© 2015 Suzanne Kelly, John Zavala Jr., Guy Perron, Michael Hanian, Bart Gibbons, Verner Verass
© 2015 International Urantia Association (IUA)
Welcome to the very first issue of the Journal online. We will now be producing this publication in the usual PDF format as well as an online format. If you would like to view the PDF for printing purposes to read off line click here. (If you have trouble with the link go to our website at urantia-association.org and look for it in the Journal Archives section under the News & Publications main menu.)
¶ In This Issue
- Journal Editorial – December 2015 – Suzanne Kelly, USA
- Evolution of the Trinity Concept – John Zavala, Jr
- The Eternal Quest – Guy Perron, Canada
- Cultivating Mind: Choosing The Right Tool – Michael Hanian, Russia
- With Respect To Adversity – Bart Gibbons, USA
- The Door is Open, Let Whosoever Will, Come – Verner Verass, Australia
¶ Journal Editorial – December 2015
Suzanne Kelly, USA
Greetings fellow Journal readers,
In this Edition of the Journal for 2015/2016 we have five remarkable articles on the perspectives of faith to assist us in rounding out 2015 and begin anew 2016 from a global perspective.
Our first edifying piece “The Evolution of the Trinity Concept” is from second time contributor John Zavala, Jr., USA. John clearly outlines how the idea of the Trinity concept had such a difficult time being understood and accepted by the Muslim belief system in the past and today. A conversation with his friend initiated this illuminating study, and hopefully his words will provide a little insight and perhaps some reception to this revelation. Studying Islamic history reveals that their monotheistic zeal for the one God Allah so eclipsed the Trinitarian teachings of 6th century Christian missionaries that though their efforts to eradicate these doctrines, which were perceived as threatening to their ideology, ultimately created an antagonism effect against the three in one idea.
¶ Evolution of the Trinity Concept
John Zavala, Jr
A Muslim friend of mine contested the absence of any clearer teaching regarding the Trinity in the Bible and it prompted me to investigate. In his mind Islamic tradition has taught him there is no such thing as the Trinity for the particular chronic translation he studies there from teaches him so. Though I have pursued the same translation I recognize that his believe is predicated more on the translator and not the Quran itself. Be it as it may it is of no consequence, because in my experience the greater population of Islam likewise fails to grasp the Trinity idea, here is the reason why.
¶ Pantheism is monotheism in the making
Studying Islamic history reveals that their monotheistic zeal for the one God Allah so eclipsed the Trinitarian teachings of 6th century Christian missionaries that though their efforts to eradicate these doctrines, which were perceived as threatening to their ideology, ultimately created an antagonism effect against the three in one idea. Notwithstanding this conflict, the initial rejection of Trinitarianism should not at all be surprising considering the metamorphoses of the god concept traversing a hermeneutic paradigm of polytheism, henotheism and eventually leading into an amalgamated monotheism.
¶ The Eternal Quest
Guy Perron, Canada
¶ The Sixth Parliament of World Religions – Claiming the heart of our humanity …through loving kindness
A few months ago, a seed was planted in my soul by a friend when he asked me if I was going to the Parliament of World Religions. “You couldn’t miss such an opportunity to have a foretaste of what the Mansion World can be, at least the first one.” Already on the trip from Montreal to San Francisco and then to Salt Lake city, most people that I interacted with were on a quest, either with a swami, a spiritual teacher, with an organized religious group like Sikhism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism, or even with God himself. Some were even affirming that they were studying a Revelation! Barbara from Santa Barbara who was sitting beside me on the flight from San Francisco was so enthused about the upcoming event. She has been on a spiritual quest for 40 years embracing so many different teachings and was now teaching meditation classes, her way of giving back what she so abundantly received, as she said. In the lobby of the hotel, I met Karen, a flight attendant from Delta Airlines who flew that same day from Amsterdam; she told me that the flight was filled with people coming to the Parliament and that it was her best flight ever, after 25 years in the business. “People were so kind, gentle, loving and sweet, all of them. Wouldn’t it be nice if all the world would be like that?”
¶ Cultivating Mind: Choosing The Right Tool
Michael Hanian, Russia
¶ A personal account of faith as a tool of mind cultivation
(Presentation made at the last Urantia Association International Conference in 2015)
A very good day to everyone! Let me first say that I’m happy to be here with you, to see my old friends, and to make new friends, hopefully.
It is quite challenging to attempt at presenting a well-structured talk to a community of Urantia Book readers. Frankly, I never volunteered to make this presentation, but I accepted this opportunity with gratitude. I will try to share with you some personal ideas, born out of reading and re-reading of the text of The Urantia Book.
Before I begin, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have made my participation in this conference possible through my scholarship.
My talk is titled, Cultivating Mind: Choosing The Right Tool, with the subtitle, A personal account of faith as a tool of mind cultivation.
I will talk about faith and mind, my faith and my mind—the mind which stubbornly tried to deny me of those truths that are so beautifully presented to us in The Urantia Book.
¶ With Respect To Adversity
Bart Gibbons, USA
“Remind thyself, in the darkest moments, that every failure is only a step toward success, every detection of what is false directs you toward what is true, every trial exhausts some tempting form of error, and every adversity will only hide, for a time, your path to peace and fulfilment.” Augustine Mandido II, author.
Readers of The Urantia Book are thrilled to learn that salvation is based on faith alone, that a divine fragment within the mind will fuse with each of us for all eternity, and that there is a plan for an eternal life of service, worship, and discovery.
But with respect to adversity, what guidance does The Urantia Book offer? How do the teachings help us respond when we are shattered by devastating and unexpected tragedy or our own misguided efforts causes suffering and despair in our daily lives?
¶ The Door is Open, Let Whosoever Will, Come
Verner Verass, Australia
Such is the embracing generosity of the Father, he extends his welcome to each of us to accept the gift of eternal life and the ever increasing capacity for experiencing the joy of existence…true adventure!
Many readers have savoured the words “whosoever will,” for which a search results in seven quotes as follows.
whosoever will
1. The love of God is secondary to no other attribute of the Divine nature. It is wrong to think of God as being coaxed into loving his children.
It is wrong to think of God as being coaxed into loving his children because of the sacrifices of his Sons or the intercession of his subordinate creatures, for the Father himself loves you. It is in response to this paternal affection that God sends the marvelous Adjusters to indwell the minds of men. God’s love is universal; “whosoever will may come.” He would “have all men be saved by coming into the knowledge of the truth.” He is “not willing that any should perish.”_ [UB 2:5.2] emphasis added