© 2014 Richard Daunt
© 2014 The Urantia Book Fellowship
| Pursuing Supremacy: How Might the Master Seraphim and Human Beings Collaborate? | Volume 14, Number 1, 2014 (Summer) — Index | Origin, Nature, Ministry, and Destiny of Thought Adjusters |
Presented at The Urantia Book Society of Greater New York, September 28, 1913
Religion must not become organically involved in the secular work of social reconstruction and economic reorganization. But it must actively keep pace with all these advances in civilization by making clear-cut and vigorous restatements of its moral mandates and spiritual precepts, its progressive philosophy of human living and transcendent survival. The spirit of religion is eternal, but the form of its expression must be restated every time the dictionary of human language is revised. [UB 99:1.6]
Language changes, words change. Word meanings change. As human consciousness expands and evolves, our language must change in order to facilitate improved expression. In Paper 81 we read that the effectiveness of language is one of the main drivers of progressing civilization.
6. Effectiveness of language. The spread of civilization must wait upon language. Live and growing languages insure the expansion of civilized thinking and planning. During the early ages important advances were made in language. Today, there is great need for further linguistic development to facilitate the expression of evolving thought. [UB 81:6.16]
Although present-day English has standardized its spelling and grammar to some extent, changes in meaning are still occurring—and must continue if English is to participate in the expression of evolving thought. Reading further, we learn something of the process of language changes:
Language evolved out of group associations, each local group developing its own system of word exchange. Language grew up through gestures, signs, cries, imitative sounds, intonation, and accent to the vocalization of subsequent alphabets. Language is man’s greatest and most serviceable thinking tool, but it never flourished until social groups acquired some leisure. The tendency to play with language develops new words—slang. If the majority adopt the slang, then usage constitutes it language. The origin of dialects is illustrated by the indulgence in “baby talk” in a family group. [UB 81:6.17]
In addition to new slang words, the meanings we associate with existing words can also change. “Gay” used to mean “merry and carefree,” but these days it is very rarely used with that meaning. The dictionary still records the old meaning, but one day it will become so obsolete that it will no longer be recorded. That’s what happened to the word “Bimbo,” which once meant “tough guy,” or “one of the boys.” I found the original meaning by researching online, but none of the current dictionaries have any record of it.
But as Urantia Book readers, we aren’t so concerned with changes in the meaning of “gay” or “bimbo.” Neither word is in the book, nor do their meanings affect our journey towards truth. However, some of the words in The Urantia Book have also changed their meanings since the early twentieth century, and if misinterpreted, could cause confusion and obscure truth.
One of the dictionary definitions of the word “awful” is “awe-inspiring,” but that definition has fallen out of favor in recent times. The Urantia Book uses the word “awful” to describe both “awe-inspiring” things, and “terrible” things.
Example of “awful” used to mean “awe-inspiring”:
Great, very great, is the One God who rules man from on high. God is majestic in power and awful in judgment. [UB 131:9.2]
Example of “awful” used to mean “extremely bad”:
It was just one of those awful human moments when everything seems to bear down with crushing and terrible agony. [UB 182:3.9]
It may seem obvious to any reader of today that the intended meaning of “awful” on the first quote is different because of the context, but such may not be the case in the future. The idea that God’s judgment is “extremely bad” clearly distorts truth.
The “very bad” meaning which is the primary one of today was once considered slang, as is recorded in a 1943 Webster’s definition list for “awful”:
I would like to focus particular attention on the word “afterlife.” We are all familiar with the meaning of this word as it is normally used in the present day (life after mortal death), but I don’t believe that was the meaning intended by the authors of The Urantia Book. Fortunately, present-day dictionaries still record that now-neglected meaning.
Definitions of “afterlife” from the current Merrian-Webster:
Since 3 is clearly a derivation 1—applied to things instead of people—we can safely ignore it for the purpose of this discussion
The 1934 dictionary confirms that definition #2 existed at that time. To facilitate ease of discussion going forward, I will translate into “urantiaspeak” and refer to each definition as “post-mortal” and “mortal remainder.”
Afterlife Definition 1: The post-mortal life. Life after the death of our mortal/material bodies.
Afterlife Definition 2: The remainder of the mortal life.
If we do a search of The Urantia Book text for “afterlife,” we only get three hits:
His entire afterlife was markedly changed as a result of this conversation with the Master in the garden, and he did much, in later years, to cause the other apostles to change their viewpoints regarding the source, nature, and purpose of commonplace human afflictions. [UB 148:6.12]
A human being’s entire afterlife is enormously influenced by what happens during the first few years of existence. [UB 177:2.5]
Your whole afterlife will be more happy and dependable because you spent your first eight years in a normal and well-regulated home. [UB 177:2.4]
Since our existence after death is such a major topic in The Urantia Book, we would expect to get far more hits if “afterlife” was intended to refer to our post-mortal life—yet it is never used unambiguously with that meaning. Also note that the words “whole” or “entire” always precede “afterlife.” Consider the entirety, or whole, of “post mortal.” Assuming the final consecration of will and resultant Adjuster fusion is achieved, the entirety of “post mortal” is a long time—eternity. Reading the “post mortal” consequences for circumstances beyond our control if we happen be raised in a home that is less than “normal and well-regulated.” More on that later.
The first and second “afterlife” sentences would still make true statements if the “post mortal” meaning were applied, because Mark’s “post mortal” life was/is surely affected in some way by his conversation with Jesus. And our “post mortal” life is definitely influenced by what happens in our first few years—for example, children who die before receiving Adjusters are not mustered into the Corps of Finality.
But if they choose the Paradise path of perfection, they are immediately made ready for translation to the first mansion world, where many of them arrive in time to join their parents in the Havona ascent. After passing through Havona and attaining the Deities, these salvaged souls of mortal origin constitute the permanent ascendant citizenship of Paradise. These children who have been deprived of the valuable and essential evolutionary experience on the worlds of mortal nativity are not mustered into the Corps of the Finality. [UB 47:2.8]
However, I still think the “mortal remainder” meaning was intended in the first and second “afterlife” sentences because there are many other sentences in The Urantia Book which use the term “future life” to mean the “post mortal” life, instead of the word “afterlife,” and I think it’s reasonable to assume consistent meaning application was desired. So, although the first two sentences could use either definition, the “mortal remainder” one fits best and is consistent. Before we move on to the third sentence, let’s temporarily put the word “afterlife” aside and review the “future life” term as a “post mortal” meaning-carrier:
The Egyptians believed that preservation of the body facilitated one’s passage through the future life. [UB 95:2.4]
The doctrine of immortality also took form at Babylon. The Jews had thought that the idea of the future life detracted from the emphasis of the gospel of social justice. [UB 97:9.28]
There is a total of fourteen occurences of the text string “future life” in The Urantia Book. All but two refer to the “post mortal” life, so we’ll take a brief look at those exceptions to the rule.
This important period in Jesus’ youthful development began with the conclusion of the Jerusalem visit and with his return to Nazareth. At first Mary was happy in the thought that she had her boy back once more, that Jesus had returned home to be a dutiful son—not that he was ever anything else—and that he would henceforth be more responsive to her plans for his future life. [UB 126:0.2]
And so, Matthew, dedicate your whole future life service to showing all men that God is no respecter of persons; that, in the sight of God and in the fellowship of the kingdom, all men are equal, all believers are the sons of God. [UB 181:2.14]
In the first, the words “future” and “life” stand alone and are not married into a distinct term because either could be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. In the second, the future of Matthew’s “life service” is referred to—”future” just happens to precede “life”. Consequently, I would say that there are twelve occurrences of the term “future life,” and that all refer to the “post mortal” life. Getting back to the problematic third “afterlife” sentence— when I first read it I initially assumed the “post mortal” definition, but then I thought a bit more deeply about what that would mean. How could the first eight years of our mortal life have eternal consequences? For one’s eternal future to be less happy and dependable simply because of a poor home life would be a mind-boggling injustice! Such a teaching would also contradict a passage that describes the negative effect of the wrongdoing of others on us as “transient.” Consider the following paragraph:
But one thing should be made clear. If you are made to suffer the evil consequences of the sin of some of your family, some fellow citizen or fellow mortal, even rebellion in the system or elsewhere—no matter what you may have to endure because of the wrongdoing of your associates, fellows, or superiors—you may rest secure in the eternal assurance that such tribulations are transient afflictions. None of these fraternal consequences of misbehavior in the group can ever jeopardize your eternal prospects or in the least degree deprive you of your divine right of Paradise ascension and God attainment. [UB 54:6.4]
If someone suffers a poor environment in their first eight years of life, that affliction is not “transient” if it affects their happiness for eternity. Can you imagine one finaliter being less happy than the others because of the circumstances of their tender mortal years, billions of years ago? Such a thought is absurd to me.
In these next quotes, we can see that mortal handicaps are compensated for during our training on the mansion worlds—further revealing the appearance of contradiction that would be created by a misinterpretation of the meaning of “afterlife”:
Almost the entire experience of mansion world number one pertains to deficiency ministry. Survivors arriving on this first of the detention spheres present so many and such varied defects of creature character and deficiencies of mortal experience that the major activities of the realm are occupied with the correction and cure of these manifold legacies of the life in the flesh on the material evolutionary worlds of time and space. [UB 47:3.8]
The experience on this sphere is the crowning achievement of the immediate postmortal career. During your sojourn here you will receive the instruction of many teachers, all of whom will co-operate in the task of preparing you for residence on Jerusem. Any discernible differences between those mortals hailing from the isolated and retarded worlds and those survivors from the more advanced and enlightened spheres are virtually obliterated during the sojourn on the seventh mansion world. Here you will be purged of all the remnants of unfortunate heredity, unwholesome environment, and unspiritual planetary ten dencies. The last remnants of the “mark of the beast” are here eradicated. [UB 47:9.1]
Although the defects of our mortal lives (including the first eight years) are carried through in some way to the mansion worlds, and the inverse situation of a positive upbringing having a positive effect is undoubtedly true, the deficits are eventually overcome as we make our way through those worlds. As an interesting side note, the qualifier “virtually” would account for the POSITIVE differences (strengths gained by triumphing over the unique adversities faced) that could still be discerned in the survivors of the isolated and retarded worlds—as opposed to the negative differences caused by heredity and environment.
The idea of an eternal negative effect is especially repugnant to me because it’s reminiscent of some of the gloomier Christian teachings I was raised with, in which salvation seemed fragile because eternal suffering would be sure to occur if accidental death were to follow any un-repentedfor error. The misapplication of meaning to “afterlife” could possibly tempt future readers to revert to the old methods of motivation through fear-inspiring doctrines.
The notion of an eternal negative effect because of circumstances beyond our control also blasphemes against the loving and just nature of the Universal Father, and mars the teaching that we live in a friendly universe.
The only way to harmonize the third “afterlife” sentence with the overall cosmology of The Urantia Book is to use the “mortal remainder” meaning. Yet, undoubtedly, there are already Urantia Book readers who have mistakenly used the “post mortal” meaning—perhaps fearing that their mistakes have screwed up their kids for eternity! We are very fortunate to be able to read the book at a time when the English language hasn’t changed much since the time it was authored, but we are already seeing misinterpretation. The Urantia Book has been translated into fourteen languages so far, with more in the works, but as far as I am aware there has not been any attempt to keep a record of changes in the English language that affect how readers in the future will interpret the teachings. Of what use are the words if the original meaning is lost or buried in some dusty archive?
On the absolute and eternal level, potential reality is just as meaningful as actual reality. Only on the finite level and to time-bound creatures does there appear to be such a vast difference. [UB 118:1.10]
As short-lived mortals, we naturally tend to think in relatively short time spans. One or two hundred years might seem like a long time, especially in this time of breakneck change, but it’s highly likely that it will take much longer than that before the content of The Urantia Book—even the basic cosmology—can be grasped by most people. Think of a much more distant time, such as two thousand years from now. What might The Urantia Book readers of 4014 be discussing? How different will their language be? If we don’t help them they will have to waste energy on deciphering the vagaries of twentieth-century English, perhaps in an effort to resolve conflicts between different factions that are based on interpretational confusion. The yet-to-be born are as much our brothers and sisters as the members of any language group that exists today. They deserve a translation too.
There is also a need to note changes in non-English languages that affect how the words of their respective translations will be interpreted. Now is the time to preserve meanings by starting a more extensive record of language changes. It is our duty to the readers of the future. If anyone has any ideas on how best to preserve Urantia Book meanings, or if you think you can assist in some way, please email me.
Richard Daunt has been studying The Urantia Book for 16 years. Originally from New Zealand, he now lives in West Orange, New Jersey, and is an active member of The Urantia Book Society of Greater New York. Inspired by the experience of raising his two young boys with his beloved wife, he also contributes to the Fellowship’s Family Life Committee.
| Pursuing Supremacy: How Might the Master Seraphim and Human Beings Collaborate? | Volume 14, Number 1, 2014 (Summer) — Index | Origin, Nature, Ministry, and Destiny of Thought Adjusters |