© 1987 Kathleen Swadling, Emmanuel Lou, David Regal, Richard Bain, Madeline Noordzy
© 1987 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
2 Salisbury Crt, Glen Waverley, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, 3150.
¶ Report On The 1987 Australian Meeting Of Urantia Book Readers
I an happy to report that once again we had a most successful meeting of URANTIA Book readers. I am sure that I speak for all who attended when I say that the benefits gained by this experience were of a positive and high quality nature. This year’s meeting was unique to any other annual meeting of readers due to the “live-in” situation, which allowed for a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere where new friendships could be made and develop.
At 6.00 on Friday evening, people started arriving from far and wide. Needless to say there was a terrific atmosphere of joy, laughter and conversation as people settled into the lodge, caught up with old friendships, began new friendships and drank beverages.
Saturday morning began with an introduction by Trevor Swadling, after which we split into two groups to study Paper 133 — The Return From Rome.
Kathleen Swadling, Sydney
¶ “Thought For The Month”
“I have come into this world to do the will of my Father and to reveal his loving character to all mankind. That, my brethren, is my mission. And this one thing I will do, regardless of the misunderstanding of my teachings by Jews or gentiles of this day or of another generation.” UB 143:1.4
¶ Hsi Wang Mu — The Queen of the Western Heaven
“… early Chinese legends place “the land of the Gods” in the west.” (UB 79:7.4)
“They decided that Divinity had descended to earth in bodily form …” (UB 74:4.1)
“ … but the majority were about ready to fall down and worship them as gods” (UB 74:3.10)
Hsi Wang Mu, literally the Royal Lady of the West or the Queen of the Western Heaven is a legendary being supposed to dwell upon the K’un lung Mountains (1) in a large and beautiful palace, surrounded by extensive grounds. The walls of the palace constructed with pure gold are three hundred and thirty miles in circumference, with crenelations of precious stones (2). Her residence was remarkable for its beautiful gardens (3), marble and jasper buildings, a nine-storeyed tower and sparkling brooks.
Emmanuel Lou, Tahiti
¶ 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 inquiror was put off by my inability to provide a clear and acceptable statement of my own religious faith.
¶ Annual Paper Writing Contest
The Jesusonian Foundation in Boulder, Colorado, USA announces the establishment of The Christian Fellowship Prize in Religious Research. The Jesusonian Foundation has inaugurated an annual paper writing contest for students interested in research in philosophy and religion. The purpose is to stimulate scholarly research and evaluation of The URANTIA Book.
The topic for 1987-88 is: Compare and Evaluate Jesus’ Concept of The Kingdom of Heaven In The Bible And The URANTIA Book.
First prize: $4000, Second prize $1500, Third prize $1000, Fourth through Tenth prize $500.
If interested please write to: Christian Fellowship Prize in Religious Research. The Jesusonian Foundation, 620 12th Street, Boulder, C 080302.
Bill and I appreciate receiving the 6-0-6. It gives us a small window on your world. We both enjoyed in particular Robert Crickett’s article in the latest issue. He portrayed his own experience very vividly, and that is quite interesting to read.
Kaye Cooper, Houston , TX, USA
¶ Seasons Greetings
Six-0-Six likes to wish all our readers and their families a joyful and safe Christmas and New Year.
We like to thank everyone for their continued support and we look forward to next year as a year of closer bonds between our ever growing family of readers.
¶ Cosmology Corner
When I first started writing the “Cosmology Corner” section about a year and a half ago, it seemed that the Big Bang theory was so firmly entrenched that it would be around for decades. It’s fascinating how a structure can seem so solid just before it collapses from termite damage. There now appear to be a few termite cosmologists nibbling inside the structure of the theory.
The Big Bang concept seems to be an elegant solution to the facts observed by astronomers. It nicely explains the fact that the more distant the galaxy, the more the light from it is red-shifted. It also explains the origin of the universe without reference to some “Higher Power”. Until recently, the theory was as universally accepted as Newton’s theory of gravitation was in the previous century. Just when it seemed that Newton’s math could handle any problem dealing with the motion of bodies, a young upstart named Einstein came along and said, “Yes but,…”.
There seem to be a few astronomers these days saying, “Yes, but…” about the Big Bang.
Richard Bain, St, Petersburg, FL,USA
¶ So What’s The Connection?
Bessie was trying to work something out. She was one of the American tourists, who were on a guided tour of Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.
“You seem to know someone in every port we call”, she said to Duane Faw as we were sitting around the breakfast table at the old Melbourne Hotel. Duane (yes, you’re right, he is the author of “The Paramony”) assured her he didn’t know us ( Steve Shanahan and myself) until five minutes ago.
“So what’s the connection?” Bessie asked me. The four URANTIA Book readers who were sitting around that breakfast table on a rather hot Sunday morning, answered in chorus: “We all read the same book.”
‘Was it the same connection when we stopped in Fiji?"’ Bessie was getting rather curious. Duane and Lucilla Faw had seen Isi and Martha Racule when their plane had stopped in Fiji.
Madeline Noordzy, Melbourne
¶ From Our Mailbag
Just received my first two issues of the Six-0-Six Newsletter. Definitely one of the best newsletters being generated by our still young “movement”. Keep up the good work! Look forward to future issues. Thus far in my exciting universe career, I have met about six Australians and have liked them all. You might say the Australians are (at least in my book) Six For Six.
Gary Falk, Westport, CT, USA
What a thrill to actually see the Six-0-Six Newsletter in my mailbox a couple of days ago! Thank you so much for sending it to me. Now the ties that bind me to Australia due to two visits, have grown stronger. I like your country very much. Your newsletter is beautiful — congratulations. I especially liked the elaboration on “Iao Shou Hsing, the God of Longevity”. You have splendid contributors to the Newsletter over there. I was so glad to meet Neil Francey at Bowdoin College in Maine, whom I had missed when in Australia.
The case for me is that I am quite isolated here. There are several study groups at the West coast of Florida, while here there were none anymore in my neighbourhood there are some in Fort Lauderdale (I think), West Palm Beach and Miami. Just recently, after the Conference, a couple that had moved to Satellite Beach, about 30 miles north of me, started a small study group and they meet one night a week, but unfortunately I do not drive and up to now cannot get there. I. hope this will change one day soon. The Florida Study Groups will (for whoever wants to go) have a weekend-camp in Central/South Florida this weekend. My girlfriend from Cocoa (26 miles north of me) suggested today that she wants to take us hoth in her car to that weekend-camp. I am so happy about that. The theme is “Spiritual Unity”.
By the way: I an German (only a resident, not a citizen of the U.S.). So if you know of a U-Book reader in Australia who happens to be of German origin and has still command of the German language, 1 would be delighted if they would like to get in touch with me. Of course we hope for a German translation one day too.
Did you know we have a Melbourne in Florida? It is about 7 miles North of Palm Bay, at the Atlantic coast. The mayors are exchanging visits with Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and it looks like they will become sister-cities. I wish you success with your splendid work with the Newsletter.
Olga Umverzagt, Palm Bay, FI, USA
Love your Newsletter. Will share it. Love and peace.
Claudia Ayers, Sacramento, CA, USA
Thank you for the copy of the July/August and the Sept/Oct Six-0-Six Newsletter. Robert Crickett’s article on Reincarnation is excellent! Although the doctrine of reincarnation has never appealed to we with western linear type of mind, I much appreciated his experience as a “believer”, his thorough knowledge of the doctrine, and his odyssey toward further enlightenment.
I much appreciated visiting with Neil Francey, William Wentworth and Hannah de Vries which were from Australia at the General Conference at Bowdoin. The Six-0-Six Newsletter is an excellent publication with both news and articles of substance in its pages. We should like to continue receiving it.
Meredith Sprunger, Fort Wayne, IN, USA
I appreciated Robert Crickett’s article on Re-incarnation. For me it was a bit.long, but the conclusion was great.
Helen Hutchinson, Knnoville, TN, USA
The article on reincarnation is excellent and wider anging on the topic. His point about bankrupting one’s sources of information apart from the revelation:“ It is only at such personally bankrupt levels of honesty and earnestness that truth can be revealed”. (excellent point)
Thanks for the enlightening issue.
David Glass, FT Worth, TX, USA
Thank you for the latest 6-0-6. I was pleased to meet Neil Francey at the conference in Maine. I’m glad to see from the letter in 6-0-6 that the folks from “down under” were well received there. It’s a pity that some of the French feel that we have not enough interest in them ( at least that was William Wentworth’s impression). I guess we need a pen-pal project to get folks from various cultures to exchange ideas. It would be nice if there was an all Europe newsletter that let us in on what was going on in the movement there.
Anyhow, thanks for the newsy Six-0-Six that helps us keep up with you folks down there.
The article on reincarnation is fascinating!
Dick Bain, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
¶ Don’t Wait For The Movie!
The following possible TV ad announcing The URANTIA Book was written by Curt Avery of Savannah, Georgia, who has given permission to include it in 6-0-6:
Are you among those 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 insufficient data and foggy guesswork? Then this message is for you: Right now, and for a limited time only, you are invited to take advantage of this once in a lifetime special TV offer. And this is it, the one volume set, bound in handsome royal blue, friends this is The URANTIA Book.
Chockfull of cosmic adventure, mystery, and 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’ll meet the Midwayers, the Thought Adjusters, the Brilliant Evening Star and the crew that designed the dinosaur. You’ll travel with the heroic Andon and Fonta, and shudder at the evil doings of the villain Caligastia. You’ll be surprised when you read the truth about Noah and his legendary float trip. You’ll be titillated by the exact present location of the Garden of Eden, awed by the whereabouts 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 know the total despair that comes from finding that you can’t blame anything on the devil anymore. You’1l 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.
And if it’s answers you want, we’ve got them. Answers to questions like: who are we … why are we here… where are we going, and what will we do when we get there? You’11 discover why you are the way you are … and receive instructions on how to forgive yourself for being that way. This is the greatest adventure story of all time. Star Trek would pale by comparison. Here and only here will you visualize men of green, blue, and orange. And only within these pages will you be insulted by pointed and repeated references to your lack of intelligence, and simultaneously challenged to understand the structure of all Deity. Amaze your friends with lengthy discourses on energy and matter, the diameter of an atom, and the correct mileage to Havona.
Don’t wait for the movie, act now. Make The URANTIA Book part of your survival kit today. Friends, The URANTIA Book is not available in supermarkets, paperback or cassette. You can obtain your copy of The URANTIA Book only by calling this toll-free number tonight. Call 1-800-MELCHIZEDEK. Call now, operators are standing by to take your call. Residents of the Tigris-Euphrates area add six per cent sales tax.
