© 2010 Georges Michelson-Dupont
© 2010 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
Many beginning readers wonder about the origin and the manner in which The Urantia Book arrived on our planet. These questions are legitimate and many documents have been published on the subject. Some of these writings cast doubt on the superhuman nature of the booklets as well as the facts and truths contained therein. However, it remains true that the reader must evaluate for himself and form a personal opinion of the contribution and repercussions that these teachings bring to his personal life.
Reading them brings great intellectual satisfaction through the coherence and the information of all kinds that they contain on the origin, history and destiny of man, but it is only through their experimentation in daily life that their true suprahuman nature is revealed. I offer you the translation of a letter that Emma Christensen addressed to a reader in 1974 in response to a question on this subject. (Emma Christensen, known as “Christy” was one of the three people who were part of the revelation commission. She was also the personal secretary of Doctor Sadler. She died at the end of the 70s)
February 7, 1974.
In response to your letter of (04.02).1974 requesting explanations on the way in which the book was transmitted to the planet, they can be found in the book itself. However, I have the pleasure of sending you this short summary of the story gleaned here and there throughout the book.
The authors are those whose names appear at the end of each booklet forming Parts I, II and III of the book. An acknowledgement appears at the beginning of Part IV indicating the name of its author. It is accepted that the authors are superhuman beings and since the advent of the book there has been no known method of communicating with them. The manner in which the book was transmitted must be sought in the book itself, not as a continuous story but rather scattered here and there in bits and pieces throughout the book. The discovery and gathering of these bits of information which pique curiosity is a search which is generally only completed after multiple readings of the book itself. This search for information is extremely satisfying for the individual and I urge you to conduct it for yourself. To the best of our knowledge, the person through whom these revelations were communicated is deceased and his identity is completely unknown. We believe that the authors of these booklets created this situation intentionally so that subsequent generations of well-meaning but emotionally motivated individuals would not be tempted to erect his memory as an object of veneration.
The Urantia Book and its teachings must be considered on their merits alone. Accordingly, it is not promoted by any thunderous excess of evangelism or any other means of religious promotion. It affirms that religion is first and foremost a personal relationship with God. It leaves it to each reader to accept or reject its teachings.
Having been in contact with this revelation for some time, we recognize that the human mind has several elements which enable it to make its own decisions as to the acceptance or rejection of all or part of this work. These elements are the intuitive sensitivity to truth of the human mind itself, the spirit of truth, and the indwelling spirit of God. For his part, and with these three elements working for him, man is able to evaluate the truth contained in the teachings. We do not attempt to force the distribution of The Urantia Book by commercial means of promotion, nor to claim authority which does not exist, nor sanctions of any kind. We have learned to respect the individual freedom of choice which God has so fully testified. To paraphrase an old aphorism, “We give a horse water, but it is up to him to drink.”
If you need further assistance, please let us know. We are confident that after you finish reading the book, your curiosity will be satisfied and your questions will have been answered.
Sincerely yours.
E.L. Christensen, secretary.
Georges Michelson-Dupont