© 2001 K. Richard Keeler
© 2001 Urantia Foundation
¶ Jury Verdict — Michael Foundation V. Urantia Foundation
On June 20, 2001, an Oklahoma jury returned a verdict against URANTIA Foundation in the copyright case of Michael Foundation v. URANTIA Foundation. This case concerns Harry McMullan III’s publication of Jesus: A New Revelation (JANR), comprising papers 121-196 from The URANTIA Book. URANTIA Foundation has filed an appeal of the verdict with the United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
We realize that the jury’s decision is a disappointment for supporters of the copyright, but bear in mind that experienced appellate judges in a previous copyright case (June 1997) evaluated the circumstances surrounding The URANTIA Book and found URANTIA Foundation’s United States copyright to be valid. We remain hopeful the appellate court will follow the lead of the earlier favorable appeal. We expect a final ruling from the Court of Appeals within the next 12 to 18 months.
No matter what the final outcome may be, we will continue to carry out the duties entrusted to URANTIA Foundation by the Declaration of Trust and will continue to publish, translate, and preserve the inviolate text of The URANTIA Book.
We are grateful for the prayers and words of encouragement from readers and invite you to join us in the continuing effort to disseminate The URANTIA Book and its teachings throughout the world.
Reports and transcripts of the trial are available for those who may be interested. Please feel free to contact us.
¶ From The President
By Richard Keeler
It is in a time of trial and tribulation that we are mailing this message to our many friends and supporters around the world.
Although terror and war may dominate what we see and hear in the press, radio, and TV, we who study The URANTIA Book must ever maintain an unwavering courage, faith, hope, and love for God and humankind. And we must be of good cheer. Let us remember that what makes HEADLINES is on the front page, but what makes HISTORY is often on the back page—or not in the newspaper at all.
I feel a certitude of soul that we who publish, translate, protect, study, and disseminate The URANTIA Book are making history on this war-weary planet. Said Jesus, “And no matter what blunders your fellow men make in their world management of today, in an age to come the gospel which I declare to you will rule this very world. The ultimate goal of human progress is the reverent recognition of the fatherhood of God and the loving materialization of the brotherhood of man.” (The URANTIA Book, UB 143:1.4)
Our valiant and growing worldwide circles of URANTIA Book readers abide in the timeless surety that peace will one day prevail, and that God will go through every storm and tempest with us and within us. For in God we live and move and have our very being.
Thus reinvigorated by a higher comprehension of the transcendent task which God has set before us, let us turn now to other issues of the day with which we must engage.
In June, a jury in Oklahoma City declared the U.S. copyright renewal in The URANTIA Book was invalid. It is our opinion that this decision is flawed and based on a misunderstanding of the facts and the law. This matter of URANTIA Foundation’s copyright in The URANTIA Book is far from over. We shall keep you informed on the progress of this case.
The historian Arnold Toynbee declared that all of human endeavor consists of two processes: challenge and response. He believed that individuals, organizations, and nations rise to their greatest heights of achievement, not when life is easy, but in the face of difficulties and when responding to mighty challenges.
This is just such an hour of challenge to many readers of The URANTIA Book. Let us rise to our greatest heights of faith, hope, and love in response to it.
Consider the following: URANTIA Foundation was commissioned to perpetually preserve inviolate the text of The URANTIA Book. Suppose that a student visitor to our planet asked us, “By what means does one on Urantia preserve a written text inviolate?” You could probably talk to every publishing expert on earth but would receive the same answer, “Copyright.”
International copyright law has been effectively utilized by URANTIA Foundation since 1955 in the fulfillment of its commission to publish, translate, and protect the fifth epochal revelation. Is this a difficult mandate? Of course! But let us rise to our greatest heights in response to this challenge.
We read on UB 108:5.5 that our indwelling spirit of the Father is concerned in making our lives “reasonably difficult and rugged, so that decisions will be stimulated and multiplied,” and on UB 136:8.6 that Jesus chose a path that was “natural, ordinary, difficult, and trying.”
On UB 152:6.2, we read this amazing statement: “In less than one month’s time the enthusiastic and open followers of Jesus, who numbered more than fifty thousand in Galilee alone, shrank to less than five hundred.” Jesus lost 99% of his open and enthusiastic followers in just one month! But his cause eventually culminated in a valiant victory of spirit, and the world has not forgotten it.
Many times in human history a nation has lost a battle and has gone on to win the war. The Trustees and staff of URANTIA Foundation have repeatedly suffered setbacks in the past but have gone on to subsequent victory in their endeavors to publish, translate, and protect the text of The URANTIA Book against the distortions and machinations of even well—intentioned men and women who would split up or revise the fifth epochal revelation.
URANTIA Foundation will continue to use the registered marks to identify the original text of The URANTIA Book for generations yet unborn. Since 1950, the URANTIA Foundation has been the organization that has faithfully registered, typeset, proofread, printed, translated, and promulgated the fifth epochal revelation to humankind.
We are all deeply indebted to the men and women who have gone before us as Trustees, staff, and guardians of this great revelation. Let us never forget what they have done for us. Truly they have given “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” to this cause.
Let us all in turn give to URANTIA Foundation our moral support, our spiritual support, and our financial support in order that we may work together to bring a spiritual renaissance upon this planet.
¶ Copyright Status
The recent jury verdict on the copyright in The URANTIA Book applies only to the United States renewal copyright in the English text of The URANTIA Book. URANTIA Foundation will continue to display copyright notices in the English books in order to preserve its international copyrights. In addition, all of the translations have separate copyrights that remain valid in the United States and throughout the world.
The Trustees and staff will continue to do everything within their power to ensure the dissemination of the inviolate text. We will persist in our efforts to publish The URANTIA Book and quality translations and to expand distribution channels throughout the world, using the trademarks to identify URANTIA Foundation’s authentic publications and services.
¶ The Fellowship Votes To Become A Publisher
In a quick response to the recent court decision, the Fellowship, a fraternal organization, recently voted to print their own version of The URANTIA Book, which they claim “will be a significant improvement over all currently available printings.”
Historically a social group, this organization pursued a similar path of competitive publishing in 1996 following a previous copyright infringement lawsuit. In that court case, the Fellowship supported efforts to nullify the copyright in The URANTIA Book. The district court ruled against URANTIA Foundation, but the appellate court subsequently overturned the ruling in 1997. The Fellowship was obligated to withdraw its book from the market.
Based on past experience, we had hoped that other would-be publishers would await the decision of the appellate court before acting.
¶ Translations
¶ Why Translate?
We all dream of a better world. This better world is described in The URANTIA Book as one where people let the kingdom of God rule in their hearts. It is a world where love and mutual respect are the reality, where the unselfish desire to serve motivates people’s actions. The URANTIA Book sets the stage for this dream to come true.
Today many human beings around the world are living in spiritual hunger. And we, who have come to know these teachings in their various languages, are given a special opportunity to guide our fellows into the light shed by this new knowledge—first, through our personal and loving contact with them, second, through sharing the teachings of The URANTIA Book, and third, through offering the complete URANTIA Book in their native tongue.
Through its Declaration of Trust, URANTIA Foundation has the obligation to preserve inviolate the text and to translate it into other languages. This obligation is based on the mandates given by the revelators and read to the Forum in 1951:
“We must learn to possess our souls in patience. We are in association with a revelation of truth which is a part of the natural evolution of religion on this world. Over—rapid growth would be suicidal. The Book is being given to those who are ready for it long before its worldwide mission. In the meantime thousands of study groups must be brought into existence, and the book must be translated into many tongues. Thus will the Book be in readiness to comfort and enlighten the peoples of the world when the battle for man’s liberty is finally won and the world is once more made safe for the religion of Jesus and the freedom of mankind.”
In 1955, when The URANTIA Book was first published, only 8% of the inhabitants of this planet—only those who speak English—could potentially benefit from its teachings. Today, with six translations available, over 22% of the population has access to these teachings.
URANTIA Foundation is currently sponsoring sixteen translation projects. When they are completed, nearly one—half of the world’s population will be exposed to the teachings of The URANTIA Book in their native tongues.
¶ Available Translations
1962. The French translation, La Cosmogonie d’URANTIA, was published. A revision of the work, Le Livre dsURANTIA, was published in 1994. Since 1962, about 65,000 copies of Le Livre have been distributed.
1993. Two translations were published on the same June day in 1993: URANTIAkirja, the Finnish translation, and El libro de Urantia, the Spanish printing. Some 5,700 copies of the Finnish book have been sold and distributed by now, out of a printing of 8,000. As concerns El libro, 10,000 hard cover and 65,000 soft cover copies have been printed and 62,000 have been distributed throughout the American continents, Europe and Africa.
1997. This year again two new translations were printed and published, the Russian and the Dutch. The first printing of 5,000 copies of the Russian has been distributed and a second, revised edition was published in early 2001. The first printing of the Dutch was 5,000 copies.
2000. The Korean translation was published in January 2000. The Korean work is a significant accomplishment considering that it is the first translation into a non—European language.
¶ Ongoing Translation Projects
Some 70 devoted translators and students of the revelation are currently working on various translations. They are also busy translating URANTIAN News, the Journal, website texts, and other Foundation and International URANTIA Association (IUA) literature.
The ongoing translation projects include the following:
Italian—Our Italian translation has been in the making since the late 1980’s. The work is in its last round of revisions, editing, and refinement.
German—A translation effort has been underway since 1988. The first draft was completed in December 2000. Editing of the work has been ongoing.
Arabic—An Arabic translation effort came into existence in late 1992 through the efforts of one individual living in Canada. He handed his preliminary first draft over to URANTIA Foundation in October 1997. A revision of the work has been in progress since then.
Swedish—The translation into Swedish has been ongoing in Finland since 1993. The entire book has been translated and edited a number of times, which is not unusual. Work was temporarily interrupted with the demise of the editor in May 2001.
Estonian—The Estonian project was initiated on Jesus’ 2000th birthday, 21 August 1994. The translation has been edited and revised a number of times. The last refining effort is underway.
Lithuanian—The Lithuanian translation has been edited a number of times and a final editing is in progress.
Portuguese—Launched in 1995 in Brazil, the Portuguese translation project has reached the completion of the first draft. Concurrently with their translating the first draft, the team has also been editing and revising the work, and final revisions and refinements are in progress.
Rumanian—The Rumanian translation, which is done partly in the United States and partly in Romania, was commenced in 1997. The team expects the first draft of the book to be completed by the end of year 2001.
Polish—A translator team has been working in Australia on a Polish rendering since June 1998. About two—thirds of the book exist at the first draft level and the editing and refinement of the work has begun.
Indonesian—The Indonesian translation project was formalized in the summer of 1999. Some fifty Papers of the Indonesian undertaking currently exist at the first draft stage.
Farsi—Work on a Farsi (Persian) translation was begun in April 2000. The team, which works in the United States and in Iran, has translated some twenty Papers into Farsi, and the same Papers have already undergone one round of editing.
Greek—A Greek translator team was authorized to start the Greek translation project in early July 2000, and already in May 2001 the first draft of the entire Greek translation was completed. Revision and refinement of the Greek work is in progress.
Japanese—Our Japanese project is in its initial stages. The first Papers have been translated and the work progresses. Translating into Japanese is particularly difficult and time consuming because of the Japanese writing system.
Chinese—Our Chinese project is also in its very first stages. A Chinese translator team has been formed and is working in China. Due to the difficulties involved, a Chinese project will require a considerably long span of time to accomplish.
**Bulgarian—**A team that will translate The URANTIA Book into the Bulgarian language has been formed only recently.
¶ In the Waiting
Judging by the number of received inquiries, we will likely have projects for the Hungarian, Hindi, and Ukrainian languages in the near future.
Some of the above translation projects are funded by individuals and by national and local associations of the IUA. One local association in the United States has adopted the Chinese translation as a project they wish to sponsor.
Whether you act as an individual or as an organization, URANTIA Foundation invites you to Adopt-a-Translation. This does not mean that you would be expected to fund the project all alone. What it does mean is that you personally or your organization would be contributing financially towards a project of your choice.
If you choose to adopt a translation and become its sponsor, please contact your nearest URANTIA Foundation office.
¶ The URANTIA Book Language Accessibility to World Population
| Language | Native Speakers (in Millions) |
Percentage of World (6,000,000) |
Total Speakers (Millions) |
Percentage of World (6,000,000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 322.0 | 5.37% | 470.0 | 7.83% |
| Dutch | 20.0 | 0.33% | 20.0 | 0.33% |
| Finnish | 5.0 | 0.08% | 5.0 | 0.08% |
| French | 72.0 | 1.20% | 120.0 | 2.00% |
| Korean | 75.0 | 1.25% | 75.0 | 1.25% |
| Russian | 170.0 | 2.83% | 380.0 | 6.33% |
| Spanish | 332.0 | 5.53% | 380.0 | 6.33% |
| Total 2001 (English + Publiched Translations) |
996.0 | 16.60% | 1340.0 | 22.33% |
| Arabic | 186.0 | 3.10% | 186.0 | 3.10% |
| Bulgarian | 7.7 | 0.13% | 9.0 | 0.15% |
| Chinese, Mandarin | 885.0 | 14.75% | 1052.0 | 17.53% |
| Estonian | 1.1 | 0.02% | 1.1 | 0.02% |
| Farsi (Persian) | 24.3 | 0.41% | 24.3 | 0.41% |
| German | 98.0 | 1.63% | 128.0 | 2.13% |
| Greek | 12.0 | 0.20% | 12.0 | 0.20% |
| Italian | 55.0 | 0.92% | 62.0 | 1.03% |
| Indonesian | 26.0 | 0.43% | 140.0 | 2.33% |
| Japanese | 125.0 | 2.08% | 126.0 | 2.10% |
| Lithuanian | 4.0 | 0.07% | 4.0 | 0.07% |
| Romanian | 26.0 | 0.43% | 26.0 | 0.43% |
| Swedish | 9.0 | 0.15% | 9.0 | 0.15% |
| Total In Progress | 1679.1 | 27.99% | 2014.4 | 33.57% |
| Total Languages (including those in progress) |
2675.1 | 44.59% | 3354.4 | 55.91% |
Native speakers: www.infloplease.com/ipa/AO774735.html and www.ethnologhe.com
Total speakers: www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/AO8_I_7376.htm, www.ethnologue.com and www.encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?n=76157064&sid=36#s36
¶ The URANTIA Book Internet School (UBIS)
We are pleased to announce that The URANTIA Book Internet School (UBIS) for Spanish—speaking readers is now functioning on the Foundation website. For information, go to https://new.ubis.urantia.org/moodle/?lang=es
The UBIS—English version fall semester is underway with four courses fully enrolled. Registration for the Winter Semester begins on January 2, 2002, and courses will begin on January 21. Plans are underway to establish a UBIS—French version in the near future. This will be the fourth language added to the UBIS outreach already occurring in Finnish, Spanish, and English.
¶ A Service Opportunity
The UBIS needs Teacher/Facilitators to help with the growing number of students enrolling each semester. Those with an interest in this unique kind of service opportunity, please let us know. More information is available on the URANTIA Foundation website or by contacting your nearest Foundation office.
¶ Library Placement
Since 1955, URANTIA Foundation has donated copies of The URANTIA Book to libraries. Within the first few weeks of publication, the Foundation sent a copy of the book to major National Libraries around the world. Over the years, readers have been encouraged to assist in this program and it has become an increasingly popular avenue of service. Literally thousands of books have been donated as a result of this program.
Individuals and groups of readers have embarked on special projects targeting libraries in specific regions. By taking an organized and methodical approach, they have succeeded in covering hundreds of libraries in short spans of time. To name a few:
- Prisons in the USA— In 1998 readers in the Northwest URANTIA Association initiated a prison library placement program by encouraging readers to donate $5 per prison to have a URANTIA Book shipped to a prison library. Hundreds of prison libraries throughout the United States received a copy of The URANTIA Book within a period of two years thanks to the persistent efforts of readers.
- Texas— In Texas, a reader worked with URANTIA Foundation over several years and covered hundreds of libraries around the state with both English and Spanish editions of The URANTIA Book.
- India and Asia— URANTIA Foundation’s Field Representative has been placing books in libraries throughout India and Asia for several years. In India alone, he has placed over 3,000 books. During 2000 and 2001 he traveled to Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, placing books in Christian college libraries, university libraries, and public libraries.
- Foundation Representatives— Foundation Representatives are volunteers who work with URANTIA Foundatio to help seed the revelation in their countries. Library placement programs are an important aspect of their work. URANTIA Foundation furnishes them with books for this purpose. In countries where there is no translation yet available in the native language, public and university libraries are sought that have large English—language collections, or sections that have books in foreign languages in which The URANTIA Book has been translated. Representatives are active in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Ecuador, Estonia, Greece, Indonesia, South Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Russia, Senegal, Spain, and Uruguay.
- Australia and New Zealand— In Australia, readers first organized a national project in the mid—1980’s where approximately 400 books were placed in major public libraries across the nation. A survey of readers was taken at a conference some years later and over half said they had found The URANTIA Book in their local library. Shortly thereafter, readers in New Zealand followed suit and placed books in their major libraries. The Australia and New Zealand URANTIA Association (ANZURA) continues to monitor the libraries and coordinate with readers to insure ongoing coverage.
- Great Britain— Readers in Britain coordinated a Library Placement Project and delivered books to over 200 of the major libraries throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- France— Ten years ago, the association of URANTIA Book readers in France organized a Library Placement Program in which about 120 books were placed by readers in libraries.
- Africa— URANTIA Foundation has provided books to readers who have been travelling throughout the African countries over the last few years for library placement.
Initially, mostly returned or damaged books were used for these donations. However, as this program gathered momentum over the years it has become necessary to draw from new stocks of books which taxes the Foundation’s resources considerably. Nevertheless, because this method has proved to be successful in bringing The URANTIA Book to hungry souls, the Foundation intends to continue with this program and hopes that readers and reader groups will continue to support and assist it.
This work can only continue with the assistance of volunteers and donations for the placement of books. URANTIA Foundation exists because of your generosity. We are eternally grateful for the tireless efforts of those dedicated readers who labor for this cause.
¶ Bookfair Update
London—April 1-4. URANTIA Foundation’s Marketing Representative for distribution teamed up with our office staff in Great Britain. Together they organized a URANTIA Book display booth at the London International Book Fair and they are working on a fresh approach to the British book market.
Argentina—April 16-May 7. The Foundation Representative in Argentina displayed El libro de URANTIA at the Buenos Aires Book Fair at the booth of a major distributor of El libro de URANTIA in South America.
Poland—May 16-20. Once again, the Foundation Marketing Representative joined volunteers, this time in Poland, manning a display booth at the Warsaw International Book Fair. Significant interest was shown in the book and many seeds were sown in preparation for the Polish translation.
South Korea—June 1-6. URANTIA Foundation displayed the Korean translation of The URANTIA Book at the Seoul International Book Fair. The booth was organized by Korean readers under the leadership of the Foundation Representative for South Korea.
Russia—September 4-10. The manager of the Foundation’s St. Petersburg office, with the help of volunteers, organized a booth at the International Book Fair in Moscow to display and promote the Russian translation of The URANTIA Book. The second printing of the Russian translation was funded by generous contributions from worldwide readers and an anonymous “matching” donor.
India—January 29-February 4. The Foundation displayed The URANTIA Book once again at the biennial International Book Fair in New Delhi. Staff and reader volunteers followed up on contacts made at the previous Book Fairs and continued to find inroads into the enormous English—speaking market in this nation.
**Quebec—**Volunteer staff of the Quebec URANTIA Foundation branch office have participated in three book fairs this year: one in February in Sept-Iles, a town in the north of the province of Quebec, another in the city of Hull, and one in Quebec City.
¶ News From International Urantia Association (IUA)
¶ Spain
Asociación Urantia de España —The newest IUA, Asociación Urantia de España, was licensed on 16 September 2001 in Seville, Spain with twenty new members in attendance. Representing IUA at the chartering was Chairman of the IUA Council of National Presidents and Vice—Presidents, Seppo Kanerva, and representing URANTIA Foundation was Trustee Georges Michelson—Dupont.
We welcome these new members to the IUA family and wish them success in the dissemination of the teachings of The URANTIA Book.
¶ Colombia
First Colombian National Conference—The first conference of the URANTIA Association of Colombia, Primer Congreso Colombiano de Lectores de El libro de URANTIA, was held 18 —20 August. One hundred thirty readers attended the conference held at a beautiful conference center atop a green mountain overlooking the bustling city of Bogota.
URANTIA Foundation Trustee Richard Keeler, IUA Administrator Cathy Jones, and staff member Bob Solone from the United States attended. The conference theme was “Travesia Hacia el Paraiso” (Journey Towards Paradise). Fifteen speakers presented well—researched and well—prepared, URANTIA Book—related material using slides and charts. Talented musicians performed both popular and traditional Colombian music. URANTIA Foundation congratulates our Colombian friends on a successful conference.
New Local Association in Colombia—A final highlight of the Bogota Conference was the licensing of Asociaci6n URANTIA San Jose Eje Cafetero, South America’s newest local association. San Jose is located just outside Bogota. Many of the leading citizens of this town, including the mayor, are readers of El libro de URANTIA.
This new group from San Jose has been reading El libro de URANTIA since 1996 and meet for study daily. Their dedication and joy in living these advanced principles is indeed an inspiration. URANTIA Foundation welcomes our Colombian friends to International URANTIA Association.
¶ Senegal
New National Association of IUA in Senegal—The newest National Association of IUA: Senegalese Association for the Research, Study, and Formation of Progressive Spirituality (ASREFLU) was formed on 25 February 2001 in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. Eighty—six members have joined this new association. Trustee Georges Michelson—Dupont represented IUA and URANTIA Foundation at the inauguration.
The President of this new association, Moussa N’diaye, a Moslem, has succeeded in introducing the teachings of The URANTIA Book to over 800 people. Many may remember the inspiring report a couple of years ago of Moussa who trained many of his fellow countrymen with only one URANTIA Book. His training methods stem from the principles of understanding the man inside first before taking him to higher aspirations of enlightened truth. Without offending his Moslem students with teachings about Jesus, and as the students opened themselves up to the Spirit of Truth, Moussa would slowly unfold the teachings contained in The URANTIA Book. Gradually, as the students understood this life—changing knowledge in sequence, they began to rejoice in accepting the teachings of the book.
We welcome our Senegalese brothers and sisters to the International URANTIA Association.
¶ Québec
Québec Conference—The Quebec URANTIA Association held a Conference on the theme “Living His Faith” at Lennoxville, from 10 —13 August 2001. Moussa N’diaye from Senegal was a guest—speaker. Trustee George Michelson—Dupont and his wife Marlene were accompanied at the conference by the President of Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d’URANTIA, Severin Desbuisson. Matt Viglione and Jay Peregrine from the Chicago office also attended the conference and met with Foundation staff and readers throughout Quebec.
¶ United States
USUA National Conference—On 19 —23 July the United States URANTIA Association held its national conference at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas. Among the 108 attendees were readers from throughout the U.S., three from other countries, and many young readers who participated as part of their summer tour (see related article on next page). The program focused on preparing as teachers and leaders for our community and offered educational programs, workshops, music, and social activities.
¶ Argentina/Bolivia/Chile
Conference of Readers from the Southern Cone URANTIA Association—The Southern Cone URANTIA Association invites all to a conference of readers from 23 —25 November 2001 in Santiago, Chile. The theme of this conference will relate to the concepts of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.
The venue for the conference is in Malloco, some 40 km southwest of Santiago, in a spiritual retreat center called “Casa de Retiro San Jose.” Conference attendees shall meet on the 23rd at 6:00 p.m., have dinner together, and continue for the next two days.
For more information, please send an email to: nadineloubet@yahoo.fr or andrea enriqueta@entelchile.net
¶ IUA — Would you like to become a Member?
The International URANTIA Association works in a complementary capacity with URANTIA Foundation, the publisher of The URANTIA Book. Its purpose is to foster the in-depth study of The URANTIA Book and the orderly dissemination of its teachings. It is a reader membership, task-oriented, social and service organization, and is designed to assist URANTIA Foundation in achieving its objectives as stated in The Declaration of Trust Creating URANTIA Foundation. IUA provides interactive learning environments in which participants may deepen their knowledge of The URANTIA Book, increase their teaching and leadership skills, and enjoy fellowship with other readers.
For further information about IUA, visit its website: http://urantia-uai.org/
¶ UBYouth Tour 2001
The “UBYouth Tour” consisted of a string of events that were attended by a group of mostly young—adult readers. The tour involved carpooling thousands of miles throughout the United States and Canada, meeting with other readers and reader groups along the way. The main events of the tour were the URANTIA Camp at a “Rainbow Gathering” in Idaho, a United States URANTIA Association (USUA) national conference in Leavenworth, Kansas, and two young reader meetings, one in Chicago where they stayed at 533 W. Diversey Parkway, URANTIA Foundation headquarters, and one at a retreat center in Ontario, Canada.
The young readers are planning a similar tour for next summer, and according to glowing reports about the success of this summer’s experience, the upcoming tour will build upon the family feeling that developed, and the life-changing experiences that took place this summer. Plans are to start in the western United States, then New York, and on to France for the 2002 IUA International Conference, 3-7 August. From there, they will continue their trip through Europe for the rest of August.
Photos from the tour, as well as other information about the worldwide group of young readers, can be found at https://ubyouth.org/
¶ Staff Changes: Spanish Desk - Robert Solone, Víctor García-Bory
Staff member Robert Solone has assumed a new position as Research and Communications Coordinator for URANTIA Foundation. Robert’s work at the Reader Services Spanish Desk will be assigned to Víctor García-Bory.
Víctor is a native of Mexico and for the last two years resided in London, England. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and a Masters degree in Organizational Development from the University of Tepeyac, Mexico. His recent position with a London firm utilized his expertise in direct marketing, sales promotion, and public relations. In addition to his duties in the Reader Services Department, Víctor will assist with Latin American and Spanish distribution and marketing, and he will do some translating. He will work with Manager of Reader Services, James Woodward.
URANTIA Foundation welcomes Víctor and Robert to their new positions at the head office.
¶ Thank You!
URANTIA Foundation gratefully acknowledges and thanks the courageous souls who traveled to Oklahoma City to testify on behalf of URANTIA Foundation at this first-ever trial concerning The URANTIA Book. These individuals, all of whom have been devoted to the teachings of The URANTIA Book for decades, exhibited their unwavering loyalty to the revelation. Not all of them ultimately were needed to testify in court, but they all caused us to be proud to be associated with such individuals dedicated to the highest values of truth, beauty, and goodness as expressed in The URANTIA Book. These people demonstrated their willingness to go the second mile of free will, devoted service, and we owe each of them a debt of gratitude:
- Mary Lou Hales—Forum Member and Charter Member of First Urantia Society
- Katharine Harries—Forum Member and Charter Member of First Urantia Society
- Carolyn Kendall—Forum Member and Charter Member of First Urantia Society
- Liz Engstrom Cratty—Author & Publisher
- Rob Davis—Publishing Industry
- Ann Garner—Former Fellowship General Council Member
- Barbara Newsom—Historian and Charter Member of First Urantia Society
- Les Tibbals—Founding member of Spirit of Oklahoma URANTIA Association.
- Arden Schilb—Forum Member and Charter Member of First Urantia Society (provided signed declaration in lieu of testimony).
- Thomas Kendall—URANTIA Foundation Past President and Member of First Urantia Society (provided signed declaration in lieu of testimony).
- Helen Carlson—Forum Member and Member of First Urantia Society (Helen has passed on from this world, but her deposition testimony given on behalf of URANTIA Foundation was read to the jury).
We also wish to thank those who courageously sat on the side of URANTIA Foundation in the courtroom gallery. They gave us the courage and energy to carry on during these difficult times. We are also grateful for the many individuals, named and unnamed, whose prayers and encouragement continue to sustain us.
¶ Finland Office Changes Managers - Pekka and Kristina Siikala
In 1993, URANTIA Foundation opened a Branch Office in Finland. Seppo Kanerva and Seppo Niskanen have ably managed the Helsinki office for eight years. Seppo Kanerva has also served as the Foundation’s Manager of Translations and, until recently, as Manager of Foundation Representatives.
Due to an ever-increasing workload associated with translations, the office duties have been handed over to Kristina and Pekka Siikala. They are long-time readers of The URANTIA Book. Kristina Siikala, whose native language is Swedish, but who speaks fluent Finnish, and English, has a Bachelor degree in Economic Sciences. She has served as the treasurer of the Finnish URANTIA Association for four years. Mr. Pekka Siikala has a small information technology business. We are pleased to welcome them to our worldwide network of URANTIA Foundation Offices.
The Finnish Office serves the countries of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Estonia. Their new address is:
Pekka and Kristina Siikala
Urantia Foundation / Urantia-säätiö
Luhtikyläntie 712
16300 ORIMATTILA
Sähköposti: urantia-saatio@urantia.fi Puhelin ja faksi (03) 777 8191
The Trustees and staff of URANTIA Foundation would like to extend our appreciation to Seppo Kanerva and Seppo Niskanen for their tireless efforts and years of service at the Finnish Office. Per capita, Finland has the most URANTIA Book readers in the world. We know the Siikalas will keep up the excellent tradition set by the past managers.
¶ Announcements
Holiday Sales — Please note that all of our merchandise will be on sale beginning November 1. The sale will continue through December 31, 2001. This includes our usual items as well as those that we sell only during conferences (pens, mugs, caps, t-shirts, etc.). These make great gift items. Also available are limited quantities of the Concentric-Circles jewelry in Sterling silver designed by Janet Quinn Nielson. The pendants sell for $49.00 and earrings for $96.00 or a set for $140.00. For more information on any sales items, please contact the head office. Be sure to place your order today!
Christmas Oyen House — We will once again be hosting our Christmas Open House at URANTIA Foundation headquarters. Please mark your calendars for December 9, 2001. The open house begin at 3:00 p.m. and continue until 7:00 p.m. All are joyously welcome!
IUA Journaf Subscriytions — The IUA Journal is a subscription magazine for readers of The URANTIA Book. Many wonderful articles on science, history, and other subjects have ap- peared in the Journal over the years. Recent articles include: The Importance of Worship and Prayer; Tracings in the Sand; Revelation and Patience; Morality as a Category of Universe Reality; and On Religion: Do the Teachings of The URANTIA Book Constitute a New Religion? Should Believers in the Fifth Epochal Revelation Establish a New Church? There are four is- sues of the Journal a year, each one containing interesting, and thought provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Each issue is available in English, Finnish, French, and Spanish. If you would like to receive the Journal but are not a member of IUA, please contact the nearest Foundation office. Each subscription is $20 per year, for four issues.
¶ Comments from Readers of The Urantia Book
“I have bought a copy for myself immediately and I have read the book twice. For me it is the most wonderful and precious thing I have ever possessed. This book has given me information that I could only dream to receive during my life here on earth. I speak about its contents with my children and I’m sure they are going to read the book themselves one day, when they have finished school. Please save the book’s purity.” ~ THE NETHERLANDS
“And at the end of the day, when the heroes with a thousand faces remove the last of the wreckage and carnage of war and hate, this gospel of the kingdom will rise once again from the ruins. And the Fatherhood of God will lift Man’s hearts, and the Brotherhood of Man will take flight once more…beyond the hate, beyond the evil, beyond the darkness…beyond the veil of time…through the heavens…a phoenix rising…against a white background of starlight…against a white background of love.” ~ Georgia, U.S.A.
“This is an excellent book because it presents indepth (form & content) the mutual relations between the science, philosophy, and religion on a universal scale.” ~ Plovdiv, BULGARIA
“I have been reading Le Livre d’URANTIA for the past 18 years now; it has completely changed my life, it has answered so many questions (and triggered just as many new ones). If I skip reading it for just one day, I feel something missing in my life. The revelations in that book sure puts everything else into perspective.” ~ Gatineau, QC CANADA