© 2020 Yman Juran (aka Jean Ascher)
© 2020 The Urantia Book Fellowship
Before Charles Olivea graduated to the mansion worlds, he posted this on Socadmin. When I asked him if he would like this published, he rewrote it as you see here. Cristina Seaborn, Publications Chair
The question of what factors were involved in locating The Urantia Book, initially in the United States, has intrigued me and many others for years. I would like to offer some ideas on the subject. I will list the factors I think are relevant to this topic, and not necessarily in the order of importance.
Those who manage celestial planetary government seem to always set up circumstances that have to wait until the “fullness of time” arrives. So, when the “time is ripe,” they act. I do not think my list to be exhaustive or complete. Still, I believe it instructive to explore the question of why they chose America and chose the first half of the 20th Century. Essentially, my list speaks to the “why” and the “when” of the Fifth Epochal Revelation.
Here is my list:
(1). The invention of the radio (1890s). This technology demonstrated that intelligence could be transmitted “invisibly,” without the assistance of physical wires that you could see. This may have anticipated the credibility of the existence of celestial authors ordinarily invisible to us. Future innovations of modern technology for human communications may have only reinforced this.
(2.) English language. The English language was very useful to the revelators since they had to present advanced spiritual and cosmic concepts to the human, finite mind. English has the flexibility for the creative use of words and phrases, especially its nouns, verbs and adjectives. This was particularly helpful in the effort to introduce and convey concepts.
(3). American liberty in thought, word and action. A democratic society was needed for freedom of expression and action to facilitate the dissemination of a new planetary revelation.
(4). Modernity. The early decades of the 20th Century saw the emergence of modern art (Cubism; Abstract Expressionism; Fauvism; etc.) and modern physics (Relativity; Quantum Physics, etc.). I believe that these developments manifested the tendency in modern society to “unravel” boundaries of the mind. This in turn may have anticipated open mindedness as a prerequisite toward responding to a new revelation of facts, meanings and values.
(5). Chicago and the Midwest. Mid-western culture in my opinion tends to be not as much in a hurry as appears to be characteristic of the more intense urban or suburban cultures, particularly on both coasts, thereby, perhaps, making the available, potential pool of willing participants from the culture of the midwest more receptive to advanced spiritual, intellectual and cosmic thought.
(6). American middle class. Middle class men and women were perhaps more amenable or receptive to celestial revelation. They drew from a range of assets: a strong work ethic, sufficiency of education, fostering intellectual curiosity, reasonable economic sense of security, social mobility and, among some, a greater willingness (than other classes) to spend the time on such a project. A large middle class is a major source of social stability in a country. Ours emerged by the 20th Century, a development that was critical to the future success of this revelation. The revelators had an ample pool to draw from in gathering cooperative mortals.
(7). Race. The black, brown, red and yellow races by the early years of the 20th Century in America (the time period targeted) had not yet had certain opportunities and advantages that the white race generally enjoyed at that time. And so, men and women of the white race were recruited to form the original contact groups from among our fellow mortals. The racial aspects of this factor, I believe, were not intended to imply in any way that the celestial authorities wanted the non-white races to benefit from the revelation at a level lower than members of the white race. Before God, we all stand on an “equal footing, ” as Jesus explained to Ganid, the Indian lad he was tutoring. This is true notwithstanding certain cultural and genetic differences of the races.
(8). The right to vote for women (1920). The right to vote for women signified that modern society was moving along more civilizing lines, putting the United States in a better position (by the spread of freedom) to receive the Fifth Epochal Revelation.
(9). Anticipation of the American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968). This movement altered decisively for the better America’s racial and ethnic institutions and norms. It shifted the social emphasis of favoring one race above all others (by birth) to a social system based on character and merit (by achievement). The United States, under a broader application of the Rule of Law, became a fairer and more just society, with the result of encouraging the races to be more cooperative with each other, assisting the process of receptivity and dissemination of The Urantia Book.
(10). Outlawing war (c.1923). The United States and France led the way for a treaty signed by over 50 nation-states outlawing war, at least in theory. It indicated a civilizing influence within politics among nations, however theoretical at its birth. This may have augmented the teachings in the revelation addressing the history of the state and the associations of nations generally.
(11). The League of Nations (early 1920s). This was Urantia’s first, truly international organization for the purpose of bringing the nations of the world together. It was not a government by conventional definition, but a world-wide association of countries. It provided a new, broader sense of what the idea of the “world” could mean.
(12). The Coming Space Age (1957). The celestial forces probably anticipated the new perspective the space age would afford. Seeing the planet from space was another way that altered the view of people when thinking about the “world.” (The first crude modern rockets had been experimented on in the United States at least by the 1930s.) The Age of Exploration, starting in the late 15 th Century, dramatically changed the way Europeans perceived the “world.”
(13). World Wars; secular Totalitarianism; and, Holocausts. Beginning with the First World War (1914-1918), many people question in various degrees the prospects of humanity’s survival and the question (in one form or the other): Why does God seem to permit evil? A new perspective and explanation of human origin, history and destiny were needed. The Urantia Book I think addresses that need.
(14). The Human Gene Pool. A different viewpoint on the causal relationship between our genetic structure and evolutionary civilization was needed in part to contribute to the evolutionary process of new planetary order. Think of Paper 72.
(15). The Advent of the “Global Village.” Modern industry, technology and science have rendered the world a “neighborhood;” religion, spirituality and higher ethics have heretofore failed to make a “brotherhood.” Celestial revelation is needed to address the real possibility of “arrested growth” in our world because of the great tension between the two. I believe this tension is the primary source of discontent today and in the past 100+ years. To truly progress toward life and light, we require a genuinely enlightened sense of Who are we? Why are we here? and, Where are we going?
I will close here. Best wishes, Charles Laurence Olivea
Former General Councilor
Santa Fe, New Mexico