© 2007 Santiago Rodríguez
© 2007 Urantia Association of Spain
| Luz y Vida — No. 9 — Presentation | Luz y Vida — No. 9 — May 2007 — Index | Future of Urantia according to the UB |
Good morning everyone, I would like to make this introduction to a subject such as the “Urantia Present” emphasizing that it is enormously broad and complex, in fact our present has been forged over thousands, millions of years, at the same time. Less since it was decided that life would be implanted on our planet and this is about 900 million years ago now.
Sometimes we lose perspective, either diving into the past or trying to predict or plan the future; although we know that what is really important is our here and now, since it is the space-time framework that we have to fulfill ourselves as people, to begin or continue our journey as human beings created in the image and likeness of the Father, who have to experience a spiritualization and constant and continuous evolution, and we could speculate that it continues forever.
Our condition as spatiotemporal beings means that our present does not appear unrelated to past events, but rather, as we will remember, events that are very distant in time condition our present, in the same way that the events that we take part in will condition both our future and that of our descendants. . A fact that shows that each “present” lived is fundamental, both for the individual and for the entire cosmos.
We will make a reminder of past events that have been relevant in the warp of our present that we could label as:
¶ Background
At this point in reading the Urantia Book surely we all have “in mind” that our world has not been and is not very normal, or rather it is not very standard; it moves away from the average in the course of its evolutionary progress.
Let us keep in mind that there is an “evolution plan” established in which, as mortals progress in their learning, a fact that is “measured” by the achievement of different social milestones, milestones that correspond in some way to a average of the situation of each individual; although it is evident that there are individuals well above the average, and others that are markedly below, but the average is what determines the achievement of the species on the planet.
Each of these stages is marked by the appearance on the scene of various Divine Sons who contribute to the revelation of God, to the spiritual enlightenment and elevation of mortals.
Thus and in this order they appear in our worlds, marking a before and after the arrival of each of them: The Planetary Prince, The Material Sons (the corresponding Adam and Eve), A Magisterial Son (who is an Avonal Son, of Paradise) being able to come in successive epochs, until the circumstance occurs that one of them appears as an infant born of a woman: A Bestower Son. Later it is completed with the arrival of one or several Trinity Teacher Sons, until the planet reaches the Era of Light and Life.
In our case, we have neither completed the stages nor have we followed them in the pre-established order. In fact we have enjoyed the service of a Bestowal Son (Michael of Nebadon) without having previously had the visit of any Magisterial Son.
Let’s do a quick review of a series of circumstances that move us away from that theoretical average world:
- We are given the background that, already 900 million years ago, our world is selected to form part of the 10% of worlds in which some type of life modification will take place, assigning Urantia to the group of decimal planets. For this reason, we could already expect irregularities and unusual episodes of evolutionary fluctuation.
- It turns out that, although the human will appeared on our planet a million years ago (with Andón and Fonta), contrary to what is usual, the Planetary Prince does not appear at that moment, but appears 500,000 years later, coinciding in time with another strange event, which is the appearance of the 6 colored races in a single generation and in the same family. Possibly the delay in the arrival of the Prince is one of the reasons why this primitive age was much longer and more brutal than it usually is.
- 200,000 years ago, the Lucifer Rebellion broke out in our system, and our planetary prince, Caligastia, joined the rebel side, a circumstance that meant we entered a quarantine that still continues today (in spiritual isolation), with respect to the exchange of information with the rest of our local universe. This episode plunged us into a terrible spiritual confusion from which we have not yet fully freed ourselves.
- The arrival of the Planetary Adams occurred 36,000 years ago, but as a consequence of the situation described above, they failed in their task of biological elevation of the autochthonous races.
- Subsequently, and as a consequence of the Adamic fault, we were deprived of the presence of these special beings, true parents, who year after year and age after age would have had to be as a reference and directing the events of our planet. Let us remember that generally during the dispensation of the Material Sons, 10,000 years are enough for an enormous transformation, and 25,000 years of joint administration with the Planetary Prince would have prepared us for a Magisterial Mission; given the characteristics of the rebellion, and the subsequent Adamic fault we have never enjoyed this joint administration. In fact, 35,000 years have passed and we have not received the foreseeable visit of a Magisterial Son.
- Due to the special circumstances that occurred on Urantia, 4,000 years ago and in an extraordinary way (since it had only occurred 6 times in Nebadon), an emergency Son, Machiventa Melchizedek, incarnated as an adult mortal in order to safeguard and to spiritually guide the mortals of Urantia.
- Some 2,000 years ago now, although it was planned at the time of Adam and Eve’s absence, and without there having been a Magisterial Son, we received the blessing of a Paradise Bestowal Son, being nothing more and nothing less than our Creator Son : Michael of Nebadon. Also, as another unusual event, he promises to return.
- There is still another extraordinary fact that we must take into account: Barely 73 years ago, this Book, which is listed as the 5th epochal revelation, was presented on Urantia to guide us through the next millennium.
These are, in my opinion, the most relevant facts that bring us to our present situation.
At this point, what is clear is that Urantia is, in addition to being unique, really different.
Until now we have talked about the most remote causes of our situation, but the UB also analyzes the closest causes that have marked our present. Thus, we are told that the Christian religion, generated around the figure of Jesus of Nazareth, has led to the appearance of an institutional church that has simultaneously become an enemy of many thinkers and a refuge for many others, who unequivocally they have used it for purposes other than those of spiritual guidance of human beings, favoring the appearance of a materialistic secularism, which in its rebellion against the Institution (which we remember is not of a divine character, but purely human), has not known how to distinguish clearly to his enemy, going beyond reason and attacking the very concept of God, plunging many human beings into a new confusion.
Another remarkable fact that began with the Greek Hellenization was an awakening that is on the rise today, and is the strength of individualism, which the Greeks sought in the social and political spheres, and Jesus, who added to that individualism, although from the point of view of morally and spiritually.
In this way we arrive at our present.
¶ Our present (hectic and confused)
There is a paragraph that defines our situation unequivocally:
“During the psychologically unsettled times of the twentieth century, amid the economic upheavals, the moral crosscurrents, and the sociologic rip tides of the cyclonic transitions of a scientific era, thousands upon thousands of men and women have become humanly dislocated; they are anxious, restless, fearful, uncertain, and unsettled; as never before in the world’s history they need the consolation and stabilization of sound religion. In the face of unprecedented scientific achievement and mechanical development there is spiritual stagnation and philosophic chaos.” (UB 99:4.6)
Today, we have a society that is reeling from tolerating science without idealism, politics without principles, wealth without work, pleasure without restraint, knowledge without character, power without conscience, and industry without morals.
Our present corresponds to a world that is enormously disordered and confused; a world in which evil apparently prevails, in which in addition to the lack of harmony between human beings, we are in an era in which secular individualism seems to be above all else; in which many human beings flee and mistrust religion because they associate it with institutions in which they have stopped believing, but in this flight they move away from the true reason for existence, they move away from seeking God, believing that he is monopolized by religions, generating great unhappiness, disorienting us even more.
The confusion and spiritual blindness are enormous, but in the midst of it a return to the spiritual begins to be glimpsed, although in many cases it is about rescuing the old, because we have not found a truth that fills us. Today the message of Jesus is enormously necessary, but it is tarnished because there are those who have hijacked the original message and have changed it for another that causes rejection in many individuals.
We have a situation in which the three facets of reality: the material, the mental and the spiritual are in very different states of development, thus generating this situation of chaos, inequality and lack of balance.
This chaos is the result of a series of deficiencies that were not resolved in the past, and which we are currently facing:
- Our religion is dominated by superstition and animal fear, something that should have been overcome in the time of the Planetary Prince.
- Today we suffer from the presence of a large number of defective and degenerate individuals, because in primitive times they were not capable of promoting the existence of more desirable individuals to the detriment of the most inferior ones. Situation that should have been settled in the time of Adam and Eve.
- Furthermore, a false sense of altruism or generosity causes our civilization to unnecessarily perpetuate those flawed and insurmountable strains.
- If the plan drawn up by the Material Sons had been carried out correctly, we would have obtained, on the one hand, the practical elimination of bestial tendencies, a physical improvement, and, on the other hand, an immediate elevation of the intellectual capacity and an acceleration of spiritual progress.
- At the end of the Adamic dispensation, there should be only one color, that is, racial mixing should have taken place. Thus, nationalism would disappear and brotherhood among men would arise, with a world system of education and a language, usually that of the violet race. Things necessary to achieve universal peace and a climate of global cooperation.
- The races of Urantia are considerably controlled electrically and chemically, being very similar to animals in their common behavior. Overly emotional in daily reactions, devoid of courageous decisions, and unwilling to dedicated cooperation. In fact our supervisors are considering measures to increase and foster the higher spiritual types of the Urantia races.
- Equality between the sexes is usually a milestone reached in the time of the Planetary Prince.
- At the end of the post-Adamic age, we should have experienced the flowering of the art of music and literature, a universal interest in intellectual realities, true philosophy. All this would have prepared the advent of a Magisterial Son, circumstances that have not occurred and possibly for this reason has not yet appeared.
- Upon the arrival of the Magisterial Son, a great intellectual development would have accompanied him. An economic liberation would begin, since most individuals would know how to correctly manage the large amount of free time available.
- Mortals would return to simpler ways of life, living in a more natural and efficient way. At the end of this epoch there would be a great religious awakening, and a global spiritual enlightenment, a sign for the arrival of the next mortal epoch, the arrival of the Bestower Son.
- The arrival of a Bestowal Son begins an era that can extend between 10,000 and 100,000 years (there is no stipulated period), but it is a time of great spiritual and ethical progress. The practical application of the teachings of Jesus would have been perfectly possible in a world with normalized development. Since The Bestowal Son is the Prince of Peace. It arrives with the message, “Peace on earth and goodwill among men.”
- Being isolated and in spiritual quarantine, we have been deprived of the advantages of universal emissions and of the reflectivity services of the superuniverse.
These imbalances have led us from the mental point of view, to have before us a complicated panorama. In fact, they prevent the Adjuster, which practically all mortals receive during our childhood, from being able to guide us or communicate with us efficiently, and many times when they try to transmit a glimmer of a new truth to the evolving mortal soul, the creature blind and leads to fanaticism or ends in intellectual disorders.
Moving away from true religion we have passed from the “oppression of the religious institution” to the oppression of atheism. Secularism undoes ethics and religion in favor of politics and power, which prevents us from enjoying the contributions of secularism: tolerance, social service, democratic government and civil liberties.
This moves us away from achieving true brotherhood, peace and obtaining happiness for the individual.
Despite the confusion in our lives both mentally and spiritually, I suspect that the efforts of our “invisible friends” are causing many individuals to reconsider a return to spirituality, albeit unfortunately with a high degree of confusion. given the great variety of ideas and religions that have prevailed since the past (undoubtedly the result of the lack of racial and cultural “mixture” that has accompanied us)
These unattained achievements favor the existence of a society in which competition still reigns (this being a stimulus of primitive man), instead of fostering intelligent cooperation, compassionate brotherhood and spiritual brotherhood. Which leads us to a profit-driven economy, a system that will undoubtedly fail, unless we know how to change the motives of profit (the most primitive system) for reasons of service, although this profit motive is currently enormously effective in mobilizing to individuals who would otherwise be indolent.
Education has not kept up with material development, with the expansion of the social structure; nor has a modern appreciation of ethics developed in correspondence with growth in a purely intellectual and scientific direction. And modern civilization is arrested both in its spiritual development and in the protection of the institution of the home.
For this reason, they urge us to establish an intelligent educational system, since the purpose of education must be the acquisition of knowledge, the achievement of wisdom, self-realization and the achievement of spiritual values.
The enormous growth in the material aspect should compel us to seek the realities of heaven in all our efforts to stabilize society and to facilitate the solution of material problems.
“Religion is designed to find those values in the universe which call forth faith, trust, and assurance; religion culminates in worship. Religion discovers for the soul those supreme values which are in contrast with the relative values discovered by the mind. Such superhuman insight can be had only through genuine religious experience.” (UB 195:5.8)
But in this time of changes and adjustments in which we are immersed, we must be very careful: Lucifer’s great mistake and later the same mistake that led Adam and Eve to failure was precisely impatience.
“No great social or economic change should be attempted suddenly. Time is essential to all types of human adjustment—physical, social, or economic. Only moral and spiritual adjustments can be made on the spur of the moment, and even these require the passing of time for the full outworking of their material and social repercussions. The ideals of the race are the chief support and assurance during the critical times when civilization is in transit from one level to another.” (UB 81:6.40)
This new era in our world will take a millennium to complete. We are on the march towards a new, unrevealed planetary destination.
¶ Turn your gaze towards the spiritual: spectacular present
Despite such complicated circumstances, they give us the guideline to face this time of change, of transition from one civilization to another and it is neither more nor less than a return to spirituality, rescuing the presence of authentic religion in the different facets of the life.
“One of the great troubles with modern life is that man thinks he is too busy to find time for spiritual meditation and religious devotion.” (UB 195:6.7)
In fact, the main mission of religion as a social influence is to stabilize the ideals of humanity. For this, religion has to collect new and updated slogans.
A new and fuller revelation of the religion of Jesus is destined to conquer an empire of materialistic secularism and overthrow a worldwide influx of mechanistic naturalism.
Urantia currently shudders on the very brink of one of its most amazing and exciting times of social readjustment, moral revival, and spiritual enlightenment.
Religion does need new leaders, spiritual men and women who will dare to depend solely on Jesus and his incomparable teachings. (UB 195:9.4)
Even secular education would be of great help in spiritual rebirth and awakening if it paid more attention to education, teaching the youth properly, the goal of education being the development of a majestic and well-balanced personality, in order to successfully face the ages. so changeable The importance of individualism is revealed in the mere fact of presenting the 5th Revelation in written form, fleeing from “guru” type leaders, presenting a religion that unites us in objectives and not necessarily in interpretations or creeds.
Religionists must function in society, in industry, and in politics as individuals, not as groups, parties, or institutions. A religious group which presumes to function as such, apart from religious activities, immediately becomes a political party, an economic organization, or a social institution. Religious collectivism must confine its efforts to the furtherance of religious causes. (UB 99:2.3)
From my point of view this leads us to:
¶ An enviable present
If we like challenges and want to solve complicated situations, we have a golden opportunity. It is true that another situation would be more comfortable, but remember that isolation has its reward. All the way to Paradise the reward follows the effort, and it will be these rewards that separate the individual from the average. It is our opportunity to be agondonteros in the future.
But in our present, surely many of us have asked something or someone to dispel our doubts. In our mistrust we have searched for a proof, an irrevocable demonstration, something that will tip the balance in the direction our heart already feels it is tipping, and now I can say that thank God we have not had it. Now I prefer doubt because it has allowed me to enjoy the maximum freedom in the possibility of choice, nothing supernatural or anyone superior has appeared before me, nor has the evident proof been presented to me, to tell me that the path to the Father is real and authentic. Our picturesque situation, all the misfortunes of the past will allow us to make the most sovereign and highest choice of the will, of the free will of my person, which is: Believing in God because I want to believe.
¶ Comments from attendees
This planet could be called the “crazy planet” (with a k, as the young would say). Given the situation in which he finds himself, it is preferable to be optimistic. What can we change in this world today? We have tools and sources to find solutions. We already (somehow) have a universal language: English. We have to come to form a single country: countries are in fact already uniting in supranational organizations. As for the political system, in the UB recipes are advised on how the ideal political system should be, as well as the rulers. The issue of racial mixing would perhaps be the most tricky.
A good motto would be this: “Change you, and your environment will change.” This is a gentle but effective form of change; it is necessary to be an example of life. The UB invites us to change our lives, but also to analyze the approaches contained in the book. It is necessary to start now so that in a few years, analyzes will continue to be carried out, which will be increasingly valid. You have to start taking the thorny bulls by the horns. In addition, we must take into account that the mass, the more it grows, the more force it has. The more numerous we are, the more effective the change will be.
Scientific advances have made us turn our back on religion in our world today. Sometimes this has been justified, but it has not always been correct; Science and religion can go hand in hand.
It is true that Adam and Eve failed in their mission, but what they did not achieve can be achieved thanks to advances in genetics.
Education is failing in the western world. Values must be given to children, providing them with a spiritual foundation that, from individuals, impregnates the entire society.
One of the main problems we find ourselves today is that we focus on the differences between us, when we should be emphasizing what unites us. We must move towards a unification of beliefs, of science, of political systems. You also have to focus on simple values. The problem is that those of us who have spiritual concerns are isolated; it is necessary to unite these people, and reach a minimum agreement with other peoples and cultures.
The keyword to improve society is service; altruistic service to others.
It is a fact that there are social forces that are above people and that make us tend towards a single language, a single religion and a single race. As individuals we can transform ourselves and be aware of this transformation.
The age of preachers is over; It is the moment of those who preach with the example of their lives. Children must be educated. Only with a generation of happy children would society change by leaps and bounds. But we also have to have the freedom to be wrong.
Common sense is what has marked the history of humanity. Whichever path we choose, we are going to have to deal with both religion and science. We must redefine religion and stop deifying science. It is necessary to get off our pedestals and live with others, living a life of service.
The example of Jesus is a clear example of gradual transformation, of effective change. Things apparently stayed the same after his death, but the fuse for change had been lit.
Free will will be key in the transformation of society. Changes should always be free and voluntary, never imposed. Cultivate yourself and look for your neighbor to exercise his will.
¶ References
- Light and Life Magazine (all old issues): https://aue.urantia-association.org/numeros-antiguos-del-lyv/
| Luz y Vida — No. 9 — Presentation | Luz y Vida — No. 9 — May 2007 — Index | Future of Urantia according to the UB |