© 2019 Ivan Stol, Guy Antequera, Claude Flibotte, Dominique Ronfet, Georges Michelson-Dupont, Simon Orsini
© 2019 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
Dear readers,
The AFLUB is running out of steam. Although the four members of the BUREAU and the helpers for the editions (proofreaders, translators) and the site are persevering, their long mandate is becoming routine and few innovations and changes are seeing the light of day. Young people are needed to give some dynamism, but the average age is too high and little by little people are moving away and disappearing. Even the forum on the Internet will end up disappearing, due to a lack of administration, since the site itself has already been stagnant for five or six years. Our close neighbours are more dynamic although sometimes, as in Italy, there are orientations that leave something to be desired, but overall the readers are younger and are establishing a dynamic that we are struggling to follow for multiple reasons.
Le Lien is the journal of the French-speaking association of readers of the Urantia Book (AFLUB), a member of the UAI, Urantia Association International.
Head office: 1, rue du Temple, 13012 Marseille. +33 (0)980 978481
Cœurriel: afllu@urantia.fr
Site/Forum: http://www.urantia.fr and http://forum.urantia.fr
Publication Director: Ivan Stol; ivan.stol@free.fr
Editor-in-Chief: Georges Michelson-Dupont; georges.michelson-dupont@wanadoo.fr
Reading Committee: Jean Duveau; Ivan Stol & Patrick Morelli.
The Link: Published 4 times a year electronically to AFLLU members
Legal deposit: December 1997 — ISSN 1285-1116
All rights reserved. Materials from The Urantia Book are used with permission. Any literary or artistic representation(s), interpretation(s), opinion(s) or conclusion(s) implied or stated are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of Urantia Foundation or its affiliates.
By Guy Antequera.
(LAST VERSION: June 18, 2019).
Study Subject to Evolution, Begun in 1982. Produced from the Original American Edition of 1955 and First Presented at the National Meeting of October 2009 at Notre Dame de Lumières. France.
I. INTRODUCTION
Who has not been intrigued by what happens at the moment of physical death? According to evolutionary religions, the human soul must take one of three paths: Heaven for the righteous, Limbo—better known as purgatory—for the less righteous, and Hell for the wicked.
The Urantia Book reveals to us that hell does not exist; it describes Heaven in great detail and tells us almost nothing about the hypothetical purgatory. And yet many writings mark the spiritual life of humanity and are available in books such as the book of the dead of ancient Egypt to name only one of the most famous, and also the Apostle Peter in his First Epistle 3.19 “Killed according to the flesh… …It is in him that he went even to preach to the spirits in prison”. Peter knew it well, Jesus must have told him.
This question has come up often in our study group discussions. We know that it is a gift from our Heavenly Father (UB 112:1.1), a statement often repeated in The Urantia Book. But when does the Father give us this wonderful gift?
Before we delve deeper into this question, let us take a moment to clearly distinguish between identity and personality. The following quote describes very well what identity is.
What is this falsely elliptical title?
Why not have written “values” instead of this adverb which leaves us in misleading suspense?
Still acting interesting.
Yes, well, my idea (because it is indeed an idea) is to put readers in question.
Not to let him believe that these “values” are easily identifiable evidence.
Dominique
A Point on Translations
Translating The Urantia Book is a real challenge due mainly to the nature of the content but also to the size of the project (197 fascicles, or 2196 pages). Translating such a book requires first of all a passion for the revelation coupled with an openness of the mind to the Spirit of Truth. This is the reason why the call for professional translators has twice been a failure. Then, qualified people with specific talents are needed because the translation must be as faithful as possible both in terms of ideas and in terms of style and fluidity of the target language. Finally, strength of character, tenacity and determination are necessary to face the difficulties, sometimes weariness and discouragement because a translation lasts from 8 to 10 years, you have to sit at the work table every day for hours. As you will have understood, it is a monk’s work, most of the time alone.
Georges Michelson-Dupont
International Vice President.
Translation Manager for the Foundation
Children are permanently impressed only by the loyalties of their adult associates; precept or even example is not lastingly influential. Loyal persons are growing persons, and growth is an impressive and inspiring reality. Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole. (UB 100:1.4)
The Urantia Book gives us by this example, the way to live one’s life in a personal experience, which must grow, proportionally to the increasing search for final values.
At some point in our lives, we become aware of ourselves. We then seek to understand why we are on earth and what our destiny is.
Simon Orsini