© 1992 Urantia Foundation
¶ Russian Translation Underway
URANTIA Foundation is in the process of finalizing an agreement with two brothers regarding the translation of The URANTIA Book into Russian. One of the brothers is an English teacher and translator, and the other is an assistant professor of English at a Russian university. The brothers see this effort as their life’s work and their greatest opportunity to serve the Russian people.
If you would like to help with the Russian translation, we encourage you to do so by making a contribution to URANTIA Foundation’s translation fund.
¶ Dutch Translation To Be Completed Within Three Years
Almost 20 years have elapsed since one man started translating The URANTIA Book into the Dutch language. Today his eldest daughter is the chief translator of a three member team which is steadily moving toward the completion of the Dutch translation. The team believes that their work should be completed within three years.
¶ Finnish And Spanish Translations To Be Printed In The Spring
This coming April we expect to print:
- 3,000 copies of the Finnish translation.
- 5,000 copies of the Spanish translation.
- 25,000 copies of the English version (eleventh printing).
- 3,000 copies of an exhaustive English concordance.
- 3,000 copies of an exhaustive Finnish concordance.
In addition, there will be an exhaustive Spanish concordance in the near future.
¶ Copyright And Trademarks
URANTIA Foundation registered the copyright in The URANTIA Book as of 3 January 1956 as legal owner of the copyright and legal author of The URANTIA Book.
The copyright gives the Foundation the legal power to preserve inviolate the text of The URANTIA Book. In addition, the copyright gives the Foundation the right to control all media for the printing and reproduction of The URANTIA Book and all translations thereof. The copyright enables the Trustees to protect the text against additions, subtractions, or substitutions which someone, well-intended or otherwise, might desire to make. The Trustees want readers to have access to the unaltered text, so that they can interpret the book in accordance with their own understanding.
Regarding the Concentric-Circles Symbol, URANTIA Foundation has used the circles as a mark since 1950. The symbol was registered on 15 June 1952 as a service mark and in 1971 as a trademark. These facts give the Foundation the right to control the use of the circles as that use relates to activities and organizations with which the circles might be associated and publications on which the circles might be affixed. If there were no such control, the circles might be used to give credibility to publications, activities, and organizations either promoting personal interpretations of The URANTIA Book or having little or nothing to do with its teachings. Thus, the Foundation’s use and registration of the circles give the Foundation the right and the power to prevent unauthorized, inappropriate, or unacceptable use of the marks. The use of the circles by the Foundation in association with The URANTIA Book assures the reader that he or she has the genuine text. (It should be noted that, even now, there are individuals and groups actively seeking to change the text, binding, and even the length of the book.)
What is true of the Concentric-Circles Symbol is also true of the word “URANTIA” except that this mark was used and registered somewhat later.
The United States copyright in The URANTIA Book will expire in 2030, and the copyright in translations will expire 50-80 years after the date of their issuance, depending upon applicable law. Even so, the Foundation’s ownership of the marks will continue in perpetuity, which means that, after the copyright runs out, only those copies of The URANTIA Book published by the Foundation can bear the Concentric-Circles Symbol, assuring future readers of the authenticity of the text.
¶ Price Increase
On 1 January 1993, the suggested retail price of The URANTIA Book will be US $48.00. This is the first price increase since 1979, although virtually all costs associated with the production of the book have increased. Even with this new price, the cost of the book does not cover the expenses associated with its continued availability. As a result, increases on a more regular basis will be required. URANTIA Foundation will make every effort to keep the price of the book as low as is reasonably possible.
¶ Why Do We Need A Membership Organization?
Some readers have asked why it is necessary to have a membership organization. They think the Foundation and study groups are enough. An important reason for having such an organization is that the Foundation needs supportive affiliates to help it carry out the task of disseminating the teachings.
One of our chief guides in forming a membership organization is taken from The URANTIA Book, which says: “That state is best which coordinates most while governing least.” (p. 803) We believe this statement applies to organizations as well as to governments. In addition, we believe that the purpose of organization is to prevent organization. For example, the purpose of the sheriff in the frontier town of the old-West was to prevent vigilantes. Nature abhors a vacuum. If we do not sponsor a benign, minimal organization, another organization will fill that void. And that other organization may be neither benign nor minimal.
Furthermore, The URANTIA Book generates in many people a desire to serve and to fraternize with other readers. As a response to this desire, we believe that many organizations will come into existence, some of which will be affiliated with URANTIA Foundation. The Trustees are determined that the organizations affiliated with the Foundation be minimal and benign. If there exists no benign organization to meet people’s need for service and fraternization, then the need will be met in other ways.
We welcome your input regarding this matter of a membership organization. You cannot perceive spiritual truth until you feelingly experience it, and many truths are not really felt except in adversity.
¶ Channeling
URANTIA Foundation has received telephone calls and letters from concerned readers who want to know what we think of “channeled” material, some of which includes concepts, personalities, and other identifiable information from The URANTIA Book. The Foundation has no connection with any of this “channeled” material about which each individual will have to make up his or her own mind. Even so, the Trustees want to make the Foundation’s position very clear: As is stated in the Declaration of Trust creating URANTIA Foundation “…the primary duty of the Trustees [is] to perpetually preserve inviolate the text of The URANTIA Book…” The Foundation disavows such material as having anything to do with The URANTIA Book or URANTIA Foundation.
¶ May We Refer Readers To Your Study Group?
One of the most frequent inquiries received at URANTIA Foundation is from readers wanting to know if there is a study group for readers of The URANTIA Book in their vicinity. We refrain from referring readers to groups where the focus is on something other than The URANTIA Book.
If your study group’s focus is on The URANTIA Book, and it is open to new readers, we would like to hear from you.
¶ Largest Bookstore In Finland Carries The Urantia Book
The Academic Bookstore, one of Europe’s largest, is in Helsinki. It has annual sales of US $63 million and stocks 150,000 titles among which is The URANTIA Book. The Academic Bookstore shares the Foundation’s view that The URANTIA Book deserves a place on the shelves of the world’s finest bookstores.
¶ Reader Comments About The Urantia Book
“I am having a rich continuing experience of the Papers and consider myself not only a reader but a student of the Papers.” ~ Houston, Texas
“I am a Christian for many years-and have hungered for the wisdom and coherence I have discovered in The URANTIA Book. I have many friends with a similar hunger.” ~ New York, New York
“I have been helped and guided by The URANTIA Book as to how I might improve my personal relationship with God … ” ~ Hazelwood, Missouri
“…it stimulates people from within to live an eternal heroic evolutive religious journey, THE Infinite Game of the universe.” ~ Quebec, Canada
“I read, contemplate, and absorb…one or two Papers per evening. I find the material most interesting, fascinating, and enlightening.” ~ Saulte Ste. Marie, Michigan
“This brilliant and outstanding contribution to mankind supersedes all other existing publications on earth.” ~ McKeesport, Pennsylvania