him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, you did crucify and slay. The things which God
foreshadowed by the mouth of all the prophets, he thus fulfilled. This
Jesus did God raise up. God has made him both Lord and Christ. Being by
the right hand of God, exalted, and having received from the Father the
promise of the spirit, he has poured forth this which you see and hear.
Repent, that your sins may be blotted out; that the Father may send the
Christ, who has been appointed for you, even Jesus, whom the
heaven
must receive until the times of the restoration of all things."
The gospel of the kingdom, the message of Jesus, had
been suddenly changed into the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
now proclaimed the facts of his life, death, and resurrection and
preached the hope of his speedy return to this world to finish the work
he began. Thus the message of the early believers had to do with
preaching about the facts of his first coming and with teaching the
hope of his second coming, an event which they deemed to be very near
at hand.
Christ was about to become the creed of the rapidly
forming church. Jesus lives; he died for men; he gave the spirit; he is
coming again. Jesus filled all their thoughts and determined all their
new concept of God and everything else. They were too much enthused
over the new doctrine that "God is the Father of the Lord Jesus" to be
concerned with the old message that "God is the loving Father of all
men," even of every single individual. True, a marvelous manifestation
of brotherly love and unexampled good will did spring up in these early
communities of believers. But it was a fellowship of believers in
Jesus, not a fellowship of brothers in the family kingdom of the Father
in heaven. Their good will arose from the love born of the concept of
Jesus' bestowal and not from the recognition of the brotherhood of
mortal man. Nevertheless, they were filled with joy, and they lived
such new and unique lives that all men were attracted to their
teachings about Jesus. They made the great mistake of using the living
and illustrative commentary on the gospel of the kingdom for that
gospel, but even that represented the greatest religion mankind had
ever known.
Earlier in the Jesus Papers, we find this description of the written
records of the four evangelists -
Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John - and
this is an interesting commentary on these most quoted sources of
Biblical information regarding Jesus and his teachings, and maybe a
further explanation why Jesus' orginal teachings are conspicuously
absent.
Thank you for this most interesting question.
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I was happy to answer your question, and I can see why there might
still be some confusion. We learn in The Urantia Book that mortals who
fuse with their Adjusters while still on the planet go up in a flash of
fire. Obviously, Jesus did not experience this.
I did some searches of The Urantia Book, and I was not able
to find a definitive answer to this question, but maybe we can reason
it out (being mindful that it may not be something that can be entirely
understood.)
What occurs to me right away is the obvious problem that would have
developed if he had fused...at the time of Jesus' baptism, his ministry
was at its very beginning stages; to have him disappear from Earth at
this stage would certainly have been counter-productive to his
completing his mission of revealing the Father and establishing the
Kingdom.
The passage that I cited above has this statement:
"He stood in the
Jordan
that day a perfected mortal of the
evolutionary worlds of time and space. Perfect synchrony and full
communication had become established between the mortal mind of Jesus
and the indwelling spirit Adjuster, the divine gift of his Father in
Paradise."
And: "This ceremony was the final act of his purely human life on
Urantia..."
Since Jesus was also Divine - already of the Father himself - there
likely was no need for him to fuse with his Adjuster as other humans
do. Instead he was given the vision of himself as he really was:
"...the Son of Man saw the vision, presented by the now
Personalized Adjuster, of himself as a Son of God as he was before he
came to earth in the likeness of mortal flesh, and as he would be when
the incarnated life should be finished. This heavenly vision was seen
only by Jesus. "
"Throughout the remainder of Jesus' earth life this Personalized
Adjuster was associated with him in all his labors; Jesus was in
constant communion with this exalted Adjuster."
Jesus, while human, also was God. This makes him a totally unique
person. It seems to me to have been unnecessary for him to fuse in the
usual way, as the partnership of his mortal self with his Adjuster was
already perfected that day in the Jordan. As well, as noted above, his
mission would have been effectively ended had he disappeared in the
flash of fire. Since he now knew of a certainty who he really was, he
was then able to partner quite effectively with his Personalized
Adjuster for the remainder of his earth life.
Did this Adjuster indwell the mind of Jesus, as is true of
us? It sounds as if it did not, but remained somewhat separate from
him, but "associated" and in "constant communion" nonetheless.
As to the second part of your question:
I can think of no good reason for a person to remain, even if
s/he could, once fusion has occurred. But aside from that, we read
that: "...fusion during physical life instantly consumes the material
body..." (p1212:3
(110:7.2) ), so there would be no body left in any
event. And once fusion has taken place, the entire purpose for a mortal
life has been fulfilled, so no reason to go further in that state of
being.
I hope that this reply has been useful to you. Thanks for
writing back, and please feel free to write again, anytime...
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Thank you for this question. Obviously, Jesus was a very special human
being, and the events of his baptism in the
Jordan
culminated in a very
special union of human and divine - a unique kind of union with a very
special Adjuster. In this following section you will read about the
events of that day, including the special kind of fusion that occurred
with the human Jesus that day in the Jordan. (I have bolded the
pertinent paragraphs pertaining to your question)
p1510:4
(136:2.1)
Jesus was baptized at the very height of John's
preaching when Palestine was aflame with the expectancy of his
message—"the kingdom of God is at hand"—when all
Jewry was engaged in serious and solemn self-examination. The
Jewish
sense of racial solidarity was very profound. The Jews not only
believed that the sins of the father might afflict his children, but
they firmly believed that the sin of one individual might curse the
nation. Accordingly, not all who submitted to John's baptism regarded
themselves as being guilty of the specific sins which John denounced.
Many devout
souls were baptized by John for the good of
Israel.
They
feared lest some sin of ignorance on their part might delay the coming
of the
Messiah.
They felt themselves to belong to a guilty and
sin-cursed nation, and they presented themselves for baptism that they
might by so doing manifest fruits of race penitence. It is therefore
evident that Jesus in no sense received John's baptism as a rite of
repentance or for the remission of sins. In accepting baptism at the
hands of John, Jesus was only following the example of many pious
Israelites.
When Jesus of Nazareth went down into the Jordan to be baptized, he was
a mortal of the realm who had attained the pinnacle of human
evolutionary ascension in all matters related to the conquest of mind
and to self-identification with the spirit. He stood in the Jordan that
day a perfected mortal of the evolutionary worlds of time and space.
Perfect synchrony and full communication had become established between
the mortal mind of Jesus and the indwelling spirit Adjuster, the divine
gift of his Father in Paradise. And just such an Adjuster indwells all
normal beings living on Urantia since the ascension of Michael to the
headship of his universe, except that Jesus' Adjuster had been
previously prepared for this special mission by similarly indwelling
another superhuman incarnated in the likeness of mortal flesh,
Machiventa Melchizedek.
Ordinarily, when a mortal
of the realm attains such high levels of
personality perfection, there occur those preliminary phenomena of
spiritual elevation which terminate in eventual fusion of the matured
soul of the mortal with its associated divine Adjuster. And such a
change was apparently due to take place in the personality experience
of Jesus of Nazareth on that very day when he went down into the Jordan
with his two brothers to be baptized by John. This ceremony was the
final act of his purely human life on Urantia, and many superhuman
observers expected to witness the fusion of the Adjuster with its
indwelt mind, but they were all destined to suffer disappointment.
Something new and even greater occurred. As John laid his hands upon
Jesus to baptize him, the indwelling Adjuster took final leave of the
perfected human soul of Joshua ben Joseph. And in a few moments this
divine entity returned from Divinington as a Personalized Adjuster and
chief of his kind throughout the entire local universe of Nebadon. Thus
did Jesus observe his own former divine spirit descending on its return
to him in personalized form. And he heard this same spirit of Paradise
origin now speak, saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased." And John, with Jesus' two brothers, also heard these words.
John's disciples, standing by the water's edge, did not hear these
words, neither did they see the apparition of the Personalized
Adjuster. Only the eyes of Jesus beheld the Personalized Adjuster.
When the returned and now exalted Personalized Adjuster had thus
spoken, all was silence. And while the four of them tarried in the
water, Jesus, looking up to the near-by Adjuster, prayed: "My Father
who reigns in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come! Your
will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven." When he had prayed,
the "heavens were opened," and the Son of Man saw the vision, presented
by the now Personalized Adjuster, of himself as a Son of God as he was
before he came to earth in the likeness of mortal flesh, and as he
would be when the incarnated life should be finished. This heavenly
vision was seen only by Jesus.
It was the voice of the
Personalized Adjuster that John and Jesus
heard, speaking in behalf of the Universal Father, for the Adjuster is
of, and as, the Paradise Father. Throughout the remainder of Jesus'
earth life this Personalized Adjuster was associated with him in all
his labors; Jesus was in constant communion with this exalted Adjuster.
Thank you very much for writing. Please feel free to sign
up for
Quote
of
the Day, enjoy our
flash
videos celebrating Jesus, and also
our
illustrated
Great Jesus Stories.
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I'm sure you understand that calendars begin at any arbitrary point in
time that the people who use them choose -- which would most likely be
some significant event occurring in their culture. For example, Google
tells us that the beginning of the Chinese calendar officially began on
the Yellow Emperor’s 61st year on the throne (2637 B.C.)
making this approximately year 4706 in the Chinese calendar and that
this is the year 5769 in the
Jewish
calendar which began with the
creation of
Adam and Eve on the sixth day of Creation according to
their
Hebrew
texts. Muslims begin their calendar at July 16, 622, (by
the Gregorian calendar) when Muhammad fled from
Mecca
to Medina.
The Gregorian calendar assigns its beginning to the presumed year Jesus
was born, that being the year 1. The Gregorian calendar is based on
calculations made by Dionysus Exegines, a Roman abbot who lived over
500 years after the time of Jesus. Because of insufficient historical
data the monk erred in fixing the time of birth and this error persists
in our calendar to this day. The Urantia Book corrects this error by
giving us the exact date of Jesus' birth which occurred 7 years earlier
than the abbot had calculated. Other sources have also determined that
the assumed Gregorian date for Jesus' birth is inaccurate, (you can do
a Google on 7 b.c. for other examples) but The Urantia Book provides
accuracy no other source can.
For a thorough exploration of this most interesting topic, please see
When Is
Jesus' Birthday? on our site.
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In the Urantia Book, we learn that Jesus' mission on Earth was one of
revelation - revelation to mankind of the loving character of God, the
goodness of God, and the love and mercy of God as spiritual Father.
Jesus proclaimed the good news that man is a child of God, and the
resultant truth that all men are brethren.
Jesus did not incarnate in order to establish a church, and he did not
counsel his disciples to establish churches. His mission was to
proclaim the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the hearts of
mankind, and to free mankind from the bondage of churches of authority.
He himself, a child of
Jewish
parents, raised in the churches and
synagogues of his day, later was murdered for his refusal to conform to
the authority of that very belief system in which he was raised. Jesus
was not wholly opposed to churches; he worked with members of churches,
and honored and encouraged church members, but, as the Urantia Book so
well points out:
p1098:4
(100:5.1)
The world is filled with lost souls, not lost in the
theologic sense but lost in the directional meaning, wandering about in
confusion among the isms and cults of a frustrated philosophic era. Too
few have learned how to install a philosophy of living in the place of
religious authority.
(The symbols of socialized religion are not to be
despised as channels of growth, albeit the river bed is not the river.)
(Bolding of text is mine)
______________________
Jesus' message was one of spiritual liberation - liberation from set
dogmas, creeds, and established tenets - into a new way of realizing
and finding God, who, he taught, indwells every human mind. This new
way of discovering God and recognizing Truth had nothing to do with
setting up churches. Instead, it proclaimed that the Kingdom is within
each of us, discoverable by each individual.
There was a church established, of course, and the following quote
outlines for us how this occurred:
p1865:4
(170:5.14)
When Jesus' immediate followers recognized their
partial failure to realize his ideal of the establishment of the
kingdom in the hearts of men by the spirit's domination and guidance of
the individual believer, they set about to save his teaching from being
wholly lost by substituting for the Master's ideal of the kingdom the
gradual creation of a visible social organization, the Christian
church. And when they had accomplished this program of substitution, in
order to maintain consistency and to provide for the recognition of the
Master's teaching regarding the fact of the kingdom, they proceeded to
set the kingdom off into the future. The church, just as soon as it was
well established, began to teach that the kingdom was in reality to
appear at the culmination of the Christian age, at the second coming of
Christ.
___________________
This Christian church and its many offshoots, while good in many
respects, still maintains many of the unfavorable aspects of all
established churches, in that it demands a loyalty to dogma, to rules
and regulations, that have little to do with the reality of the Kingdom
as Jesus taught it. Jesus taught that the Kingdom is within - right now
- and that one enters its gates simply by faith that one is,
in fact, a child of God. No creedal pressure was brought to bear by
Jesus on any of his followers. The new gospel of Jesus proclaimed that
man is a child of God, and that faith is the only price of entry into
the Father's kingdom. It is this very simplicity, I believe, that is
sometimes very hard to grasp by human minds.
The idea of making a church that packages "the truth" for its followers
is directly opposed to the actual teachings of Jesus. A church as a
social organization, or as a place where believers can share their
faith is a good idea, but churches as they are now operate on the
planet, largely run counter to the idea of spiritual freedom, as Jesus
taught it.
Consider this quote from The Urantia Book:
p1135:2
(103:5.12)
When a member of a social religious group has complied
with the requirements of such a group, he should be encouraged to enjoy
religious liberty in the full expression of his own personal
interpretation of the truths of religious belief and the facts of
religious experience. The security of a religious group depends on
spiritual unity, not on theological uniformity. A religious group
should be able to enjoy the liberty of freethinking without having to
become "freethinkers." There is great hope for any church that worships
the living God, validates the
brotherhood of man, and dares to remove
all creedal pressure from its members.
I invite you to visit Truthbook.com and take a look at
Great
Jesus Stories where you will find, not only the complete
life of Jesus, but all of Jesus' teachings regarding the
establishment of the Kingdom. Scroll down the menu for a topic that is
of interest.
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What an excellent question, and an opportunity to share with you
some of the Urantia Book’s matchless teachings regarding
Jesus’ mission and lifework.
In today’s world, and
for centuries before this, the general understanding of the Christian
churches regarding Jesus’ mission has been that Jesus came to
earth to act as a sacrificial lamb – that his death on the
cross was a necessary event in order for man to be ransomed from the
“evil one -" saved by the shedding of innocent blood, much
like the ancient rituals of slaughtering lambs, rams, goats and so
forth at certain times of the year. This understanding has been
predicated upon the belief in a God who is all-powerful, but also
jealous and quite vengeful. And since information regarding the actual
LIFE of Jesus in
the Bible
and elsewhere is so scanty, practically all
of the emphasis has been placed on the facts of his terrible and
shocking death on the cross – and his subsequent resurrection
on Easter morning.
The children of God – human beings
– have been portrayed as sinful and lost, and the only way
that we can be redeemed is through the blood of Jesus which was shed on
the cross. This is known as “the
atonement
doctrine.” The Urantia Book gives us a picture of God the
Father which is far different from that of the
Old Testament
– a picture that is consistent with the actual teachings of
Jesus, as revealed in Part IV of the book. Jesus showed us a loving
father, a faithful upholder, and not a vengeful judge. And this was his
mission: to reveal to humanity the loving nature of God, and to
proclaim the good news that man is a child of God, and that salvation
is to be had through faith. The shocking events of his death and
resurrection so overshadowed his original message so as to practically
obliterate it, substituting the doctrine of atonement.
Following are a
few Urantia Book quotes which expand upon the
atonement doctrine, its
ancient beginnings, and its unfortunate repercussions:
(63:6.4)
Very
early the Andonic peoples formed the habit of refraining from eating
the flesh of the animal of tribal veneration. Presently, in order more
suitably to impress the minds of their youths, they evolved a ceremony
of reverence which was carried out about the body of one of these
venerated animals; and still later on, this primitive performance
developed into the more elaborate sacrificial ceremonies of their
descendants. And this is the origin of sacrifices as a part of worship.
This idea was elaborated by Moses in the
Hebrew
ritual and was
preserved, in principle, by the Apostle Paul as the doctrine of
atonement for sin by "the shedding of blood."
(2:6.5)
Righteousness
implies that God is the source of the moral law of the universe. Truth
exhibits God as a revealer, as a teacher. But love gives and craves
affection, seeks understanding fellowship such as exists between parent
and child. Righteousness may be the divine thought, but love is a
father's attitude. The erroneous supposition that the righteousness of
God was irreconcilable with the selfless love of the heavenly Father,
presupposed absence of unity in the nature of Deity and led directly to
the elaboration of the
atonement doctrine, which is a philosophic
assault upon both the unity and the free-willness of God.
(149:2.3)
1.
The effort to connect the gospel teaching directly onto the
Jewish
theology, as illustrated by the Christian doctrines of the
atonement—the teaching that Jesus was the sacrificed Son who
would satisfy the Father's stern justice and appease the divine wrath.
These teachings originated in a praiseworthy effort to make the gospel
of the kingdom more acceptable to disbelieving Jews. Though these
efforts failed as far as winning the Jews was concerned, they did not
fail to confuse and alienate many honest souls in all subsequent
generations.
(4:5.4)
The barbarous idea of appeasing an angry God, of
propitiating an offended Lord, of winning the favor of Deity through
sacrifices and penance and even by the shedding of blood, represents a
religion wholly puerile and primitive, a philosophy unworthy of an
enlightened age of science and truth. Such beliefs are utterly
repulsive to the celestial beings and the divine rulers who serve and
reign in the universes. It is an affront to God to believe, hold, or
teach that innocent blood must be shed in order to win his favor or to
divert the fictitious divine wrath.
p1083:6
(98:7.1)
A Creator Son did
not incarnate in the likeness of mortal flesh and bestow himself upon
the humanity of Urantia to reconcile an angry God but rather to win all
mankind to the recognition of the Father's love and to the realization
of their sonship with God. After all, even the great advocate of the
atonement doctrine realized something of this truth, for he declared
that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself."
(103:4.4)
Jesus swept away all of the ceremonials of sacrifice and
atonement. He
destroyed the basis of all this fictitious guilt and sense of isolation
in the universe by declaring that man is a child of God; the
creature-Creator relationship was placed on a child-parent basis. God
becomes a loving Father to his mortal sons and daughters. All
ceremonials not a legitimate part of such an intimate family
relationship are forever abrogated.
(194:2.8)
Jesus lived a life which is
a
revelation of man submitted to the Father's will, not an example for
any man literally to attempt to follow. This life in the flesh,
together with his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection,
presently became a new gospel of the ransom which had thus been paid in
order to purchase man back from the clutch of the evil
one—from the condemnation of an offended God. Nevertheless,
even though the gospel did become greatly distorted, it remains a fact
that this new message about Jesus carried along with it many of the
fundamental truths and teachings of his earlier gospel of the kingdom.
And, sooner or later, these concealed truths of the fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of men will emerge to effectually transform the
civilization of all mankind. It might help you to understand even
better to let the words of Jesus speak here:
(165:3.8)
…“ I came into this world to reveal the Father to
you and to lead you to the Father. The first I have done, but the last
I may not do without your consent; the Father never compels any man to
enter the kingdom. The invitation ever has been and always will be:
Whosoever will, let him come and freely partake of the water of life."
(149:6.2)
"…I have come to reveal the Father's love so that
you will be attracted to the worship of the Eternal by the drawing of a
son's affectionate recognition and reciprocation of the Father's
profound and perfect love. I would deliver you from the bondage of
driving yourselves through slavish fear to the irksome service of a
jealous and wrathful King-God. I would instruct you in the Father-son
relationship of God and man so that you may be joyfully led into that
sublime and supernal free worship of a loving, just, and merciful
Father-God.
________________
On the subject of the Father's love for mankind, Jesus
said:
(142:2.2)
…I come in the flesh to reveal the Father in
new glory and to show forth his love and mercy to all men on all
worlds. As the gospel of this kingdom shall spread over the world with
its message of good cheer and good will to all men, there will grow up
improved and better relations among the families of all nations. As
time passes, fathers and their children will love each other more, and
thus will be brought about a better understanding of the love of the
Father in heaven for his children on earth. Remember…that a
good and true father not only loves his family as a whole—as
a family—but he also truly loves and affectionately cares for
each individual member."
_________________-
With a little bit of reflection, one can see
that the idea of the
atonement is an idea which is not conducive to
establishing a loving relationship with our Creator Father. Modern
religions emphasize Jesus’ death and resurrection over his
actual life, which in itself was a
revelation of the Father’s
love to all mankind – even to the inhabitants of the universe
in which we live.
So – one might ask “What about
Jesus’ death on the cross? Is that not important? It is
certainly important. The Urantia Book devotes much attention to the
passion of Jesus, and the terrible events of that week. It was an
unprecedented spectacle of cruelty and barbarity practiced on the Son
of God. The cross is forever a symbol which we can embrace and use as
an example of the creature’s desire to do the will of God.
This following section may be helpful for you to understand the
importance – even without the
atonement doctrine –
of the Cross of Jesus.
The Meaning of Jesus’ Death on the
Cross
p2016:6
(188:4.1)
Although Jesus did not die this death on the
cross to atone for the racial guilt of mortal man nor to provide some
sort of effective approach to an otherwise offended and unforgiving
God; even though the Son of Man did not offer himself as a sacrifice to
appease the wrath of God and to open the way for sinful man to obtain
salvation; notwithstanding that these ideas of
atonement and
propitiation are erroneous, nonetheless, there are significances
attached to this death of Jesus on the cross which should not be
overlooked. It is a fact that Urantia has become known among other
neighboring inhabited planets as the "World of the Cross."
Jesus desired to live a full mortal life in the flesh on
Urantia. Death is, ordinarily, a part of life. Death is the last act in
the mortal drama. In your well-meant efforts to escape the
superstitious errors of the false interpretation of the meaning of the
death on the cross, you should be careful not to make the great mistake
of failing to perceive the true significance and the genuine import of
the Master's death.
Mortal man was never the property
of the archdeceivers. Jesus did not die to ransom man from the clutch
of the apostate rulers and fallen princes of the spheres. The Father in
heaven never conceived of such crass injustice as damning a mortal
soul
because of the evil-doing of his ancestors. Neither was the Master's
death on the cross a sacrifice which consisted in an effort to pay God
a debt which the race of mankind had come to owe him. p2016:9 188:4.4
Before Jesus lived on earth, you might possibly have been justified in
believing in such a God, but not since the Master lived and died among
your fellow mortals. Moses taught the dignity and justice of a Creator
God; but Jesus portrayed the love and mercy of a heavenly Father.
The animal nature—the tendency toward
evil-doing—may be hereditary, but sin is not transmitted from
parent to child. Sin is the act of conscious and deliberate rebellion
against the Father's will and the Sons' laws by an individual will
creature.
Jesus lived and died for a whole universe,
not just for the races of this one world. While the mortals of the
realms had salvation even before Jesus lived and died on Urantia, it is
nevertheless a fact that his bestowal on this world greatly illuminated
the way of salvation; his death did much to make forever plain the
certainty of mortal survival after death in the flesh.
Though it is hardly proper to speak of Jesus as a sacrificer,
a
ransomer, or a redeemer, it is wholly correct to refer to him as a
savior. He forever made the way of salvation (survival) more clear and
certain; he did better and more surely show the way of salvation for
all the mortals of all the worlds of the universe of Nebadon.
When once you grasp the idea of God as a true and loving
Father, the only concept which Jesus ever taught, you must forthwith,
in all consistency, utterly abandon all those primitive notions about
God as an offended monarch, a stern and all-powerful ruler whose chief
delight is to detect his subjects in wrongdoing and to see that they
are adequately punished, unless some being almost equal to himself
should volunteer to suffer for them, to die as a substitute and in
their stead. The whole idea of ransom and
atonement is incompatible
with the concept of God as it was taught and exemplified by Jesus of
Nazareth. The infinite love of God is not secondary to anything in the
divine nature.
All this concept of atonement and
sacrificial salvation is rooted and grounded in selfishness. Jesus
taught that service to one's fellows is the highest concept of the
brotherhood of spirit believers. Salvation should be taken for granted
by those who believe in the fatherhood of God. The believer's chief
concern should not be the selfish desire for personal salvation but
rather the unselfish urge to love and, therefore, serve one's fellows
even as Jesus loved and served mortal men.
Neither do
genuine believers trouble themselves so much about the future
punishment of sin. The real believer is only concerned about present
separation from God. True, wise fathers may chasten their sons, but
they do all this in love and for corrective purposes. They do not
punish in anger, neither do they chastise in retribution.
Even if God were the stern and legal monarch of a universe in
which justice ruled supreme, he certainly would not be satisfied with
the childish scheme of substituting an innocent sufferer for a guilty
offender.
The great thing about the death of Jesus, as
it is related to the enrichment of human experience and the enlargement
of the way of salvation, is not the fact of his death but rather the
superb manner and the matchless spirit in which he met death.
This entire idea of the ransom of the
atonement places
salvation upon a plane of unreality; such a concept is purely
philosophic. Human salvation is real; it is based on two realities
which may be grasped by the creature's faith and thereby become
incorporated into individual human experience: the fact of the
fatherhood of God and its correlated truth, the
brotherhood of man. It
is true, after all, that you are to be "forgiven your debts, even as
you forgive your debtors."
_____________________
You can see how important Jesus’
death on the cross is to our understanding of Jesus. Jesus did not have
to die in this
fashion. His mission of revealing the Father was completed before the
terrible events of the Passion, but he chose to go through the agony
and humiliation of death on the cross in order that he might complete
his earth life the way all mortals do - by actually dying. The fact
that his death was caused by wicked men was not God's plan. It was
planned by men, but Jesus chose to accept his fate, rather than to
escape the cross - which he could have done, had he so wished.
I
strongly recommend that you read through PartIV of the Urantia Book,
and see for yourself the magnificent unfolding of the Master's life and
death. Also, please feel free to explore the many offerings on
Truthbook.com regarding Jesus. A few that you might look at are:
Jesus
Light of the World flash,
Who
Was Jesus? flash,
Illustrated
Great Jesus Stories, and
Jesus in
The Urantia Book. You will
find a wealth of
information regarding Jesus, his life, and his mission. Thanks
again for this very important question, and I hope this reply
has
been helpful to you.
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I think this is a great topic and it's understandable that people
who love Jesus would ponder this at election time.
I
have gotten some interesting insights when considering this question of
how Jesus would vote. In the first place, I don't think Jesus would
ever allow his political position to be known. Jesus fully understood
his own power. One of the greatest powers of all is the power of
influence. Knowing that humans would take the easy path of having Jesus
make all of their decisions for them without thinking these things
through for themselves, I think he would keep his political opinions to
himself. I'm not suggesting that most of us should do that, but I think
that the Pope, for instance, should keep his politics to himself.
Religious leaders should never endorse political candidates; this whole
election has really driven home for me the wisdom of the separation of
church and state.
Clearly, Jesus calls us to learn
how to think -
not
what
to think. When we all become adept at independent cosmic thinking we
will naturally come to more Godlike conclusions and be able to make
more Godlike decisions. That is, decisions which create the greatest
amount of good for the greatest amount of people for the greatest
amount of time.
These scientific, moral, and spiritual
insights, these cosmic responses, are innate in the cosmic mind, which
endows all will creatures. The experience of living never fails to
develop these three cosmic intuitions; they are constitutive in the
self-consciousness of reflective thinking. But it is sad to record that
so few persons on Urantia take delight in cultivating these qualities
of courageous and independent cosmic thinking.
The Urantia Book, P.192 (16:6.9)
We
know from his life and teachings that Jesus deliberately avoided making
pronouncements on political issues. The closest he came was "Render
unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s
and unto God the things that
are God's." We could write a novel on what he meant by that. But
suffice to say, it doesn't give us much to go on at election time.
However, I think we can look at his life by example and infer some
definite qualities to look for in a leader. Here are some things I have
thought of:
He was honest and sincere. He said what he meant
and meant what he said. He spoke the truth even when the truth hurt. He
was loyal to the highest principals in the highest sense of the word.
He would be righteously indignant of the false and malicious political
spin and negativity that we have become accustomed to.
He was
courageous. He was willing to put himself on the line even to the point
of direct contradiction with the powerful religious rulers of his day.
He
was fair. He never would have thought only of the interest of his
people (the
Jews)
or his nation (Israel). There was no self-interest in
him. Everything he did was for the greatest good for all. From my point
of view, the most powerful man in the world should also be a good world
citizen. A true leader would want to lead mankind, not just America,
into a new and better way of life. As Jesus said, "When you
once
begin to find God in your soul, presently you will begin to discover
him in other men's souls and eventually in all the creatures and
creations of a mighty universe. But what chance does the Father have to
appear as a God of supreme loyalties and divine ideals in the souls of
men who give little or no time to the thoughtful contemplation of such
eternal realities?" (155:6.13)
He was wise. He understood human nature well enough to know how certain
people would react in certain situations.
He was patient. He waited for the right time to act and chose his
battles and his opportunities very carefully.
He
was respectful and trusting. He believed in men because he knew that
God is in them. He empowered men to decide and act and supported the
wisdom of the group. When the group made a decision he honored it.
He
was merciful. He understood the human condition and was forgiving of
human frailty. However, he abhorred deliberate wickedness, he said that
more was expected of the Master than of the servant, and in the end he
did not tolerate the corruption of false leaders.
He was
sympathetic. He had real insight into the human heart and the human
condition. He had real compassion for humanity and wanted all people to
"have life and have it more abundantly."
He was truly kind. I
don't think he would ever have resorted to harming anyone or allowing
anyone to be harmed. He once said that he would not defend himself
against harm unless he discerned that God was not present in the person
who sought to harm him.
Clearly, we can't expect a leader,
even one with as much power as a US president, to possess all the
wonderful qualities that Jesus did. There were many powerful men in
Jesus day that had no respect for Jesus and thought him foolish and
weak. There are many powerful people today, even those who profess to
follow Jesus, who would never endorse his non resistant and non violent
ways. Many who think that, although Jesus ideals are truly good,
they're not practical and they won't work.
Sadly, at this
point in time, we are stuck with the reality of always having to choose
between the "lesser of two evils." That is, two mortal men who are
anything but perfect. We can take the easy way out and vote along party
lines, trusting that at least our basic political philosophies will be
upheld, or we can look at each man and try to discern their true
character.
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Jesus
came here as an ambassador of The
kingdom of heaven.
The assumption
that he was a divine being, a Son of God, would lead us to believe that
he existed before coming here. He was not a Christian; Christianity
arose around the fact of Jesus' life on this world. Neither was he a
Jew.
He was raised as a Jew but had he been a devout Jew (in the sense
of the Jewish beliefs and practices of his day) he would hardly have
been crucified as a heretic and law-breaker. The Urantia Book defines
religion in many ways but I like this one,
"In its true
essence, religion is a faith-trust in the goodness of God."
The religion of Jesus, then, is his whole life, his philosophy of
living, the way he lived and the way he treated others with love,
respect and dignity. He showed us how to live in grace and in
accordance with God's will. He showed us the real meaning of devoted
and religious living. Religion is so much more than just the church you
organized religious sect you belong to. To understand what is meant by
"the religion of Jesus" one must expand one's own concepts of the
word "religion."
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Jesus' teachings are certainly
practicable - even after 2000 years, the life and teachings of Jesus
provide the best source of knowledge that any child of God needs to
lead a successful spiritual life. Jesus was a Divine being, and yet he
was also a true human who lived a normal life, just as we do. Even
though we will not live life in exactly the same way, still, the life
that Jesus lived and the teachings that he gave are ever fresh, ever
relevant to any mortal who wishes to know how to live as a son or
daughter of God. Jesus was, and is, truly one of us.
What are the teachings of Jesus? Jesus taught us that we are children
of a loving God, and that as such we are all connected in one great
family - we are all brothers and sisters because we share the same
Father. Jesus taught that by faith, we become sharers with him in the
kingdom of heaven,
and we become true universe citizens.This truth of
Jesus' teaching has not changed. We are still
called to seek God through faith, to love God as our Father and to love
one another - to serve one
another, and to treat others with love and
tolerance. Jesus lived as he taught, and so the study of his
life is
vital to an understanding of what it means to be a child of God
This
is one of the greatest gifts that we receive when we read The Urantia
Book - we are gifted with Jesus' entire life story - not just the few
years of his public ministry that are in
the Bible.
We see his life as
he lived it in his day and time, but in that life are to be found all
of the kinds of challenges, joys and discoveries that all normal humans
experience; not in exactly the same way, but human nature is not so
different today than it was in his time. Emotions are the same - the
search for truth, beauty and goodness is the same today as it was then,
and the God that Jesus revealed through his life is still the same God
- today and
evermore.
From The Urantia Book:
To "follow Jesus" means to personally share his religious faith and to
enter into the spirit of the Master's life of unselfish service for
man. One of the most important things in human living is to find out
what Jesus believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for the
achievement of his exalted life purpose. Of all human knowledge, that
which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and
how he lived it. p2090:4
(196:1.3)
And:
The nature of God can be studied in a revelation of supreme ideas, the
divine character can be envisaged as a portrayal of supernal ideals,
but the most enlightening and spiritually edifying of all
revelations
of the divine nature is to be found in the comprehension of the
religious life of Jesus of Nazareth, both before and after his
attainment of full consciousness of divinity.p33:2
(2:0.2)
In Part IV of The Urantia Book is to be found this
complete life
story.
I hope you will be inspired to read it, and through reading it, to be
assured that in Jesus' life - both before and after his
realization of
his Divinity - is to be found solid guidance and wisdom for our 21st
century
lives.
Thank you for writing to us with this important question,
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Just to be
sure, I googled the name that you gave me, and came across a YouTube
video of this man. Within a few seconds, I knew he could not be Jesus,
as he was talking about demonic possession. From the time of
Pentecost,
there has been no such thing as demonic possession, and the devil is
not an "energetic body," as this man claims; instead, the devil is the
fallen one-time Prince of this planet. Jesus, when he walked the earth,
vanquished this deceiver, and has taken his place.
Jesus did promise to someday return to the earth, and we can rest on
that promise. But as to the hour or the day, no one can say.
Jesus said: "But the times of the reappearing of the Son of
Man are known only in the councils of Paradise; not even the
angels of
heaven
know when this will occur. However, you should understand that,
when this gospel of the kingdom shall have been proclaimed to all the
world for the salvation of all peoples, and when the fullness of the
age has come to pass, the Father will send you another dispensational
bestowal, or else the Son of Man will return to adjudge the age.
p1915:2
(176:2.5)
I think you can be quite sure that this man is not who he claims to be.
As to your second question: who is inri cristo?
I think this is simply a mortal man who has delusions of being Jesus. I
would not put any faith in such a person; instead, you would do well to
visit our site and read about the REAL Jesus. Please go
HERE
for much more information about Jesus. Or go
HERE
to read the complete
life and teachings of Jesus as presented in The Urantia Book, a
revelation of truth, beauty and goodness for the entire planet. This
will serve you far better than putting your faith in pretenders.
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Thanks for writing with this interesting question.
I am going to start with a few passages from Paper 189
The
Resurrection. This way,
we'll all understand better the nature of the resurrected form of
Jesus. However, I suggest a complete reading of this paper for the best
understanding of what happened that day:
"...at two minutes past three o'clock, this Sunday morning, April 9,
A.D. 30, the resurrected morontia form and
personality of Jesus of Nazareth came forth from the tomb."
"...the body of flesh in which he had lived and
wrought on earth for almost thirty-six years was still lying there in
the sepulchre niche, undisturbed and wrapped in the linen sheet, just
as it had been laid to rest by Joseph and his associates on Friday
afternoon. ..the body which they were guarding was now a discarded
outer covering which had no further connection with the delivered and
resurrected morontia personality of Jesus.
(Note: To find out exactly what happened to Jesus' physical body,
please
go
here.)
"...On Friday he laid down his life as a mortal of the realm;
on Sunday morning he took it up again as a morontia being of the system
of Satania in Norlatiadek.
"...He did come forth from this tomb of Joseph in
the very likeness of the morontia personalities of those who, as
resurrected morontia ascendant beings, emerge from the resurrection
halls of the first mansion world of this local system of Satania.
When Jesus resurrected from the tomb, he was in a physical form, but he
was not visible to everyone. His body was made from "morontia"
material, which is the next form which all mortals will assume upon
resurrection after death. He only made his presence known to certain
people, and he could appear and disappear at will. Perhaps you'll
remember his meeting with Mary Magdalene at the
tomb; she did not at first recognize him, as he was
very changed,
but as soon as he spoke, she instantly knew it was the
Master.
This
seems to be a good place to explain why it was that Jesus appeared in
this form. This is revealed material that can only be found in The
Urantia Book, as far as I know, but it makes perfect sense when you see
the whole story.
As part of Jesus' mission to Urantia, he was required to assume the
form
of all creatures of his vast universe. You can read all about these
various bestowals, seven in all, and the reasons for his mission
here.
Jesus'
seventh and final bestowal was as the babe of Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, who
grew up as a mortal of the realm, just as all mortals
do. And Jesus died as a mortal of the realm as well, although his
death was particularly brutal and violent - not the same as most humans
- but still, he did die a "natural" death, as would any mortal. While
he was here in physical form, he revealed the Father to mortals and
established the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of mankind, which was a
most important part of his overall mission to our universe.
After that, he had to experience the natural outcome of human life and death, and that was as a newly resurrected mortal, in the form that all of us
mortals will assume when we die - the above-mentioned morontia form.
The
only difference between what Jesus experienced and what we will
experience is that Jesus remained on earth to spend more time with his
followers
before he finally left the earth for the last time. We will not be
doing that - but in all other respects, what happened to Jesus is what
will happen to us when we die, except that we will be resurrected on
the
Mansion
Worlds
as morontia beings - changed, but with our personalities intact
and recognizable by those of our loved ones who went there before us.
Our mortal bodies will remain on earth, to turn into the dust from
which they came. We learn in The Urantia Book that we will eat food of
"a kingdom of living energy unknown on the material worlds"
You can read more about this unique material in Paper 48 -
The Morontia
Life
p542:4
(48:1.7)
Paul learned of the existence of the morontia worlds and
of the reality of morontia materials, for he wrote, "They have in
heaven a better and more enduring substance." And these morontia
materials are real, literal, even as in "the city which has
foundations, whose builder and maker is God." And each of these
marvelous spheres is "a better country, that is, a heavenly
one."
One of the resurrection appearances that Jesus made was to the two
brothers
at
Emmaus,
and on this occasion, Jesus did sit down to dinner
with these
two brothers. Here is a passage from that story:
"By this time they had come near to the village where these
brothers dwelt. Not a word had these two men spoken since Jesus began
to teach them as they walked along the way. Soon they drew up in front
of their humble dwelling place, and Jesus was about to take leave of
them, going on down the road, but they constrained him to come in and
abide with them. They insisted that it was near nightfall, and that he
tarry with them. Finally Jesus consented, and very soon after they went
into the house, they sat down to eat. They gave him the bread to bless,
and as he began to break and hand to them, their eyes were opened, and
Cleopas recognized that their guest was the Master himself. And when he
said, "It is the Master—," the morontia Jesus vanished from
their sight.
Again, Jesus appeared to the
apostles (his
thirteenth
resurrection appearance), and again,
there was bread. Here is a passage from that section:
"Jesus spoke to them, saying: "Come now, all of you,
to breakfast. Even
the twins should sit down while I visit with you;
John Mark will dress the fish." John Mark brought seven good-sized
fish, which the Master put on the fire, and when they were cooked, the
lad served them to the ten. Then Jesus broke the bread and handed it to
John, who in turn served it to the hungry
apostles. When they had all
been served, Jesus bade John Mark sit down while he himself served the
fish and the bread to the lad. And as they ate, Jesus visited with them
and recounted their many experiences in Galilee and by this very lake.
"
In this passage, we are left wondering whether Jesus actually ate the
fish, but I suspect not, as his new form had no need for food of
the earthly kind. But he did sit with them, he prepared the fish, and
served the
meal of fish and bread to John Mark. And he broke the bread with his
hands. Never having had any experience with morontia materials, I
cannot say how this was accomplished, but if morontia material is of a
"more enduring substance," I suspect that physical material can be
easily manipulated with it. So, breaking bread would not be a difficult
act.
To
me,
it is also not a very important detail whether Jesus actually ate
anything.
The important feature of these stories is the fact of his resurrection,
and that he did spend a considerable amount of time with many people
before finally leaving Urantia for the last time. During these nineteen
appearances, he reiterated his teachings, and said fond farewells to
many. His resurrection from the dead after his mortal life is of
particular interest to us, as it is what we can anticipate as our
experience as well following our death.
Thank you for this most interesting question.
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About Religion
The Urantia Book says this, "The concept of truth might possibly be entertained apart from
personality, the concept of beauty may exist without personality, but the concept of divine goodness is understandable only in relation to personality. Only a person can love and be loved. Even beauty and truth would be divorced from survival hope if they were not attributes of a personal God, a loving Father."
All great religions contain some measure of truth. Although there are similarities between
The Urantia Book's teachings and those of Buddhism, there are also numerous similarities between
The Urantia Book and many major
world religions.
Some background on Buddhism is presented from the book in the following links:
Paper 94, Section 7.
the Jesus Papers on Buddhism
giving highlights of this religion.
The Urantia
revelation says that its
religious concepts are revealed, or
passed down to mortals from higher celestial sources. Whereas, Buddhism is an evolutionary religion, a religion derived through the human longing to know and understand God better. Both are essential for human spiritual development. As
The Urantia Book says
"Buddhism in its original form is one of the best religions
without a God which has arisen throughout all the evolutionary
history of Urantia, although, as this faith developed, it did
not remain godless. Religion without faith is a contradiction;
without God, a philosophic inconsistency and an intellectual
absurdity."
(103:9.3)
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Perhaps the admonition at the end of the book of Revelation that you refer to was a handy way to insure the integrity of the text long before copyright laws were here to do so.
The reference
scripture
from Revelation is:
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Re 22:18,19
This particular style of admonition is found in a number of ancient writings.
Following are three quotes from Jesus' teachings in
The Urantia Book concerning ancient religious scriptures.
"Nathaniel, never permit yourself for one moment to believe the Scripture records which tell you that the God of love directed your forefathers to go forth in battle to slay all their enemies—men, women, and children. Such records are the words of men, not very holy men, and they are not the word of God. The Scriptures always have, and always will, reflect the intellectual, moral, and spiritual status of those who create them. Have you not noted that the concepts of Yahweh grow in beauty and glory as the prophets make their records from Samuel to Isaiah? And you should remember that the Scriptures are intended for religious instruction and spiritual guidance. They are not the works of either historians or philosophers.
(159:4.5)
You have come out from among those of your fellows who choose to remain satisfied with a religion of mind, who crave security and prefer conformity. You have elected to exchange your feelings of authoritative certainty for the assurances of the spirit of adventurous and progressive faith. You have dared to protest against the grueling bondage of institutional religion and to reject the authority of the traditions of record which are now regarded as the word of God. Our Father did indeed speak through Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea, but he did not cease to minister words of truth to the world when these prophets of old made an end of their utterances. My Father is no respecter of races or generations in that the word of truth is vouchsafed one age and withheld from another. Commit not the folly of calling that divine which is wholly human, and fail not to discern the words of truth which come not through the traditional oracles of supposed inspiration.
(155:6.2)
You must cease to seek for the word of God only on the pages of the olden records of theologic authority. Those who are born of the spirit of God shall henceforth discern the word of God regardless of whence it appears to take origin. Divine truth must not be discounted because the channel of its bestowal is apparently human. Many of your brethren have minds which accept the theory of God while they spiritually fail to realize the presence of God. And that is just the reason why I have so often taught you that the
kingdom of heaven
can best be realized by acquiring the spiritual attitude of a sincere child. It is not the mental immaturity of the child that I commend to you but rather the spiritual simplicity of such an easy-believing and fully-trusting little one. It is not so important that you should know about the fact of God as that you should increasingly grow in the ability to feel the presence of God.
(155:6.12)
The words of The Urantia Book are as valid to us in our day as the words of the ancient prophets were valid to the men of old.
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You may recall in your reading of Paper 141, Section 5
(141:5.1)
entitled "Spiritual Unity" that Jesus proclaimed spiritual liberty through unity but not uniformity. He reiterated that it is not necessary or even possible that everyone must see or feel or think alike.
While it is true that the teachings of
The Urantia Book do not adhere to any specific religion they demonstrate that an enhanced vision of truth would never preclude a person from their own unique religious heritage. Students of The Urantia Book participate in every major religion. Most would tell you that studying the Urantia teachings has enhanced their religious experience in their churches, temples and synagogues. The book teaches, "God is no respecter of persons, either spiritual or material." It follows then, that the Father is no respecter of any human institution or religion; they all contain some measure of truth.
Our recommendation would be that you embrace your religion with a new sense of vigor, appreciation, and dedication; accept the best of its teachings and don't worry about the rest. Any religious teaching that does not have a basis in reality will eventually fall away.
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Thank you for sharing the Jehovah's Witnesses philosophy. You mentioned
that in affirmation to our spiritual zeal you're sending the JW
treatise for our analysis. We prefer to believe our study of The
Urantia Book provides spiritual wisdom; zeal being that energy which
propels religious fervor such as this treatise typifies.
Most students of The Urantia Book have an understanding of the
teachings of
the Bible.
The Urantia Book explains that the Bible's
depiction of Michael as an archangel is based on misunderstanding of
the spiritual realm. This JW treatise asserts that
Gabriel
also went into rebellion; this has no substantiation at all through the
teachings of The Urantia Book nor are the other "facts" presented in
the treatise substantiated by it.
The theology of the Jehovah's Witnesses appeals to many, particularly
those feeling the need for an authoritarian hierarchy to do their
spiritual thinking for them. It's a theology based on fear,
Old Testament
wrath and judgment, not a loving and merciful heavenly
Father. Jehovah's Witnesses have unsuccessfully been predicting the
eminent return of Jesus for over 150 years; prophecies of end times and
dire changes is of concern to only a limited number of otherwise
spiritually apprehensive individuals. This may be a theology that
attracts the fearful, the uninformed, the spiritually naive, and it may
provide the spiritual sustenance they require, which is a good thing;
it offers nothing of spiritual value to those who don't fit that
particular circumscribed mold.
The Urantia Book presents a complete cosmology answering life's most
perplexing questions in a logical, loving, uplifting, and inspiring way
-- a cosmology that extends from the First Source and Center, through
time and space, to the complexities we face in our daily lives. It does
so in a factual and truthful manner without relying on prophecy,
predictions or fallible human conjecture or knowledge. If you still
have any questions or concerns regarding science, philosophy, or
religion that your current religious beliefs have left unanswered, you
owe it to yourself to investigate the teachings of this superlative
book.
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Thank you for this timely and interesting question. The
Urantia Book
has the following to say about reincarnation:
p953:4
(86:4.5)
The primitive doctrine of survival after death was not
necessarily a belief in immortality. Beings who could not count over
twenty could hardly conceive of infinity and eternity; they rather
thought of recurring incarnations.
p953:5
(86:4.6)
This idea of reincarnation originated in the
observance of hereditary and trait resemblance of offspring to
ancestors. The custom of naming children after grandparents and other
ancestors was due to belief in reincarnation. Some later-day races
believed that man died from three to seven times. .
p1029:1
(94:2.3)
The undue concentration on self led certainly to a fear
of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of self in an endless round of
successive incarnations as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the
contaminating beliefs which could have become fastened upon what may
have been an emerging monotheism, none was so stultifying as this
belief in transmigration—the doctrine of the reincarnation of
souls—which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in
the
weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed
struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that
deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of
the earlier Vedic faith.
p1811:5
(164:3.4)
The older
Jewish
teachers, together
with
Plato, Philo, and many of the
Essenes,
tolerated the theory that men
may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous
existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins
committed in preceding lives. The Master found it difficult to make men
believe that their souls had not had previous existences.
____________
You can see from these quotes that reincarnation is not a
belief that
is fostered in the teachings of The Urantia Book, nor in the teachings
of Jesus. However, it is a theory that many seeking souls adopt as a
way of explaining survival of the self, as well as karma, the idea of
reaping what we sow.
I was a believer in reincarnation at one point in my life, but I now
much prefer the idea of "resurrection" of the immortal
soul as
presented in The Urantia Book:
__________________
p533:5
(47:3.7)
On mansion world number one (or another in case of
advanced status) you will resume your intellectual training and
spiritual development at the exact level whereon they were interrupted
by death. Between the time of planetary death or translation and
resurrection on the mansion world, mortal man gains absolutely nothing
aside from experiencing the fact of survival. You begin over there
right where you leave off down here.
___________
This teaching relieves any fears I may have had about having to return
to this planet over and over again as the result of some past sins -
which to me, is a very depressing thought. Having to endure, all over
again, a complete mortal life until I "get it right," seems terribly
unappealing to me.
Given the sheer size and magnitude of the inhabited universe presented
in The Urantia Book, it seems highly unlikely to me that we would be
doomed to such a circular existence focused on only this little ball of
dirt in space. Rather, we can look forward to resurrection on new
worlds, with new challenges, and new opportunities for atoning for our
shortcomings. The watchword of the universe is "progress." Personally,
I see nothing progressive about reincarnation.
I am however, interested in the phenomena of the intuitives that you
mention, and I notice that many people seem to gain a great deal of
comfort from these "readings." I am sure that they believe in what they
are doing, as well as do the people who seek them out, but to me, it is
only a curiosity, and nowhere near reality. I don't consider it sinful
or bad, just pointless. I know that good and sincere people
can have a desire to know everything they can in order to help them
through this present life we are living, but the surest way tio handle
life on a day-to-day basis is to stay present, ask God to guide you,
and do the best you can with every situation that comes up in your
life. From the Urantia Book:
p159:6
(14:5.10)
Love of adventure, curiosity, and dread of
monotony—these traits inherent in evolving human
nature—were not put there just to aggravate and annoy you
during
your short sojourn on earth, but rather to suggest to you that death is
only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting
life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery.
_____________
Finally, as to the karmic idea, The Urantia Book has an
interesting
quote about reaping and sowing:
p431:2
(39:2.13)
When you finish your earthly career, your body
remains on this planet...You "sow a mortal body" in the grave; you
"reap a morontia form" on the mansion worlds.
(NB: "Morontia" is a term
designating
a stage of existence which is between material and spiritual - a
transition state between being entirely mortal, and entirely spiritual:
ed)
The Urantia Book teaches us that this new life vehicle
will be a
faithful reflection of the true inner person, so that the spiritual
progress, or lack thereof, will be reflected in this new
form.
This is an intriguing concept, and to me, is a good reason continue to
do all I can to progress spiritually right here and now...hey, I want
to look good in my resurrected life!!!
I would like to invite you to take a look at our flash movies - in
particular,
After
You Die which is a beautiful. three-minute
presentation about this very subject of
life after death, and what we
can expect when we experience our resurrection.
And if you have not done so, please susbscribe to
Quote of
the Day - a
free service of Truthbook.com. You'll receive a daily quote from The
Urantia Book to uplift and inspire you.
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Buddhists and
Hindus
experience reincarnation as a spiritual reality
because it is an integral part to their view of the life and death
cycle and most believers in any one particular religion tend to accept
all the doctrines of that religion. Others accept reincarnation as
valid because it seems to provide a logical answer to the age-old
questions of why do some people seem to be blessed while others face
lives of struggle. And still others accept reincarnation because they
believe they've been given proof through past life regression, deja-vu,
or psychic experiences that appear to point to its validity as a belief
system.
Perhaps one of the main reasons people accept the
theory of reincarnation is because deep down they realize that there's
more to existence than this one short life can provide and because they
have not been given another satisfying or more complete explanation of
the breadth and scope of the adventure that awaits upon departure from
this life in the flesh while a belief in reincarnation seems to answer
that call.
As you may be aware, The Urantia Book makes it clear that
this is the first and only physical experience required to cause the
soul to be born and that from this point onward our existence will be
one of increasing spiritual awareness and development. The Urantia Book
describes in exquisite detail the universe career we embark upon after
physical death, what we will experience as
heaven
and beyond. This
ascension plan is so full and all-encompassing that what the theory of
reincarnation offers pales and seems dull and tedious in its wake. So
until the time comes that there's a more complete understanding of
God's plan for us the theory of reincarnation will continue to hold a
place in the beliefs of many.
Please see our web page dedicated to the study of
Life
After Death as
taught in The Urantia Book.
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About Believing
The Urantia Book synthesizes and harmonizes science and religion, and sets philosophy within the cradle of an advanced theology which has its roots in the superhuman insights of Jesus. The origin and subsequent million-year evolution of homo sapiens and human civilization is recounted in exquisite detail.
The Urantia Book characterizes evolution as the Creator's technique of perfecting all of creation.
The Urantia Book offers the most plausible and astounding description ever recorded of the scale, scope and grandeur of the cosmos.
Logic based science and faith based religion are not at odds. We are endowed with logical minds to solve the problems of a material existence. The immortal
soul grows by reaching out to truth beyond logic through faith.
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The Urantia Book teaches that being born again is the experience of a full-fledged spiritual awakening to, and understanding of, the fact that one is a potentially-eternal spirit child of the infinite Spirit Creator. This realization is consecrated by a personal commitment to wholehearted trust in the absolute goodness of God as the personal Spirit Father of every individual, and demonstrated by a dedication to doing God's will in everyday life, through unselfish service to others, and by striving to become more and more Godlike.
Becoming
born of the spirit means becoming increasingly attuned to the Father's personal Spirit-presence, nurturing a growing relationship with him, and allowing his unqualified love to increasingly actualize within one's personal life. Many readers of
The Urantia Book report that studying the book has greatly facilitated their surrender into the profoundly beautiful and personal spiritual experience of becoming "born again," borne into the ever-expanding spiritual brotherhood of the perfect Father's cosmic spiritual family.
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According to The Urantia Book, some form of the Golden Rule has been in existence for most of mankind's history, and its essence can be found in all religions. Jesus also upheld and exalted this rule of living, but he sought to upstep this truth to a higher level of unselfishness, asking us to love and serve one another as he loves and serves us. This new Golden Rule that he gave to his disciples was simply "do to all men that which you know I would do to them in like circumstances."
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Millions of people are fully satisfied with their current religious philosophy and have no need or desire for additional information. There is nothing wrong with this. The Urantia Book can provide satisfying answers to those who hunger to know more, who ponder the seemingly impossible questions. For many, The Urantia Book provides marvelous evidence that no question is without a logical answer.
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Any sincere truth seeker should naturally approach
The Urantia Book
with a healthy skepticism, and should read it objectively to make an honest evaluation. With any investigation of something new it is always a good idea to ask for God's guidance. Beyond that, the best reason to believe anything is because you have experienced it, and decided for yourself that it is consistent, reasonable, plausible, and logical.
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Many Urantia Book readers greatly enjoy the
Course In Miracles
and find that the two books compliment each other. The Course focuses more on "how to" heal human relationships, and The Urantia Book
focuses more on "how come" human relationships need to be healed.
There are, however, some Urantia Book readers who find
A Course in Miracles to be contradictory in some ways to basic Urantia Book teachings.
We are happy to now be able to offer
A Course In Miracles at our website for comparative study. Please click on World Religious Texts to read ACIM online as well as most of the other great religious texts of the world.
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When once you really understand that you are truly the beloved child of God you would never be afraid of that. But each person must take care to nurture the immortal spiritual aspects of themselves, just as they might take care to nurture their physical health.
The Urantia Book tells us that the purpose of our earthly life is to develop an immortal
soul. The soul is that part of each human being that has the potential to survive death and live eternally. One develops their soul by exercising faith in God and by desiring to know him, be like him and do his will. The danger of losing one's soul and facing extinction comes from willfully and deliberately choosing not to participate in God's plan for eternal survival. Most readers of
The Urantia Book feel that it is highly unlikely that such a definitive choice could be made by beings who are so utterly ignorant of God's overall plan for soul advancement.
In addtion, Jesus always admonished his believers to fear not, affirming that the universe is friendly. He repeatedly taught that the heavenly Father loves his children with an infinite love. Said Jesus,” Acceptance by faith on your part makes you a partaker of the divine nature, a son or a daughter of God. By faith you are justified; by faith are you saved; and by this same faith are you eternally advanced in the way of progressive and divine perfection."
(150:5.3)
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Your first question about Jesus being the only way rests on the assumption that Christianity reflects a true and accurate representation of Jesus' life, teachings, and gospel. You may wish to read the section titled
"The Religion of Jesus" (196:2.1)
which relates that while the
New Testament
is a superb Christian document, it is only meagerly Jesusonian, meaning that that it represents a religion
about Jesus, but only meagerly represents the religion
of Jesus.
Many use these words of Jesus to prioritize Christianity as the only way to find God, but at the time Jesus said these words Christianity (the religion about Jesus) did not exist. Jesus is the living way to God, but finding him and knowing him is not limited to this one short life in the flesh.
The Urantia Book teaches that those who don't find Jesus in this life will find him in the next.
Such a belief in religious superiority brings to mind the
apostles jostling for position at the
Last Supper (179:1.1),
each seeking preference before their Lord. Jesus told them, "Have not I told you that he who would be greatest in the kingdom of my Father's spiritual brotherhood must become little in his own eyes...?"
The cosmology defined by
The Urantia Book
makes it unmistakable that he who was Jesus on Earth is in spirit reality the mighty Sovereign of a vast universe, one that is teeming with freewill beings. He made reference to this when he said, "I have other sheep not of this flock." When Jesus states that none will come to the Father except through him it is quite literal, because as you ascend you will not reach beyond the borders of this universe without his personal blessing.
Spiritual truth that we as humans know, is relative. Our religions and beliefs will be amplified as we ascend through the universe whether we leave this world as agnostic, Buddhist,
Hindu,
Moslem, Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, or Presbyterian. This is so because religious persuasion is relative and conditioned by many external factors. Before beginning the ultimate journey to the Father, all will pass through the focus of Jesus as the universe Sovereign -- "the spiritual lens through whom God is made real and manifest."
Existence in the family of God is not about "believe as I do or be dammed." Jesus told his followers that we would know each other by our fruits, not by what church we go to or what beliefs we profess. A person cannot make an instant judgment about the fruits of another believer, it takes time to get to know someone in order to discern the fruits of their spirit.
The second part to your question about
The Urantia Book
asserting that it does not matter what belief you choose is somewhat inaccurate. Beliefs, even though partial and relative, do matter. Everyone is expected to strive for the best and highest they can conceive, which is one of the purposes of
The Urantia Book,
a handbook to greater understanding for those who seek to know more about the universe and their place in it. It's not required reading in order to attain cosmic citizenship but it has been provided for those whose curiosity has not been satisfied with current theological explanations.
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Actually, to be accurate,
The Urantia Book
doesn't deny the Biblical teachings as you've suggested. It does, however, provide a different interpretation for these events than what is given in
the Bible.
Why is that? Why did Protestants split off from the Catholic Church? Why did the Catholic Church split from Judaism? Why did Judaism evolve from the
Hebrew religion?
This is an evolutionary world. Rocks evolve, plant and animal life evolves, human beings, human societies, institutions, philosophies, and religions evolve. God's word evolves.
What are we to believe?
The Urantia Book relates that God expects us to believe that which makes the highest and best sense to us, without reliance upon what others around us seem to believe. So, which believers does God love more? God loves us all equally, accepts our shortcomings, errors, inconsistencies, and ignorance. Belief is a personal experience, a pact made between the believer and God. That's why I believe what I do and you believe what you do and why, most likely, no two people in the world believe exactly the same.
Some believers are content to believe what they're told to believe. Some choose to believe because of tradition, some because of what their parents believed. And some believers take an active role in developing their own beliefs through discussion, reading, introspection, and prayer, using their minds more actively in developing beliefs through logical processes — whether it's belief in the old or the new, the Old or the
New Testament,
the Quran, Harry Potter, The Urantia Book.
How is one assured that what they've read in the Bible is more accurate and true than what they've read in
The Urantia Book or some other source? Whichever more fully resonates with your sense for the truth, whichever makes the most logical sense, whichever brings the most peace and comfort and insight — that's what should guide your decisions in what to believe.
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Truthbook.com is devoted to promoting the teachings of The Urantia
Book, particularly as they advance the life and teachings of Jesus.
There are many correlations between The Urantia Book and
the Bible
and
The Urantia Book does have considerable to say about Moses although
your concern seems to be directed specifically at the Bible.
Moses is considered by The Urantia Book to have been wise and sagacious
and to have been the supreme teacher of the
Hebrews.
Moses forbade human sacrifices as a part of worship, substituting the
sacrifice of animals instead — a profound step forward in
primitive religion.
Moses taught monotheism at a time when polytheism was dominant.
You can get a non-biblical understanding of Moses and his contribution
to history from several complete sections in The Urantia Book regarding
him —
(96:3.1),
titled The Matchless Moses, and
(96:5.1),
titled The Teachings of Moses, and
(96:6.1)
titled The God Concept After Moses’ Death.
Apart from that, what you say about Moses may well be true —
I just can’t comment on those aspects of the historical
Moses. The teachings of The Urantia Book focus on the positive and
beneficial aspects of his teachings. But we do know that mid-eastern
culture during the days of Moses was primitive and that Moses would be
considered a primitive human being by today's standards.
You asked "what kind of damn fool would want anything to do with the god
of the Hebrews." Religious concepts evolve although there are still many
cultures with God concepts not far removed from those same primitive
beliefs. One of the functions of The Urantia Book is to put that
evolution into historical context so the reader can understand how and
why religion evolves. The God of the Hebrews is a giant step forward in
an evolving God concept so rather than just believing the
Old Testament
version of that primitive concept we can understand why, primitive
though it was, it was an important step forward to more enlightened
concepts.
You said: "The entire bible is a concoction of man to control the
deceived masses." It sounds is if you may be a proponent of conspiracy
theories, a concept that doesn’t ring true to me. Yes, the
Bible is a history written by men; it also contains some of the most
profound wisdom ever recorded. It certainly does require reading with
one’s eyes open.
As students of The Urantia Book we learn to discern that which in the
Bible is true, beautiful, and good just as we can discern the same in
The Urantia Book.
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The authors of the Urantia Book are celestial personalities. Some are
ascended mortals, some are
angels, some are high Sons of God - all were
mandated by The Ancients of Days to deliver the Urantia Papers to
humanity. This delivery took place during the early years of the 20th
century, and was completed in 1934. The final section of The Urantia
Book - the Life and Teachings of Jesus - were delivered in toto a short
time later, and the entire book was first published in final form in
1955 in Chicago. Many of the concepts (over 1000) in the book were
already here on the planet in those days, in already published works,
and the Revelators re-worded and re-worked many of these high human
concepts and incorporated them into the text. So, in that sense, there
was also a fair amount of worthwhile human thought involved - in a
peripheral way. But the main bulk of the information in The Urantia
Book is a brilliantly crafted treatise of celestial origin - completely
unique.
I am not an author of the book, and I have no way to convince you that
what
is contained in its covers is true. The only way that one can discern
the truth of The Urantia Book is by opening it up and reading it. Many
people who have done just that are completely convinced of its truth,
and have allowed that truth to expand their worldview, inform their
spiritual lives, and improve their understanding of, and communion
with, God. Others read some of it, and decide that they are not
interested, or they decide to leave it alone for any number of reasons.
The Truthbook.com site is dedicated to making the Urantia Book
available and accessible to people on the internet. We exist for that
purpose, and are not in the business of proselytising or trying to
convince anyone of anything. The Urantia Book stands alone, on its own
merits. Again, the only way to know of its truth is to read it for
yourself and judge for yourself whether or not it is, indeed, true.
Having said that, I wish to expand a little bit on one or two things,
just by way of further explanation, so you can make an informed
decision about it. One of the concepts of The Urantia Book that is very
attractive is the concept of the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of Truth
is that "good spirit" that was promised by Jesus to take his place
after his ascension into
heaven,
and which was delivered to humanity at
Pentecost.
This Spirit is in every way like Jesus, except for the fact
that it is a spiritual reality, not a material reality, as Jesus was in
the flesh. The Spirit of Truth indwells each person and assists us to
discern truth, wherever it is found. You possess this Spirit as well as
anyone else, and I invite you to keep that in mind, and keep an open
mind, when you approach The Urantia Book.
The Urantia Book does parallel
the Bible
in many respects,
and explains to us why the Bible and all ancient
Scripture
must also be read with discernment - just because of the human element
that was involved in all of that re-writing and such...and you should
also read The Urantia Book with that same discernment. Jesus himself
was very selective in his use of Scripture. The Urantia Book does not
claim to be inerrant, or the "word of God." It is a gift of
revelation
to Earth, and is meant to fill in the gaps in our understanding of
earth history, of universe cosmology, of Divinity, and of the life and
teachings of Jesus. I am sure you would agree that there do exist many,
many gaps in our knowledge of these things. The Urantia Book answers
all of these many questions in a way that is satisfying both
intellectually and spiritually. Part IV - The Life and Teachings of
Jesus - is one superb example of this kind of filling in the gaps, as
it narrates the life of Jesus as a whole - from his birth, through his
childhood, his adolescence, and into his manhood and his mission of
proclaiming the good news as we have only known it from the
New Testament.
The difference is that in The Urantia Book, ALL the missing
years and missing events are, for the first time, given to us to enjoy
and as sublime inspiration for our modern times.
You can come to trust the writings of The Urantia Book, but not because
I say so, because Truthbook says so, or because IT says so. Your own
Spirit within will bear witness to you if you are a sincere seeker for
the truth. Doubt is the human condition, and nothing bad will happen to
you if you decide not to seriously read The Urantia Book. The most
important thing is to keep searching for God, to stay on the road to
righteousness, follow Jesus, love God, and be a good sister/brother
to others.
Thanks again for writing. I hope this reply has been helpful to you.
Please feel free to subscribe to the Quote of the Day, a free service
of Truthbook.com, and also please look over our site. You might find
some of the Urantia Book history helpful (click on The Urantia Book in
the left hand menu, and choose a topic) and also you might like to read
some of the personal stories of people who feel that The Urantia Book
changed their lives for the better (on the left-side menu).
On this
page you'll be able to access several video movies
featuring Urantia Book readers giving their personal testimonies
regarding The Urantia Book.
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Q: I look at parts of your site and couldn't find
any reference to the Bible. The part that I read is speaking more or
less toward Jesus being who we believe he is but not being into your
book any deeper that I am I wonder just what your belief is based on?
I do believe that if a person is Born Again By Jesus Blood he can
pretty much understand (being led by the Holy Spirit) the ole fashion
word of God.
There is nothing wrong with reference books that provide help for
believers and I trust that your book is nothing more that just that (a
Help) for believers.
I do like the name of your book TRUTHBOOK because we know that the
truth shall set you free but in this day and age there are wolves
walking about in sheep's clothing seeking whom they may devour turning
the Truth into a lie.
A: Our site is dedicated to the teachings of The
Urantia Book, which does contain over a thousand references to and
quotes from
the Bible.
The Urantia Book is not intended to substitute
for the Bible, the foundation upon which Western culture rests, nor to
substitute for any particular religion. What it does do is provide
insight into the Bible's unique position in history and most students
of The Urantia Book come to a deeper appreciation of the Bible through
their study of the UB. So if you're comfortable with and confident in
your understanding and interpretation of the Bible then there may
perhaps be nothing for The Urantia Book to offer you since it speaks to
those who did not find the answers afforded by science, religion, or
philosophy sufficient to satisfy their inquiring nature.
One significant difference between the Bible and The Urantia Book is
that the Bible contains but a brief account of the life and teachings
of Jesus; although brief it has been sufficient to float the Christian
religion for two thousand years and to give an understanding of Jesus
to countless seekers. But, all told, there are fewer than 100 pages in
the Bible relating to Jesus. The fourth section of The Urantia Book is
about 700 pages in length; it recounts his matchless life and teachings
from before birth through his death and resurrection - no missing
years. Students of this book rely upon Jesus' spirit, the Comforter,
the Spirit of Truth, to lead and guide them as they follow Jesus'
admonition to "Fear not!"
Your impression that The Urantia Book is a reference book is quite
accurate; it's an unsurpassed reference to Jesus, the meaning of his
life and teachings to all of humanity. It is also considered to be a
reference book for cosmic citizenship since it recounts in great detail
the nature of God, the nature of creation, the history of the world,
and our place in it and how we fit into the grand scheme of it all. But
rather than being more than "a help for believers" The Urantia Book is
a help for non-believers, those who lacked belief, those who were
searching for God but didn't seem to find Him. Believers have already
found God; The Urantia Book is a living handbook for those who are
seeking.
Urantia Book students and readers believe in the "good news," just as
most Christians believe, but with some addtional revelatory information
added - such as the fact of God's actual indwelling in the mortal mind,
as well as the revealed cosmology of God's creation, and the true
mission of Jesus, which was to reveal to mankind the loving nature of
God and to establish His kingdom in earth, and in the hearts of His
children.
Our beliefs are not all that different from the beliefs of
traditional Christianity. Urantia Book readers are taught that
being
born of the spirit is a prerequisite for entrance into the
Kingdom, and we are also taught to rely on the Spirit of Truth - the
Comforter - that Jesus gave us when he returned to the Father after his
resurrection. This Spirit is our true helper in the discernment of
Truth.
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Q: How may I come to trust the Urantia way as truth?
In what ways can I
know this truth?
A:
That's a good question and one we each have to face, whether it's in
regard to The Urantia Book or any other scientific finding,
philosophical ideal, or religious belief. How do you know what's real
or true versus what's a figment or false? Happily God has provided all
we need in this regard.
First, we're endowed with a mind and
with free will. These allow us to consider the things that come into
our consciousness, to think them over, try them out, see how they feel.
We have an in-born
conscience that helps us decipher right from wrong.
We're also endowed with an ability to think logically and to make
deductions from what we already know or understand. If something
doesn't make logical sense then either you need more knowledge before
making your decision or the thought is erroneous.
The next test
is, do you believe that Jesus lived here and taught what is important
for us to know? If so then you'll recall that Jesus has said for us to
"fear not" -- that can also be applied to concerns about what's true
and what's not. You can ask Jesus for guidance in helping you make
right decisions and choices. Also recall that Jesus left us his spirit,
the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth. This is an actual spirit presence
for your benefit to help you know right from wrong, good from evil,
truth from error. Ask for guidance -- while humans may lead you astray,
Jesus won't. Trust Jesus. If you don't believe in Jesus then making
right decisions and knowing the truth can be more difficult -- reading
The Life and Teachings of Jesus as found in the fourth part of The
Urantia Book will be a blessing to you.
Our main problem is
that too many of us are timid about relying upon our own decisions. We
look for authority to come from outside. We seek religions of
authority, clergy of authority, traditions of authority, teachers of
authority -- none of these can substitute for the authority of your own
mind and your own thoughts and decisions. You ultimately answer for all
of your choices and decisions and beliefs -- the responsibility for
them rests with you and no one else can substitute.
It's not
necessary to trust and believe The Urantia Book -- some people read it
and decide it's not for them. But if you're a truth seeking person,
looking for deeper answers then you owe it to yourself to read and to
study this amazing book. It's a gift to humanity from deity -- if
you're sensitive to truth then its teachings will ring true to you.
May
I also recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider
subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site
that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this
marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image,
a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the
teachings of the book.
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I guess there is always a chance, but it seems to me that the
overwhelming feeling that one gets from reading the
Revelation is that
the vast majority of human beings WILL survive in eternity. And that
includes you.
My understanding is that one must simply CHOOSE to survive, and then
have FAITH that that survival is inevitable. Doubt is the one thing
that the believer has to resist, and so Jesus always exhorted us to
develop a living faith - one that leaves no room for doubt. Unless you
deliberately choose otherwise, your survival is assured.
"The door of
eternal life is wide open to all; "whosoever will may
come"; there are no restrictions or qualifications save the faith of
the one who comes."
139:12.7
Even if you may fear that your own faith might be somewhat lacking, The
Urantia Book says
this:
... it is the nature of the Sons of God to give every
created being a full and equal chance for salvation and survival. Jesus
wanted not only the mortals of this world but the onlookers of
innumerable other worlds to know that, when doubts exist as to the
sincerity and wholeheartedness of a creature's devotion to the kingdom,
it is the invariable practice of the Judges of men fully to receive the
doubtful candidate.
p1566:6
139:12.7
The Master looked upon men as the sons of God
and foresaw a magnificent and eternal future for those who chose
survival. He was not a moral skeptic; he viewed man positively, not
negatively. He saw most men as weak rather than wicked, more distraught
than depraved. But no matter what their status, they were all God's
children and his brethren. p2093:3
196:2.9
I think you can rest assured that you will also be given every
opportunity to survive, if that is your desire. Your faith and your own
choice in this matter are the keys to
eternal life.
I hope you will take a look at two of our short flash presentations
regarding
this issue. One is:
You
Can Live Forever and the other one is
After
You Die.
Both of these presentation are beautiful condensations of Urantia Book
truth regarding the surety of survival, and eternal life.
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The world abounds with conspiracy theories, but I have never heard of a serious one that involves atheism. Of course, if there were a serious effort afoot, maybe it would not advertise itself on the Internet.
To my understanding, atheism is a case of doubt as to the truth of the existence of God - not only doubt, but a conviction that there is no unseen Deity at all. Agnosticism allows room for doubt, but an avowed atheist is sure that there is no God.
I am sure that even persons who are honest of heart can be atheists. I have often thought, though, that a true atheist is one of the most spirit-minded of persons, as they devote their lives to dis-proving that which is not provable, except in the realm of faith and spiritual experience. Likewise, God's existence is neither able to be dis-proved. If there is such a conspiracy, I think that it will have little chance of ultimate success, as the overwhelming majority of people on Earth DO believe, and have always believed, in some form of Deity Presence.
The seeds of atheism were sown on this planet in the long-ago days of the Lucifer Rebellion. Lucifer himself taught evolving man that there was no God, and this was one of the cornerstones of his infamous Manifesto. Unfortunately, we still see the repercussions of his insanity even today in the form of atheism as a "philosophy." It takes quite a long time for the effects of rebellion to be eradicated.
Because we do not have the spiritual helpers that a normal planet enjoys, such as
Adam and Eve and a resident Planetary Prince, we humans must rely on faith and desire to find God. For some, this is a leap that they are not prepared to take, and so they prefer instead to rely wholly upon their material senses, which are hardly adequate to discern spiritual presence. Little wonder that atheism can flourish in a world that glorifies the scientific method divorced from spiritual insight.
In our 21st Century world, atheism seems to be enjoying a resurgence, but is it a serious threat? Is there an organized and concerted effort to undermine belief in God? I have not ever heard of that, but that is not to say that some atheists may desire such an effort, as they can be quite strident in their unbelief. There is also a "church" whose members worship
Satan,
but does that constitute a "conspiracy theory?" I think these are just confused folks who have yet to learn the reality - or the possibility - of God through their own experience.
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About Praise and Worship
Praise and worship are most effective when done with reverence and a sincere heart. The following quotes from
The Urantia Book may be helpful with this question:
The factors which contribute to the initiation of mystic communion are indicative of the danger of such psychic states. The mystic status is favored by such things as: physical fatigue, fasting, psychic dissociation, profound aesthetic experiences, vivid sex impulses, fear, anxiety, rage, and wild dancing. Much of the material arising as a result of such preliminary preparation has its origin in the subconscious mind.
However favorable may have been the conditions for mystic phenomena, it should be clearly understood that Jesus of Nazareth never resorted to such methods for communion with the Paradise Father. Jesus had no subconscious delusions or superconscious illusions."
(100:5.10)
When Jesus heard this, he said: "Be willing, then, to take up your
responsibilities and follow me. Do your good deeds in secret; when you give alms, let not the left hand know what the right hand does. And when you pray, go apart by yourselves and use not vain repetitions and meaningless phrases.
Always remember that the Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
And be not given to fasting with a sad countenance to be seen by men.
(140:6.11)
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Yes, one can always pray for another. Prayer for another is often the most effective form of prayer. You may wish to begin reading here:
(168:4.1)
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Aside from all that is superself in the experience of praying, it
should be remembered that ethical prayer is a splendid way to elevate
one's ego and reinforce the self for better living and higher
attainment. Prayer induces the human ego to look both ways for help:
for material aid to the subconscious reservoir of mortal experience,
for inspiration and guidance to the superconscious borders of the
contact of the material with the spiritual...
Prayer must never be so prostituted as to become a substitute for
action. All ethical prayer is a stimulus to action and a guide to the
progressive striving for idealistic goals of superself-attainment.
(91:3.5,
Pg 997)
While the nonselfish type of prayer is strengthening and
comforting, materialistic praying is destined to bring disappointment
and disillusionment as advancing scientific discoveries demonstrate
that man lives in a physical universe of law and order.
The real prayer of faith always contributes to the augmentation of
the technique of living, even if such petitions are not worthy of
spiritual recognition.
(91:4.4,
Pg 998)
Prayer, even as a purely human practice, a dialogue with one's
alter ego, constitutes a technique of the most efficient approach to
the realization of those reserve powers of human nature which are
stored and conserved in the unconscious realms of the human mind.
(91:6.4,
Pg 999)
Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a
stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. Pray only for values,
not things; for growth, not for gratification.
(91:8.13,
Pg 1002)
Prayer is designed to make man less thinking but more realizing;
it is not designed to increase knowledge but rather to expand insight.
(143:7.4,
Pg 1616)
Prayer, when indited by the spirit, leads to co-operative
spiritual progress. The ideal prayer is a form of spiritual communion
which leads to intelligent worship. True praying is the sincere
attitude of reaching heavenward for the attainment of your ideals.
(144:2.2,
Pg 1618)
The earnest and longing repetition of any petition, when such a
prayer is the sincere expression of a child of God and is uttered in
faith, no matter how ill-advised or impossible of direct answer, never
fails to expand the
soul's capacity for spiritual receptivity.
Prayer is an antidote for harmful introspection.
Prayer is a part of the divine plan for making over that which is into
that which ought to be.
(144:4.2,
Pg 1621)
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The Urantia Book,
(91:7.2)
Man can never wisely decide temporal issues or transcend the
selfishness of personal interests unless he meditates in the presence
of the sovereignty of God and reckons with the realities of divine
meanings and spiritual values.
The Urantia Book,
(99:7.4)
Meditation makes the contact of mind with spirit; relaxation
determines the capacity for spiritual receptivity. And this interchange
of strength for weakness, courage for fear, the will of God for the
mind of self, constitutes worship.
The Urantia Book,
(160:3.1)
One of the great troubles with modern life is that man thinks he is too
busy to find time for spiritual meditation and religious devotion.
The Urantia Book,
(195:6.7)
These are but a few Urantia Book quotes regarding prayer, worship and
meditation. Please see
Worship
,
Prayer
, and
Meditation
for a much larger exploration of these subjects.
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Well, I guess that that depends upon with whom you are having the discussion...
Emotion has its place in religious experience, but subjecting others to that kind of personal emotional experience might not be the best thing, especially if you are simply in a discussion of religion, and even more especially if you are trying to interest them in true spiritual reality. A discussion implies that you are using the mind, and not the emotions. Not everyone who is religious has those kinds of emotional impulses. Sometimes that sort of thing seems contrived and artificial, but sometimes it is genuine. Regardless, I think it is certainly inappropriate if someone ends up feeling uncomfortable or excluded.
It is entirely appropriate to do a shout out when you are among your inner circle who will likely appreciate it, and who may even join in your exuberance...I am thinking of some church services, where people are shouting out right and left. I think that is a good thing. And sometimes it does just feel really good to declare a heartfelt "Amen!" among your brethren. But in other circumstances, people might just think you are some kind of a fanatic, and they'll be put off by such a display.
Religion is best grasped and appreciated by the MIND, not by the emotions. While religious thought can produce heartfelt emotion, one should always use common sense about expressing it appropriately.
Thanks for the question...
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Q: I'm very interested in your religion, its beliefs, references, etc. I'm currently a Lutheran and I'm finding out more about them that I don't like. I'm tired of mainstream Christianity. Do you have churches like other churches?
Urantia
Book readers come from all manner of beliefs or lack thereof --
Catholic priests and nuns, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians,
Mormons,
Jews,
Hindus,
Buddhists, Moslems, atheists and agnostics and
everything in between, even Lutherans.
There have
been attempts in the past to establish a Urantia Church but the concept
isn't particularly well received among Urantians -- you see, most of us
believe that the teachings of The Urantia Book do not denote a new
religion as much as they provide an umbrella under which all world
religions can function. The Urantia Book is here, in part, to elevate
and uplift the religious thought in the world, whether it be Christian,
Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, or pagan, not to impose another form of
religion.
The
kingdom of heaven
that Jesus introduced is what The Urantia Book
calls the "invisible brotherhood."
The true church—the Jesus brotherhood—is
invisible, spiritual, and is characterized by unity...
(195:10.11)
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What Does The Urantia Book Say About...
Nearly 38,000 years ago our world was given the second of five major
revelations, which the book refers to as "epochal revelations." This second divine revelation was the bestowal of a heavenly couple,
Adam and Eve, , who were near perfect material beings. Such a divine couple, in essence the material representatives of the heavenly realms to the worlds of time and space, are sent to every inhabited world in the early stages of human evolution.
The divine mission of an Adam and Eve on an inhabited world is always the same: to spiritually, culturally, and biologically up-step the evolutionary mortal races. The human species on our world had already evolved for over 950,000 years, and six aboriginal colored races existed by the time of the arrival of our Adam and Eve.
The Urantia Book tells the amazing story of their sojourn on our world, describing in great detail their optimistic courage, tragic default, and heroic effort to salvage their work against tremendous odds.
The Urantia Book,
Paper 73 The Garden of Eden
Paper 74 Adam and Eve
Paper 75 The Default of Adam and Eve
Paper 76,
The Second Garden
See our
comprehensive study of Adam and Eve here.
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According to The Urantia Book rebellion did break out in our part of the Local Universe. The book explains that the greater the distance between God (at the
Paradise
center of all things) and his created intelligences, the greater the possibility for imperfection, and consequently for rebellion. Our local system of nearly 1,000 inhabited worlds was deeply affected by this rebellion because Lucifer, the being who initiated the insurrection, actually held the highest position of trust within the system, that of governor.
Our world was one of 37 planets in the system to be led into the rebellion, and the consequences of confusion, violence and disharmony are obvious and severe. The Urantia Book goes into great detail on these matters, describing Lucifer's deception, the beings involved, the terrible betrayal of innocence, and the current status of the rebellion. For more information on this topic please read:
Paper 53,
The Lucifer Rebellion
Paper 54,
Problems Of The Lucifer Rebellion
Paper 67,
The Planetary Rebellion
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According to
The Urantia Book, the
soul's advancement into the spirit realms is characterized by progressively spiritual existences beyond the initial mortal existence, not by repeatedly re-living the material life. It teaches that the life experiences of each individual are wholly unique and personal, and that they contribute to each soul's evolutionary growth and attainment. It provides for a continuity of personal existence and experience, where nothing of value is lost or forgotten. The book teaches that the spirits of departed human beings do not come back to the world of their origin.
"A mortal never returns to his native planet during the dispensation of his temporal existence, and if he should return during a subsequent dispensation, he would be escorted by a transport seraphim of the universe headquarters group."
(The Urantia Book,
Page 436,
39:4.15)
Although not supporting the concept of reincarnation, the Urantia
revelation offers instead a logical, spiritually consistent, fulfilling, and uplifting account of what happens to a person's
soul after death.
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Here is the answer, directly quoted from page 603 of the book:
(or link to page 603)
THE LUCIFER MANIFESTO
Whatever the early origins of trouble in the hearts of Lucifer and
Satan,
the final outbreak took form as the Lucifer Declaration of Liberty. The cause of the rebels was stated under three heads:
1. The reality of the Universal Father. Lucifer charged that the Universal Father did not really exist, that physical gravity and space-energy were inherent in the universe, and that the Father was a myth invented by the Paradise Sons to enable them to maintain the rule of the universes in the Father's name. He denied that
personality was a gift of the Universal Father. He even intimated that the finaliters were in collusion with the Paradise Sons to foist fraud upon all creation since they never brought back a very clear-cut idea of the Father's actual personality as it is discernible on Paradise. He traded on reverence as ignorance. The charge was sweeping, terrible, and blasphemous. It was this veiled attack upon the finaliters that no doubt influenced the ascendant citizens then on Jerusem to stand firm and remain steadfast in resistance to all the rebel's proposals.
2. The universe government of the Creator Son--Michael. Lucifer contended that the local systems should be autonomous. He protested against the right of Michael, the Creator Son, to assume sovereignty of Nebadon in the name of a hypothetical Paradise Father and require all personalities to acknowledge allegiance to this unseen Father. He asserted that the whole plan of worship was a clever scheme to aggrandize the Paradise Sons. He was willing to acknowledge Michael as his Creator-father but not as his God and rightful ruler.
Most bitterly did he attack the right of the Ancients of Days--"foreign potentates"--to interfere in the affairs of the local systems and universes. These rulers he denounced as tyrants and usurpers. He exhorted his followers to believe that none of these rulers could do aught to interfere with the operation of complete home rule if men and
angels only had the courage to assert themselves and boldly claim their rights.
He contended that the executioners of the Ancients of Days could be debarred from functioning in the local systems if the native beings would only
assert their independence. He maintained that immortality was inherent in the system personalities, that resurrection was natural and automatic, and that all beings would live eternally except for the arbitrary and unjust acts of the executioners of the Ancients of Days.
3. The attack upon the universal plan of ascendant mortal training. Lucifer maintained that far too much time and energy were expended upon the scheme of so thoroughly training ascending mortals in the principles of universe administration, principles which he alleged were unethical and unsound. He protested against the agelong program for preparing the mortals of space for some unknown destiny and pointed to the presence of the finaliter corps on Jerusem as proof that these mortals had spent ages of preparation for some destiny of pure fiction. With derision he pointed out that the finaliters had encountered a destiny no more glorious than to be returned to humble spheres similar to those of their origin. He intimated that they had been debauched by overmuch discipline and prolonged training, and that they were in reality traitors to their mortal fellows since they were now co-operating with the scheme of enslaving all creation to the fictions of a mythical eternal destiny for ascending mortals. He advocated that ascenders should enjoy the liberty of individual self-determination. He challenged and condemned the entire plan of mortal ascension as sponsored by the Paradise Sons of God and supported by the Infinite Spirit.
And it was with such a Declaration of Liberty that Lucifer launched his orgy of darkness and death.
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The Urantia Book
explains the evolution of human history, the ebb and flow of civilization, but it does so in broad and general terms.
The story of the Garden of Eden from The Urantia Book has striking similarities to Plato's account of Atlantis, and some Urantia Book readers believe both stories are referring to the same historical event.
It's entirely possible that Atlantis and Lemuria actually did exist, but there have been far too many significant episodes in the million years of human evolutionary history for the authors to include them all in this one book. So they highlighted episodes that have had a profound impact on the progress and evolution of our enduring human institutions, like the development of marriage, family, religion, government, education, war, and civilization in general.
The history of human life as presented in The Urantia Book is insightful, fulfilling, inspiring, unique, sublime, exciting, stimulating, positive and profoundly satisfying, so
keep reading, you won't be disappointed.
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Excepting perfect beings of Deity origin, all will creatures in the superuniverses are of evolutionary nature, beginning in lowly estate and climbing ever upward, in reality inward. Even highly spiritual personalities continue to ascend the scale of life by progressive translations from life to life and from sphere to sphere. And in the case of those who entertain the Mystery Monitors, there is indeed no limit to the possible heights of their spiritual ascent and universe attainment.
(32:3.8, Pg 361)
There was, throughout all these regions, a lingering belief in reincarnation. The older
Jewish
teachers, together with Plato, Philo, and many of the
Essenes,
tolerated the theory that men may reap in one incarnation what they have sown in a previous existence; thus in one life they were believed to be expiating the sins committed in preceding lives. The Master found it difficult to make men believe that their
souls had not had previous existences.
(164:3.4, Pg 1811)
The undue concentration on self led certainly to a fear of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of self in an endless round of successive incarnations as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the contaminating beliefs which could have become fastened upon what may have been an emerging monotheism, none was so stultifying as this belief in transmigration--the doctrine of the reincarnation of
souls--which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in the weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of the earlier Vedic faith.
This philosophically debilitating teaching was soon followed by the invention of the doctrine of the eternal escape from self by submergence in the universal rest and peace of absolute union with Brahman, the oversoul of all creation. Mortal desire and human ambition were effectually ravished and virtually destroyed. For more than two thousand years the better minds of
India
have sought to escape from all desire, and thus was opened wide the door for the entrance of those later cults and teachings which have virtually shackled the
souls of many
Hindu
peoples in the chains of spiritual hopelessness. Of all civilizations, the Vedic-Aryan paid the most terrible price for its rejection of the Salem gospel.
(94:2.3, Pg 1029)
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There are a number of "first-born" references in
The Urantia Book,
so it appears
that some universe significance is associated with being number one.
There's nothing specific related in
The Urantia Book
of Jesus discussing
the sacrifice of the first-born. That practice was a primitive ritual
that had been discarded by Jesus' time.
It was long the custom of many peoples to dedicate the first fruits to
the spirits. And these observances, now more or less symbolic, are all
survivals of the early ceremonies involving human sacrifice. The idea of
offering the first-born as a sacrifice was widespread among the ancients,
especially among the
Phoenicians,
who were the last to give it up. It used to
be said upon sacrificing, "life for life." Now you say at death, "dust to
dust."
The spectacle of Abraham constrained to sacrifice his son Isaac, while
shocking to civilized susceptibilities, was not a new or strange idea to the
men of those days. It was long a prevalent practice for fathers, at times of
great emotional stress, to sacrifice their first-born sons. Many peoples have
a tradition analogous to this story, for there once existed a world-wide and
profound belief that it was necessary to offer a human sacrifice when anything
extraordinary or unusual happened.
Moses attempted to end human sacrifices by inaugurating the ransom as a
substitute. He established a systematic schedule which enabled his people to
escape the worst results of their rash and foolish vows. Lands, properties,
and children could be redeemed according to the established fees, which were
payable to the priests. Those groups which ceased to sacrifice their
first-born soon possessed great advantages over less advanced neighbors who
continued these atrocious acts. Many such backward tribes were not only
greatly weakened by this loss of sons, but even the succession of leadership
was often broken.
An outgrowth of the passing child sacrifice was the custom of smearing
blood on the house doorposts for the protection of the first-born. This was
often done in connection with one of the sacred feasts of the year, and this
ceremony once obtained over most of the world from Mexico to
Egypt.
(981) (89:6.7)
The
Passover
event recorded in
the Bible
and discussed in
The Urantia Book
is not explained in modern terms, so whether it is allegorical or
not is up to individual interpretation.
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Jesus once said, "I have come to proclaim the establishment of the Father's kingdom. And this kingdom shall include the worshiping
souls
of
Jew
and gentile, rich and poor, free and bond, for my Father is no respecter of persons; his love and his mercy are over all."
The Urantia Book makes it clear that God does not favor one child over another, nor withhold his affection and ministry because of ideological, religious, cultural or racial variances. Human sexuality is not a deterrent to the quality of the spiritual relationship between man and God. Sexual preference does not diminish God's love for man nor man's ability to love and crave to know God.
The Urantia Book also tells us that in order for human beings to acquire genuine altruism, we must encounter situations of social inequality. It says that God would have us create a true brotherhood of mankind based on the fact of our shared spiritual parentage, but this will be impossible so long as we continue to find reasons to hate each other in God's name. In a sense, the book holds up our sincere love for one another as the best way to measure our spiritual maturity. The Urantia Book absolutely does exalt the man-woman partnership as the most ideal environment for child rearing and says that good families are the foundation of civilization, but it does not declare social edicts.
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Based on
The Urantia Book
there is no
hell,
no place of eternal torment. It is obvious that a loving human father would not torment his errant children; understanding God's
personality as it is disclosed by the book makes it obvious that the heavenly Father's love is perfect and absolute. We need not be saved from God, we need only be saved from our own base and selfish inclinations. The following quote from The Urantia Book addresses this question directly.
When once you grasp the idea of God as a true and loving Father, the only concept which Jesus ever taught, you must forthwith, in all consistency, utterly abandon all those primitive notions about God as an offended monarch, a stern and all-powerful ruler whose chief delight is to detect his subjects in wrongdoing and to see that they are adequately punished, unless some being almost equal to himself should volunteer to suffer for them, to die as a substitute and in their stead. The whole idea of ransom and
atonement
is incompatible with the concept of God as it was taught and exemplified by Jesus of Nazareth. The infinite love of God is not secondary to anything in the divine nature. (188:4.8)
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Please read the answer above as well as the following quotes from the book on the existence of
Hell.
Early man entertained no ideas of hell or future punishment. The savage looked upon the future life as just like this one, minus all ill luck. Later on, a separate destiny for good ghosts
and bad ghosts--
heaven
and hell--was conceived.
(86:4.7, Pg 953)
The greatest punishment (in reality an inevitable consequence) for wrongdoing and deliberate rebellion against the government of God is loss of existence as an individual subject of
that government.
(2:3.2, Pg 37)
No
affectionate father is ever precipitate in visiting punishment upon an erring member of his family.
Patience cannot function independently of time.
(54:5.4, Pge617)
Always keep in mind: 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.
(99:5.2, Page 1091)
Neither do genuine believers trouble themselves so much about the future punishment of sin. The real believer is only concerned about present separation from God. True, wise fathers
may chasten their sons, but they do all this in love and for corrective purposes. They do not
punish in anger, neither do they chastise in retribution.
(188:4.10, Pg 2017)
God is the Father; man is his son. Love, the love of a father for his son, becomes the central truth in the universe relations of Creator and creature--not the justice of a king which seeks satisfaction in the sufferings and punishment of the evil-doing subject.
(188:5.1, Pg 2018)
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Here we go --
impersonal -- devoid of personal character or traits
prepersonal -- existing before self-consciousness; not yet a
personality
personal -- pertaining to or characteristic of a person; self-conscious
subpersonal -- below self-conscious mental levels; mind activated energy-matter; animal consciousness.
superpersonal -- existing beyond self-consciousness; not altogether comprehensible to mortals
Ahh, I see you're reading the Foreword. You'll find a number of words used in
The Urantia Book
that are composite words, using prefixes and suffixes to provide shades of meaning — one of the features of the English
language that makes it the most expressive in many ways and most likely one of the major reasons for its choice as the vehicle for presenting the Urantia
revelation to the world. Some words in
The Urantia Book
won't be found in a dictionary even though they're legitimate words. It's expected that the reader engage their understanding of word etymology and the focus provided by a prefix or suffix to determine the implied meanings on their own since the revelators have often attempted to capture infinite ideas through finite concepts. So don't feel confounded or confused by some of the complex
language you'll encounter -- probe the words for the concepts they imply. After all, some of what
The Urantia Book
discloses is brand new, never before revealed to human thinking, concepts for which there are no specific words devised to encapsulate the new meanings.
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The Urantia Book
teaches that science and religion are not at odds; one doesn't have to believe only in science and logic or have religion and faith to the exclusion of the other.
The Bible
says many things that don't concur literally with scientific discovery -- what we're to learn from that is to expand our religious understanding and not encapsulate our beliefs into unyielding boxes. To quote
The Urantia Book:
Belief has attained the level of faith when it motivates life and shapes the mode of living. The acceptance of a teaching as true is not faith; that is mere belief. Neither is certainty nor conviction faith. A state of mind attains to faith levels only when it actually dominates the mode of living. Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience. One believes truth, admires beauty, and reverences goodness, but does not worship them; such an attitude of saving faith is centered on God alone, who is all of these personified and infinitely more.
Belief is always limiting and binding; faith is expanding and releasing. Belief fixates, faith liberates. But living religious faith is more than the association of noble beliefs; it is more than an exalted system of philosophy; it is a living experience concerned with spiritual meanings, divine ideals, and supreme values; it is God-knowing and man-serving. Beliefs may become group possessions, but faith must be personal. Theologic beliefs can be suggested to a group, but faith can rise up only in the heart of the individual religionist.
Faith does not shackle the creative imagination, neither does it maintain an unreasoning prejudice toward the discoveries of scientific investigation. Faith vitalizes religion and constrains the religionist heroically to live the golden rule. The zeal of faith is according to knowledge, and its strivings are the preludes to sublime peace.
(101:8.1)
The Urantia Book
also tells us that the plan God uses to create is through evolution. It's a mistake to assume that evolution contradicts God's hand in creation. What you've written about the evolutionary process is partly correct according to the teachings of
The Urantia Book:
our human bodies were evolved according to God's plan — our biological ancestors are animals. Men do not become angels;
angels are a separate creation. Angels don't become Gods, nor do we; creative deity is separate and apart from human destiny.
You said if
The Urantia Book
is true it wouldn't contradict the Bible. I think God gives us logical minds that we're expected to use to help discern truth. If we only accepted what was written thousands of years ago as the limits to our understanding then we'd still be living in tents, there'd be no hospitals, girls wouldn't go to school, no one would have colonized America or Australia, we'd be writing on clay tablets and papyrus with quill pens. I think God expects more of us than that and has provided us with the minds that allow for new discoveries not only in science but in religion, history, philosophy.
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The answer is presented clearly in the following paragraph:
3. Bestowal Missions. The Avonal Sons do all, at least once, bestow themselves upon some mortal race
