© 2020 Sebastian Nozzi
© 2020 Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d'Urantia
Sebastian Nozzi
Tallinn, July 2019
Sebastian Nozzi.
Sebastian is the European continent coordinator for the UAI.
Originally from Argentina, Sebastian has lived in Germany and Austria since 2000.
Sebastian encountered The Urantia Book in 2001. After 10 years of solitary study, he set out to find study groups in Germany to share his experience with other readers. Sebastian attended conferences in Frankfurt, Berlin, Budapest and finally Tallinn.
For centuries past, Christianity was a dominant force in Europe and Western civilization. Churches were crowded and religion was an integral part of life.
Today, churches are emptying. Over the past decades, church attendance in both Europe and the United States has been in steady decline. Today’s generations, searching for answers, are no longer turning to Christianity as they once did.
What does this mean for us, readers of ~The Urantia Book~?
What consequences does this have for our movement?
What will we do?
In this presentation I want to explore these questions with you. To do this I would like to discuss two ideas. First, the idea of “progression” and second, the difference between “the group” and “the individual”.
We may find that our situation, with regard to religion in Europe, is not so bad after all.
Finally, I would like to invite you to see Christianity not as a failure, or an obstacle standing in the way of our movement, but "as an opportunity, a possibility. Let’s start with the first idea: progression.
Have you noticed that we humans rarely come up with something completely new? Okay, we do innovate and we are creative. But we constantly base our advances on what is already there. And very often, we are even limited by what is available to us.
For example, let’s take something we are all familiar with — cars.
Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci had already imagined a horseless, self-propelled cart?
His concept represented not an engine but wound springs - like in a watch. The cart went only up to 40 meters. Then it had to be wound up (again, like a watch). Of course, it was no better than a horse and it was never built.
Have you heard the expression “Ahead of his time?” Many of the things Leonardo designed were “ahead of his time.” He designed submarines, flying machines, and so on. While his ideas were very advanced, the technology was not there. Leonardo’s historical context really limited him. It was only centuries later, when engines were available, that a practical car could be built.
When we think “progression” we often think “progress.” But “progression” means more than “progress.” Consider this:
First, when you are progressing you are in a certain environment. Context matters a lot. The opposite of “ahead of its time” would be “in the right place at the right time.” Or “the time is right for this idea.” I’m sure you’ve heard these expressions before.
Second, in a progression you take one step at a time, and only one step at a time. You don’t go too fast, or you fail. As the saying goes, “You must learn to crawl before you can walk.” And you must learn to walk before you can ride a bicycle!
Thinking of a “progression” not as an “advance” but as a “series of steps” makes more sense. A series of steps where this applies:
What does this have to do with us? This:
Religious progress is not exempt from these laws
In trying to understand how these “laws” apply to religious progress, I looked for examples in The Urantia Book. My question was: What happens when an advanced (or revealed) religious truth is introduced? I encountered the following 3 situations:
One. If the religious truth advanced is not compatible with the times, or too advanced, strong opposition arises and it is eventually rejected. “Ahead of its time.” Failure.
Two. If the truth advanced is compatible with the times, it is accepted. “Right place at the right time.” However, as there is always a human context existing usually something else is going on…
(Three). The truth put forward is accepted partially, in a deviant way. It survives only after making concessions, compromises with what was there previously.
In summary: because of the existing human context, progress is slow and occurs through compromise. And there have been many instances of compromise in our history.
Let’s look at some of them, from our book…
By the time of Melchizedek we are told that his message of “salvation by faith alone” (i.e. without sacrifices) was so advanced that there were auxiliary outposts outside of Salem where sacrifices were still being made. Melchizedek knew something about this but there was little he could do. He had to compromise.
After Melchizedek, there was the “remarkable” Akhenaten in Egypt.
Akhenaten tried to introduce Melchizedek monotheism into a polytheistic society. He wisely disguised monotheism behind “sun worship,” elevating the “sun God” above all others. This was an acceptable compromise for his contemporaries. But he also tried to advance one more step after another when he tried to introduce the concept of a universal God: “God of all nations.” At that time, what people were ready for was “a national god.”
He encountered fierce opposition from the priests, who attempted to undo everything he had done.
Later came the “incomparable” Moses. Moses also had good accounts of the teachings of Melchizedek, but viewed his starting point with great caution. He elevated the tribal God Yahweh (worshipped as a golden calf) above all other (tribal) gods. However, he had to “sell” this idea by introducing the idea of threat. He proclaimed a jealous God, a God of justice. A God who had chosen his “people” to make a covenant and form a new nation. He would bring them prosperity as long as they obeyed his commands.
There was very little Moses could teach about God’s mercy and love at this time. It would have undermined his speech. Moses had to compromise.
And even Jesus had to compromise. Remember how hesitant he was at first to be associated with the concept of the Messiah? Eventually, he resigned himself to it. He allowed his apostles to persist in their erroneous beliefs. The concept of the Messiah was simply too deeply imprinted on the minds of his associates. Same with the “Kingdom of Heaven.” The Urantia Book tells us that he would have preferred to use other, more spiritual terms, such as “fellowship,” “family,” or “brotherhood.” But these concepts were too advanced. He had to compromise.
And later came Paul. The Urantia Book describes him as a great organizer and that he and his successors made “sagacious compromises,” that they were “shrewd negotiators in matters of theology.” The rest is history. Christianity was Hellenized, paganized, ritualized, and so on.
We often ask ourselves: Why did the religion of Jesus not conquer the world after the Master was gone? Why did a man-made, compromise-filled religion about Jesus take its place?
In my opinion: Christianity, as it manifested itself, was inevitable.
Let me explain.
Once the mission of revelation is completed, it is inevitably left in imperfect human hands. Then the revealed truth follows its own “natural course” and mixes with the evolutionary currents already present.
Melchizedek knew this when he trained his missionaries and sent them out.
Jesus knew this when he entrusted the affairs of the kingdom into the hands of the apostles before leaving.
And the revelators made this crystal clear with their last sentence when they said:
“Now you are left to yourselves”
Christianity was Hellenized, paganized, and ritualized because these influences (Hellenic culture, pagan rituals) existed and were strong. People responded to them, needed them, wanted them, even for centuries to come. They were necessary steps in our religious progression. Christianity’s compromises with these existing forces were necessary to ensure its adoption. (And we all know what happened to Abner’s “uncompromising” church in Philadelphia.)
But even with its many “compromises,” Christianity is described by The Urantia Book as “the best religion of the twentieth century” (UB 195:9.8) and it tells us that “Christianity (…) is not to be despised” (UB 195:10.12).
Christianity is, let us not forget, the context in which The Urantia Book was revealed. Christianity is to the revelation of The Urantia Book what Judaism was to the bestowal, life, and teachings of Jesus. His apostles and disciples were open-minded, truth-seeking Jews. In the same way, The Urantia Book was revealed to a group of open-minded, truth-seeking Christians, deepening their understanding of Christian theology, in a nation called “Christian.”
Despite its flaws, Christianity has been very successful and has brought us to where we are.
But times seem different today. People are turning away from the church.
What happened? And what should we do?
The World Is Not Ready.
Booklet 195, “After Pentecost,” is perhaps my favorite booklet. I find it fascinating because it bridges the gap between Jesus’ time and our own, helping us to better understand our situation.
The Urantia Book tells us that modern man will reject a religion that is not in harmony with our current highest conceptions of truth, goodness, and beauty (Paper UB 195:7.20 ). Here Christianity does not seem to measure up to many people, those who leave the church.
So, does that mean it’s our turn? We go out into the streets and start evangelizing everybody with The Urantia Book. We advertise on television and so on?
Tell me… what do you think? From your experience, what would the results be? I am sure many of you have had success and good experiences in introducing The Urantia Book to selected individuals. But let me ask you: Do you think the world, as a whole, is ready for The Urantia Book?
In my opinion, the world, as a whole, is not yet ready.
If you have read and believe the “Publication Mandate,” it says that “the book [was given to us] long before the day of its worldwide mission.” The day when people “will seek truth and righteousness. Then how do we position ourselves? What are we going to do?”
And Christianity in all this?
The Group and the Individual
It seems the world is not yet ready for The Urantia Book. But… look at this room. Look at yourself. It seems some people are actually ready for it after all!
This led me to the following realization:
What is true for the group is not always true for the individual
For example, Jesus and The Urantia Book say that “his people” rejected him… Is that true? Well, as a group, yes. But did all of them reject him? No. Of course not. His apostles were Jewish, as were most of his disciples, and early converts.
They were special, exceptional people. Not in the sense of “superior.”
No. Exceptional in the sense of exception to the rule.
And you are also exceptional. You are an exception to the rule.
The rule, we said, was that the world is not ready for The Urantia Book.
But you were at one point.
Let me ask you this though… were you always ready or did it take you a while? Or if I may put it this way: did you go through certain preliminary steps before you were ready for The Urantia Book?
Recalling the idea of progression from the first part, I would like to emphasize that there is group progression on the one hand, and individual progression on the other.
Previously we discussed the progression of the concept of God at the group level (from Melchizedek, through Moses, to Jesus).
In contrast to group or societal progression (which is often slow) individuals progress at their own pace, often independently of the larger group to which they belong. Like the missionaries of Machiventa, they were exceptional individuals. Or like the Jewish and Greek truth-seekers who followed Jesus. Or like us. And we can help others too. We can apply the law of progression on an individual basis.
And again, we need only look to Jesus to know how to do this. My favorite example is how he prepared religious teachers in Rome. Let me read:
“Jesus learned much about men while in Rome, but the most valuable of all the manifold experiences of his six months’ sojourn in that city was his contact with, and influence upon, the religious leaders of the empire’s capital. Before the end of the first week in Rome Jesus had sought out, and had made the acquaintance of, the worth-while leaders of the Cynics, the Stoics, and the mystery cults, in particular the Mithraic group. Whether or not it was apparent to Jesus that the Jews were going to reject his mission, he most certainly foresaw that his messengers were presently coming to Rome to proclaim the kingdom of heaven; and he therefore set about, in the most amazing manner, to prepare the way for the better and more certain reception of their message. He selected five of the leading Stoics, eleven of the Cynics, and sixteen of the mystery-cult leaders and spent much of his spare time for almost six months in intimate association with these religious teachers. And this was his method of instruction: Never once did he attack their errors or even mention the flaws in their teachings. In each case he would select the truth in what they taught and then proceed so to embellish and illuminate this truth in their minds that in a very short time this enhancement of the truth effectively crowded out the associated error; and thus were these Jesus-taught men and women prepared for the subsequent recognition of additional and similar truths in the teachings of the early Christian missionaries. It was this early acceptance of the teachings of the gospel preachers which gave that powerful impetus to the rapid spread of Christianity in Rome and from there throughout the empire.” (UB 132:0.4)
Another beautiful passage from Jesus’ life that illustrates this point is his explanation to Simon the Zealot after his failed relationship with Teherma the Persian. He told Simon that one should not “take” something out of people’s souls but “bring” something into them. Which is precisely what he did with the Roman religious leaders. He was not telling them what NOT to believe. He was emphasizing what was already there.
He goes on to tell Simon specifically that he did not come to denounce Moses and the prophets but to present an improved version of what they already believed. And we find other statements like this elsewhere during his ministry.
One more step forward
So, I think there is a great need and a definite potential to lead us there.
First train yourself to become masters at reading people. Find out their context, where they are. And then guide them in their step. Which probably won’t be The Urantia Book! We need to be patient and attentive to each individual’s situation (First Law). We weren’t always ready for The Urantia Book. Most never will be in this life. And that’s OK. But most people can be guided one step further (Second Law).
Jesus speaks of this when he asks:
“As the days pass, every true believer becomes more skillful in alluring his fellows into the love of eternal truth. Are you more resourceful in revealing goodness to humanity today than you were yesterday? Are you a better righteousness recommender this year than you were last year? Are you becoming increasingly artistic in your technique of leading hungry souls into the spiritual kingdom?” (UB 156:5.15)
And this work, this ministry, can be done both inside and outside Christianity.
Within Christianity we can work in partnership with our fellow believers, trying to love them, to understand them. Perhaps even enhance and embellish their beliefs. Without criticism: as Jesus did with the Roman leaders. We should regard believers as brothers and sisters in the faith. We have so much in common! We may not agree on everything, theologically, but spiritually the faith we profess is the same.
And who knows what will happen with Christianity. Perhaps it will embrace the Gospel of the Master after all, the religion of Jesus. Imagine if we could play a part in that!
Apart from Christianity there is much to do too. Maybe even more.
Here we have the people who find Christianity faulty in one way or another. Many belonged to a church but it ultimately disappointed them. While others would not even consider it.
People today look for answers in things like “meditation,” “mindfulness,” “spirituality,” psychology, and so on. And of course science. Anything but religion.
(After so many years under the totalitarian church I do not condemn them.)
But still, the big questions remain: "What is the meaning of life? How to be a good person? How to communicate with others? How to find happiness?
We can certainly help find their answers. To honest truth seekers disappointed with biblical Christianity we can offer a fascinating alternative. Something that reaffirms the positive aspects of Christianity in a new way while correcting those aspects that make it unattractive and obsolete in the eyes of many people.
At some point, honest truth seekers will have to turn again to God, to true religion, for answers. We are only human after all, and The Urantia Book tells us that happiness “is linked to spiritual progress” and that “nothing can take the place of God in human society.”
Christianity is here. Christianity is our cultural milieu. Because of Christianity, people here in the West are familiar with the concepts of a loving, individually accessible, personal, universal Father. And that is a tremendous accomplishment. It took thousands of years, countless lifetimes, and a lot of effort to get to this point. And even today, many places in the world, and most other religions, do not share this blessing. Not yet.
We can do much as individuals, both within and outside Christianity. But in any case: because of Christianity.
People in the West, in Europe, have knowledge about the Father and Jesus through Christianity. And through The Urantia Book we can offer a better version of both.
As we work in our organizations, serving the group, and pursuing our long-term goals, we can do much as individuals too. In our personal interactions we can learn to show people the right direction, one person at a time, one step at a time.
Our Christian heritage will always be there. We can use it to our advantage as we go about doing good—and sowing seeds.
THANKS.