The Urantia Book contains religion, history, science, and philosophy, and includes the life and teachings of Jesus. It defines religion as the sublime and personal relationship between the individual and the Creator. The Urantia Book simply states,
"In its true essence, religion is a faith-trust in the goodness of God."
(2:6.1)
The book asserts that one of the highest religious concepts that a person can grasp is the simple
"...fact of the fatherhood of God, coupled with the resultant truth of the sonship-brotherhood of men."
(194:0.4)
No organized religion based on the teachings of The Urantia Book exists at this time, and many who believe in the book feel it is neither necessary nor desirable to create one.
Each of the world's major religions once began as cult. A "cult" is characterized by a group of people who adhere to a standardized and ecclesiastically sanctioned belief system, leaving no room for personal beliefs or for interpretation. Often, such a belief system embraces some regiment of uncontestable theology, some indispensable method to garner one's salvation into
heaven.
Usually, there is a charismatic leader who is recognized as the final authority on nearly all matters of living, sometimes even to the mundane.
None of the above characteristics applies to readers of The Urantia Book. The Urantia Book has no official interpretation, and it actually encourages the free exploration of its concepts, allowing readers to discover for themselves the meaning and value of its teachings.
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