© 2023 Urantia Association of Spain
| Luz y Vida — October 2023 — Editorial | Luz y Vida — October 2023 | 19th Readers’ Meeting – Ciudad Real, 2023 |
¶ The commitment to be a believer
Meditation in the Urantian movement (Francisco J. Santos)
Paco begins by reviewing what The Urantia Book says about meditation, and reaches some initial conclusions about it:
- It is a tool to connect mind and spirit
- It must be a habit that favors religious growth
- It is a practice that the Master carried out regularly
- It is a perfect activity to do as a community.
However, the book does not explain to us how to meditate, but rather we must be the ones to find out how to do it. Starting from the definition of meditation, it then explains what its components are: relaxation, concentration and introspection. It is about emptying the mind and filling it with transcendental things (such as God, the Adjuster, etc.).
Here you can access the PDF with the images supporting the presentation.
Marinett starts with the question: what is the purpose of the family?, which she answers in this way: “to create souls with the potential for immortality.” She also asks how the family institution works today, and points out all the fronts from which it is being violated, such as the search for pleasure and unbridled self-gratification, as well as the fractures that threaten the family, such as ideological polarization and the war of the sexes.
Marinett reviews the family, from the Paradise Trinity to the human family. She also briefly reviews the creation of human life from the Havona patterns to the implementation of the design by the Life Carriers, resulting in the appearance of the first human beings, Andon and Fonta. She also briefly reviews the transition from tribe to family, and the work of the Planetary Prince and Adam and Eve. All of these references, and the book’s valuable teachings on marriage and family life, help us to see what the best model for family would be.
Work, business and money (Inmaculada Gómez)
Inma begins with a series of references to work that appear in The Urantia Book, in which it is seen as a way of serving others, in which it is important to maintain a positive attitude and be clear that there are no inferior occupations.
The book also has very enlightening references about business, in which it is important to make decisions that reflect a high level of integrity. A clear example is the advice that Jesus gave to a rich man, and which is reflected in section 5 of paper 132. Regarding money and riches, the Master warns us that spiritual loyalties are incompatible with attachment to material things. According to Jesus, the value of wealth is related to the use that is given to it.
Here you can access the PDF with the images supporting the presentation.
Technology and science (Santiago Rodríguez)
To clarify the topic of the presentation, Santi begins with the definition of technology and science, and makes a series of very interesting and pertinent observations in these times in which the scientific method is undervalued. He points out what makes us uncomfortable about science, and wonders if we should stop the advance of technology, as Urantians and in the face of current dilemmas: privacy and data protection, AI and automation, genetic editing and biotechnology, digital inequality, cybersecurity, climate change, use of technology in armed conflicts, etc.
The presentation briefly reviews what the book says about science and technology, and also what is said about reality: it is linked to our experience, and is grouped into facts, meanings and values. The book’s proposal is to use wisdom and look at everything with perspective. Santi proposes a personal development of morality and ethics, aimed at the search for Truth (not limited to the search for knowledge). It is about harmonizing science and spirituality, since intolerance is the enemy of human progress.
Here you can access the PDF with the images supporting the presentation.
Health, illness and death (M. Helena Bañas)
M. Helena makes a historical review of the reflections on death that appear in The Urantia Book, and explains what the current situation is: there is a certain return to magic and shamanism, since there is no religion that can provide support. On the other hand, doctors treat the symptoms, but they do not go to the root of the problems. Many people suffer from anxiety-depressive syndrome.
On the other hand, in the book they tell us that life was sown according to a studied and established plan, but undesirable events occurred that increased the risk of suffering from diseases: proliferation of viruses and bacteria, the rebellion of Lucifer and the Adamic fault.
Faced with this problem, we must take into account the inevitabilities (we learn by contrast), that there is no chance, but providence in different areas, and that progress is carried out by evolution, not by revolution. On the other hand, M. Helena emphasizes that worship is a practice to solve difficult material problems. Faith helps in healing, and prayer cures real bacterial diseases. Ultimately, the faith of Jesus helps us to eliminate all anguish before death.
Here you can access the PDF with the images supporting the presentation.
¶ References
- Index of the magazine “Luz y Vida” of the Association of Spain
- This article from the magazine “Luz y Vida Online”
| Luz y Vida — October 2023 — Editorial | Luz y Vida — October 2023 | 19th Readers’ Meeting – Ciudad Real, 2023 |