© 1998 Ken Glasziou
© 1998 The Brotherhood of Man Library
The Urantia Papers associate the processes of mountain building and drifting continents as being responsible for the chain of mountains on the west coast of the Americas reaching from Alaska to the bottom of South America. (UB 60:3.2)
Modern readers probably do not give the statement a passing thought. But until the mid-1950’s and even later, continental drift was classified as a no-go heresy amongst the great majority of geologists. So why did the hypothetical committee of experts include it as a major factor for mountain building?
The Urantia Paper’s account of the evolution of the continents and the planet’s living organisms, if read prior to about 1960, would have been in the “stranger than fiction” category. As a generality, it is highly prophetic.
Today, only those well versed in current concepts of details of this account would be aware that there are important differences. However, in terms of the authors stated aims of synthesizing science and religion into a consistent universe philosophy, their account is admirable.
But what would the situation have been if all of their detail had been highly accurate?
The answer we give to that question reflects our progress in understanding the purposes of this first phase of our universe career. Salvation, we are told, is by faith—and by faith alone. (UB 141:7.6) To understand that fact is to appreciate the peculiarities of these Urantia Papers.