© 1986 Neil Francey, Ken Glasziou, Trevor Swadling, Madeline Noordzy
© 1986 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
P.0.Box 606, Brighton, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, 3186.
¶ From The 6-0-6 Team
After the wany requests from readers for an article on the ‘Origin of The URANTIA Book’ we are happy to announce that we have obtained permission from Chicago to print their article on that subject.
The recent survey indicates that most readers do not wish to see a regular children’s section in our Newsletter. After the poor response to last year’s art competition, we have decided to shelve this project for the time being. We will review the situation again in the future. To all those people who have responded to our survey we like to say: Thank you for all your good ideas. We will try and fill the various needs of students of The URANTIA Book, specially those in isolated areas for whom the Newsletter is sometimes the only contact they have with other readers of the book.
Many thanks to all of you who have continued to support us in 1986 . Without your help we could not keep going.
All of us here at 6-0-6 like to wish you a safe and joyful Christmas and New Year and we look forward to communicating with you in 1987 .
¶ Task Of Newsletter Is Comunication
That contribution can specialist newsletter/magazines make to the world of literature?
Can they be a training ground for a T.S. Eliot or a Patrick White? Can they ‘break’ stories? Can they influence the established halls of learning? The answer in each case, based on historical evidence, is in the affirmative.
Since the late eighteen hundreds, European and American literature has been enhanced by small magazines. The antipodean colony of Australia waited until 1939 for a significant contribution to national culture with the arrival of ‘Southerly’. Another magazine ‘Meanjin’ was established the following year.
Specialist magazines encapsulate writings on a specific subject from the deluge of information available. They must allow rational assesement of their content and be capable of intelligent self-criticism.
We do not publish for a popular audience. Rather do we direct our words to ideological companions. But this voice, if worthy, will be heard afar in practical terms. It will be embraced as an antidote to the corrosive pressure of modern life and to that extent it offers absolute status to individual experience.
Without this expansion of appeal, small publications will not survive. The converted have no need to sustain their interest.
Educational magazinea, most notably in England, Canada and New Zealand are under threat due to reduced funding. Here in lies the other threat to survival. Subsidies offer precarious tenure. Market value ( by way of subscription or donation ) is earned.
The task of our newsletter is communication. Its literary heritage, its historical value, is to be gained only in reflection, if at all.
Neil Francey, Brisbane
¶ Mensa Embraces The Urantia Book
America Mensa, Ltd. is “a not-for-profit corporation of New York State” which consists exclusively of members who have IQs at or above a certain figure. (I do not know what that level 13.) Among their many activities, Mensa features “Speciai Interest Group” which are devoted to activities of all kinds relevant to a particular subject. Charles G. Schilling, SIG (Special Interest Group) Officer, sent a letter to Dan Amyx of Tampa, Florida, who had submitted The URANIIA Book as a candidate for the focus of an official SIG. The first paragraph of that letter reads, “This will acknowledge receipt of your SIG Recognition Request, and inform you that your SIG, The URANTIA Book, is now recognized as a special interest group of American Mensa, Ltd. Announcement of the SIG’s formation will appear in the Mensa Bulletin for April, 1986, and a listing will appear in the Sig Directory wich will be included in the September, 1986, edition.”
- From THAT MONTHLY MESSAGE OF INSPIRATION, April’86
¶ The Urantia Book: The Question Of Origin
Ken Glasziou
The question most frequently asked by people who have discovered The URANTIA Book is “Would you tell me something about the origin of the book?” This general question is usually followed by a number of more specific inquiries. Such interest in the origin of a book as stimulating and challenging as The URANTIA Book is natural. We have been conditioned by our culture to depend on sources and authority in evaluating publications of all kinds. This is especially true of religion.
Usually only a combination of tradition, social acceptance, and a firsthand knowledge of its quality will give the average person a satisfying answer concerning the origins of revelatory literature. Although Biblical scholars have declared that our knowledge of original New Testament documents is so meager, “We can now know nothing concerning the life and personality of Jesus,” most of us are not disturbed about the origin of historicity of the New Testament. The experience of centuries has validated its quality.
At this point in time there is no similar tradition of acceptance to give a “satisfying” answer to the origin of The URANTIA Book; someday, as its impact on civilization grows, there will be. Now the book must be evaluated solely on the basis of its quality — a personal experience of its internal authenticity or lack of it. The URANTIA Book message must be experienced before one can evaluate its quality and consider the probability of the revelatory nature of its origin. Before you have completely read The URANTIA Book, therefore, it is impossible to give you a very satisfying answer concerning its origin; and, after you have read the book, someone else’s comment about its origin, while of interest, is of secondary importance.
¶ John The Revelator
On UB 47:10.2 The URANTIA Book refers to John as “John the Revelator”. When we read the paper on the twelve apostles, on UB 139:4.14 the Midwayers tell us about John: “When in temporary exile on Patmos, John wrote the Book of Revelation, which you now have in greatly abridged and distorted form. This Book of Revelation contains the surviving fragments of a great revelation, large portions of which were lost, other portions of which were removed, subsequent to John’s writing. It is preserved in only fragmentary and adulterated form.”
On this topic I would like to attempt to shed some light. In certain papers of The URANTIA Book they quote from the Book of Revelation and this we may be able to piece together and understand something of the revelations that John had. When we read the Book of Revelation it becomes clear that in the visions John was having, he himself did not fully understand what he was beholding.
¶ Six-0-Six Newsletter Survey
Reports of conferences are well done. Thank you and I have enjoyed Ken Glasziou’s articles. I do read the whole Newsletter and it does do something to keep remote folk in touch.
What about a “Know your U.B.” regular with Q’s and A’s overleaf? That new revelations do people think they have? That have people’s ‘T.A.’s been doing for them? Perhaps that’s a bit hard! How to run a Study Group?
Christopher Billington, Tree, via Buchan
It is presented with a variety of different subjects, suiting everyone’s wishes. I have the same interest as Ken Glasziou, in an article about the origin of The URANTIA Book, etc. Henk Engelsma, Thyalla Nth, SA.
Keep basic format as is. Allow 6-0-6 to evolve to meet needs as required without any sudden changes.
Neil Francey, Brisbane
I would like to see some aids and ideas to spread The URANTIA Book and everything about its human origin in 1934 (because everybody is asking about it). Your team is doing a great job! I am more thrilled than ever with the Big Blue Book!
Joseph Hausler, Eumundi, Qld.
New people required at least every 2 years to edit and publish.
Pam Reynolds, Melbourne
¶ Say Hello to a Fellow Urantian
Since involvement with the publishing and mailing of the 6-0-6, I have become very aware of the great isolation of many readers in Australia. They have to cope with what Steve Shanahan named so aptly: “The tyranny of distance”.
So, when our family decided to drive to Cairns for our annual holiday, approx. 3500 ~km from Melbourne, I wanted to see some 6-0-6 readers on the way. Most of them were still only names to me, names I had been writing on envelopes. But I wanted to put personalities to those names.
Because in most places we only stayed one night and we never knew what day or time we were going to arrive, we had to pay most people surprise visits, just preceded by a short phone call.
Sometimes I only had a postbox number as was the case in Parkes, NSW. And with a name like Johnston, you can run into a bit of trouble. I tried all the Johnatons in the phone book, but had no luck.
“Do you receive a Six-0-Six Newsletter?” was my usual ( or was it unusual?) question. “A what?” would be the reply.
Madeline Noordzy
¶ Important Notice
Out of the approx. 130 surveys sent out recently 19 were returned so far. Forgive us for wondering if all those newsletters we faithfully mail to you are reaching their destination. In other words: Are you still awake and with us or have lost you on the way?
It must be time to update our mailing list. So some of you good folks will receive a reply slip this month. We would appreciate it if you could fill it in and mail it back to us, so that wo have an indication if you still want to receive the Newsletter. Thank you for your co-operation.
Please fill in and return to:
SIX-0-SIX NEWSLETTER
2 Salisbury Crt, Glen Waverley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, 3150
Please place/keep my name on your mailing list:
NAME MR/MRS/MISS ____
ADDRESS ____
TEL ____
Yes, you have my permission to give my name to students of the URANTIA Book who desire to have contact with other readers.
No, I would prefer not to have my name given out.
SIGNATURE ____
DATE ____
No, I no longer require a copy of your Newsletter.
Name: ____
Address: ____