© 2024 Gaétan G. Charland
© 2024 Urantia Association of Quebec
Gaetan G. Charland
president@urantiaqc.organique
Dear readers and members of the association,
I hope you are enjoying the summer to the fullest and taking time to rest and travel if that is part of your vacation plans. We are all well informed about current events in the world, and it is possible that some of you are worried about the current situation, whether political, social, religious or spiritual.
As president of the Urantia Association of Quebec, I have never discussed political subjects with you, except to make vague references to the troubling conditions that we observe in the world. I am sure that many of you are informed by the media and, of course, the Internet on the political situation south of our border. Nor do I wish to dictate your political, social, religious, and even less spiritual choices.
As readers of The Urantia Book, we have a greater responsibility than the average person we meet when it comes to matters such as morality, spirituality, ethics, and religion. Each of these areas of influence has a significant bearing on us and those around us, on what we think, on our language, on what we express and how we manifest it in our actions and in our relationships with others.
Politics, like governance and justice, may seem far removed from these influential matters, but it is nonetheless a reflection of the advancement of our society and the world as it moves toward the era of light and life. As students of The Urantia Book, should we not reflect the highest values of truth, goodness, and beauty in all areas of our lives, including politics?
I therefore invite you to read some significant passages from The Urantia Book emphasizing the importance of good knowledge to evaluate the relevance of our choices, both moral and political. We must not neglect the fact that our beliefs can, and often do, chain us into ways of thinking totally contrary to the spirit of the teachings contained in The Urantia Book and to the passages that I invite you to read.
The first of these passages concerns Jesus’ discourse at Urmia on sovereignty, Paper 134, sections 4, 5 and 6. You will find there very interesting information on one of the main causes of political violence in the world. Following this discourse, let us evaluate our positions on questions of sovereignty. Are they in accordance with the spirit of The Urantia Book or do they reflect our ingrained and erroneous beliefs?
Other parts of the book, such as “Government on a Neighboring Planet” in Booklet 72, Section 2 and following, deserve our attention when we need to reflect on the nature of our democracy and how we might improve our policies. There is also Booklet 195, “After Pentecost,” which is essential for better understanding the problems our world faces today.
I also offer you in this edition of Reflectivity an essay on democracy, suggested by the editor of the UAI Journal, Richard Jernigan, who is very interested in politics and lives in the United States. This essay, written by ChatGPT and formulated from the teachings of the Urantia Book, reflects very well what the revelators tell us about democracy, its benefits and its vulnerabilities. To support this essay and better understand its nuances, I suggest you read booklet 71, sections 2 and 3.
Hoping that these readings will inspire you during your vacation, during your reflections, your discussions and your future choices to promote democracy in this country where we enjoy great freedoms.
A quote from Jesus very relevant to the current context in the world.
“I warn you against false prophets who will come to you in sheep’s clothing, while on the inside they are as ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them.” (UB 140:3.19)
To love is to serve!