© 1993 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
The Sunshine Coast Study Group
Following Trevor Swadling’s Forum article (July/August) on ways and means (as well as possible problems that will arise) of spreading the message of The URANTIA Book, we would like to draw attention to a section in the book itself that addresses many of the issues.
The ‘Nature of Cultism’ (UB 87:7.1) tells us that every revelation has given rise to a new cult, and implies that this is a virtual necessity for the successful dissemination of a revelation. The point is stressed that, to be successful, a cult must fulfil a variety of functions, but that a paramount requisite is the need to remain elastic and adaptable.
The same section remarks that the early Christian cult was the most effective, appealing, and enduring ever conceived or devised, then informs us that:
“…even the restatement of the religion of Jesus must develop a new and appropriate symbolism…predicated on the Fatherhood of God and…the Brotherhood of Man.” (UB 87:7.6)
The Declaration of Trust that created the Urantia Foundation proclaims that the principal objectives are to promote the true teachings of Jesus, the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man through “the fostering of a religion, a philosophy, and a cosmology…”
Probably all religions have their roots in a cult of some sort. If we are to follow the recommendations of the book and the above principal objectives, the early formation of a Urantia cult is now an urgent imperative. So how did the paranoia associated with antipathy towards cults and religious organization develop in the Urantia movement?
One of the contributing factors may have been the distraction brought about by the mistaken concept, emphasized in Trevor Swadling’s article, concerning the essentiality of maintaining the original text inviolate for generations to come, together with the means of accomplishing this through use of the distinctive brand mark of the three azure blue circles. Another factor may have been the expectation that the mass spreading of the inviolate text, rather than the need for a host of people actually living the message of the book, was the priority requirement.
It is a fact of life that languages are evolutionary and that their rate of evolution is relatively rapid. Already, the meaning of many words present in The URANTIA Book has altered since the receipt of the original text, sometimes causing considerable confusion amongst some readers. Societies also undergo evolution. Today, an author submitting text such as found in The URANTIA Book to a major publishing house would likely have the manuscript returned with instructions to remove the sexist terminology (e.g. Fatherhood of God, Brotherhood of Man, mankind, etc.).
In the not too distant future, when the copyright is no longer valid, legitimate scholars will want to modernize the language of The URANTIA Book in order to present the true intent and meaning of the 1934/5 Papers to current generations. In doing so, they will seek the earliest available documentation, which will be those copies of the book issued in the first printing. Genuine scholars will know that the text of all subsequent printings has been altered, hence will want to work only from the text of the first printing. There is little that can now be done about preserving that text. The continuing retention of a registered trade mark over the three concentric circles no longer serves any effective purpose in ensuring the validity of those original copies from the first printing.
Should the current text be preserved inviolate? Obviously not, as it is already misleading, and there are objectionable sexist and racist implications that have arisen due to changes in the way we think, the way we use language and the way society has developed since the mid-1930’s.
Should the current text be preserved inviolate? Obviously not, as it is already misleading, and there are objectionable sexist and racist implications that have arisen due to changes in the way we think, the way we use language and the way society has developed since the mid-1930’s. The book itself is quite emphatic about this point:
“But the greatest error of the teaching about the Scriptures is the doctrine of their being sealed books of mystery and wisdom which only the wise minds of the nation dare to interpret. The revelations of divine truth are not sealed except by human ignorance, bigotry, and narrow-minded intolerance. The light of Scriptures is only dimmed by prejudice and darkened by superstition. A false fear of sacredness has prevented religion from being safeguarded by common sense. The fear of authority of the sacred writings of the past effectively prevents the honest souls of today from accepting the new light of the gospel, the light which those very God-knowing men of another generation so intensely longed to see”. (UB 159:4.9)
For the sake of future generations, one of our needs will be a continuous stream of updated (but scholarly) revisions of the text of the first printing. As with the Bible, open competition among such scholars is the way to get the best revision. The same reasoning applies to translations.
We believe that the book itself has always called for a grass roots movement made up of a multitude of individuals doing their utmost to actually live the teachings of the book. Primarily, these are the teachings of Jesus. When that multitude attains a critical mass, the teachings will take off explosively.
Secondary works are essential for the generation of the critical mass of those who really live the teachings. Let us add the plea that the urgent need for the formation of many experimental cults to evolve an effective symbolism from which may arise a new but evolving religion founded on the truths of The URANTIA Book.
The initial momentum for the dissemination of the English language editions of The URANTIA Book has come to a grinding halt. A new surge can arise from individual and collective efforts at the grass roots level. It’s up to us.
