© 2015 Maurice Migneault, Line St-Pierre, Normand Laperle
© 2015 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ The President’s word
Maurice Migneault
AUQ President
urantiamaurice@gmail.com
Now that our great adventure of the international congress is behind us, we must try to answer the questions it raised. Such meetings should not only take place to celebrate, but also to take stock.
Many themes were the subject of speeches, plenaries and workshops. Many avenues of reflection were traced, among them, two major questions have still not been answered: why is the participation rate of women in the Urantia movement still so low and why is the participation of young people almost absent?
Here is a photo from Lise and Pierre Routhier’s album. It shows a meeting organized by the GALUBQ (Action Group of Readers of the Urantia Book of Quebec) to mark the 2000th anniversary of Michael’s bestowal in 1994. We see roughly the same proportions of categories (man 45, woman 30, child 3) as in our meetings today. Even after 20 years, the proportion has remained the same, but the number of participants has decreased. Could it be that we have lost the right formula?
If we could probe the souls in our societies, we would be surprised to see how many practitioners of traditional churches still run on social recognition and applause. In traditional religions and especially sects, the feeling of social recognition is exploited at full speed. We do not have to look very far into our own history, just think of the purchase of church pews with the name of the owner registered. We made anonymous donations, but we discreetly made sure that people knew about it. We went to mass to be seen there, etc.
There is a profound difference between cultural identification with a Church and spiritual identification with a teaching. Readers of the Urantia Book do not have, or very little of, this mentality of gratitude. Those who adhere to the teachings do so for their personal growth. The only financial gift that the Urantia Association of Quebec can offer its members is a tax refund for donations. Let’s forget about property tax exemptions that many religious communities enjoy.
All this to say that we should not see the decrease or, non-increase of our “membership” as a failure or a decline. It is not because a reader is not interested in being part of the Association that he is indifferent to the teachings of The Urantia Book. Some people are structures of associations, and it is their right. There are probably in Quebec many study groups that have been operating autonomously for a very long time. “The more complex civilization becomes, the more difficult the art of living will become.” (Rodan: UB 160:1.3)
As for the presence of women…
Why is the proportion of women who participate in Urantia activities always less than that of men? Unless we can ask the Ancients of Days for a clear answer, we can always conjecture. If these activities were more oriented toward service than toward structural organization, who knows, perhaps then this proportion would be reversed. But the reason for things is often complex, and our tendency to simplify can lead us away from the solution. Man and woman are equal in value, not in attribute. Perhaps it is in the recognition of these two realities that there is imbalance. Could it be that our organization is overly focused on organization?
As for the next generation…
How many children whose parents were readers became readers themselves because of the spiritualized environment of their childhood? No more than others. When we think of the next generation, should we think only of children or of the youth? Isn’t a new reader who is 90 years old and joins us also part of the next generation? He may only have a few years left to live, but what he brings may be much more valuable than what an energetic youth will bring who will no longer be seen after a year. Jesus asked the first six apostles to go and each choose a new one. Perhaps we should do the same.
Do you remember the passion that filled you when you discovered The Urantia Book and made its teachings your own? Do you remember that intense desire you had to share your discovery? Perhaps the real relief lies in maintaining this flame that must make us a permanent light to illuminate the world and attract lost souls to the magnificent teachings of our creator Michael.
¶ The Women’s Assembly an enriching and unforgettable experience
Line St-Pierre
Ste-Sophie
Attending the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, last October went from a dream to a reality. The event brought together nearly 10,000 participants from 73 countries, 30 major religions, and 548 spiritual traditions to share, learn, connect, and celebrate life. Over 65% of the registrants were women and youth under 30. The world was diverse and we didn’t have enough time to enjoy everything and everyone!
The structuring for these five days of congress combined the programming of 1000 workshops and shows with its 1800 presenters in a 371-page booklet in full color. My choice was quite quickly oriented towards what dealt with women, their mobilization at the level of spirituality and religion.
What a joy to see that the preview of the congress Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity was specially dedicated to the importance of the contribution of women in our time. This day of October 15, 2015 marks a historic moment in the event of the Parliament of the World’s Religions during the “Inaugural Assembly of Women” where more than 3,000 people gathered in a packed room, including a few hundred men.
What an inspiration to see and hear this interfaith panel of 15 sincere, courageous, wise, spiritual and service-oriented women activists, women leaders who are grandmothers, mothers, daughters and sisters who shared their experience, knowledge, passion and vision of how to make this world a better place. Their love, respect and empowerment gave us hope in Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity, the theme of the conference.
Their love, respect, inner strength and power gave hope and depicted the real possibilities of Reclaiming the Heart of Our Humanity. Many presenters brought out the urgency of a clear vision of what needs to happen in the human home, for the body of humanity to heal. They urged women to listen and speak from their hearts, with discernment instead of judgment; to trust their inner voice and intuition; they charged women to be bearers of light and love and to take on attributes of God; they asked women to form circles with a sacred spiritual center, to be advocates from within and as women of Spirit and faith, to uphold and edify all women.
Throughout the first day of the conference there was a growing understanding, a sense of urgency felt in the need to regain our dignity, our importance and our value as women, mother-teachers. The Urantia Book reminds us so well that woman is the torchbearer of morality and spirituality.
As I observed the attitude behind the diversity of religions present down there, I saw belief, love, the search for a common goal, a higher, divine goal, which is our Creator, Father or Mother God. In workshops, I participated in women’s circles, connecting at the heart level through rituals, prayers, reflections and supporting each other with compassion where seeds of love were planted and we could experience a better understanding of our very personal expressions.
What will resonate with me for a long time is the memory of stories shared by many spiritual women like: “My religion? It is the presence and breath of our divine source — love, unconditional love.” (Dr. Rangumarie Turuki Arikirangi Rose Pere)
“Revolutionary love is the call of today, to forgive is not to forget, to forgive is to be free from hate.” (Valerie Kaur)
“Be students of one another, and teachers of one another. Mothers are the educators of the world.” (Native Grandmother)
“It is hope that begins, but faith that finishes.” (Bishop Barbara King)
“The belief is that we can create whatever we want.” (Mallika Chopra)
“It is very important to teach our children to take responsibility for their lives, to understand their purpose and power, and to write down the harms in our society.” (Ilyasah Shabazz)
“The idea that women are changing the world is a very real possibility. We are the solution, if we could only see the beauty, the strength, and the ability in women.” (Jean Shinoda Bolen)
“Welcome to the revolution of love and let us shine with the divine.” (Diana Butler Bass)
“When you give women access to education, they become passionate, free-thinking people. They raise passionate, free-thinking children who grow up to be passionate, free-thinking adults who are difficult to manipulate and impossible to control!” (Marianne Williamson)
These passionate women, believing in humanity, in life, in a creator and in the improvement of the world will be done with the participation of each of us, the part being part of the whole.
The Women’s Assembly was a day filled with laughter and tears as we reclaimed the heart of our humanity with all the testimonies and sharing. Gratitude is the word to describe this gathering!
As a student of The Urantia Book and its teachings, the opportunity to experience this with the interfaith crowd makes me more tolerant and sensitive to their rituals and beliefs. There are many roads to God and I am grateful for this immense gift that is The Urantia Book, to know our history and destiny with the cosmic perspective that awaits us, and thus freeing us from dogma and tradition.
“Religion is man’s supreme gesture, his magnificent reach for final reality, his determination to find God and to be like him.” (UB 196:3.30)
¶ The “Parliament of the World’s Religions”
Normand Laperle
Lévis
From October 15 to 19, 2015, 10,000 people from 80 countries and 50 different religions converged on Salt Lake City, Utah, USA to attend the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the largest global event of its kind to promote inter-religious dialogue.
I was there, but I was not alone. There were about 50 readers of the “Urantia Book”, including about 5 from Quebec.
As you may have read in Line St-Pierre’s article in this Réflectivité, an entire day was dedicated to hearing what women had to say on the themes of Parliament. Bravo for this initiative. It is one more step in the right direction.
The aim of this interfaith meeting was not to smooth out beliefs between different religions, but rather to dialogue on the problems that afflict our planet at present.
The themes chosen for this congress are: economic inequalities, climate and environmental issues, war, violence and hate speech.
Several distinguished people, known worldwide, addressed the participants, including the Dalai Lama, Gandhi’s grandson, Nelson Mandala’s son, Al Gore (former Vice President of the United States), the Imam in charge of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, several journalists and writers well known in their respective countries. There were, in all, about 1800 presenters.
I am transcribing here the numerous comments that journalists from local Salt Lake City newspapers collected from participants in this congress.
“I feel that there is a strong sense of solidarity in the air”; — “The world would probably be a different place without the people we meet here”; — “There are two key words that keep coming up in this conference: helping and sharing”; — “It seems to me that by the time we are here, we all realize that we are one humanity and that we all believe in one God”; “Not only do we realize the good things in our own religion and our way of worship, but we also see how other religions are doing the same thing”; — “We all need to learn how to build a bridge between each other, and to make that bridge work properly”; — “We are working to become, slowly, the human beings we were created to be.”; — “When we hate each other, or allow hatred to take root in our congregations, we only reinforce the idea to future generations that religion has no value. We must show them that religion has value, that God has value, and that the extremists who act in the name of religion are not guided by the light but rather blinded by that same light.”; — “We must be careful that the same thing does not happen to Muslims that has happened in the past to Jews, Catholics, and other religious minorities in some countries”; — “What is happening on our planet today in relation to Muslims is not only a threat to Muslims, but to other religions as well”; — “It is nice to see us sharing our differences and at the same time seeing that we are not making them a stumbling block to meeting one another”; — “We have all heard of the hate industry. We need to create the love industry”; — “Even though everyone has different beliefs, the love inside is the same for all.”
Final Word
The Urantia Book tells us: “Evolution may be slow, but it is unfailingly effective.” (UB 86:7.6) With a little perspective, looking at all that is happening on our planet, we can see the progression of humanity over time and even see a beauty in this progression.
In the not-so-distant past, it was frowned upon, even here in our little corner of the world, to sit down with people of another faith and engage in dialogue to learn about their traditions and develop a personal relationship that would transcend our religious barriers. Today, in some parts of the world, such encounters are still forbidden. This Parliament is evidence that change is underway. It is the tip of the advancing iceberg.
As individuals, what can we do to contribute to this progress? While attending a choir of the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Chior, the following analogy came to me: “In a choir, the voice of one person has less range than when that voice is joined with the entire choir. Its range becomes much more powerful.” The Urantia Book strongly encourages us to come together to work with each other (not against each other). “One of the most important lessons to learn during your mortal career is that of teamwork.” (UB 28:5.14)
What is called “the kingdom” is not a place, it is a community of people (souls) committed to the same direction - God (origin, source and center of all that exists).
This movement, this movement of the “person,” this movement in this direction, is spirituality—pure. In other words, we all respond naturally to the pull of the “spiritual gravity” of the eternal Son. And the indwelling Adjuster pushes in the same direction. It is on this basis that I see the union of all humanity on earth being accomplished.
We cannot move forward alone in the universe. From this obvious observation, there is only one more step to take to arrive at love.
To serve is to love.
¶ Volunteer wanted
The chair of the Urantia Association International Dissemination Committee, David Linthicum, is looking for a bilingual person (FR/ENG) to respond to requests for information from French-speaking readers who contact the association, from all over the world. The job consists of communicating with these new readers and providing them with the information they request. There may be between 5 and 10 French-speaking readers per year who request information either to meet other readers, to be part of a study group, to obtain books or simply to join the international association.
If you are interested in this extraordinary opportunity, contact Gaétan Charland at the following address: association.urantia.quebec@gmail.com
¶ Upcoming AUQ activities
Holiday Brunch 2015
Sunday, December 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. readers and their spouses are invited to come socialize and have a meal together during this period of rejoicing at the Best Western Hotel at 420 boul. Monseigneur Dubois in St-Jérôme.
Places are limited and we ask that you reserve before December 6th at association.urantia.quebec@gmail.com or by calling 450-565-3323
¶ STUDY GROUPS
THIS ACTIVITY ALLOWS MULTIPLE READERS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING to share and study together the teachings of The Urantia Book. It promotes spiritual progress by allowing its participants to find practical applications to the teachings of The Urantia Book in their daily lives. This important practice helps to maintain a broad perspective on concepts of truth.
You wish to participate or form a study group; we will be happy to assist you. If you wish to have your study group appear in this list, contact the person in charge, via email association.urantia.quebec@gmail.com or at 450-565-3323.
Outaouais Group
Gatineau Region
Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Maurice Migneault:
(613) 789-6833
Group : “Sans Frontière”
Hawkesbury Region
Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Yvon and Irene Belle-Isle: (613) 632-5706
Group : “Laurantia”
Petite Nation region in Outaouais
Sundays from 9:00 a.m.
Denise Charron & Jean-Claude Lafrenière Tel: (819) 983-2113
Group: “Découverte”
Laurentides Region
Mondays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre
Tel.: (450) 565-3323
Group : “Étoile du Soir”
Laurentides Region
Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Carmen Charland: (450) 553-3601
Group : “Vers les Sommets”
Ormstown & Valleyfield Regions
Fridays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Louise Sauvé: (450) 829-3631
Group: “Fraternité-Urantia”
Lanaudière region
Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Richard Landry & Gisèle Boisjoly Tel: (450) 589-6922
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Montreal Region
Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Ms. Diane Labrecque: (514) 277-2308
Group : “Le Pont”
Montreal South Shore Region
Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Guy Vachon: (450) 465-7049
Group: “At Maisonia”
Quebec Region
Every 2 weeks: Sundays from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Gilles Bertrand & Louise Renaud:
(418) 871-4564
Group: “The Ascendants”
Quebec South Shore Region
Every 2 weeks: Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Guy Le Blanc: (418) 886-2366
Sherbrooke Group
Sherbrooke region
Every 2 weeks: Tuesdays or Wednesdays (to be confirmed) from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Hélène Boisvenue and Denis Gravelle Tel.: (819) 569-6416
Group: “Readers of Mauricie”
Trois-Rivières Region
Mondays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Roger Périgny: (819) 379-5768
Group : “Les Débonnaires”
Terrebonne Region
Every 2 weeks: Thursdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Julien Audet: (514) 315-9871
Group: “The Agondontarians”
Quebec Region
Every 2 weeks: Sundays from 13 h 00 to 4:00 p.m.
Guy & Rolande L. Martin: (418) 651-3851
¶ Réflectivité
Responsible: Normand Laperle
Assisted by: Gilles Bertrand.
(418) 835-1809 (Normand Laperle)
(418) 871-4564 (Gilles Bertrand)
Publication (monthly)
In the first week of the month.
To send us your articles and/or contact us:
reflectivite.auq@gmail.com
Add: Your name and city of residence.
Any interpretation, opinion, conclusion or artistic representation, stated or implied, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion and views of the UAI or national and local level associations.