© 2001 K. Richard Keeler
© 2001 Urantia Foundation
¶ 68% Increase In Book Distribution In 2000!
The year-end numbers are in and confirm that 2000 was a record year for total distribution of The URANTIA Book. 39,071 books, in seven languages, were distributed worldwide last year, including library placement and gift books. This represents a 68% increase over the prior year, continuing an upward trend seen over the past several years. After the initial printing, it took the first 16 years to distribute the same number of books that were distributed in the year 2000.
This dramatic increase is due in part to newly acquired international distributors who have made translations of The URANTIA Book widely available in villages, cities, and countries around the world. Notwithstanding, the recent surge in the distribution of the book may not have occurred without URANTIA Foundation’s Library Placement Program. Devoted, service-oriented individual readers of The URANTIA Book have paved the way for this distribution surge by personally volunteering their time and labor to place books in libraries. They are planting the seed of the fifth epochal revelation and making it accessible even to people in the remote corners of the earth.
¶ From The President
By K. Richard Keeler
The fifth epochal revelation, which will be relevant for perhaps the next thousand years, is, after only 46 years, still in its infancy. As some parents purposely expose their infants to such childhood diseases as mumps, measles, and chicken pox in order to make them immune to these diseases later on in life, is it possible that the Urantia movement is being immunized against certain organizational childhood diseases, such as impatience, fanaticism, unlimited personal sovereignty, the chosen-people delusion, and theological arrogance?
Is it possible that we are learning how to resist organizational dis-ease, to resist that which would disrupt our unity? A healthy body has unity; it is disease that disrupts unity. So, in the early years of this movement, as in the early years of a child, immunity is essential to the health and viability of the organism.
The URANTIA Book uses the analogy of “immunity” in describing how to cope with personal and organizational problems. It declares that it is possible to become IMMUNE to disappointment:
“One of the most amazing earmarks of religious living is that dynamic and sublime peace, that peace which passes all human understanding, that cosmic poise which betokens the absence of all doubt and turmoil. Such levels of spiritual stability are IMMUNE to disappointment. Such religionists are like the Apostle Paul, who said: ‘am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else shall be able to separate us from the love of God.’” UB 100:6.6
Teaching at Tyre, Jesus says it is possible to become “immune” to depression. He said that:
“God knowing individuals are not discouraged by misfortune or downcast by disappointment. Believers are IMMUNE to the depression consequent upon purely material upheavals; spirit livers are not perturbed by the episodes of the material world. Candidates for eternal life are practitioners of an invigorating and constructive technique for meeting all of the vicissitudes and harassments of mortal living. Every day a true believer lives, he finds it easier to do the right thing.” [Emphasis added] UB 156:5.13
By what faculty do we recognize the “right thing?” And by what faculty do we CHOOSE the “right thing,” between right and wrong, between truth and error?
The answer to these questions is on UB 103:9.10:
“When reason once recognizes right and wrong, it exhibits wisdom; when wisdom chooses between right and wrong, truth and error, it demonstrates spirit leading.”
What is the seventh adjutant mind-spirit? And do we have to exhibit proficiency at the levels of the lower adjutant mind-spirits before we advance to the higher? Do we have to be proficient at the level of the spirit of worship (do we have to become proficient worshipers?) before we can (or do) become active at the level of the spirit of wisdom? “Worship is the highest privilege and the first duty of all created intelligences.” (UB 27:7.1) But the spirit of worship comes before the spirit of wisdom- worship before wisdom. This is no coincidence. When you are active at the level of wisdom, it demonstrates spirit leading (and proficiency at worship?). And he who is spirit led is IMMUNE to depression, disappointment, and other perturbations. May all of us pray for personal and social peace among all readers of The URANTIA Book and among all our brothers and sisters on Urantia.
When the flood tides of human adversity, selflessness, cruelty, hate, malice, and jealousy beat about the mortal soul, you may rest in the assurance that there is one inner bastion, the citadel of the spirit, which is absolutely unassailable; at least this is true of every human being who has dedicated the keeping of his soul to the indwelling spirit of the eternal God. ~ The URANTIA Book UB 100:2.7
¶ Libraries in Korea, China, and Burma Receive The URANTIA Book
URANTIA Foundation’s Field Representative, Mark Bloomfield, who hand delivered 1500 URANTIA Books to libraries throughout India, has recently been placing books in libraries throughout South Korea, China, Burma, and other Asian regions. About China, Mark reported the following:
"All fifty-five of the major Chinese universities that actually use English as a secondary language of instruction now have a copy of The URANTIA Book. Both Catholic and protestant churches have been presented with the revelation at their highest levels. The major public libraries of China, some of which are among the largest in Asia, also now have the book. The learning centres of Taiwan have copies on their way to them.
Around a quarter of all Chinese university library books are in English, and in Shanghai library, about 40 percent. Of all libraries visited, not one refused to take it. The librarians I met gladly and unhesitatingly accepted not only the book, but also its message. I never had a single refusal. Every place I offered a book to accepted it gladly. The short conversations I had with librarians who spoke passable English confirmed that the book’s teachings were very close to the Chinese heart. I couldn’t help slipping in ‘universal comradeship’ sometimes as well as universal brotherhood.
The churches are closely watched by the authorities and have to call themselves ‘patriotic churches’ though after talking with some of the high rollers within the Chinese Christian community, there’s no shortage of old-time Christian spirit within them. I received an email from a minister of a Beijing church that received a book in the mail. He told me how his little church on Christmas day had several thousand citizens visit it many of whom waited for hours in the freezing cold to come in. Four services were held back to back in order to contain them all. That tells us something about what’s going on over there.
The Chinese translation must be finished a.s.a.p. This country is ready!!!"
South Korea
In Seoul, South Korea, our Representative hand placed 97 Korean translations of The URANTIA Book in college and university libraries. Another 250 books were placed in Christian clubs at Korean colleges and universities. In addition, with the help of Korean readers and our Korean Representative, he mailed 231 books to college and university libraries outside of Seoul. He arranged for 35 books to be distributed to the major regional public libraries by the Chief Librarian of the National Library. If the regional public libraries respond positively to the book, the Chief Librarian of the National Library has agreed to distribute the book to the remaining public libraries.
Burma
Mark managed to get 30 books into Burma as part of his personal luggage. Here’s what he had to say about his Burmese adventure: “Now there aren’t many libraries in Burma. As knowledge is power, the powers to be have little to gain by educating the people and lots to lose. With the 30 books I had with me, I was able to cover all the important bases, and had I have had another 50 or so with me, I could probably have cleaned up. The presence of big brother is never very far away. Foreigners are prohibited from entering university campuses so needless to say, all the universities I visited ended up as a story in itself. At Rangoon university, I finally managed to befriend the guards who eventually escorted me to the librarian. He happily accepted the book, then showed me next door to the Universities Central Library, the headquarters of the entire Burmese university library system where I had a wonderful long talk with the lady librarian, who was a devout Buddhist. We had much in common, especially the notion of universal brotherhood. At Dagon University on the edge of Rangoon, I waited at the main gate for over an hour whilst a steady stream of guards shuttled between me and the librarian relaying message after message. Eventually she came out herself to receive the books which she did cheerfully and good naturedly.”
Mark is continuing his efforts in Southeast Asia. We shall continue to report on his inspiring adventures in helping URANTIA Foundation achieve its goal to place the book in the libraries of the world.
¶ Lawsuit: McMullan And Michael Foundation V. Urantia Foundation
The discovery period ended on March 1, 2001 in the lawsuit filed by Harry McMullan III’s Michael Foundation seeking to invalidate the copyright in The URANTIA Book and the Foundation’s trademark rights in the words URANTIA and URANTIAN. URANTIA Foundation has requested that the court enter summary judgment upholding the validity of the copyright and trademarks. Those of you who are interested can view a copy of the legal brief on the Foundation’s website at https://www.urantia.org/sites/default/files/newsinfo/SJM030101.pdf.
For almost a decade, Harry McMullan III has used his influence, personal wealth, and three different organizations to wage an assault on the intellectual property rights held in trust for nearly fifty years by URANTIA Foundation.
The first time McMullan challenged the intellectual property rights entrusted to URANTIA Foundation was through Asoka Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by McMullan. McMullan, directly and through Asoka Foundation, provided $73,000 in financial support for Kristen Maaherra’s unsuccessful legal challenge to the trademarks and copyright in The URANTIA Book.
The second time McMullan challenged these intellectual property rights was through a fraternal organization called The Fellowship, on whose Executive Committee McMullan has sat since 1979. In 1996, Harry McMullan III and others proposed that the Fellowship print its own, unauthorized edition of The URANTIA Book. This project was adopted by the Fellowship, and Mr. McMullan helped oversee the publication, known as the Uversa Press edition of The URANTIA Book (which is no longer sold to the public).
He also used his influence to persuade the Fellowship to retain Ross Plourde, McMullan’s current and longtime lawyer, to file an amicus curiae brief in support of Maaherra. He personally attended the proceedings before the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, unwilling to accept the court’s decision in Maaherra, he immediately made the decision to wage another legal challenge.
This time he is doing it through Michael Foundation, which he established in 1995, and which he established, among other reasons, to publish Jesus—A New Revelation, consisting of Papers 121-196 from The URANTIA Book. In this third attempt to invalidate the copyright and the marks, he has recently indicated that he may adopt a new strategy, one not raised by his attorneys in any of their previous filings on his behalf.
Based on recent statements made under oath by Harry McMullan III, his new strategy is to ask the court to find that the copyright is invalid because the real author of The URANTIA Book is the anonymous person referred to on pages 1208-1209 of The URANTIA Book. His argument would likely be that this person owned the copyright and never assigned his copyright to URANTIA Foundation.
Mr. McMullan stated in a recent deposition that he doesn’t know whether he believes that the listed authors in the Titles of the Papers section of The URANTIA Book are the true authors of the respective papers. (2d Dep. p.11, p. 66-67). He is no longer willing to acknowledge that The URANTIA Book or Papers 121-196 contained in Jesus—A New Revelation is a revelation (2d Dep. pp. 65-67). To support his premise that the human subject must have been the author, McMullan cited Dr. Sadler’s statement that “automatic writing” was not involved in The URANTIA Book. McMullan claims that, if the human subject had been a mere channel for spiritual authors, this would have constituted “automatic writing” (2d Dep., pp. 12-13, 16-17). If it was not automatic writing, McMullan claims, then it must have come from the subject himself. It could have been inspired, but the human would have been the author (2d Dep., p. 17).
To support his position that the human subject is the author of The URANTIA Book, McMullan is trying to show that in a previous court case, URANTIA Foundation claimed that the human subject was the author. URANTIA Foundation denies that it has ever asserted that any human being authored the Urantia Papers. In answers to Interrogatories, URANTIA Foundation stated that it would not assert that the personality through whom the material was transmitted, nor any other person, living or dead, was the author of the papers; instead, URANTIA Foundation stated “[t]he personality, through whom the material which constitutes the text of ”The URANTIA Book“ was transmitted, is considered to be merely a conduit through whom the contents of the papers was transmitted to those who became the proprietors thereof . . . .”
It saddens us that some people are unwilling to accept the validity of the copyright and trademarks and to move forward, united in service to our fellow man, in an effort to spread the truths derived from the book. This seems to have become such an obsession for some that they appear willing to say or do anything to abolish the copyright. We regret the necessity of diverting precious resources from the work before us, but we are resolved to preserve the rights entrusted to URANTIA Foundation.
We appreciate the prayers and support of all those interested in furthering this revelation.
¶ Staff Changes - Linda Jensen, Matt Viglione, Jay Peregrine, Lynn Prentice
There are two new staff members at URANTIA Foundation. Linda Jensen, a native Chicagoan, has the responsibility to process orders for books and other merchandise, to generate invoices, and to coordinate with the shipping department to ensure prompt and accurate service for all customers. Linda also serves as accounting assistant and telephone receptionist.
Matt Viglione comes to Chicago by way of Pennsylvania. His computer expertise is very helpful in the daily operations of several departments as well as in such specialized duties as book formatting. Matt serves as an all-around assistant to the Foundation’s staff in the United States and worldwide. We are fortunate to have his versatile office skills. With a degree in French Literature and good communication skills in French, Matt occasionally serves as an in-house translator.
Jay Peregrine is back on staff full-time, serving as URANTIA Foundation Webmaster and Manager of Information Technologies. The dramatic increase of website activity and computer-related office business requires Jay’s full attention. He is also assisting Tonia Baney with fund-raising activities.
Lynn Prentice has left Chicago to pursue Urantia-related activities with her family in Missouri. She is providing valuable assistance to the Zebedee Guild in their efforts to stage this year’s United States URANTIA Association conference near Kansas City. Lynn’s previous duties at URANTIA Foundation have been delegated among staff members, with Jay Peregrine taking up her role in coordinating the Matthew Project. We are grateful to Lynn for her efforts in Publishing and Public Relations. The standards which she helped to implement will continue to benefit Foundation operations in the future.
¶ www.urantia.org Now in Seven Languages
URANTIA Foundation’s website, www.urantia.org, is now available in all seven languages in which The URANTIA Book is published ~ English, French, Finnish, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, and Korean. Each language can be accessed from URANTIA Foundation’s homepage, and each has information about The URANTIA Book. (For western users, to display Korean characters you need Internet Explorer 5 or Netscape 6 with Korean encoding installed.) The full text of the book itself is available online in all of the published languages except the newest, Korean.
In addition, Spanish-speaking readers can now instantly search the text of El libro de URANTIA for words and phrases by going directly to: https://www.urantia.org/es/el-libro-de-urantia/buscar
Visitors to the Foundation website have increased by 200% over the past 16 months, from 10,000 to over 30,000 unique visits per month.
¶ International Conference— France 2002
Mark your calendars now for this exciting biennial event. Readers from more areas of the world attend these conferences than any Other Urantia Book reader gatherings.
The next IUA International Conference will take place in France in August 2002. Tentative dates are set for August 3-7, 2002, with business meetings for IUA and the Foundation on August 1-2. A comfortable Site has been found at Dourdan, a small and beautiful medieval village 40-50 kilometers south of Paris.
The general theme will be “Vivre le plan divin d’ascension dans l’expérience humaine” — “Living the Ascension Plan in Human Experience.”
Six secondary themes will be developed and proposed soon and given to each National Association (or at least to each continent). The organizers wish to give an international dimension to this event by allowing each National Association to express and share in its own way. More details will be available later this year.
¶ USUA National Conference
This year’s United States URANTIA Association national conference will be held at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas, from July 19 through July 23. It will be hosted by the Zebedee Guild of Missouri. The theme of the conference is “Preparing as Teachers and Leaders,” or “What are you doing with the rest of your life?” The program is designed to stimulate service-related planning and motivate individuals and groups to actively incorporate these plans into their daily lives.
The registration deadline for the conference is June 15. There will be no on-site registration. For more infonnation, call Lynn Prentice at (573)294-7350 or email at serviceguided@yahoo.com
¶ Reader Comments About The URANTIA Book
“I’ve been reading your book for about a year, and I can only express my inner identification with what the book represents to the human beings. I must confess it takes time and deep thinking to get the most out of it, and I will continue doing it, I think, as long as I live.” ~ Itagui, COLOMBIA
“I find tremendous treasure in this book and am convinced of the noble cause you have undertaken. India with its uniqueness of variety of cultures and more so its credit of being a cradle for many world religions, can learn a lot from this book, if only the Indians put their heart into learning from this.” ~ Bombay, INDIA
“I opened it, read the outline and was struck with the excitement and wonderment that has remained since that day. A wonderful gift to the human race.” ~ California, USA
“It has, with its revelations, not only captivated me, but changed my outlook and gave me after a lifelong search the conviction of having, at last, found the Truth.” ~ Goslar, GERMANY