© 1999 Cathy Jones, David Elders, Nancy C. Shaffer, Jeffrey Wattles, James Woodward, Jerry Prentice, Bob Slagle, Dorothy Elder
© 1999 International Urantia Association (IUA)
¶ In This Issue
- UAI Today
- The Millennium Initiative
- The Internet School for the Urantia Book
- Struggle and Peace with the Fatherhood of God — Jeffrey Wattles, USA
- A Family Day in Los Angeles — James Woodward, USA
- Education and the Family — Jerry Prentice, USA
- Successful Families — Bob Slagle, USA
- God’s Plan for Attaining Perfection — Dorothy Elder, USA
¶ IUA Today
1998 Achievements
A moment of history was inaugurated at the International Urantia Association (IUA) Conference in Helsinki in 1998! With the inauguration of the Council of National Presidents and Vice Presidents (CNP), a giant step forward in the development of our great organization was taken.
At first, our group seemed like a potpourri, but we have developed it into a strong and viable entity. The reason for our phenomenal success is our dedication to having a positive attitude and maintaining our principles. The formation of the Urantia Brotherhood Association in 1989 was the springboard for the IUA. Determined that we were to make it a URANTIA (planetary) group, the word “International” was added, meaning “not just an American group.” When an organizing effort was begun in 1993, a commitment was made to focus only on “what” we are for—not what we are “against.”
The Urantia movement seemed to be in disarray. Devoted and loyal readers suddenly had to choose which “side” they were on. There was confusion and disbelief in the hearts of readers old and new. Could there really be a “break” in the readership?
So a few readers focused on what seemed to them to be the right choice. In an effort to define their values, they came to the conclusion that, after reading The Urantia Book in its entirety, the first step was to make a serious effort to incorporate its teachings into their lives and then to disseminate those teachings to the world at large. To accomplish this, an organization was necessary. Not an organization with a multiple hierarchy—but a scaffolding for orderly dissemination.
Thus, the IUA was built on the following principles:
- respect the right of Urantia Foundation to own and protect in perpetuity the copyright in the text of The Urantia Book and its trademarks;
- recognize the legality of the Urantia Foundation Trustees’ Statement of Intent and their responsibility to disseminate the teachings of The Urantia Book, to design, develop, and implement the means and methods for such dissemination, and to apply and utilize the legacy of the trust for the accomplishment of this purpose;
- proudly work interdependently with Urantia Foundation through legal agreement.
Within five years, our large and mature organization has national associations in Australia/New Zealand, Colombia, Finland, France, Peru, the United States, and soon in Canada and Estonia. There are 21 local associations in the United States and 3 in Canada.
The preparatory work has been completed, and the IUA Internet University is ready to launch a teacher-leader-coach program broadcast worldwide.
The associations participate in a global broadcast in response to reader inquiries. The IUA, Foundation representatives, and translation teams work harmoniously throughout Urantia. We believe that “by their fruits they are known.” We can proudly report our merits.
Russia. Study groups are being formed. The difficulties that have troubled the distribution of the Russian translation will soon be resolved. In a few weeks the St. Petersburg office will be fully operational. The difficulties were caused by the constantly changing laws of the government, then by an economic crisis and the failure of the banking system.
Norway. The Oslo study group, which was formed only two years ago, is gaining strength. A Norwegian translation is finally being started. Talks are underway to form a multinational IUA Association to serve Norway, Denmark and Sweden. For the first time a considerable number of Swedish and Norwegian participants took part in an international conference in Helsinki in 1998.
Germany. The German translation is progressing steadily.
Greece and Cyprus. The number of inquiries from Greek speaking readers around the world is growing. It seems to be of great interest to have the Revelation translated into Greek.
France. French study groups are growing in importance. The French Association AFLLU, has volunteered to host the IUA International Conference in 2000.
Belgium. Talks are underway to form a Belgian National Association.
Italy. The Italian translation is progressing steadily and is nearing completion. Inquiries from Italian readers are becoming more frequent.
Spain. The desire to form a Spanish National Association is growing.
Portugal. The Portuguese translation is progressing well.
Holland. Study groups are growing in importance with the recently published Dutch translation of the Revelation. A large number of Dutch readers participated for the first time in the IUA International Conference in Helsinki.
Estonia. The Estonian translation effort is progressing rapidly. An Estonian National Association will be formed in the near future. In August 1999, a 5-day conference will be held by Estonian readers with international participation. The English, Finnish and Russian versions of the Revelation are being sold in increasing numbers.
Lithuania. There is a very strong and growing interest in the Revelation, with thousands of people having benefited indirectly from its teachings. The Lithuanian translation effort is progressing vigorously.
Poland. The Polish translation work is progressing vigorously.
Finland. The 1999 Winter Conference was held in January, and the result was greater than in recent years. The Summer Conference will be held in mid-June. The study groups are working well and gaining strength. In proportion to the population, the Finnish translation is distributed more than any other version of the Revelation. The Finnish Association has published a quarterly Journal since 1985. Seminars and public lectures are sponsored regularly.
Korea. There is great interest in the Revelation; the booklets have been translated and are ready for distribution.
Canada. Three Local Associations have chartered, and a national group is in formation. The country has two offices representing the Foundation. One in the East and one in the West, to assist them in their vigorous work of disseminating The Urantia Book.
Australia/New Zealand. They have a long history of accomplishment. Their program of placing the Book in bookstores has been very successful. They have contributed mightily to the global circulation of The Urantia Book, related writings, and derivative works, in bookstores.
United States. The 21 USUA Associations are developing local and regional conferences. One association has placed Urantia Books in every prison bookstore in the United States. Another has literally flooded its state bookstore system with Urantia Books. One group is disseminating the teachings with a calendar featuring “Thought Beads” inspired by quotes from The Urantia Book.
The United States will host the IUA International Conference in the year 2000 in New York City. This will be a great gathering of our brothers and sisters from all four corners - an opportunity to meet and enthusiastically share our love for the Father and for each other. It is not too early to begin planning!
With love to all,
Cathy Jones
IUA Administrator
¶ The Millennium Initiative
for Unity in the Twenty-First Century
For members of the Urantia Book Brotherhood and the Urantia Association International, the goals are absolutely similar, and yet the relationship between these two groups of readers has been strained. Much time and energy has been diverted from the true goals and purposes of our organizations.
The Urantia Book is a thousand-year revelation. Those of us who love the revelation must find a way to work together toward common goals. The Millennium Initiative is a unifying initiative, independent of the Urantia Book Brotherhood, Urantia Association International, and Urantia Foundation. The primary purpose of the Millennium Initiative is to explore the possibility of a reunification of these two groups of readers. If the primary objective cannot be achieved at this time, the secondary objective will be to explore ways in which these reader organizations can work harmoniously toward common goals. If we cannot find a way to work together, we must at least ensure that our differences do not hinder or prevent the dissemination of the fifth epochal revelation. We cannot effectively bring to the world the message of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man unless we can manifest unity among our community of reader-believers.
The Millennium Initiative Committee is composed of volunteers who are now, or have been, active in either the Urantia Book Fellowship or Urantia Association International.
The Committee will meet in March. The members of the Committee realize that this process will likely be difficult and challenging. Each member of the Committee is personally committed to the integrity of this process. Serious efforts at reunification cannot be taken for or against one organization and succeed. But the Committee recognizes that each organization has important issues that must be addressed during this process.
We believe that open and frank communication will be essential to the success of the Millennium Initiative. We will report our progress to both organizations. We look forward to working with you. We ask for your support and prayers.
The Millennium Initiative Committee
David Elders
Nancy C. Shaffer
¶ Urantia Book Internet School
A project designed for the Internet via the Urantia Foundation Web site
The Coordinating Committee is pleased to announce and introduce the Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS), a project designed to enhance readers’ understanding of The Urantia Book by studying it through an electronic framework.
UBIS will open in the early summer of 1999. The school will add another dimension to the usual means of study—individuals, study groups, seminars, lectures, and conferences.
UBIS is truly a new and exciting effort, and we want to share it with you and ask for your help. The philosophy of the School will adhere to the goals of the Urantia Foundation Statement of Intent, which is to help readers broaden their understanding of the concepts of The Urantia Book through a pedagogy that does not interpret or invade.
The format of the classes will be the Socrates’ “question and answer” method. An eight-week “Test Class” was held to experiment with and evaluate distance learning, the results of which will certainly assist teachers/facilitators in preparing their classes.
The School needs readers of The Urantia Book with long-standing experience in studying the Book, with teaching skills, and with time to apply now. If you have any special interests in the Book that you have studied, and would like to join us in this new project, please contact Doroty Elder at delder03@sprynet.com to register.
We are currently preparing a group of teachers/facilitators to prepare for the first semester of classes. Once your application has been accepted the School will send you all the materials and aids to assist you in preparing your class, i.e. the technical aspects of studying via the Internet. Teachers must also be skilled in handling Internet Email.
¶ Struggle and Peace with the Fatherhood of God
Jeffrey Wattles
Ohio, United States
It took me decades of struggle to find a deep and lasting peace about the fatherhood of God. It was in the 1970s, while living in Berkeley, at a time when the feminist movement was growing, that I became actively involved in the proclamation of the gospel. I was accused of being a bad man because of my specific relationships with women. I was told that my theology could not be uncontaminated by my personal and cultural imperfections; and I couldn’t help but feel that these accusations were quite insightful. A notice from the pulpit of the Pacific School of Religion reminded speakers to use “inclusive language.” Ministers who came out of liberal seminaries largely stopped referring to God as our Father, except in a few remnants of traditional liturgy. Referring to God primarily as our Father was considered unfair to women;
¶ A Family Day in Los Angeles
James Woodward
California, United States
A most pleasant occasion recently marked the refreshing transition in our progress toward improved relations between the two Urantia Book organizations. This continued growth has its origins in a pivotal meeting held six months ago. In April 1998 the leaders of the IUA and the Brotherhood met in Chicago to discuss openly the issues at hand. There was an air of anticipation among the participants, tempered by commitments to philosophies, but fueled by the desire to restore the fabric of human cooperation in the work of the two groups. The main meeting featured statements of vision and organizational structure, which highlighted the marked differences in approach to the agenda. However, a Brotherhood speaker provided a touchstone of common purpose, which found immediate and supportive general agreement. Sara Blackstock, an active grandmother, teacher, and elementary school administrator, spoke about a project she chairs, the Family Life Committee. The leadership of both organizations dedicated to presenting the Fifth Revelation to the world could find no room for disagreement as Sara read her statement.
¶ Education and the Family
Jerry Prentice
Missouri, USA
I have spent the last fifteen years—much to my surprise—in education developing curriculum and training young people to become productive members of society. Some students have a thirst for knowledge, they have a foundation, they have the self-discipline to acquire it, and the personal values to put it into practice successfully. Many, however, leave our schools and their families with none, or very few, of these qualities. Why? Is the problem with the public education system or with the family? I would answer for both. But since each is essential to the other, it is impossible to say which is the root of the evil. Is education suffering from the breakdown of the family? Yes. Is the breakdown of the family due, at least in part, to the failures of our educational system? No doubt. Wherever we place the blame, however, in trying to find a solution as a society, we must begin with education. Education must be refocused on the development of the whole person—A lasting state is based on culture, dominated by ideals, and motivated by service. The aim of education should be to acquire aptitude, to seek wisdom, to realize individuality, and to attain spiritual values [UB 71:7.1] whose foundation should be a proper and healthy family life.
¶ Successful Families
Bob Slagle
Sebastopol, California, USA
Families: Past and Present
The Urantia Book and human history reflect the consciousness-numbing fact that for endless millennia, children throughout the world have been bought, sold, traded, abused, and exterminated. Our children are a vulnerable subunit of society—defenseless, rightsless, and with few defenders.
Even today, we see a parade of children abused, both consciously and mostly unconsciously. Consider spanking. It has been irrefutably demonstrated and proven by very serious research that this form of punishment is not only ineffective, but can also lead to trauma in childhood, aggression in adolescence, and depression in adulthood (Laub & Sampson, 1995; Rohner et al., 1991; Straus, 1995). However, surveys suggest that over 90% of Americans spank their children. In contrast, the innocent, primitive, bush people of the Kalahari never beat their children. They believe that if you hit a child, it closes its heart. Deeply insightful and socially acceptable forms of child abuse have been discovered by groups of theorists such as Bowen, Bradshaw, Adler, Dreikers, and the Swiss psychiatrist Alice Miller. In her books For Your Own Good (1990), Thou Shalt Not Be Aware (1996), and The Drama of the Gifted Child (1998), she portrays the mechanism of unconscious abuse, a pernicious pedagogy innocently passed down from generation to generation, a repression and a diabolical shame that breaks the spirit, and which is very difficult to heal completely, even from the vantage point of the adult (Goldenberg and Goldenberg 1991, p. 156).
¶ The Divine Plan for Attaining Perfection
Dorothy Elder
Los Angeles, California, USA.
I have been impressed for many years by “The Divine Plans of Perfection.” Not a day goes by without a glimpse of its grandeur crossing my mind for a moment. Just imagine! This whole vast, whirling superuniverse has a divine purpose, and we—mere finite creatures of time—are the sought-after treasures of the age.
In the beginning of time God the Father said, “Let us make man in our image”; God the Son partnered with the Father in his Bestowal Plan. God the Spirit, alone and of Himself, planned and carried out this tremendous undertaking. (UB 7:4.6) The mandate, “Be ye perfect” was proclaimed, and from that almost eternal moment the gifts of the Gods have been distributed to every corner of the universe for the sole purpose of bringing man to God.
¶ International Urantia Association Journal
International Urantia Association JOURNAL is a quarterly journal for readers of The Urantia Book produced by Urantia Association International, 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago Illinois 60614, USA
Editors
Editor-in-Chief: Carolyn Prentice
Editors: Kathleen Swadling, Trevor Swadling, Seppo Niskanen
Other Language Editorial Staff
Supervising Editor: Seppo Kanerva
Finnish Translations: Seppo Kanerva
French Translations: Chris Ragetly and Jean Royer
© 1999 Urantia Association International