© 1990 Neil Francey, Madeline Noordzy, et al
© 1990 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
¶ Six-0-Six Newsletter
As people in Australia who are aware of the Urantia Book we are in a unique situation. Not only are we few in number but we are scattered over thousands of miles.
By this informal newsletter we can perhaps draw a little closer together and co-ordinate with a more positive voice. While aware of the importance of personal contact in the communication of our beliefs we should not lose sight of person to person contact with each other.
So here it is - a monthly newsletter!
It will serve to keep us informed of activities Australia wide and naturally contributions and suggestions are welcome. News from the U.S. (conferences, new publications, studs group activities) will also be a feature.
¶ Notes On The Book
The Urantia Book has had an interesting history to date with sales and enquiries increasing each year. The Book is currently in its sixth edition with a run of 20,000 copies. This brings the total number printed since 1955 to 110,000 . The following table show the growth in sales order the years.
| TOTAL BOOKS SOLD. | YEAR. |
|---|---|
| 10,000 | 1967 |
| 20,000 | 1971 |
| 55,000 | 1975 |
| 90,000 | 1979 May |
| 100,000 | 1979 Dec |
The book is currently stocked in approx. 3000 bookstores across the U.S. with sales averaging around month. In Australia it is a somewhat different story with only a few specialist bookstores carrying coples in limited numbers. To overcome this situation books may be purchased from us direct.
¶ Concordex
This valuable index to the Urantia Hook is being revised by its author clyde Bedell, so we can expect another edition in the near future.
¶ Other Newsletters.
The following quarterly publications are available from the U.S.
- The Urantian - Journal of the Urantia Brotherhood.
- Urantia Brotherhood Bulletin.
- Agondonter - Newsletter of the First Urantia Society of L.A.
- The Spiritual Renaissance Herald:
We have some back copies of these publications should anyone require them. Subscription addresses are also available.
In addition we have a limited number of brochures and notes that refer
to the book, the Brotherhood, and the Foundation.
No doubt we are poised on the brink of great expansion with exciting though somewhat uncertain possibilities. The 80’s will see greater interest in spiritual teachings and there is the possibility that the book itself will come to the attention of the public. It will require patience and perseverance if even its broad concepts are to be accepted. To share and observe the unfolding of an epochal revelation to a troubled planet will surely remain a highlight of our entire ascent.
We trust you will enjoy receiving these newsletters.
SIX-0-SIX NEWSLETIER. 110 Addison St., Elwood. 3184. VIC.
¶ Side by side from the pens of
Neil Francey
This special event in the life of Six-O-Six is a proud moment for us all.
It was quite an experience to sort through all the back issues, with lots of happy distractions. Time didn’t seem to matter.
As we collated, we could not be sure of the personality we were creating. I trust it will be a treasured collection of memories associated with your spiritual aspirations.
It presents a history of events, an emerging international presence, and our progress at personal and social levels. years.
I trust you will enjoy your journey through the last ten years.
Six-O-Six tells a story. It’s own!
Editor 1980-1986
Madeline Noordzy
It is not hard to guess what one of our favourite subjects is when we two editors get together.
When Neil and I were cruising down the Noosa River during the October conference last year, we discussed at great length this anniversary issue of Six-O-Six. We discovered we both had the same idea about what we wanted to present you with.
Later on, Ken Glasziou and Neil sifted through the long. list of suggested material we had made up. It was not an enviable task, I can assure you! Ten years-of Six-O-Six makes quite a bundle.
When I received it back from Kentand Neil, I tried to arrange it ingroups of subjects rather than a a chronological order of events.
Some of the excellent articles we published over the years were, unfortunately, just too long to include, so we have had to be selective about which ones to include.
Maybe it is because I’m a needlewoman from way back that I like the analogy of a tapestry so much. I’ve tried to give you a colourful tapestry of expressions from different personalities. This is our tribute to you, the reader.
For some of “ye ol’ faithfuls” it is old material, but presented in a new container. For some of the newer readers it is brand-new.
I hope you’ll enjoy looking back with us over the last ten years of Six-O-Six.
Editor 1986-1990
This anniversary issue has been a real team effort. Thanks to Neil Francey, Ken Glasziou, Tony Rudd, David Hepworth, Steve Shanahan, Domi Snyers, William Wentworth and Kathleen Swadling for all their hard work and cooperation. Also thanks to all our readers who supported us financially to make it possible, and last but not least, thanks to my husband, John, for putting up with me while I was busy trying to bring it all to a successful completion.
Madeline
¶ Contents
- Milestones
- Ascension Career Game
- Distribution of The Book
- Our Readers Around Australia
- The Pioneers in Australia
- Our Pacific Neighbours
- A Precious Vase
- Children’s Art Competition
- The European Connection
- Don’t Wait for the Movie!
- Study Groups in the Eighties
- A Tapestry of Loving Service
- Conferences
- News from Chicago
- Scientific Evidence
- The Library Placement Programme
- Sharing our Points of View
- Old Coins in a Shoebox
¶ Milestones
From a very humble one-page news sheet for Australian readers starting in February 1980. Six-O-Six has today grown to an equally humble international newsletter of usually around 8 to 10 pages.
In November 1981, the editorial reported that the total number on the mailing list was 66; 34 in Victoria, 11 in N.S.W., 14 in Queensland, 3 in South Australia and 4 in Western Australia. The cost, including postage was 30c per copy!
The September 1982 issue conveyed the news that Clyde Bedell had undertaken to complete a third revised edition of the Concordex, the work to be carried out in Boulder, Colorado where about 80 readers volunteered administrative assistance.
Neil designed the new Six-O-Six logo and introduced it in February 1984.
In April 1985, we went international. The editorial reported:
“Over the years, we have resisted requests to mail Six-O-Six to overseas subscribers. It now seems timely to venture into international waters. With the publication of this issue, we welcome readers from New Zealand, South Africa and Tahiti.”
We were after reader feedback in our July/August 1986 issue. We conducted a survey to find out what sort of articles people were really looking for and how often readers would like it published.
The response, as often happens with surveys like this, was low, but we found out from those that did respond that they wanted it to be a monthly event. Most people were looking for a variety of articles including news about the movement, national and international, articles on scientific evidence, the teachings of The URANTIA Book, personal experiences, how to rin a study group and the origin of the book.
Cost and time-prevented us from responding to the request for a monthly newsletter, but we have tried to give you a mixed bag as far as the articles are concerned.
The existence of the Brotherhood of Man Library was reported in the March/April 1989 issue:
“A branch-of the Brotherhood of Man Library is now functional in Australia. The purpose of the library is to act as an archive for material relevant to The URANTIA Book and to make that material available to readers. Much of the material is stored on computer disk which is available directly by telephone and modem to those with a personal computer. Print out of material is available on request. It is hoped to have branches in each capital city to improve accessibility. Volunteer hackers welcomed!”
“Computer search of The URANTIA Book is also available on request. A lending library handles books tapes and videos. Presently Ken Glasziou, Joe Hausler and Ann Bendall are volunteer librarians.”
Our numbers rose from 66 in 1981 to 168 in 1985. When subscriptions were introduced in 1987, numbers fell to about 90 , but steadily rose again to 116 in 1988 . At the end of September 1989, we had 67 in Australia and 45 overseas.
In the July/August 1986 issue an intriguing announcement appeared from Rob and Mary Crickett in North Balwyn, Melbourne. This dynamic couple invited people to come and join them.
Reprinted from Six-0-Six Newsletter July/August 1986
Play the one and only Sooper Dooper ASCENSION CAREER Board Game:
It’s a question-answer game. Players all start here on Urantia and each question they successfully answer moves them one square at a time around the board … culminating in Finaliter status and spiritual adulthood at square 80 .
It’s a game suitably designed for both beginners and long-time students of the U. book to have fun with. Each question has 4 answers provided to select from, so even someone who has not even read page 1 of the book can fumble their way through the game [we tried it on such a person … and he beat us at it!].
It’s best played with from 4 to 6 players [otherwise it takes forever to have another turn] and each player is allowed one assisting advisor to back them up if they feel they can benefit more.from 2 adjusters, 4 Seraphim, 2 brains and double guesswork.
Rob band Mary Crickett
Id like to add here that on a few occasions I have played this game and once made it to Paradise on a Saturday afternoon, and I can assure you its lots of fun!
At the Robertson Pacific Meeting we used Rob’s questions for “Trivial Pursuit” contest and it created a lot of hilarity.
Some people have asked us if it was possible to have a copy of the game. We made inquiries about that but regret to tell you they are not available.
Since that day Robert Crickett has introduced The URANTIA Book to literally dozen of people, not so much through his Ascension Career game but through his personal development courses he has given, which in turn have led to study groups.
Madeline
¶ Distribution Of The Book
In February 1982 the editorial mentioned that book translations were making steady progress (French, Finnish and Spanish). $7,000 had been provided for translations in general and $3,000 for the Spanish version.
We were pleased to report in March 1982 that The URANTIA Book had joined the best-seller list! The seventh printing of some 23,000 copies was completed in August 1981. This brought the total number of copies in print (in English) to 135,000. The seventh printing went on sale in November 1981 when stocks of the sixth printing were sold out.
Sales to the end of 1981 had exceeded 112,000 in total. And with the increasing demand for the book, sales for that year were expected to be 10% up on the preceding year.
Increasing sales over a period of 26 years make The URANTIA Book a confirmed best-seller.
October 1982 was the issue where we reported that the URANTIA Foundation was pleased to announce that the French translation of The URANTIA Book was again available. It was now titled “Le Livre d’URANTIA”. The Foundation also advised on new guidelines for quoting from the book.
A historic achievement was reported in our February 1986 issue:
“Last October 12 saw the attainment of a significant milestone - the 30th anniversary of the first publication in 1955 of The URANTIA Book. By the end of this year more than 143,000 copies of the original English version will have been sold and distributed. Figures for the French translation, Le Livre d’URANTIA, will reach a total of almost 17,000 copies, bringing the grand total to about 160,000 books.”
“For the current year, the combined total will be about 10,000 copies, a little more than 8,000 for the English version and a little less than 2,000 for the French version.”
The Finnish translation was making good progress, a report on which we made in our September / October 1988 issue:
“The Finnish translation is in its third draft. The Finns have financed the translation for over 20 years. Now the Foundation hopes to fund the printing once the translation is complete. The Spanish translation is still progressing, although at a slower pace than anticipated…”
We look forward to bringing you many more reports in the future about how the global picture for book sales in an ever-increasing number of languages is progressing.
¶ The Pioneers In Australia
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter April 1986
One of the first to introduce people to The URANTIA Book in Australia was Fred Robinson. In April 1986 Steve Shanahan, who knew Fred personally, wrote the following article.
Time for Reflection: Fred
Fifteen years ago, a man in his eighties travelled the east coast of Australia sharing what he called “Modern Revealed Knowledge”. His name was Fred Robinson.
From the community which he established in Western Australia in the late sixties, Fred would travel with his wife Mary some 3000 kilometres to the more populated cities of Australia’s east coast spreading his message in coffee shops, halls, universities and churches.
The cornerstone of Fred’s philosophy was the “Brotherhood of Man”. Wherever people gathered to listen to this gentle man, they would invariably notice The URANTIA Book by his side.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter April 1986
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter November 1984
Another “old timer” was Tom Reynolds. Tom had investigated many world religions and searched major libraries in search of answers.
I was about to give up my search when, one day, the librarian told me that the spiritualist’s leader had brought back from America five books which he thought were suitable for spiritualists, but on reading, had found them to reject spiritualism, so he had sold them to the Theosophical Society’s library. She asked me if I would care to borrow one and after six weeks of borrowing, I found that I could not snag this book as I had all the others, so I had to accept it; in fact, I have been studying it ever since. After the first reading, which I found very difficult, even with a good dictionary at my elbow, I wrote to Miss Christiansen in Chicago with the thought in mind that some queer religions come from America and wondering if the people behind this book were sincere and genuine.
I can only say that in all my contacts with Chicago, even visiting them, I can find nothing but admiration for the whole way in which they go about their business. After studying the book for about three years and seeing the magnificent and stupendous picture presented therein of the how, why, and when of the Cosmos and eternity, I, like all others, wanted to shout to everyone from the roof tops, “look what I have found”. Of course, no one understood, in fact, it took me three years to find even one person who had read a part of it.
Over the years, my connection with and study of The URANTIA Book and its teachings have enriched my life in so many ways. The first group came about, not due to the collecting of URANTIA Book readers, but by my giving lectures on Yoga and Christianity. I slowly brought into my lectures The URANTIA Book philosophy … so let the divine spirit in man interpret the meaning relative to a person’s ability to understand.
Tom Reynolds Melbourne
One other person who possessed the very first edition of The URANTIA Book was Leith Luckett. In June 1986 Leith presented some artwork at the Melbourne conference. It was on the theme “The Tapestry of Loving Service”. We have never before published this work, but we feel this is a good opportunity to do so. (The drawing takes 2 full pages, see pages 18 & 19)
¶ Our Pacific Neighbours
Being so close, many Australian readers have become warm and close friends with our Pacific neighbours, through both meeting them personally in our homes and at conferences, and through keeping in touch through Six-OSix. It has been our pleasure over the years to publish not only their letters as part of an “open line” communication point, but has given them the opportunity to express points of view on various matters.
In May 1985 we published a letter from a very dear friend.
¶ Reprinted from Six-0-Six Newsletter May 1985
Dear 6-0-6 Readers,
There is a festival of arts in Tahiti regrouping about 27 countries of the Pacific from June 29 to July 15 this year. Australia and New Zealand are participating also with Aboriginal and Maori arts.
It is a unique opportunity to present The URANTIA Book during these two weeks to people of the Pacific area. Mr. Racule from Fiji intends to come and help me. Is there any reader in Australia who is interested in coming to join us for this action?
“If you are not a positive and missionary evangel of your religion, you are self-deceived in that what you call a religion is only a traditional belief or a new system of intellectual philosophy.” (UB 160:5.3)
I look forward to hearing from you very soon.
Yours cordially,
Emmanuel Lou Papeete, Tahiti
A Precious Vase
The August 1981 issue of Six-O-Six told of an ancient vase in an American museum that was found near Hebron, in Palestine. What made this vase interesting and unique is that it is emblazoned with three blue concentric circles, the banner of Michael and the emblem worn by Machiventa Melchizedek. Hebron was where Abraham maintained his headquarters during the time of Melchizedek.
In July / August 1987, Emmanuel was again featured by the newsletter in an article where he compared Chinese legends with information from The URANTIA Book.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July/August 1987
Lao Shou Hsing God of Longevity
“And Chinese tradition preserves the hazy record of the evolutionary past…” (UB 79:8.15)
One of the gods of Chinese tradition is the god of longevity. The Chinese people have an ardent desire for longevity whose divinity SHOU LAO or SHOU HSING resides in the star Canopus in the constellation Argo.
Old-fashioned Chinese families especially in diaspora, possessed a set of statues of eight immortals ( Pa Hsien or 八仙) which decorated the banquet table on anniversaries, with two children on the backs of water buffaloes, who they had dispatched to fetch the God of Longevity beyond the hills.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter July/August 1987
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter November/December 1988
Fiji, slightly closer to home than Tahiti, has a growing readership and we are delighted to keep in touch with them via Six-O-Six. We were pleased to be able to welcome Isireli Racule to our South Pacific Regional Meeting at Robertson on October 10-14 1988. We published his address in the November / December 1988 issue.
Greetings of “Bula Vinaka” from the Islands of Fiji to you, our brothers and sisters in Australia and neighbour nations of Planet 606 , Urantia, assembled here. We welcome you into our hearts and love, and bring you the hopes and best wishes of The URANTIA Book readers in Fiji, that this meeting be a major step forward in the development and advancement of the gospel of Jesus in the form of The URANTIA Book for the planet, this day and age - the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.
Fiji a little more than 150 years ago became a Christian country of two major sects - Methodist, a liberty moderated Church in 1835, and Roman Catholic, a tradition and ritual laden one, in 1844.
The standard of the church music in the Fiji churches is very high, and being the language of the universes and the Paradise Havona worlds, it is full of lingering harmony with no discords. But in the Christian churches themselves, let alone other religions, there is a lot of discord and disharmony throughout almost 2000 years.
We truly hope that such a state of disharmony and disunity will someday be lifted. We know too well that Urantia is still under quarantine as a result of the Lucifer rebellion, and when this shall be lifted no-one knows. We, as Urantians, have been admonished by the Midwayer Commission in the Jesus Papers that we remember well to keep whole and never be divided into sects, keeping in mind that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”! Urantians all, be united always and forever in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.
Isi Racule
Fiji
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter November/December 1988
¶ The European Connection
Australia has a large migrant population and so it is not strange that we have very strong ties with several European countries. Throughout our ten years of publication, titbits of information from there appeared in Six-o-Six.
The September 1980 issue informed readers that a group in Helsinki, Finland had been studying the Book for 15 years and were making steady progress on a Finnish translation.
This article also brought news that the French version was again underway and that arrangements were being made for a Spanish translation.
In the March 1986 issue an international meeting was announced:
“Rencontre Internationale De Lecteurs Du Livre D’Grantia En France du 3 au 11 Aout 1986.”
This announcement of an international meeting for Urantia Book readers was accompanied by the following quote:
“In the experience of finding the Father in heaven you discover that all men are your brothers, and does it seem strange that one should enjoy the exhilaration of meeting a newly discovered brother? To become acquainted with one’s brothers and sisters, to know their problems and to learn to love them, is the supreme experience of living.” (UB 130:2.6)
In the September / October 1986 issue we announced:
“The Urantia Foundation has announced the conclusion of negotiations to begin translating The URANTIA Book into Spanish. The work is scheduled to be completed in 14 months from inception. Typesetting and production of a book from the completed translation will require some additiongl time. Foundation staff has begun to plan the details of the operation, which will involve the súpport of dedicated readers in Spain, Bogota and the U.S.A.”
The Finns were again in the news in our January / February 1988 issue. Here are excerpts from a letter from Finland, letting us know how they were getting on.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter January/February 1988
The Finnish translation has been going for about twenty years. The third version was started in 1984 and should be finished in about two years time. This translation is being done by Seppo Kaneva and there is a group of about one hundred readers supporting the work financially. This group arranges national meetings and it has a newsletter of its own. There are several independent study groups in the country and usually some members belong to a support group - beginners are not accepted.
This unorganized network has worked rather well. However, because of several reasons we have faced the need to get registered as a non-profit association and the constitution is being drafted. It is not an easy task because this future association is planned to become a society of the Brotherhood as well. Perhaps our efforts will make it easier to establish later societies outside the United States.
There is also a small unregistered group of outreach minded readers and a few of them belong to the support group too. They plan to have an international conference in Finland in 1989. It seems to me that neither the support group nor the future association/society will take part in the arrangements.
Our newsletter, “Heijaste”, has a list of those readers in Finland who are willing to be contacted by brothers and sisters from other countries. The experience of many shows that one of the best ways to learn about other cultures and to share experiences is to contact one another on a personal basis.
Satu Shivo
Finland
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July/August 1988
Although distribution into England is not as great as other countries, we were pleased to report on some publicity the book received. A report by Chris Moseley was reported in our July/August 1988 issue.
London Book Fair
For the first time in this country, The URANTIA Book has been exhibited on a stand at a book fair. The London International Book Fair, the largest of its kind in this country, was held at Olympia in London from 28th to 30th of March. Visitors to the Fair included John Hales, David Elders and Scott Forsyth from the URANTIA Brotherhood who were seeking a suitable distributor for the book.
Chris Moseley
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July August 1989
We were delighted to report in the July / August 1989 issue that the book was alive and well in the U.S.S.R.
Thank you very much for the Newsletters. You have an advantage in Australia because you do not have to bother with translations. Here we have a whole special organization for translating materials into our native language, Estonian. The URANTIA Book has already been translated.
You see, in a way, translating a book is quite a pleasant activity, because you have to understand everything you are translating. This is one of the best ways to acquaint yourself deeply and thoroughly with printed material.
Our group is but a small fraction of a bigger movement, built mainly on a spiritual basis. There are different trends of thought in it and many subgroups. The word ‘independent’ is the name of our group and means simply that we are not taking part in any political movement of which there are many in Estonia just now, for most of the religious groups and movements are also political.
I will keep sending you postcards of Estonia. I am very grateful for the postcards you sent - it is better to see once than hear twice.
Urmas Lipand
Tallinn, Estonia, U.S.S.R.
¶ Reprinted from Six-0-Six Newsletter November/December 1987
Curt Avery, from Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A. gave us an unusual perspective with his light-hearted article.
DON’T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE!!!
Are you among the millions of seekers who demand an answer to the question, why? Are you perplexed by that confusing and elusive puzzle known as life? Do you find yourself collecting volumes of books which promise answers and deliver only foggy guesswork? Then this message is for you, the one volume set, bound in handsome blue, The URANTIA Book.
Chock full of cosmic adventure, mystery, intrigue, rebellion, betrayal, romance, and the conflict of mighty protagonists as they clash in the skies. It’s all here in The URANTIA Book.
You will meet the Midwayers, The Thought Adjusters, the Brilliant Evening Stars, and the crew that designed the dinosaurs. You will travel with the heroic Andon and Fonta, and shudder at the evil doings of Caligastia. The truth about Noah will surprise you! You will be titillated by the exact present location of the Garden of Eden, awed by the location of the geographic centre of infinity, enlightened by the saga of Eve’s folly which exonerates the snake and the apple.
You may be infuriated by the rejection of the atonement doctrine and shocked to learn that God is not into punishment at all. And you will taste the total despair emanating from finding that you cannot blame everything on the devil any more. You will be dumbfounded by the Universe Power Directors, and excited by the prospect of life on other planets. Snakes, charms, fetishes, cults, doctrines, history, geology, biology, electricity, gravity, outer space - and even outer, outer space. It’s all here. Thousands of pages and not a single illustration to distract you.
This is the great adventure story of all time. Don’t wait for the movie - act now!! Make The URANTIA Book part of your survival kit today. Available by calling 080-Melchizedek. Our operators are standing by.
Curt Avery
Savannah Georgia, U.S.A.
¶ Study Groups In The Eighties
Madeline Noordzy
Study groups in Australia existed before February 1980, the month in which the first Six-O-Six was published, but the first mention of them was made in March 1980 under the heading “Study Groups”. Two groups were mentioned, one at Tom Reynolds’ and one at Neil Francey’s. Both were in Melbourne.
Tom Reynolds, who is believed to be one of the first URANTIA Book readers in Australia, together with Fred Robinson, had been holding study groups for a number of years with emphasis on personal development.
I joined him in April 1980, about six months after finding The URANTIA Book myself, through one of the members of Tom’s group. I stayed with this group which met weekly on a Tuesday night, for about five years. We would discuss such things as “What am I”, “Who am I”, and “Why am I”. Tom, who had been a yoga teacher, took readings from various books. Emmet Fox was one of his favourites. I also remember a little book called “Why I am afraid to tell you who I am” by John Powell, and sometimes we took readings from The URANTIA Book.
In those five years I saw many people come and go. Some came out of sheer curiosity, responding to an advertisement that Tom would put in some local newspapers.
Since those days I have learned a few things about study groups; that one has to be very flexible, patient and tolerant to make it work; that every study group is different and most have their teething problems; that meeting at the same place and the same time each week, fortnight or month provides a certain stability; to not give up if temporarily numbers are down; that it is the quality and not the quantity that counts; and most important of all that after a while you become like a family.
As my contribution to this tenth anniversary issue, I would like to present you with some excerpts from the past ten years of Six-O-Six on the topic of study groups.
THE SYDNEY GROUP
After the first mention of two groups in Melbourne in March 1980, the Sydney Study Group of Trevor Swadling and Peter Toy was announced in the May 1980 issue. Both had been members of an earlier Melbourne study group.
In July 1982, Kathleen Burns, who later became Trevor’s wife, wrote her first article encouraging readers to start more study groups. She invited people who came to Sydney to come and join their group, which at that time had six regular attendants.
In the February 1983 issue, this same Sydney group announced their intention to hold the first conference in Australia for readers of The URANTIA Book in June of that year. We have had one national conference every year since then, with an international meeting in October 1988, which was also organised by Kathleen and Trevor Swadling with a little help from their friends.
THE NEED FOR STUDY GROUPS
In the March 1985 issue, Kathleen once again spoke out on “The Need for Study Groups”. This article must have made an impression on me personally because two months after its publication I organised our first study group in Glen Waverley as did Neil Francey once again in Brighton. In her article, Kathleen referred to other articles, one by Martin Meyers and one by Julia Fenderson.
The early members of the Urantia movement were told that “the Book” is being given to those who are ready for it long before its worldwide mission. In the meantime thousands of study groups must be brought into existence. Thus will the Book be in readiness to comfort and enlighten the peoples of the world when the battle for man’s liberty is finally won and the world is once more made safe for the religion of Jesus and the freedom of mankind…" The study groups, because of their smallness and personal intimacy, seem to have the real potential to develop into religious groups. When this begins to happen on a wide scale, the mission of The URANTIA Book to bring the gospel of the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man to the world will be assured. While the truths of The URANTIA Book remain as print on a page the revelatory task of the book will not succeed. It is only in mobilizing those truths by living example in the lives of God-knowing men and women through loyal and sincere effort and service that the revelation will find its complete expression.
Martin Meyers
In early days we were advised to form thousands of study groups and further, avoid publicity. In this way, people from all walks of life would become knowledgable about the book and ready to defend it from any possible attack from unenlightened individuals. Most of all, individuals’ lives would be upstepped and thus, in their various walks of life, be able to grow wisely and upstep the lives of others.
My concern is that of keeping a balance between the modest small study group’s growth and the ever-growing big conferences. I love the joy, fellowship and presentations of these conferences and I have always been right in there working for them. However, now I am beginning to foresee some real dangers in the emphasis and fast growth of big conferences. They appear to be growing at a faster rate than the small in-the-home, grass-roots study groups. For example, we could easily anticipate a thousand people attending a national conference in the next two or three years. On the other hand, at the moment we cannot count more than 300 study groups in the whole world.
We cannot force study groups but we can help organise the existing enthusiastic individuals into small study groups attracting other readers and students and we can improve and upstep present small groups with sparks of new ideas and helps for improved study.
Julia Fenderson
Kathleen finished her article by saying:
“…We need more study groups…I believe the revelation wants us to create potent little centres of dynamic spiritual believers throughout the world to act as fertile soil in preparation for the future…”
The Sydney Study Group is still thriving with many new members these days.
OUR PACIFIC NEIGHBOURS
In the June 1981 issue, Mark McEwan in Auckland, New Zealand, wrote the following article.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter June 1981
The scene in New Zealand, as far as readers of The URANTIA Book goes, is still in the early stages with a hard core of about seven or eight (it varies) based in Wellington and two readers in Auckland. The study group in Wellington has been functioning for over two years now and has had its share of conflicts but, if not continuing formally, it certainly continues informally.
Mark McEwan
New Zealand
In December last year, I received a little footnote from Mark, asking if I could put the First .Urantia Book Study Group of Auckland on our mailing list again. It was good to hear they are still alive and kicking!
There was an invitation from another Pacific neighbour, Emmanuel Lou from Papeete in Tahiti, in the May 1985 issue, to come and join him for the First International URANTIA Book Booth, which would be put up at the Festival of Arts in Tahiti from June 29 to July 15 that year.
Steve Shanahan responded by going there, which was the beginning of a warm friendship between Tahitian and Australian readers. I remember how Emmanuel told me once that for the first fourteen years after finding The URANTIA Book he had a study group of two — his Thought Adjuster and himself — not a bad partner!
One other Pacific neighbour who responded to Emmanuel’s call was Isi Racule from Fiji. We had the pleasure of meeting Isi in 1988 at our Pacific Meeting at Robertson. He and his wife Martha are loyal members of the Six-O-Six family!
READERS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
In April 1982, an introductory greeting appeared on the front page of Six-O-Six from a group in Gladstone, North Queensland consisting of a housewife, a ship’s engineer and a bookseller. Their approach to the study of The URANTIA Book was “very low key”. The bookseller in that group was, you’ve guessed it, Kevin Meyrick, who still regularly attends our annual conferences.
In July 1985 there was a news item about the North Queensland Tableland Growth Centre in Atherton. They had placed an advertisement in their newsletter.
"We would like to find someone who is willing to lead a URANTIA Book Study Group, meeting here once a week, endeavouring to undertake the complexities of The URANTIA Book and to appreciate its supernal teachings. There is a worldwide growing fellowship of readers of The URANTIA Book, one of the great epochal revelations of our time. Apart from the sublime beauty of the language, the experience of The URANTIA Book teachings will enhance and deepen your relationship with God and your fellow men and provide renewed hope, comfort and reassurance in your daily life.
We have copies of The URANTIA Book at the Centre and anyone may come and look at them at any time."
In the May 1986 issue Geoff Harper reported the formation of a study group in Atherton. Three people were attending and other were expected to join them.
In August of that same year I visited Geoff while on a holiday with the family. He reported then that he was studying on his own.
In November/December 1986 I wrote a short story about this holiday with the family, which we spent travelling through Queensland and calling in on as many URANTIA Book readers as my very patient hubby was willing to put up with. I called it: “Say Hello To A Fellow Urantian”. My general impression was that people in Queensland felt pretty isolated.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter November/December 1986
“…but the story of isolation remains the same. There are quite a few readers in Brisbane, but still no study group. In my humble opinion what Queensland needs is a conference to bring people together and a few able and wise leaders to form a new study group or rather groups. Conferences can give one a sense of direction and there is a tremendous exchange of new ideas. Study groups can create wonderful friendships and definitely aid in the study of the Book…”
Madeline Noordzy
Of course now we know that Queensland got its act together and formed the dynamic Sunshine Coast Study Group. And we just experienced NOOSA '89, which was a great success thanks to the same study group.
And since NOOSA '89, another group in Queensland has got off the ground, namely in Brisbane with Neil, Howard, Donna and Jim. Neil is an old hand when it comes to study groups, but I feel that new life and enthusiasm will be brought to this group by all the other members.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter February 1985
THE STUDY GROUP IDENTITY CONTROVERSY
In February 1985, William Wentworth, in a conference presentation called “Into the 21st Century” had this to say about study groups in the following article.
Study groups are going to be essential if the Revelation is to be understood. Study groups, however, may well face an identity crisis. There is a tendency among members of some study groups to regard the group as a spiritual centre with spiritual authority to preach their interpretation of the Revelation. This attitude tends towards “cultism”, the development of dogma, creed and ritual. It is probably better if study groups remain simply a group to study The URANTIA Book. That way the advantages of the group are maintained, group members assist one another in their understanding of the book and get to know one another at the same time. The disadvantages of authoritarianism and cultism are avoided. In addition, there will be less temptation for people to adopt the role of specialist evangelists. Rather they will continue in their worldly professions and occupations and thus avoid those departures into unreality so common among those obsessed with a “spiritual mission”.
William Wentworth
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter March 1985
This evoked a response from Stephen Carthew, who signed himself as the “Principal of the Universal Brotherhood (cult)”. In March 1985 Stephen wrote the following article.
It seems to me that there are many worldly professions which are already departures into unreality. What the world regards as sanity is not necessarily sane. Although it is vital that we control our enthusiasm, we must also remember that Jesus was
“unreservedly dedicated to the ‘Father’s Business’. This divine enthusiasm led his unspiritual brethren to think he was beside himself, but the onlooking universe appraised him as a model of sanity and the pattern of supreme devotion to the high standards of spiritual living”. (UB 100:7.12)
Fred Robinson, the founder of the Universal Brotherhood in Western Australia imported the first box of URANTIA Books into this country and held the first study classes. The fruits of his work are more in the demonstration of a way of life than in the intellectual recognition of The URANTIA Book. To some our spiritual centre could be seen as a “departure into unreality”; to others, an expression of a “greater reality” (not that I think Will was referring to us). To “study” and carry on as usual, occupationally speaking, may be okay for some, even most, but it will not be enough for those who feel the inner calling of a “spiritual mission”. I would suggest to readers that they be slow to sit in smug judgment on those who are called forth by Spirit to do something that doesn’t fit the general trend of study groups.
Yes, Will, “seek ye first the kingdom of heaven” but in the seeking, don’t be surprised if a “cult” is added on to thee, for
“The cult is the skeletal structure around which grows the living and dynamic body of personal spiritual experience — true religion.” (UB 87:7.10)
It’s a great section!
Stephen Carthew
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter May 1985
It has always been the philosophy of Six-O-Six to encourage the healthy exchange of different points of view and we hopefully demonstrate neither fear nor favour in the inclusion of any article, whether we agree with it or not. Our aim is to stimulate discussion, rather than draw conclusions. As this instance turned out, William made a reply to Stephen’s letter which we published in our Mav 1985 edition. He does thrive on controversy now and then. I remember him as the only reader who filled out his survey form looking for controversy!
I’m sorry that my view of cults offends people. I did not realise that Stephen Carthew regards his Brotherhood as a cult, and my remarks were not to be directed at any particular cult. However, as my views remain, I can only apologise in advance for whatever offence they cause. I am not aware that students of The URANTIA Book are regarded as a cult. They certainly do not regard themselves in this way. We are students of the book, and for that reason we organise study groups to assist one another in understanding its teachings.
Cults result in exclusiveness, where members of the cult distinguish themselves from from non-members. They tend to develop leaders who use their position to develop “Authoritative” interpretations which turn information into dogma. They often end up in proclaiming that salvation depends on membership of the cult rather than on the relation of the individual to God…
…One of the central tenets of the Urantia Papers is that social progress can be generated only by inspired INDIVIDUALS… Every student of The URANTIA Book finds himself uplifted by his study, and the benefits are felt in work, family leisure, relationships, concentration, outlook and purpose. He doesn’t have to proselytise (though he may if he chooses). He makes the world a better place by being a better person. And what is so beautifully symmetrical about this social design is that ordinary people participate in the same way as extraordinary ones…There is no need to worry as Stephen does, that such inspired individuals will simply “carry on as usual”, as he puts it. They carry on inspired, preserving their sense of reality by remaining part of the world rather than opting out of it. Time and again throughout the book the Melchizedeks and Jesus himself, point to the ordinary common man as the vehicle of social evolution. ALL men can improve the world, in their own way, through their genuine attempts to live up to the best that’s in them - the leading of the indwelling Adjuster.
Sooner or later a cult will evolve. When it does, I sincerely hope that it forms in addition to the study groups, rather than a replacement for them…
William Wentworth
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter May 1985
In the same issue (May 1985), Peter Toy, who had by then moved to Perth, clearly took no offence, added his own interpretation.
The study group is the growing cultural manifestation of the fifth epochal revelation. Within this cultural manifestation we find individuals who give loyalty to an identifiable symbolism. One example of this symbolism which I enjoy as a member of our study group is that of being able to continue my “worldly profession”.
As an artist I operate in the fragmented ruins of modernism and I gladly accept this fact. I have a mission, a truth and beauty to impart to the world.
Let’s not stifle our brothers and sisters by committing them to all think alike, according to one spiritual mission (i.e. the cult of ideology), but permit the cult to provide a unity based on shared revealed truths and values from which we as individuals may be inspired to change the world.
We should all remember that we are to work together as a fellowship of believers, and although we may arrive at different interpretations of divine revelation, we should not let this be the cause for division - to further fragment our world by inventing another sect."
Peter Toy
Perth
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter June 1985
The healthy dialogue prompted Ian Elsmore to write, as we reported in the June 1985 edition, adopting somewhat of a mediator’s role.
The number of gurus and cults seems to be increasing in the West as some of the more secret esoteric schools are externalizing their studies and new groups are being formed. In the eyes of the ordinary person, the URANTIA readers are just another such group. The potential to be obsessed with a spiritual mission is always there. The other end of the spectrum is behaving in a “luke warm” manner towards your spiritual aspirations. This may be due to fear of being classified as a religious eccentric, or fear of being criticised by family and friends. The URANTIA readership will always have some lefts and rights, extravert, introvert, bold and meek - an understanding of balance is the keynote. The fruits of our life are externalised and materialized not by speaking words but by aspirations and motives being acted upon with a sincerity that shows an understanding of the words.
A perceived understanding of truth from The URANTIA Book is portrayed by our quality of “beingness” in the world we create around us.
Ian Elsmore
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six_Newsletter July 1985
There is a happy ending to this story, because in July 1985 Stephen again replied to William’s letter.
William Wentworth’s clarification of his attitudes to religious groups (cults), along with a personal letter from a dear friend, Kathleen Swadling, has helped to give me a better understanding of the purpose and value of study groups. I also welcomed Peter Toy’s perspective and hope to spend an evening at the Perth study group sometime…
…If one thinks of water as symbolic of the Spirit of Truth, we can see how hard it is to use this “water” without containers and a means of distribution. Study groups are a type of container and to the extent that individual study group members are inspired by the “Living Water”, and 'distribute it, to that extent they are contributing to world transformation.
I do appreciate William’s letter and all he had to say. I-certainly do not want to accentuate the dangers of not being in an active organization, any more than William wants to highlight the tendencies and weaknesses of groups. I certainly don’t feel that William is “luke warm”, but rather a unique container of the Living Water …one that has often been the vehicle for the quenching of my own thirst."
Stephen Carthew
THE QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP
In May 1985 I organised the first study group in our home in Glen Waverley, first on a monthly basis, later on a weekly basis and I’m happy to say they still exist, one at lunchtime and one in the evening.
In those five years I’ve probably tried more to be a co-ordinator than a leader. In my first article “Sharing the Teachings” (June 1985) in which I asked for tolerance in study groups, I finished it by saying:
“So please let us remember that living truth is never static. For each one of us it is a growing process, and that one person’s truth may be another one’s half truth…”
“…And if any of us still feel the need to lead, let it be in the direction of engaging and mobilizing other people’s talents, rather than taking control, as leadership has so often been in the past.”
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July 1985
In July 1985. Tom Reynolds had a few words to say on groups.
Groups and Leadership
It appears the idealistic person wants groups without any leadership, yet these same people seem to need leadership. In any community we have those that naturally lead and those that follow. The followers would not necessarily initiate a group, nor would a group continue without some form of guidance and work by a strong leader. The problem lies in maturity or otherwise of the leader. The immature leader usually takes the easy way out and puts himself up as an authority who becomes powerful and beyond criticism.
The mature leader knows this danger and knows that truth, faith and other personality values are very personal. So the leader can only be an indicator of truth and allow others to formulate truth for themselves… Without leadership there is no direction.
Tom Reynolds
In September 1985 Tom and Pam Reynolds organized a new study group at Tatura (Northern Victoria) and last year Tom formed a group for the over fifties at Monash University in Melbourne. You can’t keep a good leader down!
Henry Begemann from The Netherlands, who had been actively involved with the Dutch translation of the book for many years and was the leader of quite a few study groups, wrote for us in the January/February 1987 issue.
¶ Reprinted in Six-O-Six Newsletter January/February 1987
How to run a study group is a question often discussed. As you wrote, there are no hard and fast rules. But I can say how we do it here.
We meet every other week for the simple reason that, although once a week would be better, I have no time for that. The translation of the book into Dutch takes quite a lot of my time. Besides we have seven study groups here that have me as the leader. I cannot do more. But two members to one of these groups now also have their own groups, of which they are leaders. A third one is in the making. So it grows.
Another feature of our groups is that we all sit around a table with the book, or the translation, on the table. We have discovered that such physical nearness fosters spiritual brotherhood and friendship. Attendance is very regular.
A meeting is in two parts. In the first hour we discuss a paper (mostly from the Jesus Papers) that the members as their homework have studied before coming to the meeting. In the second hour we read together, especially the more difficult papers from the first part of the book. We read slowly, punctuated with questions, comments, etc. Mostly we read no more than two or three pages. In this way it becomes difficult to peruse the whole book, but the homework compensates for that.
Always remember that it is not quantity that counts, but quality, understanding and insight.
A difficulty is the point of leadership. Our book says that the future of such a group depends for a large part on leadership. It is what is lacking to a great extent in the URANTIA movement. Someone that desires to be a leader often is not a good leader.
A leader is someone who tries to conquer ego and serve:
Henry Begemann
The Netherlands
OUR OVERSEAS CONNECTION
In June 1982 a short report appeared on a visit by Lynne Kulieke, acting on behalf of the Executive Committee of URANTIA Brotherhood, to an isolated group in Seville, Spain, in the previous year. The group relied on a multilingual member to translate from the French edition into Spanish. Lynne, who speaks Spanish fluently took back a tape to the U.S. on which four of the Spanish readers spoke and expressed their deep sense of isolation, their great desire for contact with other URANTIA Book readers, and their need for a translation into their own language. As we now know, the Spanish translation is now nearing its completion.
In March 1983 an invitation from URANTIA BOOK Study Groups in Santa Barbara, California, appeared on the back page. This group is now better known as C.U.B.S.
They were planning a weekend celebration for Michael’s birthday on August 19-21, 1983.
The theme was “The Art Of Living — Applying The URANTIA Book Teachings in our Daily Lives”.
It is interesting that this group, who have ben quite a bit in the news of late, were the first international organization to reach out to us internationally.
In June 1983 a little news item appeared that a book student in Phoenix, Arizona, had compiled a list of study group meetings across the U.S. Over 50 groups had responded with details of meeting times and telephone numbers for contacting. At that stage only nine states were represented with the majority of meetings taking place_in Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas. It was expected that at some time in the future the Domestic Extension Committee of the URANTIA Brotherhood would publish a more complete guide.
We received our first contact from Montreal, Canada in August 1983. Roxane and Leopold Proulx told of their study group which had been meeting for about five years each Wednesday evening in their home. In addition they met on every third Sunday with friends in La Plaine, about twenty miles from Montreal. They promised to send their newsletter, “Réflèctivité” in the future.
In March 1984 The Dallas Fellowship in Texas sent a promotional leaflet. It was called “The Johnnie Appleseed Project”. It covered the many interesting topics The URANTIA Book holds for the scientist, the historian, the politician, the parent, the religionist and the philosopher.
C.U.B.S. expressed for the first time in April 1984 their displeasure with URANTIA Foundation in a letter we received.
Six-O-Six went international in April 1985 and welcomed readers from New Zealand, South Africa and Tahiti for the first time. Since that date the overseas readership has steadily grown and we now have readers from thirteen different countries on our mailing list. The same issue mentioned a couple from Cape Province in South Africa. They reported very little interest in the Book in that country.
In September/October 1987 William Wentworth, in his report on the General Conference of URANTIA Brotherhood, mentioned:
“It was particularly interesting to talk to the lone South African, a businessman from Durban…”
So I assume our family over there is still alive and kicking, but we have lost touch with them through Six-O-Six.
In September 1985 Cathy Hoffmann.wrote an article about visit to California, where she met 25 readers one night at a party.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter April 1984
…As a group they were sparky, outspoken, alert and interested. Almost everyone was paired. There was a family feeling and though no longer kids, a feeling of youth, of beginnings, of a feet-on-the-ground kind of optimism.
In the absence of central guidance there was a freefor-all interpretation of themes. These were voiced with the relaxed directness of people used to saying what they liked and felt…
The Bay area is a region of extraordinary intellectual and spiritual ferment. A place of search, experiment and quest…spiritual searching was as honest as any effort on behalf of the good is likely to be. In such an accommodating spiritual milieu, where people are prepared to err on the side of trust and openness, it is no surprise that The URANTIA Book has taken, if not massive roots, substantial ones that are able to develop.
Cathy Hoffmann
Melbourne
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter January/February 1987
After Henry Begemann of The Netherlands read about the isolation of some of the Australian readers, he suggested a study group by mail.
We had the same problem in England and we started a monthly study group by letter. I gave comments and asked questions about a paper and sent it to a London reader, who photocopied them and distributed them to readers all over England.
Our experience with that method was that certain people valued them highly, but other people gave little feedback. There are more people who like to read the book than really study it.
Henry Begemann
The Netherlands
Although a study group by mail as Henry suggested did not receive any response from the Land of Oz, in England it could have kept the candle of interest burning, for in July/August 1988 issue we published a report by Chris Moseley, a former member of the Sydney study group, on a London Book Fair and summer get-together which Henry would also be attending.
Coming back to the idea of a study letter, of course the French readers have been doing that for a number of years. “Center of Study and Reflection in Human Destiny” or C.E.R.D.H. publishes a quarterly newsletter.
This French study group has also been responsible for the two International Encounters at Montvillargenne Castle, the first one in August 1986, and the second in August 1989. On both occasions Australia’ had representatives there.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July 1985
WESTERN AUSTRALIA STUDY GROUP
In July 1985 there was news from the West. We published an article by Peter and Sue Webb.
The study group is now well established at Peter Toy’s place: I hope the regional meeting in July is a success. Unfortunately travel from Perth is rather prohibitive for short stays. Coming to future conferences will have to be planned well, but we will meet you all eventually.
Peter and Sue Webb
Perth
And they did tool Peter managed to come to the 1987 conference in Narrabeen and both Peter and Sue came to the South Pacific Meeting in Robertson.
They also helped organise the first Australian bookbooth in January 1987 in Perth, and last August they held a weekend get-together which was attended by eleven people, which resulted in renewed intentions to hold more regular study groups.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July/August 1986
ON THE HUMOROUS SIDE
In the July/August 1986 issue, an amazing little story was published which could easily have been subtitled “The Fall and Rise of Loui de Keizer”!
Broken Wings
Not everybody can lay claim to the statement that he had to fall out of the sky to find The URANTIA Book, but that’s precisely what Loui de Keizer is saying.
One day Loui was floating up in the sky, carried by gentle breezes and the big wings of his hang-glider.
The world looked beautiful from above and life was peaceful and happy. But the Gods had something else in mind for Loui and he was painfully reminded that all good things come to an end. Loui and his hang-glider crashed and finished up in a twisted heap. One particular couple of bystanders were true Samaritans. They carted Loui off to the hospital, where they stitched up the gash in his knee. With a little more dinted and bruised than just his pride, Loui went home with the same people who offered him accommodation for the night. During the conversation that night they introduced him to “A Course In Miracles”, which in turn led him to our good friends . Bridget and Christopher Billington, who introduced him to The URANTIA Book.
Congratulations Loui! You landed on target after all. You came across circles of a different kind. The seven psychic ones!
Madeline Noordzy
With this story came a delightful cartoon, which Wolfgang Borutta had drawn, using as a model the miniature master universe which he had created for the July 1986 Melbourne Conference. This model, which really represented a quarter of the Master Universe, was built into a black box. Through the use of mirrors the illusion was created of a whole Master Universe, which slowly lit up, starting in the centre and moving out to the periphery. Wolfgang had, with the help of his friend Sean, recorded passages from The URANTIA Book, with beautiful music in the background. Anyone who watches this spectacle unfold before their eyes will marvel at the grandeur of it all.
I would like to add a little note to this story. Loui was one of the people who suggested to start a lunchtime study group here in Glen Waverley and he is still a regular member of that group.
Christopher and Bridget Billington, the people who introduced Loui to the Book moved to East Gippsland, Victoria and started a new study group in W-Tree, which was first mentioned in Six-0-Six in May/June 1987. They have introduced quite a few people to the book and their study group is stable and growing.
A TAPESTRY OF LOVING SERVICE
Text in image
Urantia, world of the 7th. Bestowal of the 611,121 st. Creator Son “Michael of Nebadon”
PLANET No. 5,342,482,337,606 .
CREATOR SON WITH PERSONALISED ADJUSTER.
7 BESTOWAL MISSIONS.
It has been revealed to many on this home Planet of ours “Urantia”, that our Lord, the “Christ Michael” of Nebadon, our Creator Son of the Universal Father, has been able to show through his own personal experiences, examples of the Tapestry of Loving Service.
It has been revealed through the 7th. Bestowal Mission, as well as in other sections of the 5th. epochal revelation, his actual developing and experiential activities, his actual Sovereignty of his Father’s creations, in loving service to his children.
Man’s universe integration.
The kingdom of God is in the hearts of men, and when this kingdom becomes actual in the heart of every individual on a world, then God’s rule has become actual on that planet; and this is the attained sovereignty of the Supreme Being.
Providence (care and protection of his creatures) becomes increasingly discernible as men reach upward from the material to _the spiritual. The attainment of completed spiritual insight enables the ascending personality to detect harmony in what was theretofore chaos. Even morontia mota represents a real advance in this direction. UB 118:10.15-19
NEW GROUPS STILL FORMING
In September/October 1988 there was an announcement about a Remembrance Supper, which would be held every other Sunday. This group has evolved into a study group and is still regularly meeting on Sunday mornings at the Hawthorn Community Centre in Melbourne. Bill and Ali MacLean and Robert Crickett were the force behind this very popular group.
One of our youngest groups is in the Canberra area. Our area co-ordinator, William Wentworth, who had to travel about seven hours to visit either the Sydney or Melbourne groups, has together with Nigel Nunn, Pam, Anne, Vern and Evan formed the new group.
In Sydney, Terry Hovaghimiam seems to be making some headway amongst the Greek community in the city area, and Michael Nielsen, who came originally from Canada, is hosting a monthly meeting for the more advanced students.
IN CONCLUSION…
If there was such a thing as a recipe for a healthy, thriving study group, I wonder what the ingredients would be? As I said before, every group is different. Sometimes the chemistry between people seems to work better in one group than another. Sometimes there aren’t sufficient numbers to keep the interest going. At other times there are too many and the group loses that intimate quality, which can work so well as a spiritual uplift.
However, no matter what, our study groups are slowly but steadily growing. Max the members of these study groups become the spiritual ferment of our society and our. planet, Urantia, the planet with the number Six-O-Six after which our Newsletter was named.
Six-O-Six believes in a healthy sense of humour and now and again we have presented you with a lighter diet.
In June 1986 a cartoon with some weird looking extraterrestrials appeared and a short story with the heading Interplanetary Conference 2086?":
“This impression was flashed to Six-O-Six via the mind circuits of a young Melbourne artist, Fil Barlow.”
“Ever since the age of 14, Fil has been creating a universe of his own with different intelligent creatures unlike ourselves. He called this his “Zooniverse”.”
“Fil thought his imagination had created a pretty vast cosmos, until he came across The URANTIA Book. After a friend had picked one up for in a second-hand bookshop and Fil started reading it, he felt completely outdone. The reality was even greater than his wildest dreams could have imagined. Fil has now joined the ranks of enthusiastic book readers in Melbourne and wonders if anyone would like to come and help him with his study of the book…”
¶ CONFERENCES
¶ Overseas
SNOWMASS, COLORADO, JUNE 28 - JULY 31981
In September 1980, Six-O-Six reported that a General Conference at Snowmass, Colorado was planned with the theme “The Individuals Relation to the Universal Father”.
It was suggested that Australia might have a representative at each of these conferences, which were being planned to be held every three years.
William Wentworth reported in the July 1981 issue that the conference was an organisational triumph in which 674 adults and 200 children participated. Visitors hailed from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and Tahiti. The theme was presented by means of addresses, workshops and by multimedia presentations that utilised art, music, and drama in order to provide insight into spiritual values. In particular the plays and skits of professional actors, Errol and Rochelle Strider, appealed strongly to Will because of the way they combined their talents with knowledge and humour to illustrate man’s relationship with God. Will also reported that the degree of goodwill generated at the conference was overwhelming.
MAINE U.S.A. BOWDOIN COLLEGE, BRUNSWICK, AUGUST 2 - 71987
A report by William appeared in the September/October 1987 issue, where he commented that the big difference between this conference and the one at Snowmass in 1981 was the quite extraordinary interest in Australia for which Paul Hogan deserves part of the credit (or blamel). People from many countries were present and though the workshops were interesting and thought provoking, a most important aspect was the opportunity to meet other readers. Will commented on the division on outreach policy and the split into Conservatives and Progressives being along similar lines as in Australia.
¶ Australian
Not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to attend every conference.
Sometimes family commitments prevent us from doing so. But one person who did go to every one of them is William Wentworth.
So I thought to ask him to write on this subject for our anniversary issue.
Here is William’s report.
SYDNEY, JUNE 11- 131983
As far as we can tell, except for a social gathering in 1982, this was the first conference of Australian students of The URANTIA Book. About 10 people gathered at the Swadling’s home in Narrabeen, N.S.W., to discuss outreach. It was agreed to participate in the URANTIA Foundation’s program of library placement and a fund was set up to obtain 20 books.
MELBOURNE, SEPTEMBER 29-30 1984
Thirty two people met to discuss the conference theme “Introducing the Urantia Book: The Discovery of a Lifetime”. This was the first of several conferences held at Victoria College. Readers travelled from Sydney, southern N.S.W. and northern Victoria and represented most of the Australian readership at the time, the majority coming from Melbourne which then had more readers than any other part of Australia.
The desirability of setting up some kind of organisation was first mooted at this conference.
MELBOURNE, JULY 20 1985
A regional conference was convened at Victoria College and the question of forming a URANTIA Society in Australia was discussed. An exploratory letter was written to the URANTIA Foundation.
SYDNEY, OCTOBER 19-20 1985
Held at Narrabeen School, the theme at this conference was “The Study Group and its Outreach”. Many new faces appeared, some from Queensland, others from the U.S.A. Detailed consideration was given to book distribution and library placement.
MELBOURNE, JUNE 7-8 1986
The conference theme was “The Tapestry of Loving Service” and Madeline Noordzy’s presentation is well remembered to this day. The conference was enhanced by the presence of John Hales, Berkeley Elliott and Tom Allen from the U.S.A. who were able to give us considerable help and encouragement. This was the largest and most diverse conference held up to that time and included readers from Western Australia and Tasmania as well as Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
The library placement programme moved into high gear when John Hales offered help and later organised for a shipment of 100 books at a time to the various distribution points in Australia, Kevin Meyrick’s address about the book trade in Australia led to a re-appraisal of attitudes to the distribution of the books.
At this conference, the idea of a South Pacific Regional Conference was conceived.
SYDNEY, OCTOBER 9-11 1987
This was the first live-in conference in Australia and was held at the William Arnott Lodge at Elanora near Narrabeen. The theme was “The Purpose of Revelation”. Besides participants from Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, Emmanuel Lou came all the way from Tahiti.
ROBERTSON, N.S.W., OCTOBER 11 - 14, 1988
This was the South Pacific Regional Conference, held at Ranelagh House. This conference constituted a major organisational effort by Kathleen and Trevor Swadling. The accommodation was of a much higher standard than any previous conference and many of the presentations displayed evidence of a great deal of effort in their preparation, all being of excellent standard.
Participants came from 10 countries - Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Finland, Switzerland, France and the U.S.A. The conference theme was “Cultural Diversity and Spiritual Unity”, a participant from each country making a short presentation.
The conference was a stunning success and represented a major milestone in group activities of the Australian readership.
NOOSA, QUEENSLAND, OCTOBER 5- 8, 1989
Organised by the Sunshine Coast Study Group under the co-ordination of Anne Bendall, this was another live-in conference and was held at Halse Lodge, right in the heart of Noosa. The Queenslanders really did us proud, including a boat trip up the Noosa River as part of the programme, and the tropical atmosphere kept us relaxed and casual. An experiment with an all day workshop called “The Missing Link” tackled the problem of the measure of our truth involvement and righteousness from UB 155:2.1 of The URANTIA Book, and gave us much food for thought.
We were fortunate to have the presence of Foundation Trustee Richard Keeler who contributed extensively to the conference and led our joyous song sessions during the evenings. A wonderful time was had by all.
¶ NEWS FROM CHICAGO
To cater for readers who were not on the mailing list of either URANTIA Foundation or URANTIA Brotherhood, Six-a-Six brought the most important happenings from the headquarters at 533 Diversey Parkway. Here are some highlights.
JUNE 1980
Apart from the news mentioned in the very first Six-OSix (which is reproduced on the inside front cover of this Tenth Anniversary Issue), the editorial in June 1980 mentioned the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the URANTIA Brotherhood Constitution, which brought into force the first General Council of URANTIA Brotherhood. Also in February 1955, the Foundation Trustees announced their “Declaration of Intention” to print the book. On October 12th of that year the first printing was completed.
OCTOBER 1980
Six-0-Six was advised by the URANTIA Foundation of certain copyright requirements that have particular relevance for newsletter publication.
FEBRUARY 1981
In a 1980 review the following sentence caught our eye:
“Visitors to the Foundation came from Canada, Columbia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Tahiti. Australia is a notable omission.”
We think that matter has been rectified since then.
MAY 1982
Thomas Kendall, the then President of the URANTIA Foundation wrote in an article on copyright:
“Copyright and mark protection are vital to the future spread of the revelation. Taking steps in advance to educate our fellows and forestall problems strengthens our rights and in the end benefits all”.
AUGUST 1985
Six-O-Six published a letter from URANTIA Foundation containing some news, and comments from Phil Rolnick of San Francisco.
“Readers of Six-O-Six,”
“The URANTIA Foundation now has two new members, Gloriann Harris and Helena Sprague. They will serve us well in their positions. I am confident that the Foundation can become even more responsive to its growing responsibilities with its current crew and possible future additions.”
“On the matter of dissemination there has always been disagreement within the Brotherhood about how to proceed with the Revelation. Personally, I think such disagreement is inevitable and can be very healthy as long as the various parties in dispute maintain mutual respect. Disagreement is one of the tests of genuine friendship: when we have only agreement, we are merely allies.”
“The new President of the URANTIA Brotherhood is Dave Elders of Connecticut. Frank Sgaraglino is Vice-president and John Hales stays on as Secretary-General. Many new names have been elected to the Executive Committee, at the moment the most important arm of the Official Brotherhood.”
“Warm regards to all at the coming Conference.”
“Phil Rolnick, San Francisco”
MARCH / APRIL 1989
We reported on a Roundtable Discussion held on Saturday February 11, 1989 by the General Council of the URANTIA Brotherhood between members of the Council and representatives of various groups established to perform some service or work on behalf of and lor related to The URANTIA Book. Six-0-Six Newsletter also received an invitation, but was unable to attend.
The purpose of the meeting was to improve communication and coordination among all individuals and groups associated with this endeavour to which we are all committed.
MAY / JUNE 1989
William Wentworth explained to our readers about the Area Coordination Programme nun by the URANTIA Brotherhood, created to assist study groups.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1989
It was announced in this issue that summaries of the URANTIA Bulletin were being made available in French, Spanish and Finnish.
¶ SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Over the years we have published quite a number of articles on the cross-referencing of newly found scientific evidence against specific references in The URANTIA Book, to see how they “stack up”. It is always our intention to present a balanced point of view in Six-O-Six, as some readers find them very interesting, while others do not.
Ken Glasziou has played a major role in the area of scientific evidence. In May 1986. Six-O-Six published the first of a series of four articles by Ken, who had been collecting odds and ends concerning the scientific content of The URANTIA Book for many years. He had been doing this more or less in isolation and invited other readers with some scientific background to join him in an effort to produce a better commentary and also to update more continuously.
Since then, Ken attended the Scientific Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee between May 13-15, 1988 and was fortunate enough to make new friends among a group of interested scientists.
At the South Pacific Regional Meeting he gave a presentation which was a summary of his and other scientists work. In the November/December 1988 issue, a detailed summary was published. In that article, Ken explained that:
“…There are many items of a scientific or historic nature about which definite statements are made in The URANTIA Book, and about which mankind had no certain knowledge during the pre-publication period. Many of these items have since been found to be either correct or to now coincide with current scientific opinion…”
He covered evidence about specific days and dates mentioned, references to the Star of Bethlehem, particle physics, continental drift, mountain building, element stability, planetary atmospheres, motion of the moon, supernova explosions, existence of only recently “discovered” stars, what makes stars shine, the age of the solar system, black holes and neutron stars, dinosaurs, fossil discoveries supporting book predictions and the timing of the red man’s crossing from Asia to America.
Ken has also written a comprehensive catalogue on scientific articles available through the Brotherhood of Man Library, and these are available from Ken by writing to:
Ken Glasziou
Stanley River Road
Maleny Qld. 4552
Readers other than Ken are also interested in this topic and in the July 1983 issue we published an article from Stefan Zallquist, a research worker in the radio laboratory at Technical College, Helsinki, Finland. Chris Moseley translated the article which was originally published in “Helsingin Sanomat”. Stefan’s article said that The URANTIA Book provided a mass of information about space research, nuclear physics and physics that nobody could have known about in those times (1934). As an example, he mentioned the book’s claim that the temperature in deep space is slightly above absolute zero, a fact only proven by measurement in the 1960’s. The book assumes existence of neutrinos (tiny neutral particles) which were encountered for the first time in 1956. The book contains a magnificent description of “dark gravity bodies” about which science has only become clear in the last ten years or so.
Michael’s crucifixion date came under scrutiny in an article published in the March/April 1987 issue. It in tum reported on an article written by Humphreys and Waddington of Oxford University. Two possible dates were selected as the most likely, April 7, A.D. 30 and April 3, A.D. 33. The Oxford dons opted for the later.date, based on a biblical reference in Acts 2:20 “the sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood”, a reference to an eclipse which they calculated to have occurred on April 3, A.D. 33. The Midwayers, tell us the date was the first one. Were they wrong? More recent evidence supports the midwayers. Using more accurate measurements, suggestions are that this eclipse could not have been seen from Jerusalem, certainly not in any phase where it could redden the moon.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July/August 1988
Matt Neibaur’s article on computer analysis of dates in The URANTIA Book was published in July/August 1988.
In 1572 a former professor from Bologna named Ugo Buoncompagni became Pope Gregory XIII, ten years later the Gregorian calendar was introduced. The Julian calendar, founded 16 centuries earlier by Julius Caesar, was inaccurate and the need for reform was widely recognised. Its-principal failure was the discrepancy between the mean length of its year, 365.25 days, and the tropical year, then averaging 365.24232 days. This is nearly eleven minutes and four seconds shorter than the Julian year. This small discrepancy has continued to accumulate until it was no longer a matter of minutes but days. By the time of the Gregorian reform, this error had grown to eleven days. Understandably this was of concern to the Pope. If the calendar had continued unchanged, Easter would eventually have to be celebrated in the summer.
The attempts at reform set off a wide range of debates, both academic and religious. At one point excommunication was threatened by the Pope against anyone who refused to accept the new calendar. The details about this reform are to be found in the May 1982 issue of Scientific American “The Gregorian Calendar”, by G. Moyer.
In Part 4 of The URANTIA Book, there are numerous references in which dates and weekdays are listed. Is there any way to check these dates? Was April 14, 2 A.D. really a Friday as stated?
Using information obtained from “Astronomical-Formulae for Calculators” by Jean Meeus, a computer program was written to calculate dates and the co-incidental day of the week. The program takes into account the Gregorian calendar reform. All dates are first converted to Julian day numbers and the results divided by seven to obtain weekdays from the remainder. A calendar was then generated using this information. Even by computer standards, it is a rather tedious process.
The following dates from The URANTIA Book were used to check on their correctness:
- April 14, A.D. 2 - Friday
- April 26, A.D. 2 - Sunday
- June 24, A.D. 5 - Wednesday
- January 9, A.D. 7 - Sunday
- April 17, A.D. 9 - Wednesday
- February 23, A.D. 26 - Saturday
- March 3, A.D. 26 - Sunday
- June 18, A.D. 26 - Tuesday
All of these dates and their corresponding day of the week as cited in The URANTIA Book were found to be correct. The odds for obtaining these results from guesswork are one chance in .
Matt Neibaur
Florida, U.S.A.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter July/August 1988
¶ Reprinted from Six-0-Six Newsletter September/October 1988
And for the less scientifically minded, Rod McCourt, from Cockatoo in Victoria, in the September/October 1988 issue, gave us the “Layman Astronomer’s Point of View” in his article.
Exploring our Own Back Yard - The Solar System
Sometimes, as a form of reversion from the deeper spiritual aspects of The URANTIA Book, it may not be a bad idea to reflect on some of the scientific or cosmic aspects which we would call astronomy.
Well, what’s all this got to do with the price of bread on Urantia, you might say.
Perhaps you could say that the Sun has a lot to do with the price of bread on Urantia. But let’s get more to the point and go back in time to the formation of the solar system. The URANTIA Book takes us on a journey through space, encompassing superuniverses and massive outer space levels that extend far beyond our imagination.
So how about if we take a closer look at our own backyard first - The Solar System.
Read more in Six-0-Six Newsletter September/October 1988
¶ The Library Placement Programme
The placement of The URANTIA Book in libraries has become a very important cog in the wheel of the dissemination of The URANTIA Book, and has become very successful. Kathleen Swadling prepared the following report especially for our Tenth Anniversary issue.
The idea of donating URANTIA Books into libraries originated in Chicago when the Foundation decided to donate a book into any library that agreed to have one. Julia Fenderson, who was a field rep in the early 80 's, was sending out forms for readers to hand out to libraries, which told them briefly about the book and the fact that they could receive one free if they cared to write to the Chicago address and request one.
In 1983 when we held the first URANTIA Book readers conference for Australia in Sydney, this library donation scheme was discussed at length. We felt that this was incredibly slow and would take forever to achieve thorough saturation into our libraries. We felt an organised approach would be more effective. We decided to write to The URANTIA Brotherhood and ask if they would consider sending books in lots of 20 to us in Sydney and we would distribute them from here. Willing readers from around the country would approach libraries with a copy in hand and just give it to them without having to explain about it which is always a difficult thing to do. A second-hand explanation can turn people away. It needs to be considered first hand.
The Brotherhood agreed to this and started sending us books in lots of 20 . Each time 20 were placed we would 'send back the names and addresses of the libraries and request another 20. It was happening in this fashion slowly but steadily until 1986 when we held a conference in Melbourne where three members of The URANTIA Brotherhood attended. This was the first time we had had official personal contact with some key personnel from the Brotherhood. We discussed the possibility of 'speeding up the library donation scheme by sending more books at a time. John Hales was keen on this idea and suggested we formulate a proposal and send it in. After the conference we formed a committee consisting of Neil Francey representing Queensland, Peter Webb from W.A., Steve Shanahan for Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania and Trevor Swadling and I for N.S.W. and Northern Territory. We formulated a plan where each person would get a list of all the libraries in the areas they were representing and decide how many books they would need. This information was then collated in Sydney which was used as a focal point and a proposal was sent to John Hales asking for 400 URANTIA Books. We gave him the proportion required for each area and the names and addresses of the contact people. He then started sending the books in lots of 100 to the various areas. Each representative arranged to get all the books placed either by mailing or personal deliveries. Any book mailed would have an accompanying letter stating that if it was not wanted then we would arrange for return mail. We had an 85% success rate of acceptance. Returned books were just put back into the pool. As each 100 were placed, everyone would send back the details of the libraries to Sydney which would be sent to the Brotherhood and another 100 would be forthcoming. This continued until all libraries on our lists were covered which was sometime in 1988.
During the last few years we have had much evidence that this scheme has been successful as we have had contact with people who have found the book in their local library. Two of the study group members in Sydney found it in their library. The book we placed in our local library has been borrowed over 25 times by people we don’t even know! I remember Trevor saying to me when we first started that even if only one person finds the book through these efforts, then the effort was worthwhile. I am more than convinced that it was tremendously worthwhile.
I believe this is the type of exercise we can do as a group which is in the spirit of the quiet person-to-person approach and in keeping with the belief that the book should be kept as a first hand experience. As readers, I think we could check our local libraries from time to time and see if the book is on display and if it is being borrowed. Perhaps we could even borrow it sometimes. If a book isn’t borrowed in a library after a few years, they get rid of it.
If anyone finds their library doesn’t have a copy, let us know and we can arrange to send them a copy. I believe this scheme will need to be reviewed every now and then because of stolen books etc.
Kathleen Swadling
Sydney
¶ Sharing Our Points Of View
There is no official interpretation of The URANTIA Book.
“The understandings of truth, beauty and goodness, morality, ethics, duty, love, divinity, origin, existence, purpose destiny, time, space, even Deity, are only relatively true.” (UB 115:1.2)
But over the last ten years we’ve published quite a few articles with people’s personal interpretations. They are therefore all only “relatively true” but all are to a greater or lesser extent helpful for other readers. It is not our job to second guess the value to readers of any article, but to provide the forum within which a healthy exchange of views can be safely aired.
Neil Francey in the March 1981 issue, shared his views on the “Rapidity of Change”, stating that the world is thought to have changed more in the last fifty years than it has in the previous two thousand years, with the consequent need to continually re-evaluate our attitudes, this being achieved with the aid of our Thought Adjuster which monitors information, gives us insight into our destiny, and helps our minds to adjust in accordance with values of truth, beauty and goodness.
In a letter to the editor, Les Sheridan presented his view in the May 1981 edition that the abject cruelty and inhumanity of the crucifixion was transcended by the patience, tolerance, quiet heroism and complete faith through which Jesus demonstrated the eternal truth that the life with in man is God and therefore cannot be lost, because as all things come from God, so all things must return to God.
Charles Lamar in the July 1982 issue expressed his views on going public with The URANTIA Book with some warning bells that he believes are being rung.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter July 1982
Reasoned Wisdom and Public Ministry
Recently, the trend of opinion in the URANTIA movement has been toward more open proclamation of The URANTIA Book. I believe this development is undesirable.
The URANTIA Book contains much more than the teachings of Jesus. Because of this, we are far away from the time when the Book should be openly proclaimed. The Gospel itself is always appropriate for all people, but the Book contains much that may not always be appropriate. It is highly undesirable that the Gospel teachings become publicly associated with material that many are not yet ready to absorb, and thereby be innocently prejudiced against truth.
Jesus very clearly told those who were to teach his gospel that the message was to be completely dissociated from all political and moral precepts. In the book we have the spiritual teachings of Jesus often associated with many other necessary but advanced moral, political and scientific matters. If we follow what the Book itself says, we will teach Jesus’ teachings mixed with nothing else. If the social and political entanglement of the Gospel is to be avoided in the case of The URANTIA Book, we must not allow the book to come to public attention before there is religious and secular peace.
There is a criterion by which we may gauge who is and who may not be ready for the book, the acid test of religious philosophy, and that is the ability to distinguish between material things and spiritual values, along with an understanding of the way in which the two relate in life. To appreciate the book, an individual must be sensitive to both science and religion, and relatively flexible in philosophic approach.
The URANTIA Book does say what the world now needs - Jesus living in the lives of his reborn sons and daughters, as brothers and sisters in God’s all-inclusive family. The Book does not call for its own proclamation, very largely it is a call to us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.
Charles Lamar
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter March 1983
In an editorial to the March 1983 issue, Neil drew some correlations between the beliefs of great humans, and references made to similar ideas in The URANTIA Book.
The URANTIA Book states that wherever possible the writers have used concepts already in existence in the literature of our world. Only when there was no equivalent expression to explain a truth did they introduce a new train of thought (UB 0:12.11). It is exciting to find ideas used by our greatest people duplicated in The URANTIA Book.
Goethe wrote: “The most insignificant man can be complete if he works within the limits of his own capacities, innate and acquired; but even fine talents can be obscured, neutralized and destroyed by lack of the indispensable requirement of symmetry.”
Turning to UB 100:7.1 of the book, we read:
“The unique feature of the Master’s personality was not so much in its perfection, but in its symmetry…” UB 100:7.1
Other comparisons are to be found in the work of Emerson. He writes: “What are the best days in memory. Those in which we met a companion who was truly such. How sweet those hours when the day was not long enough…how the countenance of our friend still left some light after he had gone!”
A parallel sentence in The URANTIA Book states:
“…build up for yourself and in yourself reserve galleries of beauty, goodness and artistic grandeur. But the noblest of all memories are the treasured recollections of the great moments of superb friendship.”(UB 160:4.12)
Thomas Jefferson believed in a government that did not over-govern while providing for the real needs of the citizen.
The URANTIA Book on page 803 says:
“The state is best which co-ordinates most while governing least.” (UB 71:3.9)
Neil Francey
In the August 1983 issue, Douglas Grahame asked whether evangelization was a desirable way to extent mankind’s knowledge of the kingdom of God, commenting that Jesus both used it for himself and permitted his disciples to use it. Although the simple answer was yes, the author believed that considerable preparation was necessary before undertaking evangelisation. He maintained that qualities were complete sincerity; a love for the Father and all truth; a deep-seated desire to do the Father’s will; faith in God, yourself and the human race; an extensive knowledge and understanding of the URANTIA papers; and-lastly, a good understanding of human nature.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter February 1985
Neil raised the interesting issue of women in the priesthood in the February 1985 issue.
“…the master countenanced only those teachings which accorded women equality with men.”(UB 167:5.4)
“It was most astounding in that day when women were not even allowed on the main floor of the synagogue (being confined to the women’s gallery) to behold them being recognised as authorized teachers of the gospel…And this liberation of women, giving them due recognition, was practised by the apostles immediately after the Master’s departure, albeit they fell back to the olden customs in subsequent years.” (UB 150:1.3)
In an historic decision in London, the general synod of the Church of England opened the way for women to become priests. The vote, after a seven hour debate between bishops, clergy and laity was a clear victory of 307 votes to 183 . The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that this could cause a serious effect on church unity.
It seems that the final ordination is a long way off. The decision making process is complex and will involve further sittings of the synod and then approval in both houses of parliament. In Australia, the Anglican church is autonomous and the Archbishop of Melbourne has indicated a similar move here was a long way off.
Religions need to expand their spiritual incentives to enlarge and enrich those who would give and those who would receive.
“…in this brotherhood of Jesus there is no place for sectarian rivalry, group bitterness, nor assertions of moral superiority and spiritual infallibility.” (UB 195:10.14)
Neil Francey
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter October 1985
Keith Bacon from Melbourne had this to say in the October 1985 issue on the role of The URANTIA Book.
From a weak start in the seventies, Urantian families and study groups are springing up in every capital city. Today it seems the waiting is the hardest part.
In 160 A.D., a father of the Latin Church, Septimus Tertullian, in a letter to the Roman judges, said: “The blood of Christians is like seed, the faster you mow us down, the thicker we spring up.” Yet still nothing is perfect in God’s perfect plan for this planet, except this book. To me one of the profound proofs of the authority of the Urantia Revelation is the restatement of a Christian philosophy of history. Together with the Spirit of Truth, this inspiring adjustment brings back Jesus’ teaching clearly into focus and makes it appear as though he was here only yesterday.
Keith Bacon, Melbourne
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter September/October,1986
The 1986 conference used the theme “The Tapestry of Loving Service”. Madeline explained in the September/October 1986 issue the reasons for selecting the theme.
The Tapestry of Loving Service
Why did we give the conference theme this name? In a tapestry there are many different colours. There are light and dark colours, warm and cool colours, Colours for shading and colours for highlighting. All these are necessary if we are to achieve a harmonious whole for if it was not for the shading in the background, how could the highlight stand out against the rest?
Similarly in a group of people, there are many different personalities. They give the colour to the group. But sometimes it is difficult to blend different personalities into a harmonious working unit.
I think all of us have the secret ambition to fuse with our Thought Adjuster one day. But what does fusion really mean? As far as I can see, it means that two entities, one pre-personal and the other personal, become as one. They have taken on each other’s identity. You can’t tell them apart any more. That’s what we are aiming for, to identify ourselves with our Thought Adjuster.
I realize that we are a long, long way off from that point in our universe career, but let us assume for the moment that we are well on the way.
By that time our Adjuster would be firmly in control of our thoughts. This fragment of the Universal Father is love, unconditional love!
If we saw things through the eyes of our Mystery Monitor, would we then say to our friend: “I am only going to love you and co-operate with you if you are nice-to me and if you agree with me. If you have a different opinion, I am going to get very upset and maybe very angry.”
Of course not! Our Thought Adjuster is incapable of anger or intolerance. He is incapable of intolerance. He is incapable of impatience. He is non-judgemental and does not criticize. He loves our friend, whatever the cost, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, even when he becomes hard to get on with. Our Thought Adjuster does not expect uniformity with our friend. He knows that our friend likes to add the colour of his or her own personality to the tapestry of the group. Maybe our friend likes to stay in the shading colour of the background to give support to the highlight of another personality. Maybe he or she makes a marvellous listener. Our friend could be more a person of deeds than of words.
We all have many different talents. Let us be patient with each other for those talents to unfold when the time is ripe. Let us be encouraging to each other. Let us not expect more from our friend than he is ready to achieve. Live and let live. Let us give each other the freedom to choose our own colour for this tapestry. Why not give the reins of our carriage to our Divine Coachman? Let us see things through the eyes of love. Every time we are tempted to become intolerant, let us remember that divine lover, who lives within our mind and who never runs out of patience or who never says: “I have been tolerant long enough now.” If we are truly serious about dedicating our life to doing the Father’s will, then let us start identifying ourselves with our Divine Monitor, who never becomes offended. If we want to be the disseminators of the Fifth Epochal Revelation, then let us be worthy of it.
Loving service is the best antidote for the unbalanced state of fanaticism or over-intellectualisation of The URANTIA Book. I’m sure there will be plenty of good suggestions on how we can best serve. I think together we could weave a beautiful tapestry of loving service, which is the only gift we can offer to our heavenly Father.
Madeline Noordzy
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter November 1986
In the November 1986 issue, Trevor Swadling addressed an issue on which he felt an urge to write, and that was on the role of the apostle John Zebedee, as the following excerpt explains.
John the Revelator
The URANTIA Book refers to John Zebedee as John the Revelator (see UB 47:10.2). The Midwayers tell us:
“When in temporary exile in Patmos, John wrote the Book of Revelations, which you now have in greatly abridged and distorted form. This Book of Revelations contain the surviving fragments of a great revelation.” (UB 139:4.14)
Certain Papers of The URANTIA Book quote from the Book of Revelations, thus we may be able to piece together and understand something of the revelation that John received.
A Christian view of John’s book comes from the Good News Bible: “The revelation of John was written at a time when Christians were being persecuted. For the most part the book consists of several series of revelations and visions, presented in symbolic language that would have been understood by Christians of that day, but would have remained a mystery to all others. Although there are differences of opinion regarding the details of the book, the central theme is clear; through Christ our Lord, God will finally and totally defeat his enemies including Satan, and will reward his people with the blessings of a new heaven and a new earth when his victory is complete.”
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter November 1986
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter May/June 1987
It was in the May/June 1987 issue, Michael Wilson expressed his opinions regarding the integration of points of view from the Baha’i Faith and The URANTIA Book as far as the topic of reincarnation was concerned.
As a member and teacher of the Baha’i Faith and a reader of The URANTIA Book, I am often in a situation where I am asked to justify my beliefs on reincarnation. The Baha’i Faith and The URANTIA Book coincide in many areas. The return of the spirit to this planet or to another human body or the evolution of animal spirits to human spirits is NOT taught.
However it will not do for us to proclaim the falsity of this doctrine because it says so in The URANTIA Book or because Baha’u’llah said so. We must show people the truth behind their beliefs, where they originated from, why they are distorted or inaccurate or how the original teachings on this subject were adapted to human understanding and most of all, how the truth about reincarnation is even better news than the erroneous concepts most people have.
On the subject of various experiences people have that seem to prove reincarnation, know that the abilities of the human mind and psyche are little understood. When one observes certain experiences of the psyche, many things that seem to be proof of reincarnation may be understood in terms of distant viewing, cross-temporal telepathy, genetic memory, ancestral memory or even the reading of the ethereal record. If you do not know of these things you will interpret them as evidence of reincarnation.
With the rise of Eastern philosophies and the common belief forms about reincarnation growing, particularly in the alternative societies, people will observe the evidence in terms of what they want to believe. That is, unless they are true searchers after knowledge and not merely looking for a satisfying philosophy and belief system, otherwise it will all point to reincarnation, or, if they are spiritualists, they will see it as proof of spirit communication.
But how secure, satisfying and wonderful to know the message of the most recent revelation of our spiritual future. Not a blissful static existence in some conceived heaven or a succession of death and rebirth on this planet in these bodies, only to be absorbed into some type of cosmic nirvanic void, but a real adventure of continuous advancement through the innumerable spiritual worlds of God’s vast universe and the granting of progressively spiritual bodies, bodies adapted to the worlds and the tasks at hand!
Michael Wilson
Miranda N.S.W.
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter September/October 1987
Henry Begemann shared some insights into important issues in his life in the September/October 1987 issue of Six-O-Six.
Friendship, Brotherhood and Sonship
Friendship is a relationship existing in many gradations. If it is high grade, it is a great human value. It may even be interspersed with brotherly feelings.
Brotherhood is based on the recognition of having the same Father, and enjoying the unity of willingness to do His will. It is often intermingled with the feeling of friendship.
Sonship can only be sonship with God. It is therefore primarily a personal relationship between man and God. But this relationship changes man fundamentally and increasingly. And spontaneously it bears the fruits of friendship and brotherhood.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter September/October 1987
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter November/December 1987
Our November/December 1987 issue carried an article, written by David Regal of Palm Beach, Queensland, posing a question that many of us have been asked.
What Religion Are You?
In my 18 years of studying The URANTIA Book and trying to stimulate others to seek for truth within its pages, I find that one of the most commonly asked questions is “What religion are you?” At first I was at a loss to make an adequate reply to this question, never having given my own religion any serious thought. Hence I was forced by circumstances to do some deep and careful thinking as on more than one occasion my inquirer was put off by my inability to provide a clear and acceptable statement of my own religious faith.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter November/December 1987
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter January/February 1988
Kathleen Swadling gave us all some food for thought in the way The URANTIA Book should be used in her thought-provoking article that was published in the January/February 1988 issue.
The URANTIA Book in 200 Years Time
Do we ever stop to ponder as to just where The URANTIA Book will be in the relatively not too distant future? Will there still be a URANTIA Brotherhood and will there still be study groups? Will it become an integrated part of society or will it be confined to a religious sect or cultish type of organisation? Perhaps The URANTIA Book will hold a place of honour in the average households of our society; perhaps it will also be used as a text book in our schools.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter January/February 1988
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter May/June 1988
“Doing God’s Will” was a subject addressed by William Wentworth in the May/June 1988 issue of Six-O-Six.
Doing God’s Will
Not long ago I had a conversation with a devout Roman Catholic who shared a house with a “born again” Radical Christian. He was disconcerted by the Radical’s habit of doing all sorts of odd things “because God told me to”. He eventually came to the conclusion that the Radical was using the conviction of divine guidance to justify his own prejudices and preconceptions and to avoid doing the intellectual work of adjusting his ideas to the reality of his experience. Any time a problem arose it would be dealt with by a direct and immediate appeal to God. The impulsive “solution” which then came to mind was invested with absolute authority (“God told me”) and further discussion of the question was rendered irrelevant.
It is not difficult to imagine some of the problems which could grow out of this kind of procedure. But nevertheless it has understandably wide appeal. The procedure may be summarised:
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter May/June 1988
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter September/October 1988
Martin McBurney shared his approach in an article which we published in the September/October 1988 issue of Six-O-Six.
Urantia - Towards Light and Life
Easier Way
Oftentimes Australians like to find the easy way to do things. There is the story of the Australian fisherman who worked out an easy way to catch fish in a stream, using his horse and cart. He drove his horse and cart right into the stream. He poured honey on the horse’s tail. Flies came to feed on the honey. The fish came up to catch the flies. Then the horse kicked the fish onto the cart.
The history of Urantia reads like a comedy of errors. Frequently much of the progress that was made has been lost, and has had to be achieved all over again. I have been wondering if there is an easier way for Urantia to progress, and if it is really possible to achieve it. And I have also been wondering whether I can help, and in a significant way.
Read more in Six-O-Six Newsletter Sept-Oct 1988
¶ Reprinted from Six-O-Six Newsletter May/June 1989
Six-O-Six is a great place to share our insights with other readers, but it also serves as a vehicle to share our frustrations! In the May/June 1989 issue, Ann Bendall shared some of hers.
Why aren’t they knocking on my door?
“The extent to which you have to go with your message to the people is, in a way, the measure of your failure to live the whole or righteous life, the truth-co-ordinated life.” (UB 155:1.5)
Maybe people are knocking on your door, asking what you have got, or begging you to sell them your URANTIA Book, but they are giving my door a Wide berth. And out there in the big world I have had a few people observe a difference between me and themselves which they labelled “crazy”!
I respect the right of others to call me whatever they like, but what makes me a little frustrated is that I have obviously not reached the stage where God shines through me, where I have this beautiful wholeness of righteousness referred to by Jesus on UB 155:1.5.
I would like to suggest, through Six-O-Six, that we start accumulating ideas and hypotheses for what is missing in folks like me. If there is any Six-O-Six reader who has his/her door regularly knocked on, could you please give me a few practical tips? I know I love God as my Paradise Father, and I love all his kids too. Perhaps others also need help?
Ann Bendall
Nambour, Queensland
¶ Old Coins in a Shoebox
The July/August 1989 issue canned an interesting article from Tony Rudd d who had some interesting recollections on his life, inspired by both The URANTIA: Book and his great grandfather
When I was a young lad, my brother and I used to play in the attic of my parents’ house. There was a shoebox full of old coins we played shop with — “buying” and “selling” things in the attic from one another. We knew they weren’t real money because they all had a picture of a tree fern on one side and a rainbow on the other, and with the coins bearing different inscriptions.
Read more in Six-O-Six July/August 1989
¶ THE HOME AT NAZARETH
Six-0-Six Newsletter is a bi-monthly publication dedicated to promote international goodwill and understanding between readers of The URANTIA Book. Any correspondence should be addressed to:
The Editor, Six-0-Six Newsletter, 2 Salisbury Court, Glen Waverley, Vic. 3150 AUSTRALIA
