Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: Why does God let the devil destroy the life of his creation? Why doesn't he always keep us affiliated to his beautiful world rather than exposing us to this evil world?

A: Thank you for your note to Truthbook.com, a website dedicated to the teachings of a website dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book.

It is tempting to blame all the ills of our world on the devil. After all, many of us have been taught from an early age that there is this force for evil, centered in the devil, that appears to have equal weight against the forces for good, centered in God. We have been taught to fear the devil, and we blame him for everything bad in the world. And when we are not blaming the devil, we are blaming God for letting the devil have his way so often.

God is not responsible for any personality's evil deeds; and the devil is not always responsible for the bad things that people do:

"The devil has been given a great deal of credit for evil which does not belong to him. Caligastia [the devil - see link below] has been comparatively impotent since the cross of Christ. " (53:8.9)

This is not to say that the devil does not exist. There is a personality who The Urantia Book calls "the devil," and you can read about him HERE. Â And he is not the only one; I am sure you are familiar with the names "Lucifer" and "Satan." These two personalities. along with the devil, Caligastia, pretty much constitute the "forces of evil" who have done untold harm on this planet from the days of it's earliest development.

Two of these personalities are no longer on this planet; the devil remains, but as a vanquished, hollow presence, who can only influence those who actually seek him out. His power is greatly diminished. The remnants of their evil deeds remain, but it can be overcome. Once we know the truth about these personalities, we realize that have much more power to assume responsibility for the changes we wish to see, instead of feeling that we are powerless under the influence of evil forces.

About God, and evil, Jesus said:

"My 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. Evil is the immature choosing and the unthinking misstep of those who are resistant to goodness, rejectful of beauty, and disloyal to truth. Evil is only the misadaptation of immaturity or the disruptive and distorting influence of ignorance. Evil is the inevitable darkness which follows upon the heels of the unwise rejection of light. Evil is that which is dark and untrue, and which, when consciously embraced and willfully endorsed, becomes sin." (130:1.5)

Please read HERE about Jesus, and how he overcame the forces of evil when he was on Earth. (In this section, you'll read that Jesus was known as "Michael," which is his celestial title. But Michael and Jesus are one and the same personality.)
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God cannot force us to stay "affiliated with his beautiful world." unless he takes away our free will. But he never forces us. We must come willingly to God. Likewise, the evil things that happen on our earth - things that threaten the life of the creation - could be stopped by God if it was his will, but it was his will that men have freewill choice. If God had wanted a perfect world, he likely would have created it. Instead we find ourselves in a place where God's children have to struggle to find the perfection of GodÂ through faith. When we are exposed to a world that contains both good and evil, mankind then has the opportunity to choose the good and progress towards perfection. If there was no choice, we would not be freewill creatures anymore, and we could not experience the victorious joy of overcoming evil with goodness, as Jesus taught us to do.

But we are not alone in our struggles. God is still at work. Said Jesus:

"There lives within every human mind a divine spirit, the gift of the Father in heaven. This good spirit ever strives to lead us to God, to help us to find God and to know God." (133:3.7)

Every person has this divine spirit, and every person has free will. It is up to each of us to seek God out - not everyone does. But we all carry within us that spark of divinity which can help us immeasurably to stay affiliated with his "beautiful world" - the kingdom of heaven within - by our own choosing.Â Then, no matter what happens in the outer world, we find ourselves with the inner peace of the kingdom of God.

When you find yourself worried over the state of the world, please consider this Urantia Book passage:

"As you view the world, remember that the black patches of evil which you see are shown against a white background of ultimate good. You do not view merely white patches of good which show up miserably against a black background of evil.Â

When there is so much good truth to publish and proclaim, why should men dwell so much upon the evil in the world just because it appears to be a fact? The beauties of the spiritual values of truth are more pleasurable and uplifting than is the phenomenon of evil." (195:5.12)

God's only will for us is goodness. It is ourselves that we must change so that we learn to think with God, if we want to change the world...only in this way will be able to experience more goodness.

I hope this answer has been helpful...please click on the links provided, and always practice the advice that Jesus was fond of giving: "Fear not."

Labels: evil, God, God within, goodness, Jesus, Lucifer, Satan, the devil

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

What is the Pursuit of Beauty?

Q: I read about the pursuit of Truth, Goodness and Beauty in the UB. I can conceptualize the pursuit of Truth and Goodness, but what is the Pursuit of Beauty?

A: This is some of what The Urantia Book relates about beauty:

its discernment is the discovery and integration of reality;
art consists of harmony in unity;
beauty implies the presence of an appreciative mind and the recognition of the synthesis of diversity stemming from oneness;
beauty is always triumphant over ugliness.

To apply the above definitions to one's life would constitute a pursuit of beauty; to disregard them would not. For example, some people think tattoos and piercings are beautiful, some splash paint on canvas and call it beautiful, some make noise and call it beautiful. It doesn't take much of a stretch of the imagination to realize that nearly anything disorienting or unreal can be considered beautiful by a mind out of touch with reality. The pursuit of harmony and unity will produce a reality response that resonates with the source of true beauty.

I hope this reply helps; in any case, feel free to post any time.

Labels: beauty, goodness, Harmony, reality, The Urantia Book, truth, unity

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

What kind of attitude should we Urantians have regarding problems like pornography, alcohol and drugs?

Q: What kind of attitude should we Urantians have regarding problems like pornography, alcohol and drugs?

A: Jesus strove for a superb balance in his life. His first priority was to seek and find the Father's will, and to establish the kingdom on Earth. As his followers, that is also our mandate. Whatever may interfere with that high purpose should be discarded.

While I may have strong attitudes towards one or more of the things you mentioned, I cannot presume to say what your, or anyone else's attitude should be. It is the responsibility of each person to develop their conscience and their life according to what they consider to be important and of high value.

The Urantia Book gives us a very positive view of life. It has few "thou shall not" rules. Likewise, Jesus was very positive in his teachings:

Jesus had little to say about the social vices of his day; seldom did he make reference to moral delinquency. He was a positive teacher of true virtue. He studiously avoided the negative method of imparting instruction; he refused to advertise evil. He was not even a moral reformer. He well knew, and so taught his apostles, that the sensual urges of mankind are not suppressed by either religious rebuke or legal prohibitions. His few denunciations were largely directed against pride, cruelty, oppression, and hypocrisy. p1582:2 (140:8.21)

In the very first service that he conducted in the Nazareth synagogue, at age fifteen, he chose verses from Scripture. Among the other things he said, this passage pretty much says it all for me: He said:

"Seek good and not evil that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you. Hate the evil and love the good...Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil and learn to do good..."
p1392:1 (126:4.3)

It is our job to discern what is evil and what is good. We have the perfect teacher in Jesus, and we have a perfect pilot in our minds - the Thought Adjuster. When we follow the leadings of our spiritual models, we will surely make the right decisions for ourselves.

Thank you for this important question.

Labels: alcohol, balance, drugs, evil, goodness, Jesus, pornography, The Urantia Book

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Friday, October 27, 2006

Who is Lucifer?

Who is Lucifer?

There is much misunderstanding on Urantia regarding Lucifer, and the Urantia Book gives us a clear picture of this fallen and disgraced Son of God. To begin with:

LUCIFER WAS A BRILLIANT primary Lanonandek Son of Nebadon. He had experienced service in many systems, had been a high counselor of his group, and was distinguished for wisdom, sagacity, and efficiency. Lucifer was number 37 of his order, and when commissioned by the Melchizedeks, he was designated as one of the one hundred most able and brilliant personalities in more than seven hundred thousand of his kind. From such a magnificent beginning, through evil and error, he embraced sin and now is numbered as one of three System Sovereigns in Nebadon who have succumbed to the urge of self and surrendered to the sophistry of spurious personal libertyâ€”rejection of universe allegiance and disregard of fraternal obligations, blindness to cosmic relationships.

Lucifer was a System Sovereign. To better understand Lucifer's role in the one-time administration of our world, it might be helpful to know what the role of a System Sovereign is:

p392:1 35:8.1 After the creation of the Vorondadeks, the Creator Son and the Universe Mother Spirit unite for the purpose of bringing into existence the third order of universe sonship, the Lanonandeks. Although occupied with varied tasks connected with the system administrations, they are best known as System Sovereigns, the rulers of the local systems, and as Planetary Princes, the administrative heads of the inhabited worlds.

p392:15 35:8.9 Since Lanonandeks are a somewhat lower order of sonship than the Melchizedeks and the Vorondadeks, they are of even greater service in the subordinate units of the universe, for they are capable of drawing nearer the lower creatures of the intelligent races. They also stand in greater danger of going astray, of departing from the acceptable technique of universe government. But these Lanonandeks, especially the primary order, are the most able and versatile of all local universe administrators. In executive ability they are excelled only by Gabriel and his unrevealed associates.

Here is more information about Lucifer:

p601:3 53:1.1 Lucifer was not an ascendant being; he was a created Son of the local universe, and of him it was said: "You were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created till unrighteousness was found in you."

p601:4 53:1.2 Lucifer was a magnificent being, a brilliant personality; he stood next to the Most High Fathers of the constellations in the direct line of universe authority. Notwithstanding Lucifer's transgression, subordinate intelligences refrained from showing him disrespect and disdain prior to Michael's bestowal on Urantia. Even the archangel of Michael, at the time of Moses' resurrection, "did not bring against him an accusing judgment but simply said, `the Judge rebuke you.'" Judgment in such matters belongs to the Ancients of Days, the rulers of the superuniverse.

p601:5 53:1.3 Lucifer is now the fallen and deposed Sovereign of Satania. Self-contemplation is most disastrous, even to the exalted personalities of the celestial world. Of Lucifer it was said: "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your brightness." Your olden prophet saw his sad estate when he wrote: "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cast down, you who dared to confuse the worlds!"

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.
In addition, there is another familiar name associated with this archrebel: Beelzebub. The folowing quote delineates the differences between these evil spirit beings:

p602:1 53:1.4 Very little was heard of Lucifer on Urantia owing to the fact that he assigned his first lieutenant, Satan, to advocate his cause on your planet. Satan was a member of the same primary group of Lanonandeks but had never functioned as a System Sovereign; he entered fully into the Lucifer insurrection. The "devil" is none other than Caligastia, the deposed Planetary Prince of Urantia and a Son of the secondary order of Lanonandeks. At the time Michael was on Urantia in the flesh, Lucifer, Satan, and Caligastia were leagued together to effect the miscarriage of his bestowal mission. But they signally failed.

p602:2 53:1.5 Abaddon was the chief of the staff of Caligastia. He followed his master into rebellion and has ever since acted as chief executive of the Urantia rebels. Beelzebub was the leader of the disloyal midway creatures who allied themselves with the forces of the traitorous Caligastia.

p602:3 53:1.6 The dragon eventually became the symbolic representation of all these evil personages. Upon the triumph of Michael, "Gabriel came down from Salvington and bound the dragon (all the rebel leaders) for an age." Of the Jerusem seraphic rebels it is written: "And the angels who kept not their first estate but left their own habitation, he has reserved in sure chains of darkness to the judgment of the great day."

I doubt whether any account of Lucifer can be complete without an examination of exactly why and how this magnificent being created such a world-changing event known as "the Lucifer rebellion." The following quotes will illuminate the nature of this terrible event:

p602:4 53:2.1 Lucifer and his first assistant, Satan, had reigned on Jerusem for more than five hundred thousand years when in their hearts they began to array themselves against the Universal Father and his then vicegerent Son, Michael.

p602:5 53:2.2 There were no peculiar or special conditions in the system of Satania which suggested or favored rebellion. It is our belief that the idea took origin and form in Lucifer's mind, and that he might have instigated such a rebellion no matter where he might have been stationed. Lucifer first announced his plans to Satan, but it required several months to corrupt the mind of his able and brilliant associate. However, when once converted to the rebel theories, he became a bold and earnest advocate of "self-assertion and liberty."

p602:6 53:2.3 No one ever suggested rebellion to Lucifer. The idea of self-assertion in opposition to the will of Michael and to the plans of the Universal Father, as they are represented in Michael, had its origin in his own mind. His relations with the Creator Son had been intimate and always cordial. At no time prior to the exaltation of his own mind did Lucifer openly express dissatisfaction about the universe administration. Notwithstanding his silence, for more than one hundred years of standard time the Union of Days on Salvington had been reflectivating to Uversa that all was not at peace in Lucifer's mind. This information was also communicated to the Creator Son and the Constellation Fathers of Norlatiadek.

p602:7 53:2.4 Throughout this period Lucifer became increasingly critical of the entire plan of universe administration but always professed wholehearted loyalty to the Supreme Rulers. His first outspoken disloyalty was manifested on the occasion of a visit of Gabriel to Jerusem just a few days before the open proclamation of the Lucifer Declaration of Liberty. Gabriel was so profoundly impressed with the certainty of the impending outbreak that he went direct to Edentia to confer with the Constellation Fathers regarding the measures to be employed in case of open rebellion.

The Lucifer Manifesto

p603:2 53:3.1 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:

p603:3 53:3. 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.

p603:4 53:3.3 2. The universe government of the Creator Sonâ€”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.

p603:5 53:3.4 Most bitterly did he attack the right of the Ancients of Daysâ€”"foreign potentates"â€”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. p603:6 53:3.5 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.

p604:1 53:3.6 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.

p604:2 53:3.7 And it was with such a Declaration of Liberty that Lucifer launched his orgy of darkness and death.

In effect, Lucifer was denying the existence of God, and claiming for himself the loyalty and fealty that rightfully belongs to God. He was denigrating the eternal plans of the Universal Father to the beings for whom he was responsible as a sovereign and ambassador of the Eternal Father, essentially disenfranchising them from the reality of God and the chance to take part in the plan of eternal life. Lucifer's clarion call was "personal liberty:"

p604:3 53:4.1 The Lucifer manifesto was issued at the annual conclave of Satania on the sea of glass, in the presence of the assembled hosts of Jerusem, on the last day of the year, about two hundred thousand years ago, Urantia time. Satan proclaimed that worship could be accorded the universal forcesâ€”physical, intellectual, and spiritualâ€”but that allegiance could be acknowledged only to the actual and present ruler, Lucifer, the "friend of men and angels" and the "God of liberty."

p604:4 53:4.2 Self-assertion was the battle cry of the Lucifer rebellion. One of his chief arguments was that, if self-government was good and right for the Melchizedeks and other groups, it was equally good for all orders of intelligence. He was bold and persistent in the advocacy of the "equality of mind" and "the brotherhood of intelligence." He maintained that all government should be limited to the local planets and their voluntary confederation into the local systems

p605:1 53:4.4 While there had been two previous rebellions in Nebadon, they were in distant constellations. Lucifer held that these insurrections were unsuccessful because the majority of the intelligences failed to follow their leaders. He contended that "majorities rule," that "mind is infallible."

In time, the rebellion was finally confined to the system of Satania:

p605:4 53:4.7 Lucifer was permitted fully to establish and thoroughly to organize his rebel government before Gabriel made any effort to contest the right of secession or to counterwork the rebel propaganda. But the Constellation Fathers immediately confined the action of these disloyal personalities to the system of Satania. Nevertheless, this period of delay was a time of great trial and testing to the loyal beings of all Satania. All was chaotic for a few years, and there was great confusion on the mansion worlds.

The "War in Heaven:"

p606:2 53:5.6 "There was war in heaven; Michael's commander and his angels fought against the dragon (Lucifer, Satan, and the apostate princes); and the dragon and his rebellious angels fought but prevailed not." This "war in heaven" was not a physical battle as such a conflict might be conceived on Urantia. In the early days of the struggle Lucifer held forth continuously in the planetary amphitheater. Gabriel conducted an unceasing exposure of the rebel sophistries from his headquarters taken up near at hand. The various personalities present on the sphere who were in doubt as to their attitude would journey back and forth between these discussions until they arrived at a final decision.

p606:3 53:5.7 But this war in heaven was very terrible and very real. While displaying none of the barbarities so characteristic of physical warfare on the immature worlds, this conflict was far more deadly; material life is in jeopardy in material combat, but the war in heaven was fought in terms of life eternal.

While there was a war in Heaven, here on earth much damage was being done, and evil seeds were being planted in the minds of our less-developed and primitive ancestors. Our Planetary Prince at that time, Caligastia, was in league with Lucifer and Satan, and this misguided ruler did all he could to lead the peoples of the earth into this plan, promising "liberty." This is a legacy which has borne dire consequences for all succeeding generations, including the one in which we find ourselves.

p607:3 53:7.2 Throughout this period Caligastia was advocating the cause of Lucifer on Urantia. The Melchizedeks ably opposed the apostate Planetary Prince, but the sophistries of unbridled liberty and the delusions of self-assertion had every opportunity for deceiving the primitive peoples of a young and undeveloped world.

Why didn't God put a stop to this rebellion? Why was this archrebel permitted to execute his scheme, and mislead and deceive so many evolving planets of mortals - over 600 of them in the Satania System?

p615:3 54:3.1 The moral will creatures of the evolutionary worlds are always bothered with the unthinking question as to why the all-wise Creators permit evil and sin. They fail to comprehend that both are inevitable if the creature is to be truly free. The free will of evolving man or exquisite angel is not a mere philosophic concept, a symbolic ideal. Man's ability to choose good or evil is a universe reality. This liberty to choose for oneself is an endowment of the Supreme Rulers, and they will not permit any being or group of beings to deprive a single personality in the wide universe of this divinely bestowed libertyâ€”not even to satisfy such misguided and ignorant beings in the enjoyment of this misnamed personal liberty.

p615:4 54:3.2 Although conscious and wholehearted identification with evil (sin) is the equivalent of nonexistence (annihilation), there must always intervene between the time of such personal identification with sin and the execution of the penaltyâ€”the automatic result of such a willful embrace of evilâ€”a period of time of sufficient length to allow for such an adjudication of such an individual's universe status as will prove entirely satisfactory to all related universe personalities, and which will be so fair and just as to win the approval of the sinner himself.

p615:5 54:3.3 But if this universe rebel against the reality of truth and goodness refuses to approve the verdict, and if the guilty one knows in his heart the justice of his condemnation but refuses to make such confession, then must the execution of sentence be delayed in accordance with the discretion of the Ancients of Days. And the Ancients of Days refuse to annihilate any being until all moral values and all spiritual realities are extinct, both in the evildoer and in all related supporters and possible sympathizers.

p615:6 54:4.1 Another problem somewhat difficult of explanation in the constellation of Norlatiadek pertains to the reasons for permitting Lucifer, Satan, and the fallen princes to work mischief so long before being apprehended, interned, and adjudicated.

p616:1 54:4.2 Parents, those who have borne and reared children, are better able to understand why Michael, a Creator-father, might be slow to condemn and destroy his own Sons. Jesus' story of the prodigal son well illustrates how a loving father can long wait for the repentance of an erring child.

p616:2 54:4.3 The very fact that an evil-doing creature can actually choose to do wrongâ€”commit sinâ€”establishes the fact of free-willness and fully justifies any length delay in the execution of justice provided the extended mercy might conduce to repentance and rehabilitation.

p616:3 54:4.4 Most of the liberties which Lucifer sought he already had; others he was to receive in the future. All these precious endowments were lost by giving way to impatience and yielding to a desire to possess what one craves now and to possess it in defiance of all obligation to respect the rights and liberties of all other beings composing the universe of universes. Ethical obligations are innate, divine, and universal.

Even with this blatant and far-reaching rebellion - the outright defiance of the Universal Father - God's mercy was a factor in the progress, and outcome of the rebellion:

p616:5 54:4.6 Supreme justice can act instantly when not restrained by divine mercy. But the ministry of mercy to the children of time and space always provides for this time lag, this saving interval between seedtime and harvest. If the seed sowing is good, this interval provides for the testing and upbuilding of character; if the seed sowing is evil, this merciful delay provides time for repentance and rectification. This time delay in the adjudication and execution of evildoers is inherent in the mercy ministry of the seven superuniverses. This restraint of justice by mercy proves that God is love, and that such a God of love dominates the universes and in mercy controls the fate and judgment of all his creatures.

p616:7 54:4.8 But these mercy delays are not interminable. Notwithstanding the long delay (as time is reckoned on Urantia) in adjudicating the Lucifer rebellion, we may record that, during the time of effecting this revelation, the first hearing in the pending case of Gabriel vs. Lucifer was held on Uversa, and soon thereafter there issued the mandate of the Ancients of Days directing that Satan be henceforth confined to the prison world with Lucifer. This ends the ability of Satan to pay further visits to any of the fallen worlds of Satania. Justice in a mercy-dominated universe may be slow, but it is certain.

The legacy of the Lucifer rebellion on our planet is still having repercussions on our world. A quick read of the newspaper headlines can illustrate this point. Everywhere there is self-assertion - wars are fought and millions slaughtered in the name of self-assertion by governments and individuals. "I am right and you are wrong." Greed and avarice are rife, while the needy and downtrodden are ignored. The "me first" idea runs rampant in devious business practices. And worst of all, there is still disbelief in the reality of God. These are all remnants of the Lucifer rebellion.

p618:4 54:6.1 Whatever the difficulties evolutionary mortals may encounter in their efforts to understand the Lucifer rebellion, it should be clear to all reflective thinkers that the technique of dealing with the rebels is a vindication of divine love. The loving mercy extended to the rebels does seem to have involved many innocent beings in trials and tribulations, but all these distraught personalities may securely depend upon the all-wise Judges to adjudicate their destinies in mercy as well as justice.

p618:5 54:6.2 In all their dealings with intelligent beings, both the Creator Son and his Paradise Father are love dominated. It is impossible to comprehend many phases of the attitude of the universe rulers toward rebels and rebellionâ€”sin and sinnersâ€”unless it be remembered that God as a Father takes precedence over all other phases of Deity manifestation in all the dealings of divinity with humanity. It should also be recalled that the Paradise Creator Sons are all mercy motivated.

We are still paying a price for the sins of this former administration. Many have suffered and continue to suffer - either as misguided adherents to the false promise of "personal liberty," or as a result of the infliction of such unworthy ideas and practices on others. But The Urantia Book teaches us that even so, we still have our free will intact, and we are not going to be eternally bothered by this harmful episode in our distant history.

p618:6 54:6.3 If an affectionate father of a large family chooses to show mercy to one of his children guilty of grievous wrongdoing, it may well be that the extension of mercy to this misbehaving child will work a temporary hardship upon all the other and well-behaved children. Such eventualities are inevitable; such a risk is inseparable from the reality situation of having a loving parent and of being a member of a family group. Each member of a family profits by the righteous conduct of every other member; likewise must each member suffer the immediate time-consequences of the misconduct of every other member. Families, groups, nations, races, worlds, systems, constellations, and universes are relationships of association which possess individuality; and therefore does every member of any such group, large or small, reap the benefits and suffer the consequences of the rightdoing and the wrongdoing of all other members of the group concerned.

p619:1 54:6.4 But one thing should be made clear: If you are made to suffer the evil consequences of the sin of some member of your family, some fellow citizen or fellow mortal, even rebellion in the system or elsewhereâ€”no matter what you may have to endure because of the wrongdoing of your associates, fellows, or superiorsâ€”you may rest secure in the eternal assurance that such tribulations are transient afflictions. None of these fraternal consequences of misbehavior in the group can ever jeopardize your eternal prospects or in the least degree deprive you of your divine right of Paradise ascension and God attainment.

p620:1 54:6.9 One error of human thinking respecting these problems consists in the idea that all evolutionary mortals on an evolving planet would choose to enter upon the Paradise career if sin had not cursed their world. The ability to decline survival does not date from the times of the Lucifer rebellion. Mortal man has always possessed the endowment of freewill choice regarding the Paradise career.

In spite of the ravages of the Lucifer rebellion, there is much good on our world, and the good keeps growing. Over the intervening millenia, goodness has gradually overcome many of the effects of the rebellion, and good continues to accrue. As for the present time, you may be comforted to know the following:

p619:3 54:6.6 At first the Lucifer upheaval appeared to be an unmitigated calamity to the system and to the universe. Gradually benefits began to accrue. With the passing of twenty-five thousand years of system time (twenty thousand years of Urantia time), the Melchizedeks began to teach that the good resulting from Lucifer's folly had come to equal the evil incurred. The sum of evil had by that time become almost stationary, continuing to increase only on certain isolated worlds, while the beneficial repercussions continued to multiply and extend out through the universe and superuniverse, even to Havona. The Melchizedeks now teach that the good resulting from the Satania rebellion is more than a thousand times the sum of all the evil.

I hope that this accounting of Lucifer, and the history of his deeds, will help you to understand better why this once-beautiful being is now hated and feared by so many, and why the name "Lucifer" is now rightly seen as the embodiment of the devil himself.

Thank you for this most important question.

MaryJo
Truthbook.com

Labels: goodness, Lucifer, Lucifer Manifesto, Lucifer Rebellion, Mary Jo, mercy, Satan, Satania, System Sovereign, The Urantia Book