Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: As we are Christians, I believe we more in GOD'S HEART and what I wanted to know, is SATAN the only thing GOD was unhappy about since he was chased out of heaven to earth?

A: You say that you believe that Christians are closer to God's heart. I would have to say that I disagree with you about that. God is no respecter of persons - he does not prefer this person over that one, but loves all of his children the same. All of God's children are on an equal footing, and possess the same potential for eternal life. Christians, Muslims, Jews, even those persons who do not belong to a particular religion, have an equal place in God's heart. It is not the religion that you belong to, but the fact that all people are indwelt by God that unifies all of us, and leaves no one out. God is spirit Father to all.

From The Urantia Book:

"To every spirit being and to every mortal creature in every sphere and on every world of the universe of universes, the Universal Father reveals all of his gracious and divine self that can be discerned or comprehended by such spirit beings and by such mortal creatures. God is no respecter of persons, either spiritual or material. The divine presence which any child of the universe enjoys at any given moment is limited only by the capacity of such a creature to receive and to discern the spirit actualities of the supermaterial world." (1:4.6)

"The Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man present the paradox of the part and the whole on the level of personality. God loves each individual as an individual child in the heavenly family. Yet God thus loves every individual; he is no respecter of persons, and the universality of his love brings into being a relationship of the whole, the universal brotherhood." (12:7.8)

As for the second part of your question - about Satan being "chased out of Heaven to Earth..."

There is a great deal of confusion about Satan and the devil on our world. The Urantia Book sorts it all out for us, and reveals the truth about Satan and Lucifer and the devil - these three are separate beings, and all have an interesting story. Understanding the true nature of these beings and their roles in our planet's history is one of the most amazing parts of the revelation of The Urantia Book. Please see our topical study on Satan HERE, to learn the truth about this being, and his place in our history. From there, you can follow the links to read more about Lucifer and the devil as well.

In short, I can tell you that Satan was not "chased" from Heaven. Satan was a once-beautiful created son of God, and he was assigned as a lieutenant of Lucifer. Together, Satan and Lucifer launched the terrible rebellion against God's rule which is still causing the world trouble even today. Satan is no longer on our planet, but is, along with Lucifer, in custody on one of the prison worlds of space.

"Lucifer and Satan freely roamed the Satania system until the completion of the bestowal mission of Michael on Urantia. They were last on your world together during the time of their combined assault upon the Son of Man." (53:8.1)

"...Satan is now unqualifiedly detained on the Jerusem prison worlds." (53:9.4)

Finally, about God being unhappy...

"Jesus said: â€œMy brother, God is love; therefore he must be good, and his goodness is so great and real that it cannot contain the small and unreal things of evil. God is so positively good that there is absolutely no place in him for negative evil.'"(130:1.5)

"God is love"; therefore his only personal attitude towards the affairs of the universe is always a reaction of divine affection".(2:5.1)

God loves Satan and Lucifer just as much as he loves any of his children. The fact that they rebelled against him has still not destroyed his love:

"God loves the sinner and hates the sin: such a statement is true philosophically, but God is a transcendent personality, and persons can only love and hate other persons. Sin is not a person. God loves the sinner because he is a personality reality (potentially eternal), while towards sin God strikes no personal attitude, for sin is not a spiritual reality; it is not personal; therefore does only the justice of God take cognizance of its existence. The love of God saves the sinner; the law of God destroys the sin. This attitude of the divine nature would apparently change if the sinner finally identified himself wholly with sin just as the same mortal mind may also fully identify itself with the indwelling spirit Adjuster. Such a sin-identified mortal would then become wholly unspiritual in nature (and therefore personally unreal) and would experience eventual extinction of being. Unreality, even incompleteness of creature nature, cannot exist forever in a progressingly real and increasingly spiritual universe." (2:6.8)

And this is precisely what will happen to both Lucifer and Satan, unless they eventually accept God's love and mercy. Up to the present, they have not. It could be that God feels unhappiness or sorrow over his erring children, but his attitude of love is his primary response to his creation.

Thanks again for writing back to us here at Truthbook. I hope that this answer has been of some help to you...

Labels: Christian, God, Jesus, mercy, Satan, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

How Can I Share The Urantia Book? And What is "Satania?"

Q: How is one to proceed when trying to discuss Urantia with a Christian, and why, of all names, is our local system named Satania?

A: I think all devoted Urantia Book readers want to share our beloved revelation with others. Sometimes we're successful and sometimes we're not. I have been a reader/student for 25 years, and I still have spotty success, so first of all, don't be discouraged.

I have discovered that when trying to share any spiritual truth, it is important to understand where the other person is, spiritually speaking. Is s/he searching? Is s/he a truth-seeker? Or is s/he secure and content with the spirituality s/he already has? If it is the latter, you may have a more difficult time showing this person the truth that you have found. Many times, new spiritual truth is only perceived when a person is in some amount of spiritual turmoil, or is actively seeking a different way.

However you proceed, try to direct your conversation to the Spirit that indwells the mind of your friend. Follow the lead of Jesus, as in this passage from The Urantia Book:

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. Jesus' usual technique of social contact was to draw people out and into talking with him by asking them questions. The interview would usually begin by his asking them questions and end by their asking him questions. He was equally adept in teaching by either asking or answering questions. As a rule, to those he taught the most, he said the least. Those who derived most benefit from his personal ministry were overburdened, anxious, and dejected mortals who gained much relief because of the opportunity to unburden their souls to a sympathetic and understanding listener, and he was all that and more. And when these maladjusted human beings had told Jesus about their troubles, always was he able to offer practical and immediately helpful suggestions looking toward the correction of their real difficulties, albeit he did not neglect to speak words of present comfort and immediate consolation. And invariably would he tell these distressed mortals about the love of God and impart the information, by various and sundry methods, that they were the children of this loving Father in heaven.
p1460:6 (132:4.2)

Everybody has problems and concerns - and everyone loves to talk about themselves. Learn, as Jesus demonstrated, how to ask questions that are meaningful, and then be a good listener. Practice the Golden Rule always in dealing with others. Really listen, and try to put yourself in their shoes, so you understand how they feel. Practice non-judgmental listening, and try to develop real compassion for those with whom you speak. You can then address the problems as Jesus did, with the Truth that you understand it to be. Always go into a conversation with prayer beforehand, asking for inspiration from your own indwelling Spirit; ask this good Spirit to speak for you if you get confused. Remember to put your small "self" aside...and then relax.

As for the second part of your question about the name of our local system: I will quote from an answer given to another reader's question about Lucifer in our FAQ section of Truthbook.com, which you can read HERE. This answer was written by one of our Truthbook team. The passage I want to share is this one:

"Because Lucifer was such a high spirit being, he delegated authority, as do all executives. In Lucifer's case, he delegated much of his authority on this planet to a very familiar figure: Satan. In fact, this system, of which our planet is a part, was given the name Satania, in honor of this selfsame Satan. This name was given before the rebellion, however, when Satan was still loyal to the Father. Thus, the name "Satania" has no sinister meaning, once this fact is understood."

It is unfortunate that the name "Satania" is still attached to our universe, but once you understand the circumstances, it becomes far less charged. You can share this with others by explaining the Lucifer Rebellion, and you'll find that the link I have given you above is a pretty comprehensive explanation. I find this story to be a really good one to share with Christians, as they are familiar with it; they know of Lucifer, and of course, Satan, but they are always amazed at the depth and the real facts of the story, as told to us in The Urantia Book. This story puts so many things into perspective, and sets the stage for explaining more about the true mission of Jesus of Nazareth.

Thank you very much for your questions, and I wish you all the best in your efforts to share The Urantia Book with your Christian friends. But more important than getting someone to read the book itself, is to share the amazing truths of the book; namely the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Also, do your best to actually LIVE the truths you have discovered, and as people see these truths demonstrated in your life, as they experience the fruits of the spirit in your dealings with them, they will inevitably be drawn to your spiritual fragrance.

Labels: Christian, fruits of the spirit, Jesus, Lucifer, sharing, spirituality, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

God, Moses, And The Ten Commandments

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 that your Catholic religion 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.

Labels: Catholicism, Christian, God, Moses, religion, Ten Commandments, The Urantia Book

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Who is Jesus Christ Michael?

Q: Who is Jesus Christ Michael?

A: Thank you for your post to Truthbook.Com. Our site is dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book and particularly to promoting the life and teachings of Jesus. The term "Jesus Christ Michael" is not a term used by The Urantia Book; it's more an all inclusive collection of the names of Jesus used in our mission statement.

Jesus had an existence before his earth life began and he has an existence now that he's gone -- his title then and now was that of Michael, an order of creative divine beings. More specifically he is called Michael of Nebadon, Nebadon being that portion of the cosmos in which we reside and over which he has supreme authority. His name here during his earth life was Jesus (in its English translation), his title before and after his earth experience is Michael (The Urantia Book does not give his before and after name, only his title). The Christ aspect is a Christian designation that's intended to elevate Jesus above the human to emphasize his divine aspects. As Urantians we tend to downplay the Christ concept in our thinking because Jesus was entirely human at the same time that he was entirely divine (Son of Man and Son of God); we tend to think of Jesus in very personal terms instead of in the more unapproachable Christ designation -- as The Urantia Book says "Christianity has elevated the concept of anthropomorphism from the ideal of the human to the transcendent and divine concept of the person of the glorified Christ. And this is the highest anthropomorphism that man can ever conceive."

May I 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 go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Thank you for your question.

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: Christ Michael, Christian, Jesus, Larry Watkins, The Urantia Book

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Friday, December 15, 2006

Fall From Grace

Q: I believe in God and have been brought up in a christian home but fell from grace. I still sin all the time and ask for forgiveness.
Will I still go to heaven even if I continue to fall?

A: Each religion and even each sect within a religion has its own
teachings about sin so this can be a confusing topic but it is one that The
Urantia Book clears up profoundly by making two things ever so clear. One
is that we mortal beings are fallible, we make mistakes, we sin, and we
learn. That's the way God has created us; therefore God doesn't hold it
against us that we make mistakes or that we sin because that's natural
for us. The second observation is that this life in the flesh is just
the first rung on a long ladder to perfection and that all that's
required to stay on the ladder and to progress rung by rung is even just a
small flicker of faith, a belief in God or in something higher than
ourselves.

That said, when you are tempted to do something you know is wrong or
beneath you don't do it -- doing something you know to be wrong is sinful,
a giant step above mere evil. Asking for forgiveness is always a good thing.
Recall Jesus' words that pertain to just about every situation, "fear
not". God has provided the ascension scheme just so beings like you and
I can become perfected over time; it's part of the plan that we will
participate even though we begin so imperfect.

May I 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 along with 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 go to the upper right corner of our home page, click
on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Thank you for your question.

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

I hope you won't mind one more point of view on your question to Truthbook.

What I read in your question is something that seems to be epidemic in our world - and that something is - fear of God.

I know that in traditional religions, and even in the Bible, we are told that we must have "fear of the Lord," and it seems to me to be a very unfortunate choice of words. I would rather prefer "respect." And dare I say? I think that God would prefer that, also.

The Urantia Book offers modern mankind a new and expanded concept of God - not as a judge, not as someone who is watching for us to slip up - but as a loving, always loving Father.

I heartily invite you to read the first few papers of the Urantia Book regarding the Universal Father. I guarantee that you will feel much better in evaluating your own "fall from grace." I invite you to imagine the perfect earthly father - someone who is always loving, always forgiving, always understanding of your shortcomings and frailties. A father who never condemns, but who is always ready to comfort you in your shame when you feel you have fallen short of his expectations for you.

If you can imagine a human Father being that good, try to imagine the Divine Father, who must be all of that and much, much more.

As Larry has so well pointed out, it is part of the Father's plan that we are "perfecting," but not perfect. God understands, and his love binds up every wound and every hurt we may inflict on ourselves in the way of guilt and shame. It is not his plan that we should harbor these abiding feelings about ourselves. And neither should we be over-scrupulous when evaluating the degrees of our oun sinfulness, imagining that we are worse than we actually are.

A sense of having done something wrong is healthy, and remorse is a good thing, along with resolve to not repeat the offense. If you truly feel you are sinning too much, simply quit whatever you do that seems sinful to you, and ask God to fill that space with his love and with a better idea. Then forgive yourself, for God has already forgiven you.

It also might be of interest to you to read what Jesus has to say about the subjects of "evil, sin, and iniquity," found in Paper 148, section 4. Page 1660.

And again - please read the first few papers of Part I of the Urantia Book to get a boost of happiness about God, and his loving relationship with you, and all of humanity. It is guanteed to ease your fear and give you peace about God!

Take heart!

Sincerely,

MaryJo
Truthbook.com

Labels: ascension, Christian, fear of God, forgiveness, grace, Larry Watkins, Mary Jo, religion, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, May 11, 2006

Are there any other gods besides Jesus Christ who rule non-Christians?

Q: Are there any other gods besides Jesus Christ who rule non-Christians?

A: There is but one God, God the Father, who rules all of creation. Jesus is not God but he is our heavenly parent. He came to earth, not just for Christians or to establish the Christian religion, but for all people, all races, all religions to give the message that we're all spiritual brothers and sisters since God is our heavenly Father. It just ended up that Christianity decided to make Jesus their own to the exclusion of other religions. That's partly the reason we have the teachings of The Urantia Book, to help us understand history and to put religion and spirituality into perspective and to give Jesus to everyone who seeks.

Your second question was: What should be done to entrust our life in jesus and be a true believer?

That's a good question and the answer is all you need to do is at some point to sit quietly and prayerfully and talk to Jesus in your mind. Tell Jesus you want to know him better and want to entrust your life to his care. Do this meditatively and prayerfully and you will feel a connection. Trust your own understanding and reception of truth -- when Jesus left this world he left his Spirit of Truth in his place to help guide us toward truth, beauty, and goodness. Rely on that guidance, fear not, and trust Jesus.

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 that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book along with 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 go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Thank you for your questions.
Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: Christian, God, guidance, Jesus, Larry Watkins, religion, Spirit of Truth

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Monday, March 27, 2006

What do you believe in regard to The Truth Of Jesus and His Teachings?

Q: I would love to know more about you. And What you believe in regard to The Truth Of Jesus and His Teachings. I have been a Christian for many years, and have experienced many false teachings Please take the time to share with me. So far I have loved what I have read.

A: We're glad you found the site and that you like what you've read. You'll find a wide variety of questions and answers about The Urantia Book in our Frequently Asked Questions and Answers to Life's Toughest Questions sections along with all the other areas of the site. Also, the Spiritual Prayer/Chat Room has many topics you may find of interest. You may also enjoy signing onto our Quote of the Day feature where you'll learn more specifically what The Urantia Book teaches on a daily basis.

As you may have gathered by visiting our site our focus is on Jesus' teachings as they're disclosed through The Urantia Book. We don't directly sell anything but we do promote the teachings of Jesus as well as the awareness of what this magnificent book has to offer. The majority of people in the world have never heard of The Urantia Book so we're blessed to have this avenue for promoting recognition of its existence and its message.

Regarding Christianity - some Christian clergy embrace the teachings of The Urantia Book while some feel threatened by it. The Urantia Book is not specifically a Christian text because it does not uphold all of the various Christian tenets, therefore some clergy summarily reject it while others find inspiration, illumination, and spiritual insight in its teachings.

Regarding Jesus. Jesus was not a Christian - Christianity sprang from Jesus' teachings and then saw fit to appropriate Jesus for itself, excluding other religions. The Urantia Book seeks to correct that exclusivity and for that reason you'll find believers in the Urantia revelation belonging to all the religions and sects of the world. The Urantia Book gives Jesus back to the world and seeks to restore him to his rightful place in our lives and our thoughts and our prayers. Most of the knowledge about Jesus comes from the 70 or so pages of the Bible. The Urantia Book offers over 700 pages of transcripts of Jesus daily life as recorded by the angels who were there at the time he walked the earth.

Labels: Christian, Jesus, The Urantia Book

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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Who am I?

Conventional answers focus upon characteristics of a physical and social nature. Most people know their name, race, creed, ethnic group, nationality, occupation, family role, personality traits, social status, etc. They ARE all of these. Yet, knowing this, they continue to ask "Who am I?" There is something beyond their vital statistics and social data which people desire to know. It is as if they sense that they are part of something greater than their niche in the physical environment, and long to find out what it is.

There is not a biography in "Who's Who in America" which has a soul satisfying answer to this haunting question. All leave unanswered the identity of the biographer from a theological point of view, and leave unsatisfied the craving to know who we are in the universe or cosmos.

To discover who we are from a theological, universal or cosmic view, we must begin by exploring our characteristics which have theological, universal or cosmic significance. These should point toward who we really are.

As members of the human race, the highest order of animal life on earth, we share those characteristics held in common by human beings. If humans have any common characteristics of theological, universal or cosmic significance, then they also apply to you and me.

1. A Personality.

All who read this have one thing in common: each is a person. Persons have characteristics not shared by non-persons. These characteristics give us significant clues as to who we are.

Self-consciousness. Only persons can know that they exist as separate and distinct entities; can conceive of "I." This characteristic makes persons self-conscious: I am "I," every other person is "you," and every non-person is "it." Self-consciousness is absolutely essential to moral choosing.

Uniqueness, Individuality. No two persons are alike; each occupies a separate body and has different experiences. Each reacts differently to similar stimuli. "I" am unlike, to some extent, every other creature in the universe; and this makes "me" an individual: truly unique. (1225:37-1226:3) An understanding of this characteristic is essential to an assessment of human value. No one else can substitute for, or replace, a truly unique person.

Interpersonal Relations. Only persons have interpersonal relations. Relationships between persons and non-persons are not interpersonal. Animals and inanimate objects, not being persons, cannot interrelate "personally" with us. God is a "person," and this characteristic allows persons to have a personal relationship with God.

Wisdom. Of all material beings, only persons are endowed with minds capable of distinguishing between good and evil. Not all persons have this capability at all times; however no physical creature other than a person has wisdom. This characteristic is essential to the ability to make a free-will choice between good and evil.

Worship. Persons are the only material creatures who have a tendency to (a "spirit of") worship. Only persons can perceive that there is reality beyond the material, sense that it is "personal" in nature, sincerely esteem it for its values, and crave to develop a closer personal relationship with it. This characteristic is essential to our love and worship of God.
The above characteristics form the basis of personality. Each creature endowed with these characteristics has a separate and distinct personality, and is a personality. Personality is the key to individuality. No two personalities are the same.

Science cannot explain where personality comes from. There is nothing in the laws of genetics or the theories of evolution to indicate that personality has a scientific basis. The URANTIA Book says personality is a gift of the Father (79:9-11 1225:18-19 1226:14-15); that it is personality which gives mankind the prerogatives of self-determination, self-evolution, and self-identification with Deity. (1301:12-14) Why do we have this gift?

I am the totality of that unique personality who conceives of itself as "I"; there is no other such creature in the universe. I will always be that personality. The personality who I know as "I" is constant and changeless. I am self-conscious: I know the difference between good and evil, and can choose to do either; I can foresee the social consequences of my acts. The cosmic status of my personality is affected by these choices.

2. Man. the Highest Animal. Material man is seen as the highest order of animal life, the acme of creation. He has been given dominion over all the earth. (Genesis 1:26-28) Where did man come from? What does this power signify?

Logically, man could have arrived on earth by one or more of four means:
(1) evolved here by natural processes as a result of a colossal series of incidents, accidents, and coincidences;
(2) created here as man by fiat of God;
(3) created here by mindful use of principles of evolution and mutation; or
(4) transported here from another place.

Pure science has no better answer than that man sprang from method (1), a colossal series of incidents, accidents and coincidences. The odds favoring production of mankind in such a manner are so infinitesimally small that most sensible people reject it as a viable theory. It is said that, under the laws of probability, if enough apes were set before enough word processors and given enough time, one of them would produce a photo-ready copy of The Encyclopedia Britannica. It is one thing to speculate, statistically, that the entire work can be reproduced in that manner, and quite another to propose that it was actually written in that manner. Those believing that the universe, with mankind in it, was actually produced by mindless, directionless phenomena of chance accept something far more implausible than that The Encyclopedia Britannica was accidentally written by an ape.

Fundamentalist Christian theology holds that man came to earth by way number (2), fiat creation by God. Whether or not this is a fact, it contains the essential truth that man appeared on earth as a creative act of Deity, which is theologically significant.

The URANTIA Book teaches that the basic human stock was placed on this planet by way number (3): creation by mindful use of evolution and mutation. (667:33-39) It was planned to up step the human race by interbreeding with material stock brought to earth by way number (4): transportation from another place (Adam & Eve, 583:8-10),however, relatively little benefit accrued from this effort because of the Adamic default. (736:30-35)

For all practical purposes, it is immaterial whether mankind arrived on earth as a result of way (2), (3) or (4), or by any combination thereof; the point is that man appeared--not by accident--but as a result of creation by Deity. Why would Deity create (by any means) "man in His own image" and give him "dominion over" all other physical creation? This is a significant question. Its answers give further clues as to who we are.

Let us postulate that the physical universe of galaxies, suns, planets, moons, etc., was created (by whatever means) to provide a physical environment within which to bring into existence various forms of life designed to support, and to culminate in, "beings" with the qualities of mankind. If so, the development of life forms not only would advance toward the desired end of producing mankind, but also would support him when he came into being. This is exactly what happened on earth; we can only speculate whether it happened elsewhere. If no higher form of physical creature appears, we can reason that the creative process was designed to culminate in, and support, mankind.
I am the capstone of physical creation. I, and those like me, have dominion over all the earth. But why? How does this help Deity?

3. Free Will and Mandatory Choices.

Man is said to exercise free will; and so he does. But only to the extent that he can perceive options and understand their consequences. Wisdom is essential to free will. Civilized society does not hold its members criminally accountable for their misdeeds unless the culprit knew, or should have known, that the act was wrong. This is the basis for excusing the insane from criminal responsibility. Deity has at least as high a standard.

Out of all material creation, only man is aware of the qualities of his relationship with others, has the ability to foresee the consequences of his conduct in terms of impact on others. Only man is able to know the difference between good and evil. See definition of Evil in Part III.A, below. Therefore, only man has the ability to do evil.

There is another reason why man is the only material creature able to do evil: man, alone is able to overcome his animal nature. Animal behavior is governed by genetics and environment only; but man is able to overcome these by another behavior-regulating force: wisdom, and the free will to use it.

Lower animals always respond to a situation in accordance with their nature and training. A hungry tiger finding a lost child in the jungle acts in accordance with its nature, with no thought of any consequences. A starving man finding the child is instantly aware that a moral choice, if not a spiritual one, is involved. The tiger is absolved of moral blame if it eats the child; the man is not. Why this difference? The two reasons are:
(1) because only the man could know it was wrong, if not evil, and
(2) only the man had control over his own conduct: free will. These differences are of major theological significance.

The fact that man recognizes the difference between good and evil in any situation places upon him the inescapable burden to choose between the two. The more sensitive he becomes, the more differences he observes, and the more choices he must make. Most people constantly face such choices.

Choices between good and evil usually take the form of choices between self interests and (1) societal interests or (2) spiritual interests. Societal interests involve "right vs. wrong," sociological terms pertaining to morality. Spiritual interests involve "good vs. evil," theological terms pertaining to spirituality. This is an important difference. That which seems right may be evil. (Proverbs 14:12) Knowledge of good and evil is not the same as knowledge of right and wrong.

It is said that God provides no rewards or punishments; only consequences. God provides "consequences" only for free-will choices. He judges by the "heart:" the intent to do that known to be either good or evil. Good done accidentally or under duress has no spiritual value to the do-gooder. Evil done through ignorance or accident has no spiritual consequences upon the evildoer; but the choice of evil over good is sin, and the wages of sin is spiritual death.

Why did Deity enable mankind to ignore its animal nature? This quality of free will is given to man in order that he may perform important service to Deity, service which would be impossible without it. In Part I.C, above, four "desires" of Deity are proposed which are attainable through creatures with (1) the ability to ascertain the will of God and (2) the absolute power to obey or disobey it as they choose.

I AM an animal liberated from my animal nature and given both the wisdom to recognize the nature and con sequences of my acts and the free will to act as I choose. I therefore face constant choices of both a moral and spiritual nature. I have the power to ascertain the will of God if I seek to do so. I can increasingly gain knowledge of good and evil. (Compare Genesis 2:9,17; 825:39-40) Most knowledge comes from the Indwelling Spirit within me. (1457:40-43) Much comes from revelation, and some is portrayed in holy books. These provide the knowledge which makes me accountable for my subsequent acts.

The three human characteristics mentioned above do much to reveal who we are from a theological and cosmic point of view.

Labels: characteristics, Christian, free will, God, identity, individuality, personality, relationship, self-consciousness, The Urantia Book, universe, Who's Who in America, wisdom, worship

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Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Is it ok for other people parents to judge you of your past if they are true Christian?

Q: Is it ok for other people or parents to judge you for your past if they are true Christian?

A: You're asking then, should Christians hold one another accountable for their behavior, probably based on the belief that when Jesus said "Judge not" he was saying that everyone should be allowed to do, say, act, any way they choose and no one should hold anyone else accountable because they will be judged in like manner. Does that make sense? and could anyone actually think Jesus would mean such a thing?

Wouldn't it make more sense if we assumed that Jesus meant not to judge or decide upon someone elses spiritual value? That I cannot presume that I'm better than someone else in a spiritual sense, or that I'm spiritually superior to another, or that my wants and needs are more important than those of someone elses? If, as Jesus has said, we're all God's children, then God is our heavenly Father, and if, as we've been told, God is no respecter of persons, then spiritually we're all equal, everyone is my equal brother or sister in God's eyes, I'm in no superior position to be spiritually critical of anyone -- that kind of judgment is left for God and the angels.

However, when it comes to our actions here on earth each one of us is compelled to continuously make judgments. That's why we've been given discerning minds, a sense of mercy, a sense of fairness and justice, a sense of compassion and of righteousness. These should all come into play as we weigh and judge the actions and deeds of one another and hold one another accountable for behaviors past and present, no matter what religion or lack of religion is professed. Just as society has the authority and obligation to judge its citizens and remove individual freedoms, or incarcerate, or even put to death those who won't live in compliance with social rules, so too do individuals have the right to make determinations of one another based on past performances and behaviors.

So yes, it is right that you're judged for your past. The only way to change the way others think of you is to prove that you should no longer be tied to a critical judgment and you do that through your present behavior, your thoughts and your deeds expressed over a period of time.

This is a good question and we have added it to our discussion board so that you might have the benefit of the thoughtful responses of our online Urantia Book reader community. You can visit this board and see these responses by clicking here: Judging one another and going to the forum titled "Questions & Answers."

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 that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of The Urantia Book along with 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 go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Best wishes,

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: Christian, God, Jesus, judgment, justice, Larry Watkins, mercy

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Monday, December 19, 2005

What is the truth about Reincarnation?

Q: What is the truth about Reincarnation?

A: The acceptance of "truth" is a relative thing in human experience. To a Moslem, truth is contained in the teachings of the Quran, to most Christians the Bible is the truth. Even within the various Christian and Moslem sects the truth is seen from different angles. So how do you know the truth and how might God regard your affinity for it?

Your endowments as a human being include a mind for interacting with your environment and logic for sifting through information to determine facts, meaningful truths and to formulate beliefs. That's how a Moslem and a Christian can arrive at their truths which essentially conflict with one another but which quite possibly are pleasing to God because they were each arrived at through the best application of each believer's endowments. What we may assume to be most pleasing to God would be how we arrive at and act upon our decisions and beliefs, not specifically what we believe.

For students of The Urantia Book the message it contains has become their standard for perceiving truth and The Urantia Book does have several things to say regarding the theory of reincarnation. If you'll return to the Truthbook.com FAQ (upper right hand corner of our home page), under ("What does The Urantia Book Say About...), and the heading "What does the book teach regarding reincarnation?" you'll find some of the reason students of the book replace whatever beliefs about reincarnation they may have one time entertained with the Urantia book teachings.

This is an often asked question so we have added it to our discussion board so that you might have the benefit of the thoughtful responses of our online Urantia Book reader community. You can visit this board and see these responses by clicking here: http://forums.truthbook.com/viewforum.php?f=11. And 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 that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book along with a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the Urantia teachings. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Thank you for your question.

Larry Watkins,
Truthbook.com

Labels: Bible, Christian, Larry Watkins, Moslem, Quran, reincarnation, The Urantia Book, truth

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Friday, November 18, 2005

When I die and go to Heaven, how can I be happy when I realize that someone I love is not in Heaven with me?

Q: When I die and go to Heaven, how can I be happy when I realize that someone I love is not in Heaven with me, but suffering in hell?

A: Your question reminds me of a similar question I asked myself some 34 years ago when I was just 16 and studying the Bible with a group of religionists. While these folks did not believe in Hell, they did believe in Armageddon. Their doctrine was that at Armageddon, God would destroy everyone on earth who was not a part of their church.

At the time, I met a woman (whom I'd never seen before nor since) and I was talking to her about the teachings of this group. She told me something I never forgot. She said, "Paula, you have the ability to know the truth in your own heart. If something grinds against your own natural and logical beliefs don't except it as being true." I felt then that this made a great deal of sense, in fact it actually rang as truth to me, so I took it to heart.

Shortly after that, I went to study with the woman who was helping me learn the church's doctrines, which adherents of this church simply called "The Truth." I had been studying with her for about 6 months at the time. She told me, "Paula, if you don't convert your parents to 'The Truth' God will have to kill them at Armageddon and it will be your fault."

Well, here was a perfect example of something posed as "truth" that most certainly did "grind against my own natural and logical beliefs." I unequivocally balked at her audacious statement, and replied, "Are you saying that God is going to kill my parents?!"

To which she replied, "Well, yes, he will have to dispose of anyone who is not in The Truth."

I thought for a moment and then said, "My parents are the most loving people I know. They are kind and loyal and trusting and sincere. They are truly good, even wonderful people and you say that God is going to kill people like them just because they don't belong to your religious group?"

Again, she vainly tried to explain to me how God would have no choice but to do such a thing.

I then told her, "You may think it would be Heaven to live forever on earth in peace, where the lion lays down with the lamb, etc., knowing that God had killed your loving parents. But that wouldn't be Heaven for me, that would be Hell."

At this point she was aghast, and she exclaimed, "Oh you can't feel that way!"

I simply said, "I'm sorry but I do feel that way and I can't study with you anymore."

I left her standing there with her mouth open. As I walked alone the twelve blocks to my house, I talked to God. I said, "God, you may just as harsh and unforgiving as they say you are. Perhaps you are willing to kill good people because they don't follow one religion or another and if you are that way, I'm sorry but I can't worship you." Then, after a moment's reflection I thought, "Somehow God, I just can't believe that you are that way.

But if you want me to know who you really are, you are going to have to reveal yourself to me because I'm not getting involved with anymore religions." I felt good in my heart about that declaration and I left it at that.

Four years later, during the worst crisis of my life, The Urantia Book came into my life. It claims to be a revelation of God to humankind. Well, I asked God to reveal himself so my mind was open to such a thing. Imagine my joy when I found the God that was so loving, so merciful, so just, so perfect that I joyfully worship him with every fiber of my being.

Here are three great quotes from that wonderful book that I hope will reassure you that God, our truly loving Heavenly Father, takes no delight in causing any harm to any of his children.

P.39 - Â§1 It is wrong to think of God as being coaxed into loving his children because of the sacrifices of his Sons or the intercession of his subordinate creatures, "for the Father himself loves you." It is in response to this paternal affection that God sends the marvelous Adjusters to indwell the minds of men. God's love is universal; "whosoever will may come." He would "have all men be saved by coming into the knowledge of the truth." He is "not willing that any should perish."

P.2017 - Â§3 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.

P.60 - Â§3 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.

I hope this helps.

Blessings.....Paula

Another view from Larry:

A: There would probably be no way in heaven that you could be happy if that were the case. I suspect that you are a Christian -- you may be interested to know that not all Christian sects promote a belief in hell. And, as you put it, if there were a hell wouldn't it seem contradictory for you to be happy in heaven?

The Urantia Book provides an exalted vision of God, that God is as Jesus saw him and described him, a loving heavenly Father even so much better than an earthly parent. And Jesus asked, if a loving earthly father would not exhibit wrath and retribution toward his own children why do we choose to believe that the heavenly Father of us all would treat us even worse than a human parent? That seems contradictory too doesn't it.

If you've not already done so, may I recommend subscribing to our Quote of the Day. It offers daily inspirational and meaningful quotes from The Urantia Book along with a great picture. It's an easy way to become familiar with the teachings of this marvelous book and is available from the upper right corner of our home page.

Thank you for your question.

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: Armageddon, atonement, Christian, God, heaven, hell, Jesus, Larry Watkins, love, Paula, religion, revelation, The Urantia Book, truth

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Monday, October 31, 2005

Is the Catholic church the original, and the one true christian faith?

Q: Is the Catholic church the original, and the one true christian faith?

A: Since Jesus did not establish a religion the first Christian religion sprang from the teachings of the Apostles and from that the Catholic Church originated, so it is the oldest Christian religion. Is it the one true Christian faith? No. Other Christians established other Christian denominations to better encompass truth as they understood it -- that was the cause of the Protestant reform and the development of other Christian denominations.

The only true faith is that which you personally experience -- and we all experience faith differently. For some a particular church or temple or mosque fulfills their spiritual need, but we're all different and no one religion fills that for everyone.

The Urantia Book is one of the most inspiring works on religion and spirituality that you're ever likely to come into contact with. May I suggest you consider studying this marvelous book; it answers most of life's most perplexing questions like no other. You may also wish to consider subscribing to our Quote of the Day which will give you daily thoughts from the pages of The Urantia Book along with an inspiring image. It's a free service available from the upper right corner of our home page.

Thank you for your questions,

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: Catholicism, Christian, experience, faith, Jesus, Larry Watkins, Protestant

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Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Being saved

Q: If youâ€™ve been saved before is it alright to be saved again?

A: The issue of being "saved" is a Christian Church issue with various denominations having their own interpretations. I expect though there's no church that would object to one being "saved" any time the opportunity was presented.

The theology of The Urantia Book explains that human beings have always been "saved" â€“ from the times of the earliest cavemen, through the hundreds of thousands of years of history up to the time Jesus lived here, and for the two thousand years since then. It's not one's beliefs that determines one's "saved" status; whether one is an atheist, pagan, Christian, Buddhist, agnostic, Hindu, Muslim, Jew â€“ these are humanly devised paths for relating to our creator and are meaningless where our eternal survival (being "saved") is concerned. The determining factors for establishing the groundwork for eternal survival while here on earth are through the birth of the soul and for cultivating even a small flicker of faith that life has meaning beyond the obvious.

Labels: Christian, faith, Jesus, salvation, survival, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, October 13, 2005

The Religion of Jesus

Q: You question the use of the term â€œreligion of Jesus.â€�

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 Jesusâ€™ 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, â€œIn its true essence, religion is a faith-trust in the goodness of God.â€� 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 Godâ€™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 â€œthe religion of Jesusâ€� one must expand oneâ€™s own concepts of the word â€œreligion.â€�

Who is Jesus?

Jesus came forth directly from the Father. He is a perfect representation of the Father. Many times he said, â€œHe who has seen me has seen the Father.â€� Do you say that Jesus is not the Father? The Urantia Book says that Jesus is as a Father/Brother to humanity. Always he pointed to the one true God, the Father of all and always did he tell us that the kingdom of God was within us.

Does God really exist?

What The Urantia Book points out is that if you are not already inclined to believe in the existence of God, there is nothing, no scientific experiment, or anything that anyone can say or do to convince you that he does exist. Only a personal experience of faith can do that. Carl Baugh already believes in God and so he is going to feel his evidence is irrefutable. Scientist that donâ€™t already believe in God feel quite the opposite about Carlâ€™s conclusions, and this is the point. Here is the entire quote: â€œThe existence of God can never be proved by scientific experiment or by the pure reason of logical deduction. God can be realized only in the realms of human experience; nevertheless, the true concept of the reality of God is reasonable to logic, plausible to philosophy, essential to religion, and indispensable to any hope of personality survival.â€�

Are angels real?

The Urantia Book says that all humans have angels who watch over them but that not all have â€œpersonal guardians.â€� Some Angels are assigned to groups of mortals but a personal guardian is assigned only to those mortals who have reached a certain level in their spiritual growth. It is absolutely true that God is not respecter of persons, and any person can potentially have their very own guardian angel if the work diligently to grow in spirit. The creation of God is fair and just, God rewards those mortals who willingly strive to know him and be like him. This is, in part, what Jesus meant when he said, â€œTo him who has, more shall be given, while to him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away.â€�

Is there only one way to heaven?

It is true that no person will come to the Father except by Jesus. The Urantia Book suggests that this is a literal truth. In your journey inward and upward to Paradise you literally will not advance except that Jesus will be the one to send you on. Literally, not one being in this universe will get to God, except through Jesus. Christians use this too often as a condemnation to Jews and Muslims and Buddhists, teaching that unless one accepts Jesus, now, as the only way to God, they are doomed. Jesus is the way shower to God, but every human who bears the fruits of the spirit and who loves God and values the ways of God, truth, beauty and goodness, has a equal opportunity to advance. Christians do Jesus and mankind a great disservice when they presume to judge (by their own imperfect scriptural interpretation) who has eternal value and who does not. â€œYou can only judge men by their acts, but my Father looks into the hearts of his children and in mercy adjudges them in accordance with their intents and real desires." Anyone can say anything, God looks into the heart.

Your quote: 'And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or lo, he is there; believe him not. For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.'

Jesus himself was accused of being false. He was the one who also chastised the religious leaders of his day for persecuting and killing the prophets of God. Too often folks use this passage as an excuse to discount anything that disagrees with their cherished beliefs and interpretations of scripture. It was Jesus who said, â€œThe old things are passing away, behold, all things are becoming new.â€� I think he was referring to our religious beliefs as much as anything else.

Thanks for writing and be of good cheer!

Paula

Labels: angels, Christian, God, heaven, Jesus, kingdom of heaven, Paula, religion