© 1991 Annette Crawford
© 1991 The Fellowship for readers of The Urantia Book
A Topical Study Assembled by Annette Crawford of Denver, Colorado
with an Introduction by Martin Greenhut, Monterey, Massachusetts
Our study group was into Paper 115, “THE SUPREME BEING”. We were on the third paragraph (UB 115:0.1) When I heard the reader proclaim, “God is much, much more than a Father, but the Father is man’s highest concept of God …” I stopped momentarily to consider how acutely aware I was of how much more I am than a father; yet, to my son, that is pretty much all that I am.
As the meanings in these thoughts began to expand in my mind I considered the greatness of God — far beyond knowing. I also thought of my son and that he is known to me as son. How much more is there to him! Furthermore, how much of my own father have I come to know and understand? And as these relationships came into focus while studying this paper on the Supreme Being, the adventure of the family experience bore a new light and glistened as does Mount Everest to a world class mountain climber.
Much is written concerning the techniques of rearing and teaching children. It almost seems as though one who was interested in becoming a perfect parent could simply study the latest and best techniques concerning parenting and thereby succeed. Parenting, however, is an experientially earned know-how. It is an experience that is required in the ascendent career. (UB 45:6.3-5; No surviving/ Jerusem.)
The dynamics of family life seem to be central to all other relationships. It is as children of common parenthood that we relate to others. And, it is as parents of our own offspring that we develop the altruistic drives that were initiated in our own childhood. Parenting stimulates the development of a kind of altruism that places the best interests of the child up front, eclipsing parental self-concern. The experiences of childhood, siblinghood, parenthood, and partnership with our spouse truly represent all that we can hope for in this learning-by-doing school called Urantia. Let’s consider the seven “fundamental characteristics of family life and their application to the relationship existing between God and man.” (UB 142:7.6-14; Jesus stated/perfect.)
The idea of getting to know “this entire relationship of a son to the Father… in perfection” is the central purpose of our entire ascending career and we begin here, on Urantia, as sex creatures:
The Partnership of Men and Women
| Page numbers: | Begins/ends with: |
|---|---|
| THE REASON: | |
| UB 160:2.2-7 | 2. THE ART/its possession. |
| THE PATTERN: | |
| UB 33:3.1-8-UB 33:3.8 | 3. THE UNIVERSE/the other. |
| THE MOTIVATION: | |
| UB 167:5.8 | After Jesus/as one." |
| UB 82:0.1-3 | Marriage-mating/be maintained. |
| UB 83:6.6-UB 83:7.1 | Monogamy always/self-perpetuation. |
| UB 83:7.6 | The real/child culture. |
| UB 83:8.5-9 | Nevertheless/past generations. |
| UB 84:5.10 | In the/world existence. |
| UB 84:0.1-3 | Material/social activities. |
| UB 84:2.1 | Regardless/increased happiness. |
| UB 84:6.1-8 | 6. THE PARTNERSHIP/and wife. |
| UB 84:7.1-8 | 7. THE IDEALS/on Urantia. |
| UB 47:1.4 | On the first/finaliter’s world. |
| UB 84:7.26 | In the present/of civilization. |
| UB 84:7.27-30 | Marriage,/universe children. |
| UB 84:8.2-6 | 8. DANGERS/of survival. |