The three central organizations in the Urantia movement — The Urantia Foundation, The Urantia Book Fellowship, and The International Urantia Association — have repeatedly declared that they are not religious organizations. With the continued Foundation involvement in lawsuits against students of The Urantia Book and their recent threat against The Urantia Book Fellowship, one wonders if these secular organizations are the proper aegis for the outreach of the teachings of the Fifth Epochal Revelation?
In the face of the inability of these central organizations to work together harmoniously, and their failure to initiate a dynamic outreach mission, is it time to organize truly religious organizations in the Urantia movement? Historically, only religious institutions have been able to enculturize society. No doubt this will be true in the future. Dr. Sadler and I envisioned the advent of such religious organizations.
Many years ago, in preparation for the time when the Fifth Epochal Revelation would inspire religious institutions, I prepared a suggestive constitution for such an undertaking. It might stimulate discussion to share the preamble of this constitution:
The Father/Motherhood of God and the brother/ sisterhood of all people is the guiding principle of the Fellowship. We acknowledge all individuals and traditions, past and present, who recognize this principle as kindred spirits. Recognition of the religion of Jesus as the ultimate ideal of living is central in our teaching, but we seek to avoid all forms of coercive literalism and legalism. The scriptures used for worship and education in the Fellowship shall be The Urantia Book and the Bible as well as passages of scripture from the various religions of the world which portray spiritual wisdom.
The Fellowship is ecumenical and nonsectarian in orientation. We accept into membership people from all backgrounds who recognize the Parenthood of God and the kinship of humankind as interpreted by the teachings of Jesus. The Fellowship seeks to relate to all people in love and recognizes the sister/brotherhood of all humanity.
The Fellowship seeks to develop ritual and ceremony which symbolize the highest values of truth, beauty, and goodness, along with the supreme values of love and social interaction found in the family and in the communion and caring of fellowship. We recognize the freedom of each congregation to evolve its own ritual and symbolism which shall include the sacrament of the Remembrance Supper, as well as such other rites as the local congregation may desire.
The Fellowship recognizes the key role of evolution and growth in the process of the life of each individual and congregation.
The Fellowship seeks to foster the most inspiring intellectual, emotional, and service sentiments of humanity and promote loyalty to such values and activities and to the groups and individuals who strive to actualize them.
The Fellowship strives to facilitate spiritual progress, enhance cosmic insight, augment moral values, encourage social development, and stimulate the highest expressions of personal religious living.
The Fellowship assists its members to visualize and articulate supreme purposes and goals of living for both time and eternity. It seeks to stimulate and support them in the actualization of these objectives.
The Fellowship seeks to support, honor, and enhance the values associated with the biologic, sociologic, and religious significance of the home.
The Fellowship acknowledges and lives with the mystery of personal and epochal revelation. We stand in awe at the incomprehensible love that God has for us -imperfect, often defective, finite beings — in bestowing upon us a fragment of his own spirit essence to live with us and guide us toward reality and eternal life. We are confronted by the inexplicable efficacy of intercessory prayer and the mysterious integration and coordination of persons and events. We are challenged by the impossiblepossible potential of the spirit mastery of our animal drives and urges and the reality of spiritual transformation.
The Fellowship believes that most of its spiritual practices and symbolism should be so designed that it can be participated in by the individual, the family, and the entire congregation.
The Fellowship recognizes that as ceremonies, rituals, and spiritual symbolism evolve, they should be relatively simple, filled with beauty and meaning. We seek to create a structure in which this symbolism and its related ceremonies may evolve.
The Fellowship recommends that each congregation provide in their local program, whenever possible, opportunities for religious education, personal counseling, spiritual guidance, and group worship. These religious ministrations should dramatize spiritual loyalties, magnify the lures of truth, beauty, and goodness, glorify the potentials of family life, stimulate unselfish service and warm friendship, conserve enlightened morality, support human welfare, and promote a wise outreach ministry to the world.