Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: I am a 19 year-old male. Is age or sex, related to a personâ€™s potential for spiritual achievements?

A: Neither age nor sex have any bearing on a person's potential for spiritual achievements. Whether here on earth, or in life eternal, all of God's children stand on an equal footing in spiritual value, and all who choose survival will receive an opportunity for advancement. There may be other factors that may affect our potential, such as heredity or genetic lineage, but age and sex are of no consequence when thinking about spiritual potential.

Labels: age, sex, spiritual growth, spirituality, The Urantia Book

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Friday, July 13, 2007

Wizards, Dreams and Spirituality

Q: Is it possible for a human being to become a witch or a wizard?
What is the relationship between dreams and spirituality?
What have dreams got to do with spiritual growth?

A: It's natural to wish we could change our environment with our thoughts alone but what we truly have control over are our own thoughts and our own actions. Harry Potter has stirred the desires for a magic world of sorcerers, witches and magicians but that's the stuff of folklore. There are always a few exceptional people capable of doing things that the rest of us can't do, but as the Hindu mystic once said, why spend years learning how to walk on water when I can easily take the ferry across instead?

Dreams are similar -- occasionally we do have profound, life altering dreams but most of them are the result of an active subconscious mind and while they may be interesting they have little if any spiritual value. Sometimes we can turn a problem over to our subconscious to work on, such as a spiritual growth decision, and it will provide an answer in our dreams. For the most part though, spiritual growth is a natural phenomenon and unless we work to inhibit it it will occur without effort.

I hope these answers are helpful. 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 the marvelous Urantia 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.

Best wishes,

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.Com

Labels: dreams, Larry Watkins, spiritual growth, The Urantia Book, witches, wizards

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Monday, February 06, 2006

Why Did God Create The Universe As It Is?

Q: Why Did God Create The Universe As It Is?

A: This same question has haunted mankind as far back as records go. It began as "why did God create me?" As horizons expanded, it continued as "why did God create the world?" And with growing cosmic consciousness, it becomes "why did God create the universe?" Is the universe a cosmic firecracker? Is man a pathetic cosmic doodle?

Without pretending to know the mind of God, it is inconceivable that the material universe was created without purpose, that the earth supports life by sheer accident, or that mankind is the acme of material creation by mere chance. Unless we postulate a rather bungling Deity, we must reason that it was intended to create a massive universe, it was planned to place in this small segment thereof a life-bearing planet (earth), and it was designed that the development of life forms thereon terminate in the highest-known order of physical existence: homo sapiens. It may very well be that the entire universe was crested to produce and sustain such creatures. But why? To what end? Few sensible answers have been proposed.

Only during this 20th century has mankind developed a cosmology and a vocabulary sufficient to fashion acceptable answers to many "whys" about creation. Prior to this, the most sensible answer was in the Catechism: "Q: Why was I made?"--"A: To worship God."

In the 1930s, the URANTIA Papers revealed a reason for the existence of creation which makes great sense: that through the medium of a material time-space universe, Deity is doing things of eternal spiritual value to itself. Although these achievements are stated in anthropomorphic terms so men can understand them, the ideas are profound, exciting and revealing. They give new meaning to life, and go far to explain teachings of Jesus Christ preserved fragmentarily in the Bible.

1. The Grand Objectives of Creation.

Deity pre-dates time and space; it was neither created nor developed, it was "eventuated," it always was: perfect, complete and replete. Before time and space there were certain anthropomorphic qualities of which Deity was deprived. Among these were: (1) voluntary obedience and esteem (there was no free will below Deity level), (2) creature experience, particularly in overcoming evil (all creatures were eventuated in perfection), and (3) growth (Deity was complete and replete). Yet in a broader sense, attributes of Deity must allow for the possibility of obtaining these qualities, or else Deity would be subject to limitations. This appears paradoxical, yet really is not.

All beings living in such an environment, having been eventuated in perfection, lacked certain qualities obtainable only through the experience of undergoing a perfecting process. If Deity desired to add to this perfect environment beings having such qualities, it certainly had the potential to do so. It could originate beings somewhere else in imperfection and devise a strenuous perfecting process by which they could become perfected and then approach Deity.

It is proposed that Deity "desired" to obtain each of the three qualities mentioned above, and to populate its dwelling place with perfected beings. Consequently it conceived and designed a plan to achieve these ends. To implement this plan, Deity created time and space, the universe, and you and me.

a. To Obtain Voluntary Obedience and Esteem.

In a perfect environment, all creatures respond perfectly to the will of Deity; every element acts and reacts exactly as pre-ordained. If God desires to be sought, esteemed, obeyed, loved and worshiped, he can create beings who do these things perfectly, with no say or choice in the matter. In such a case, God is, in effect, loving and worshiping himself by surrogates of his own creation. He is not experiencing obedience and esteem generated voluntarily, that is, by creatures exercising their own free will who seek, obey, and esteem Him solely as a result of their own desire and initiative, born of a recognition of God's intrinsic goodness, loveliness and holiness.

If God desires to be sought, obeyed, and esteemed, by subordinate creatures voluntarily, on their own initiative, solely in response to observed attractive values rather than from automatic response, such creatures must have absolute freedom to respond to God as they will. They must have the option and power to ignore, disobey and hate Him, and must operate in an environment in which all options can be freely exercised without any coercion. This situation cannot exist in a perfect environment, one without the possibility of evil.

For God to receive voluntary obedience and esteem, He must provide a potentially imperfect environment in which both disobedience to the will of God (evil) and obedience to the will of God (good) are equally possible, and populate it with potentially imperfect beings who can exercise their "free will" to choose and do either good or evil.

Deity has created such an environment and such beings. You and I live in an imperfect environment in which choices between good and evil are constantly before us; and we are imperfect beings with the free will to do either. We have the ability to recognize or ignore the qualities and values of Deity (truth, love, justice, beauty, mercy, power, goodness, service, sovereignty, etc.) and the power to respond to them as we will: to pursue them, and seek to love and worship their source; or to ignore or reject both the values and their source. We are not coerced in our choice.

The fact that our imperfect universe contains free-will creatures such as mankind gives strong logical support to the revelation that Deity does, in fact, desire voluntary obedience and esteem.

b. To Obtain Creature Experience.

Beings which are wholly eventuated have no creature experience because they are not creatures (they were not created) and,-existing in a perfect environment, they are greatly limited in experiences. They cannot experience, therefore Deity cannot experience through them, the exhilaration of victory in the mighty struggle between good and evil, for there is no evil. Nor the altruistic satisfaction of subjugating self-interests to the interests of others, for there is no temptation to favor self, and no free will. If Deity desires creature experience it must come from creatures who undergo experiences which Deity may share. The broadest range of experiences would come from creatures possessing absolute free will to choose between good and evil, between self interest and any greater interests of others, living in an environment in which evil and selfishness tempt them.

The URANTIA Book develops the fascinating truth that the Father desires to gain such creature experience. Paper 108 on Thought Adjusters says that God, prior to the adventure of time and space, was wholly existential and "infinitely inclusive of all things except evil and creature experience." (1185:16) In order for the Father to gain creature experience, His spirit (revealed to us as the Thought Adjuster) comes down to participate with us in "every bona fide experience of the ascending career.." (1185:20) By this process--by sharing our life's experiences--the potential of the infinite and existential God to obtain finite experience becomes an actuality.

The fact that the Father desires creature experience is further supported by a discussion of the Father's Eternal Perfection in Paper 2 on The Nature of God. Here it is pointed out that, although perfect, the Universal Father "actually participates in the experience with immaturity and imperfection in the evolving career of every mortal being of the entire universe." (36:30-32) Although potential evil is not a part of the divine nature, "mortal experience with evil and all man's relations thereto are most certainly a part of God's ever-expanding self-realization in the children of time..." (36:34-35)

The fact that you and I now live in an environment in which we face tremendous temptation to do evil and strong urges to accommodate self at the expense of others, is consistent with the revelation that Deity desires to gain creature experience through imperfect human beings.

c. To Obtain Spirit Growth.

Insofar as we know, an "eventuated" Deity, with no subsequent addition or development, does not grow. Growth requires addition or development. If Deity could not grow, this would be a limitation on Deity. Since Deity is not limited, it must have the power to grow. We usually see such growth as involving creative fiat or creative development and evolution.

It is a major theme of The URANTIA Book-that Deity is growing. Papers 115 through 118 discuss this growth. God is spirit (John 4:24; 139:26) and, for Deity to grow, there must be true increase in spirit. Spirit growth entails creating or enlarging that which is spirit by some means other than processing preexistent spirit material. The Biblical injunction to "be ye perfect" takes on a new meaning when considered in the light of spirit growth.

We suppose that God can create spirit either by fiat or by other procedures. Deity does not obtain growth by fiat, alone. One possible alternate procedure is to develop a creature who, in liaison with God, can co-create an embryonic spirit unit, and nurture and develop it into full spirithood. This would require making a being with power to co-operate with God in the original production of something of spirit value, and the will to co-ordinate with God in the process of perfecting it.

It appears that Deity has prepared such creatures, including you and me. The divine plan (discussed below) includes many things designed to achieve spirit growth through human co-operation and co-creation with Deity. The growth portion of the divine plan works this way. While in the flesh, mankind can contribute to spirit growth only by living faith. (1097:27-28) Mankind, has been given the power to work in liaison with God to give birth to his own soul, an embryonic spirit unit.

Revelation confirms that the evolving soul, co-created by man, is of spirit potential and value. But it is by faith, alone, that we accept and act upon the word that our mind, soul and identity, in coordination with God, have the potential to become pure and perfect spirit, thereby adding to the totality and reality of Deity. As we, through faith, convert this potentiality into actuality, we actually become a living soul of spiritual value. This soul lives on for further development into pure spirit; ! thus the spirit component of Deity becomes larger as we grow spiritually. (1279:11-29)

Spirit growth is further addressed in terms of developing perfected (as distinguished from perfect) beings to populate the cosmos. As such, we expect to be given tasks of great importance in the further expansion of the Kingdom of God. (See 131:28-32; 263:10-11)

d. To Evolve Perfected Beings.

Revelation indicates that that Deity desires to populate eternity with two types of beings: (1) perfect beings, and (2) perfected beings, created less-than-perfect but becoming perfect by some process. Perfect beings are either eventuated or created by fiat: spiritual, immortal, and completely responsive to the will of God. By contrast, perfected beings originate as physical (not spiritual), mortal (not eternal), free-willed (not God-directed) creatures, and must initiate and sustain their own "evolutionary" progression by virtue of their own wills rather than by fiat of God. Otherwise, the procedure is nothing more than an alternate method of creating perfect beings by fiat.

If we heed such revelation, the fact that you and I are physical, mortal and free-willed makes us candidates for the perfecting process.

2. The Divine Plan for Creating.

Let us turn our mind's eye back to before the beginning of time and visualize the momentous decision to create free-will creatures in an imperfect environment. Let us postulate that Deity desired to attain the four grand objectives mentioned in Part I.C.1, above, and more. To do so, Deity devised an absolutely brilliant plan, sufficiently comprehensive to accomplish every end and purpose it desired. We can call this the Divine Plan for Creating. We are not privy to this plan, but from time to time we glimpse parts of it by observing what is going on and by revelation. What we learn is very stimulating.

Views of modern philosophy and theology concerning the method of creating are generally developed against a paradigm in which preexistent Deity created, by fiat, time, space and everything in them, and left them to run on or run down. This approach is terribly wrong. It visualizes a static or decaying universe, not a growing and dynamic one. And by focusing on the earth, it sees things as being out of Divine control.

It is more productive to use revelation, tradition and logic in an effort to reconstruct some of the controlling elements of the Divine Plan for Creating. I propose that it was founded upon, among other things, the following elements.

a. The Principle of Delegation.

Although Deity is omnipotent, it is not omnificent; therefore the plan entrusts most of the work to subordinate creatures, both celestial and human. In practice, Deity creates, develops and evolves as much as possible through subordinate creatures specially developed for the tasks they are to perform. Subordinate creatures are used not only as artists and artisans, but also as co-creators.

The practice of creating, developing and evolving things by means of subordinate creatures has one intended side effect of giving some creatures experience capable of being shared and absorbed by Deity. In a proper environment, it provides experience in dealing with evil. At least one class of creatures can be given free will to choose between good and evil, with the resultant opportunity to obey and esteem God voluntarily, solely because of the attractiveness of God and the values they see in doing so; not from robotic control or innate coercion to do so. And insofar as the process results in new spirit values, it results in the growth of Deity.

b. Balance between Fiat Creation and Evolution.

The plan employs both creation and evolution; with creation used only when necessary, and evolution used as much as possible.

Creation by Fiat: to truly create is to make something out of nothing. Fiat creating is done only as a last resort, when there exists no other way to achieve the objective. Fiat creating is reserved for Deity.

Creation by Developing and Evolving: to develop something out of something else, to evolve something desirable out of something undesirable, to work out something better from something good, and, ultimately, to achieve perfection in everything. Deity seems to accomplish as many things as possible by developing and evolving them. This technique is followed by subordinate creatures, including mankind.

In the beginning, Deity created time, space and basic matter, insofar as we know, by fiat. But since then, that which has occurred in time and space has been accomplished, largely, by and through countless subordinate beings exercising delegated authority, who control, process and develop basic matter until it "evolves" into the universe, as we know it, and all that dwells therein. The process is dynamic: continuing and growing.

c. Achieving Potentials.

The plan incorporates, as a fundamental technique, the converting of potentialities into actualities. (1261:15-16; 1263:18-19) As applied to us, Deity brings into existence our potentialities, and each of us is to convert his or her potentialities into actualities.

This technique both limits and challenges. Each creature is limited to his potentialities, and is challenged to attain them. But once one's potential is reached, new potentials are often provided for further growth and service. To obey and esteem God is a human potential offering ever-expanding plateaus as we advance toward Paradise. To experience victory over evil opens greater potentials for good. Insofar as we successfully actualize our spiritual potentialities, we become cocreators with God of something of spirit value, (1279:11-15) And as a result, Deity grows through us. (1265:28-31)

d. Reciprocal Reward.

Every time we humans contribute anything to Deity, Deity contributes something of greater value to us. The more we obey and esteem God, the more He rewards and loves us. For every experience of victory over evil which we provide to God, we receive high recompense in the growth of our soul. And as we add spirit values to Deity, we actually become the very spirit we co-create with Deity.

* * * * * * * *

Let us examine the cosmos (as we see it) to determine how well the divine plan for creating (as we understand it) provides a vehicle through which mankind can satisfy the above noted desires of Deity, the purpose of creation. Visualize the universe as being circular, with Deity in Heaven at the center, and men and women on earth on the outermost periphery. Deity is perfect. We believe that nothing imperfect can exist in its presence, and the farther from Deity, the greater the possibility for imperfection. If so, the place in the universe where the most imperfect conditions could exist is on its outer periphery, where earth is located. Yet even that is not necessarily so bad. Deity does not cause evil; it only provides an environment in which evil is possible. No place in which evil is possible is perfect. A universe with the above characteristics provides the ideal location in which to implement the plan.

Earth is located in an environment in which imperfection, evil, is possible. It is populated with human beings who have absolute free will to do good or evil. They have a mind to discern between the two. They are material, mortal and finite. This provides the ideal creature to execute the "creature" portion of the plan.

Labels: Deity, Divine Plan, Earth, evolution, experience, God, Jesus, potential, revelation, spiritual growth, The Urantia Book, universe

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Thursday, November 10, 2005

Why do so many people feelingly experience re-incarnation as a spiritual reality?

Q. Why do so many people feelingly experience re-incarnation as a spiritual reality?

A. Buddhists and Hindus experience reincarnation as a spiritual reality because it is an integral part to their view of the life and death cycle and most believers in any one particular religion tend to accept all the doctrines of that religion. Others accept reincarnation as valid because it seems to provide a logical answer to the age-old questions of why do some people seem to be blessed while others face lives of struggle. And still others accept reincarnation because they believe they've been given proof through past life regression, deja-vu, or psychic experiences that appear to point to its validity as a belief system.

Perhaps one of the main reasons people accept the theory of reincarnation is because deep down they realize that there's more to existence than this one short life can provide and because they have not been given another satisfying or more complete explanation of the breadth and scope of the adventure that awaits upon departure from this life in the flesh while a belief in reincarnation seems to answer that call. As you may be aware, The Urantia Book makes it clear that this is the first and only physical experience required to cause the soul to be born and that from this point onward our existence will be one of increasing spiritual awareness and development. The Urantia Book describes in exquisite detail the universe career we embark upon after physical death, what we will experience as heaven and beyond. This ascension plan is so full and all-encompassing that what the theory of reincarnation offers pales and seems dull and tedious in its wake. So until the time comes that there's a more complete understanding of God's plan for us the theory of reincarnation will continue to hold a place in the beliefs of many.

Thank you again,
Larry Watkins

Labels: Buddhism, Hinduism, Larry Watkins, reincarnation, spiritual growth, struggle, The Urantia Book

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Monday, October 31, 2005

Which religion is perfect?

Q: which religion is perfect? Hinduism, Christianity or Islam?

A: There's a distinction between religion and spirituality that should first be made, spirituality being the personal relationship you have with your creator, and religion being the social form you choose for expressing your spirituality. Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam are different forms of expression of the spiritual and religious drive within us -- they're sustained by social participation, spiritual experiences, by history and tradition, and by religious authority. When any particular religion meets the needs of one's inner life it's spiritually beneficial and when it doesn't it's time to find something that may more closely match one's spiritual development, because we can evolve spiritually during this lifetime.

There are thousands of religions practiced in the world today -- you've named 3 but along with Judaism and Buddhism you could have also included: ancestor worship, Brahmanism, Confucianism, Jainism, mysticism, paganism, Pantheism, polytheism, Shinto, Sikhism, Yoga, and Zoroastrianism to name a few of the others.

Which religion is perfect? None. They each have spiritually beneficent teachings and practices mixed with time-worn traditions. Although spiritually inspired, religions are man-made institutions and are therefore imperfect. That doesn't deny their spiritual value or what can be accomplished through them for personal and social good.

In the Bible we learn that "God is no respecter of persons" meaning that God doesn't show favoritism and that in God's eye we are all equal. The same would be true of religions -- none is more blessed in God's eye than any other. What's most different among religions is the truth they contain and the truths they teach.

Following is a sample of The Urantia Book's teachings on religions and the truth they contain:

P.1012 - Â§4 The many religions of Urantia (earth) are all good to the extent that they bring man to God and bring the realization of the Father to man. It is a fallacy for any group of religionists to conceive of their creed as The Truth; such attitudes bespeak more of theological arrogance than of certainty of faith. There is not a Urantia religion that could not profitably study and assimilate the best of the truths contained in every other faith, for all contain truth. Religionists would do better to borrow the best in their neighbors' living spiritual faith rather than to denounce the worst in their lingering superstitions and outworn rituals.

The Urantia Book contains the most objective and inspiring analysis of religion versus 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.

Click here for today's inspiring quote: http://www.truthbook.com/quotes/index.cfm
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Thank you for your question,

Larry Watkins

Labels: God, Larry Watkins, relationship with God, religion, spiritual growth, spirtuality, truth

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Saturday, October 22, 2005

Material concerns and spiritual growth

Q: Does spiritual growth and progress depend on purely material concerns like what we eat or wear?

A: Free will through experience is aligning with the Father's will, led into alignment by the indwelling spirit of God, prodded into transformation by angelic and spiritual helpers in a divine conspiracy. In the inner life we realize that God is real and personal, in fact God is inextricable from our daily existence, except when we ignore God. Where we live, what we wear, whom we love, and what we eat seem to be within the realm of personal choice.

Our conscious choices, even mundane choices, create the future in some measure. We mature in mind as well as body. Soul growth arises as we become more real, more aware. When that personal realm is uplifted by awakening to the presence of God's Spirit within, the range of choice begins to implement factors of discernment, penetrating insight into outcomes resultant from our choosing. The whole realm of physical health, energy, stamina, even courage, seems tied to choices of when and what we consume or take in. We also appear to be called to make choices about what to eliminate, to overcome, to forgive, and even to forget.

There is the self, yet everywhere there are others whose need for altruistic help brings us into relationships, not merely the magnetism of sexual attraction or romantic love. The authors of The Urantia Book even suggest that economic necessity will lead eventually to brotherhood. We have the power to lend a hand, if we choose. Families and friendships grow stronger and deeper as worship and wisdom are brought into daily existence. Devotions and meditation season the tough realities of our contemporary civilization, making a place for insight into "the wholeness of events."

Our world poses us the most exquisite choice panorama. Diet, health, religion, sexual and affectional preferences, political philosophy, personal discipline, labor or profession, and altruistic service all call to us to engage in living fully, utilizing our God-given power of choice for that which is true, beautiful, and good.

When we evolve toward transformation, we seem to be opening to the destiny that God desires us to implement, to the benefit of our world in its painfully uncertain cruise upon the waters of environmental and social destiny. May our loyalties to high ideals, tempered by our realistic appraisal of opportunities and liabilities, aid us in moving our troubled world one more step toward Light and Life.

Stephen Zendt

Labels: free will, material existence, spiritual growth, Stephen Zendt, the future, The Urantia Book

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