In the Urantia Papers, some authors tend to refer to the Supreme Being as both existent and not yet existent—hence in ways similar to how particle physicists treat particles as simultaneously being both wave and particle.
Although the evolving Supreme Being is yet to complete his existence, and still remains in finite reality in fragmented forms as God the Supreme, the Almighty Supreme, and the Supreme Mind, nevertheless in the transcendent domains of Paradise, the Supreme Being already “is.”
It is factual that in some Papers a very concise distinction is made between the incomplete Supreme Being and those parts that are now functional during the evolutionary stages of the grand universe. In others, the term “the Supreme” or “the Supreme Being” may be used in such a way as to leave the reader to sort out what is really meant. Another term occasionally used is “Supremacy,” and mostly refers to the joint effects of the Supreme Being and the Paradise Trinity.
For those with some budding interest in philosophy and theology, the concepts expressed in the Urantia Papers on the relationships of finite (immanent) and transcendent Deity have some similarities to current ideas of process philosophy and theology. However in detail and concept, the Urantia Papers appear to be far in advance of any current works.
Even a modest acquaintance with process theology such as is presented in, for example, Encyclopedia Britannica, can be very helpful for deepening our understanding of the Urantia Papers.
In the Papers, we are informed that the creativity of us humans is limited to the sorting of basic ideas rather than to their creation. Perhaps this confirms what many of our greatest mathematicians have always believed—they do not “create” new theorems or laws but rather “discover” them. Naturally this brings up much argument about where these theorems were prior to their discovery, and also on who created them.
The Papers inform us that all possible original ideas, concepts, etc., are already present as potentials and possibilities in the keeping of the Absolutes of Infinity. (UB 115:2.1, UB 115:4.6)
Those that become available to us humans do so apparently because they have already been “processed,” and are present and available in the now functional Supreme Mind. (UB 117:5.10)
Through the cosmic mind of the Infinite Spirit and the Adjutant Mind Spirits of the Universe Mother Spirit, these pre-existent thoughts are presented for our selection, sorting, recombining, and decision making. (UB 117:4.8, UB 117:5.11)
At least, that is how it seems to be. The charts that follow may be of help for the carrying out of some self-conducted sorting.
It is out of the very reality of the Supreme that the Adjuster, with the consent of the human will, weaves the patterns of the eternal nature of an ascending son of God. (UB 117:4.8)
flowchart TB
P1["The Absolutes of Infinity
All possibilities and potentials, whether of matter,
mind, spirit, event, or idea, all are initially and
permanently existent in the Absolutes of Infinity,
including all that is, or may become, finite.
It is from these possibilities and potentials that the
superuniverses (and all that therein is), plus the
outer space bodies, are created as our finite reality.
(1155, 1261, 1264, 1298)"]
P2["Transmuting the Transcendent
Since these possibilities and potentials resident with
the Absolutes are transcendent, that is “outside” of
space and time, to become finite reality they must be
transmuted (transformed) to appear as actualized
reality within finite space and time.
This is a shared task, integration of which is the
function of the Infinite Spirit. For matters of non-
personal reality, the initial actualization is
undertaken by the Architects of the Master Universe,
then by the Supreme Creator Personalities (the
Creator Sons, Ancients of Days, and Master Spirits),
who involve the Supreme Being.
(1150, 1264, 1284, 1287, 1298)"]
P3["The Evolutionary Supreme Being
Now present as God. the Supreme (spirit), the Mind
of the Supreme (mind), and the Almighty Supreme
(power and non-personal activities), these aspects
of finite Deity are functional during the evolution of
the Grand Universe to Light and Life.
When all is perfected, the evolution of the Supreme
is completed. The transient aspects of the Supreme
Will then become united in the immanent and
perfected God of the finite Universes, the Supreme
Being (251, 1268, 1269)"]
P1 --> P2
P2 --> P3
flowchart TB
P1["God the Supreme
(spirit person)
Initially, God the Supreme
existed only as potential in
the Paradise Trinity, but
now exists in Havona as
the spirit person of the
evolving Supreme Being
and on the value-level of
spirit functions of the finite
universes.
Before finite time and
space began, before the
grand universe existed.
Havona presented the
perfect pattern for the
potentials of the Suprema
also portraying his future
perfection as the Supreme
Being. God the Supreme
reflects these spirit
potentials into the evolving
finite universes.
(10, 11, 12,641, 1282)"]
P2["The Almighty
Supreme
(non-personal
activity)
The Almighty
Supreme is now
actualizing as the
power unification of
the Supreme Creator
Personalities (Creator
Sons, Ancients of
Days, Master Spirits).
From these, this Deity
derives his power as
the Almighty to the
superuniverses of time
and space, while
evolving on the value-
level of non-personal
activities in the grand
universe.
(11 , 12, 1264, 1268, 1270,
1274, 1334)"]
P3["The Supreme Mind
(mind activity)
The Supreme Mind of
time and space is the
individual
contribution of the
Third Source and
Center (and his co-
ordinates) of active
functional mind to the
reality of the evolving
Supreme Being
The Supreme Mind,
coordinating with
God the Supreme,
activates the grand
universe as a kind of
vast and apparently
self-regulating
mechanism with
similarities to living
organisms.
(641, 1264, 1268, 1269,
1576)"]
P4["Unification of the Supreme Being.
In a far distant future time, the spirit person of the Supreme (God the
Supreme) and the attained power of the Almighty Supreme will have
achieved coordinate development, so that both, as unified in and by the
Supreme Mind, will factualize as the Supreme Being, a completed
actuality in the grand universe. At this far distant time, the semi-
independent existence of the sub-units of
the Supreme Being will have ceased
Conjecture has it that the completion of the Supreme Being Will be an
actuality observable by all creature intelligences of the Light and Life era,
(12, 251 , 641 , 1264, 1268)"]
P1 --> P4
P2 --> P4
P3 --> P4