The Urantia Book

timewerx · Dec 22, 2012

wordsoflife said:
You've been reading it for 2 years? It took me 5 minutes to know that it was heresy and put it down.

I have not read the book but based on the OP's discussions, there's a clear distinction between the salvation path offered by the book and that of the Gospels.

It will certainly conflict with the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. That alone is already a red-flag to me despite possible mention of the Holy Trinity in its writings.

In order to deceive, it must contain enough truth in it. Just a little of that lie is enough to kill!

Yoder777 · Dec 22, 2012

RisingSpirit said:
Who really wrote the books? Are the writers offsprings from a certain denomination? What other new age language have this type of writing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urantia_Book#Authorship_and_publication

Yoder777 · Dec 22, 2012

timewerx said:
I have not read the book but based on the OP's discussions, there's a clear distinction between the salvation path offered by the book and that of the Gospels.

It will certainly conflict with the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. That alone is already a red-flag to me despite possible mention of the Holy Trinity in its writings.

In order to deceive, it must contain enough truth in it. Just a little of that lie is enough to kill!

How does it conflict with Jesus from the Gospels?

Yoder777 · Dec 22, 2012

wordsoflife said:
You've been reading it for 2 years? It took me 5 minutes to know that it was heresy and put it down.

Which part of it is heresy? For a book that's over two thousand pages that integrates the best concepts of science, religion, spirituality, and philosophy, it only took you five minutes to judge it as not worth your time? This is the unorthodox theology forum, so I hope you have a better reason for rejecting it than it just seemed like heresy after a cursory glance. I believe the Urantia Book is a very mystical text and its harmony of religion and science is something that was foreshadowed by the Catholic priest Teilhard de Chardin.

Yoder777 · Dec 22, 2012

I was raised in the Catholic faith. As a result, I've always had an interest in mysticism and also in finding a middle way between religion and science. I believe the Urantia Book is a very mystical text and its harmony of religion and science is something that was foreshadowed by the Catholic priest Teilhard de Chardin.

I started reading the Urantia Book at a time when I had strong doubts in my Christian faith. I was reading books by historical Jesus scholars like Shelby Spong and Dom Crossan who left me questioning whether Jesus really was the Son of God or whether he rose from the dead. I discovered the Urantia Book by accident by looking up "the religion of Jesus vs. religion about Jesus" on Google.

I started reading the Urantia Book at its Jesus section and was amazed of how it brought Jesus to life as a flesh and blood historical person but also as the loving Savior of the world. Since then, I've read the Jesus section almost in its entirety, and I no longer doubt that Jesus is the Son of God or that he rose from the dead, albeit in a morontial form.

The Urantia Book gives me comfort and assurance about the afterlife and I'm simply amazed by the detail it gives for the morontial existence and for the future age of light and life on earth. I previously believed that the afterlife was a time of spiritual progress and that the ultimate goal of human evolution is the Kingdom of God on earth but the Urantia Book confirmed and gave detail to these beliefs.

The first chapters on the nature of God give the most clear explanation of God's love and care for all beings that I've ever read from any source. The book's explanation of there being life on other worlds confirmed what I had read in the writings of Erik Von Daniken and had believed since I was a small child. I appreciate the fairness and tolerance it gives to the various world religions in trying to see the truth and common ground shared between them.

Basically, what I am trying to say is that the Urantia Book enhanced my Christian faith, rather than replacing it, and has answered more spiritual questions than any source I've ever seen. If God wanted to update the Bible with modern science and learning, the Urantia Book would have to be that new revelation. I don't believe the Urantia Book is infallible and it never claims to be, yet I must say it is perhaps the most important spiritual book of the 20th century.

timewerx · Dec 22, 2012

Yoder777 said:
I started reading the Urantia Book at a time when I had strong doubts in my Christian faith.

There are problems with the mainstream Christian faith.

But I think the Urantian hypothesis is just another flavor of the same problems facing mainstream beliefs.

RisingSpirit · Dec 22, 2012

wordsoflife said:
You've been reading it for 2 years? It took me 5 minutes to know that it was heresy and put it down.

I look at other languages as a model one puts together to see the whole picture. You're need to see the whole picture before it be be called a hearsay. On the Christianity, many denominations call each other a hearsay church.

Yoder777 · Dec 22, 2012

In his own time, Teilhard de Chardin was condemned as a heretic, and now there are dorms named after him at Catholic colleges. Let's also not forget that Jesus himself was condemned as a heretic.

timewerx · Dec 23, 2012

Yoder777 said:
In his own time, Teilhard de Chardin was condemned as a heretic, and now there are dorms named after him at Catholic colleges. Let's also not forget that Jesus himself was condemned as a heretic.

Not everyone who tries to make a big difference (and be called a heretic as a result) is of God's.

The most radical ones are possibly the only ones capable of deceiving the elect, saints, prophets, etc. These are the toughest false teachers to crack since they're teaching very close to the truth. It's harder to spot the lies they are teaching.

And often these persons can even let themselves undergo extreme hardships even martyrdom making their followers blind to their teachings (who assume everything they say is truth - after all, martyrs can't be wrong!!)

I think everyone has an idea or two about 'secret agents' in films, TV series. They can be quite fearless for their cause, even brave death and torture itself. They are often employed in deceiving the enemy and that they can execute even against the most intelligent and smartest of persons.

Some false teachers are like the secular 'double agents'. They can let themselves suffer real persecution, torture, even martyrdom under the label of Christianity just so they can inject some lies into the truth.

If false teachers came with long beards and wielding automatic rifles, you'll most likely avoid them! If false teachers came via expensive, white suits, off their private jets, they may attract many, but not the elect - the real Christians... If false teachers came wearing tattered clothes, bloodied, and limping, they might actually deceive even the saints! Even if they speak some lies.

Our spiritual enemies are certainly NOT dumber than the CIA, nor the KGB, etc. In fact, the vast disciplines of infiltration, stealth, and deception these agencies employ may have ultimately come from our spiritual enemies. And the bad news is, we are their enemy and we are in the middle of this battle! There is only one small escape, and simple-mindedness is not an option!

Yoder777 · Dec 23, 2012

William S. Sadler, the main promoter of the Urantia Book, was a well respected psychiatrist and former Adventist minister who had written several books debunking spiritualist phenomena. He didn't believe the revelations to be true until after closely studying the sleeping subject for a number of years. One wonders why Sadler would risk his reputation if he didn't believe the revelations to be true. I find it strange and disappointing when people condemn the Urantia Book without even knowing the history surrounding it or its actual contents.

timewerx · Dec 23, 2012

Yoder777 said:
William S. Sadler, the main promoter of the Urantia Book, was a well respected psychiatrist and former Adventist minister who had written several books debunking spiritualist phenomena. He didn't believe the revelations to be true until after closely studying the sleeping subject for a number of years. One wonders why Sadler would risk his reputation if he didn't believe the revelations to be true. I find it strange and disappointing when people condemn the Urantia Book without even knowing the history surrounding it or its actual contents.

Titles and reputation doesn't hold any value in absolute terms:

Luke 26:6
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Luke 16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

The Urantian hypothesis does not agree with the Gospels, especially in attaining salvation (gain eternal life) which is probably one of the most important teachings in Christianity. To me, it's beyond question, you cannot have both but must choose one and disregard the other.

While Spiritual phenomena is still very real. Not everything comes from the Holy Spirit and I've known it first hand. Evil spirits can come as 'Angels of Light' even speaking of the truth, until you let down your guard and they gain your 100% trust and once they do, subtle lies start coming.

The truth to most people is simply anything that seem to make sense by their worldly understanding and if it puffs up their ego. But is false against the real truth.

wordsoflife · Dec 23, 2012

Yoder777 said:
Which part of it is heresy? For a book that's over two thousand pages that integrates the best concepts of science, religion, spirituality, and philosophy, it only took you five minutes to judge it as not worth your time? This is the unorthodox theology forum, so I hope you have a better reason for rejecting it than it just seemed like heresy after a cursory glance. I believe the Urantia Book is a very mystical text and its harmony of religion and science is something that was foreshadowed by the Catholic priest Teilhard de Chardin.

It falsely presents itself to be about Jesus Christ. I look at it just as I do the Book of Mormon, as a false gospel.

Yoder777 · Dec 23, 2012

wordsoflife said:
It falsely presents itself to be about Jesus Christ. I look at it just as I do the Book of Mormon, as a false gospel.

What is false about it?

Yoder777 · Dec 23, 2012

timewerx said:
Titles and reputation doesn't hold any value in absolute terms:

Luke 26:6
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Luke 16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

The Urantian hypothesis does not agree with the Gospels, especially in attaining salvation (gain eternal life) which is probably one of the most important teachings in Christianity. To me, it's beyond question, you cannot have both but must choose one and disregard the other.

While Spiritual phenomena is still very real. Not everything comes from the Holy Spirit and I've known it first hand. Evil spirits can come as 'Angels of Light' even speaking of the truth, until you let down your guard and they gain your 100% trust and once they do, subtle lies start coming.

The truth to most people is simply anything that seem to make sense by their worldly understanding and if it puffs up their ego. But is false against the real truth.

You've conflated the terms "spiritual" and "spiritualist" and you haven't explained specifically what is faulty about the Urantia Book's teaching on salvation.

I can't spend too much time explaining the same things over and over again. If you would like to understand how the Urantia Book originated, and how unlikely it would be for it to have been all made up given the circumstances in which it was received, please read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urantia_Book#Authorship_and_publication

NDE Master · Dec 23, 2012

Looks like a good book Yoder777.

timewerx · Dec 24, 2012

Yoder777 said:
You've conflated the terms "spiritual" and "spiritualist" and you haven't explained specifically what is faulty about the Urantia Book's teaching on salvation.

Don't tell me you've not been reading everything in my reply.

I've already explained it in my few replies back "progress" in the Urantian hypothesis vs "perfection now" according to Jesus. Mighty big difference.

RisingSpirit · Dec 24, 2012

How does the authors of the Urantia book compare to the author of the Moron Book since both had angelic visitations according to their testimonies?

Absonite · Dec 24, 2012

I am a reader of The Urantia Book.
I can break this all down very simply for those of you who are wondering about it:

Papers 1 to (and including) 5 offer expansive explanations about God.
Papers 123 to (and including) 196 offer an expansive account of Jesus's life.

That is all one needs to check out from this book to determine whether or not there is anything of value - of truth, beauty, and goodness - to it. Upon reading those specific Papers, if what the UB explains about God and Jesus' life doesn't spiritually stand, then all the rest of it will not stand. And the only way one can determine that stance simply is to read those specific Papers for oneself and find out.

That's really what it all comes down to here.
Read - not skim, not skip through, etc... actually and completely read - those Papers and find out for yourself.

Those Papers, and the rest of the text, is available for viewing-reading online for free. eg. simply google Uranita Foundation, or Urantia Fellowship, and follow their links to read the text online.

wordsoflife · Dec 24, 2012

Yoder777 said:
What is false about it?

Everything, it wasn't written by the apostles and it isn't about the real Jesus.

timewerx · Dec 24, 2012

wordsoflife said:
Everything, it wasn't written by the apostles and it isn't about the real Jesus.

So far, I agree with everything you said so far in this thread but this.

If nobody else cannot make genuine writings about the Truth other than the apostles, then nobody else aside the apostles know the Truth and apart from the apostles, everyone is deceived by false teachings.

I still agree that the UB's message is different enough from the Gospels to stay away from.

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