© 1998 Richard I. Bain
© 1998 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
There seems to be a certain amount of ferment in the Urantia community regarding the possible emergence of a Urantian religious organization. Is a portion of our community evolving into such an organization? How do you feel about this?
I observe a range of reactions from whole hearted endorsement to strong condemnation. The dialog has begun, but will we understand each other as it progresses? Too many times groups have engaged in dialog without understanding the terms used by those with opposing points of view. To forestall this sort of fruitless dialog, I feel it is desirable to define some terms before beginning a discussion of the issues. It is very difficult to discuss religion because of the multiple meanings of words. A good example is the difference between faith and belief. In Paper 101 and a number of other papers in The Urantia Book, the difference between faith and belief is discussed. Unfortunately, today faith and belief are used interchangeably, so it is necessary to explain to someone not familiar with the book the sense in which The Urantia Book uses these two terms. Other words that have multiple meanings which can cause confusion in discussions are “church,” “religion,” and “religious.”
There are those who speak of the emergence of a Urantia church (myself included), but I wonder if it wouldn’t be more accurate to speak instead of the emergence of a new religion and a new religious organization. According to the Merriam Webster on-line dictionary, the term “church” in the case of Christianity can refer to either the building used for services, the clergy of the Christian religion, or the entire body of Christians. The term is applied specifically to the Christian church, so it might be less confusing to use the term “religious organization” rather than “church.” For purposes of discussion, I will divide religion into three categories: internal (personal) religion, socialized religion, and institutionalized religion as embodied in a religious organization. Usually socialized religion is associated with institutional religion. So when I say religion, I shall be referring to the socialized variety; individual religion I shall call personal religion, and institutionalized religion I will call a religious organization.
Those who are students of The Urantia Book have been known collectively as the Urantia movement, the Urantia community or Urantians. Since Urantia is the name of our planet, then logically, the Urantia community, is everyone on planet Earth. Nevertheless, considering that “Urantia community” has already been used for some time to designate the collective body of students of The Urantia Book, I will so use this term. In other cases, I will use Urantian(s) as a noun in the sense the term “Christian(s)” is so used or as a modifier in the same way “Christian” is used in “Christian church.”
Of the three forms of religion, personal religion is the first to appear. As this inner life is externalized and shared with our fellow mortals, then socialized, collective religion begins to appear. So, personal religion and the human urge to share and socialize are the parents of socialized, collective religion. As religion evolves, rites and rituals begin to emerge from the collective religious life. And finally, it gives rise to institutionalized religion, the religious organization.
What is the relationship between religion and a religious organization? I see the organization as the form, and religion as its content or substance. Form without substance is sterile. Substance without form is chaos. Form gives substance shape, but substance gives form life. How do form and substance function together? One analogy is that of a corporation and its constituent members. The group of members exists separate from the corporation, but is enabled to function as an entity and interact with the world in a unified fashion through the mechanism of the corporation. Religion can manifest itself socially and collectively, but the religious organization is a mechanism through which the religion can deal with the world as an organization rather than simply as a collection of religionists. The difference between an army and a mob is organization. As the individuals precede the corporation, in the case of religion the substance precedes the form, and is the reason for the form. Not only does religion precede the religious organization, but it must ever be the navigator of the organizational ship. Ideally, the organization exists to serve the religionists. When the form dominates the substance, we may find a people bound by legalisms, as the Jews of Jesus’ day were bound by the over-emphasis on ritual and law. If the substance dies, the form may continue on, but it is a soulless body. Unfortunately, this is nearly the case in some Christian churches today.
What is the relationship between religion and a religious organization? I see the organization as the form, and religion as its content or substance. Form without substance is sterile. Substance without form is chaos. Form gives substance shape, but substance gives form life.
In the case of the Urantia community, we obviously have an important part of the substance, The Urantia Book. But The Urantia Book speaks of the emergence of a Jesuscentered religion. I don’t regard belief in The Urantia Book unaccompanied by a living faith as a Jesus-centered religion. Believing is a passive act, but the teachings of Jesus are in the active voice, not the passive voice: “Follow me;” “Love your neighbor as yourself;” “Turn the other cheek;” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is apparent to me that a Urantian religion must be an active religion if it is Jesus-centered. Some would say that only outreach is active, but remember that “prayer” and “worship” can be verbs as well as nouns. It is certain that a Jesus- centered religion must have Jesus-type activism as a part of its substance.
Is a Urantian religion evolving within our community? If by religion, we mean a group of people with a common set of beliefs, then in that sense a Urantian religion already exits. But I think that the term “religion” means more to most people in our culture than just a common set of beliefs; I think it entails the trappings and practice of religion in churches and synagogues: rites, rituals, worship and symbols. Perhaps it is more accurate to describe Urantianism as an emerging religion. It is evolving from a loose knit community into an identifiable religious entity. It is not still a plant nor yet an animal; it’s sort of a “plantimal.” And when the animal finally emerges, what will it look like? What do we want it to look like?
I have no doubt that whatever the fate of the present embryonic organizations, eventually Urantian religious organizations will emerge from our community. I think that the presence of dialogue regarding such organizations is a sign that some people are already open to them and that their emergence is not far in the future.
Will a religious organization evolve within our Urantia community concurrently with a Urantian religion? Is the Urantian religion sufficiently developed to benefit from a Urantian religious organization? I do not feel that the Urantia community as a whole will evolve into a religious organization; there is too much diversity and no little amount of anti-institutional sentiment in our ranks to allow the whole community to be institutionalized. However, since there are Urantian “churches” organizing now in California and elsewhere, perhaps it would be safe to say that there are embryonic Urantian religious organizations evolving within the Urantia community. Also, the idea of a Urantian religious organization is being debated within the community. I have no doubt that whatever the fate of the present embryonic organizations, eventually Urantian religious organizations will emerge from our community. I think that the presence of dialogue regarding such organizations is a sign that some people are already open to them and that their emergence is not far in the future. And when I say religious organizations, I mean something analogous to the three definitions of church previously cited, i.e., buildings, clergy, and a supporting organization. Are all of these three aspects needed? Will we follow the path of the Christian church?
Just as Christianity evolved in the presence of Judaism, a Urantian religion and religious organizations are evolving in the presence of Christianity in our culture. Of course, there are other religions and organizations present in our culture, such as Islam and Judaism, but Christianity is the dominant religion and religious organization. There are two things that make the relationship between a Urantian religious organization and Christianity a particularly interesting one. The first is the close resemblance between some Christian theology and the teachings of The Urantia Book. The second is the fact that many Urantians are also members of one of the Christian churches. This situation has some similarities to the situation of the early Christians.
Before they were ejected from the synagogues, the Jewish followers of Jesus formed a sect within Judaism. Will there be a Urantian sect within Christianity? My experience and that of others is that The Urantia Book is not creating much interest in the Christian church. Because Christianity is to a large extent an authority based religion, any new religious ideas have a hard time getting a hearing from the grass roots unless it is endorsed by the hierarchy. Some would say that dual allegiance Urantians have not been vocal enough about The Urantia Book in their church community. My own attempts to introduce The Urantia Book in Christian churches have often met with either hostility or apathy. For so many people, Christianity is a comfortable and familiar religion that doesn’t require much thought, only acceptance. Only a small number of people are real spiritual seekers, so I don’t have much hope of ever seeing masses of Christians flocking to the bookstore for copies of The Urantia Book.
What about those who are Urantian Christians? Will they band together to form a sect within the Christian church? Since their presence in most churches is small, I wouldn’t classify them as a sect within the church at this time. As our numbers slowly grow within the Christian church, there may come a time when our dual loyalty becomes an issue, as it did for the Jewish followers of Jesus in the synagogues. Many Urantian Christians are not pleased with the reaction to The Urantia Book in their churches. On the basis of some negative reactions from either the clergy or laity of their churches, they don’t feel they can speak freely about it within their church. This discontent may make such people receptive to the idea of a Urantia religious organization outside of the Christian church.
Because The Urantia Book and Christian theology have some commonalities, perhaps after Urantian religious organizations evolve, there will develop a close relationship between the liberal Christian church and the Urantian organizations, just as Canada and the United States have a close relationship because of a common border and similar cultures. But perhaps this relationship will be shaped as much by perceptions as by reality.
Would a new religion and religious organization based on the teachings of The Urantia Book be perceived as just another branch of Christianity, or is it unique enough to be identified as a new religion with religious organizations distinct from the Christian church? Would we want to be included under the Christian umbrella? Since Christianity is so pervasive in our culture, and since many concepts in The Urantia Book are so close to Christian theology, it may be hard to convince people that we are not just another variant of Christianity. And if we decide to accept the role of another Christian sect, then how will we include those for whom Christianity is not a part of their cultural heritage? This dilemma has been faced by other religious communities
It seems to me that Urantian religious organizations in other cultures may not resemble such organizations that emerge from our culture, and we should not expect them to do so, any more than our art or literature necessarily resembles that of other cultures.
The majority of Unitarian Universalists choose not to be identified as Christians, yet there are a few Unitarian Universalist churches that call themselves Unitarian Universalist Christian churches, and their nature is closer to traditional Christian churches than are the majority of Unitarian Universalist congregations. Is this a portent for the future of Urantia churches? Will there be Urantian worship centers, Christian Urantia Churches, Buddhist Urantia Temples, Moslem Urantia Mosques, etc.? Or will we have a grand potpourri of traditions, having communion one day, whirling with the Dervishes another, dancing with the Sufi’s another, and chanting like Buddhist monks on yet another day? One thing is certain; the authors of The Urantia Book picture the evolving religion as Jesus-centered. Is it possible to have this as a core concept yet allow for varied cultural expressions?
It seems to me that Urantian religious organizations in other cultures may not resemble such organizations that emerge from our culture, and we should not expect them to do so, any more than our art or literature necessarily resembles that of other cultures. However, if Urantian religious organizations and religion embody the teachings of Jesus and follow his example rather than being a religion about Jesus, Ibelieve that the resultant religion and organizations will be much more acceptable to Urantians of other cultures than is Christianity. Unity rather than uniformity should be our watch word
Some may take the view that the theology of a Urantia religion is simply the content of The Urantia Book, but I doubt that this will be the case as time goes on. Consider Christianity. It certainly contains the teachings of Jesus, but much of Christian theology is not the teachings of Jesus. As Christianity evolved, it absorbed not only rituals but also concepts from other religions. Can we avoid this accretion from outside sources? Should we? For better or for worse, much of the theology of Christianity consists of the interpretations and concepts of Paul and the apostles with additions by various later theologians such as Thomas Aquinas. The Urantia Book authors have mixed reactions to Paul. On the one hand, because he was flexible, he was able to shape Christianity so that it appealed to adherents of existing Western religions. On the other hand, he downgraded the status of women in the church, and emphasized the Atonement Doctrine. Will a Pauline figure emerge from the Urantia community to put his own spin on the theology of The Urantia Book or reinterpret it for another culture? How shall we react to such goings on?
And what do we do about the rites and rituals of a Urantian religion? Do we just borrow from Christianity and other religions for a new Urantia religion? When a Pharisee asked Jesus why his Apostles didn’t fast as other Jews did, he answered in part, “Neither do men put new wine into old wine skins, lest the new wine burst the skins so that both the wine and the skins perish.The wise man puts the new wine into fresh wine skins. Therefore do my disciples show wisdom in that they do not bring too much of the old order over into the new teaching of the gospel of the kingdom.” (UB 147:7.2) The new concepts in the Fifth Epochal Revelation will obviously require new observances and rituals but a religion centered in the Urantia Papers could also utilize the best in older religious practices. I believe that we should use symbols and rituals that can be invested with new meanings, meanings appropriate to our community and the theology of The Urantia Book, but these rites, rituals, and symbols should not be just a copy of existing ones. For instance, because of its connection with the Atonement Doctrine, I would be surprised to see a cross on, or in, a Urantian worship center, but I would expect to see a communion service celebrated in such a center. It is logical that communion will find a place in a Urantian religion, especially since Jesus established this ritual at the Last Supper. But the theology of this communion will certainly not be like that of the Christian communion, since The Urantia Book strongly condemns the Atonement Doctrine. Fortunately, we do have some guidance from Jesus in The Urantia Book on how to invest the elements of the communion service with new and more appropriate meaning. (UB 179:5.4)
Christmas and other Christian holidays may be another problem area for Urantians. There are many Christian rituals associated with Christmas. Will Urantian religionists celebrate Christmas differently than Christians? I suspect that religious organizations in our culture will retain much of the Christmas pageantry and ritual since it is a part of the cultural heritage for those of us coming from a Christian background. But I expect a modest birthday celebration on Aug. 21 st each year will also be one of the rites of Urantian worship centers. Easter in the Urantia Papers is not associated with the Atonement Doctrine. But the cross and the dramatic events leading to it are as much a part of The Urantia Book as they are a part of the Bible. I am certain that the papers in The Urantia Book dealing with these events will be the basis for uniquely Urantian Easter services. We can certainly profit from “Lessons From the Cross,” (UB 188:5) and celebrate the resurrection as sincerely as Christians do, though not for all the same reasons.
An organized religion arising out of the Urantia community will need potent symbols to help unite its participants. One symbol that has already been supplied by the authors of The Urantia Book is the three concentric circles. This symbol was unfortunately a political football because it was registered as a trademark by the Urantia Foundation. However, it seems that this symbol can now be used by a religious organization as a religious symbol without creating legal problems; it is my understanding that the Foundation will permit the use of the concentric circles for religious purposes. Undoubtedly, other symbols will emerge out of the religious life of Urantians as a Urantian religion evolves. And symbols are important. The authors of The Urantia Book point out, “Regardless of the drawbacks and handicaps, every new revelation of truth has given rise to a new cult, and even the restatement of the religion of Jesus must develop a new and appropriate symbolism. Modern man must find some adequate symbolism for his new and expanding ideas, ideals, and loyalties. This enhanced symbol must arise out of religious living, spiritual experience. And this higher symbolism of a higher civilization must be predicated on the concept of the Fatherhood of God and be pregnant with the mighty ideal of the brotherhood of man.” (UB 87:7.6)
The new concepts in the Fifth Epochal Revelation will obviously require new observances and rituals but a religion centered in the Urantia Papers could also utilize the best in older religious practices. I believe that we should use symbols and rituals that can be invested with new meanings, meanings appropriate to our community and the theology of The Urantia Book, but these rites, rituals, and symbols should not be just a copy of existing ones.
There are many questions that those who choose to build a religious organization to incorporate the emerging Urantian religion will have to address. Questions such as:
If this movement to build a Urantian religious organization develops and begins to grow rapidly, we will have to address many of these questions quite soon. There are a few lessons that we should learn from history. One of these is that the Christian church did not spring suddenly from nowhere. It built on the foundation of Judaism, Zorastrianism, and other traditions. While we should and certainly will evolve our own symbolism, rituals, and even music, I believe that we will, at least initially, need to appropriate and adopt these things from Christianity and other sources as needed. We could profit from taking the best from these sources and adapting these observances to our needs. This has several advantages. First, the rituals and music will seem familiar to those of a Christian background — or whatever background we draw from — and they will be more comfortable with these things than something new and strange. Perhaps we should deliberately pull from some other traditions as well to give them a point of contact with the new religion and religious organization.
I believe we have much to learn from the worlds religions and religious institutions. They have evolved psychologically satisfying symbols, rituals and music over centuries and millenniums. I don’t believe we should stoop to mere imitation, but we should profit from both the mistakes and hard won lessons of all these sources, and select and adapt the best of all of them to fit our needs. Isaac Newton said that he stood on the shoulders of the scientific giants who preceded him. No doubt we will be standing on the shoulders of giants as well-the spiritual giants of ages past.
Richard Bain is an electrical engineer and an editor of Innerface International. He is a longtime student of The Urantia Book.