© 1948 William “Bill” Sadler Jr.
Bill’s Discussion
How to Discuss Truth without Imparting Fact
Include figures of speech. Can present truth when it is inadvisable to reveal fact.
Example: Great White Throne. Before papers: “Long since an appeal was taken to the Great White Throne, but no ruling is as yet forthcoming.” This meant God to each person present. After papers came, it meant Ancients of Days. Truth, not fact. Even in light of present knowledge, the term is true, meaning S/U sovereignty. They avoided giving confusing facts.
Another example: Servitals becoming graduate guides. Central Shining and Luminous Persons, in Papers 24 or 25. Refused to explain though specific questions were asked whether it was Father, Son, or Spirit, or any combination. We interpret it that way, but it is our interpretation. The first example has been clarified. The second has not.
Symbols are wonderful method of dealing with truth without becoming stuck in the flypaper of unretealed facts.Long ago a midwayer said it was extremely hard to answer our questions because we knew so little. We sustain the same relationship in talking with a non-Forumite.
We should be intelligent enough to learn great lessons in teaching by a careful study of the manner in which we ourselves have been taught by a faculty of master teachers. In presenting cosmology, the story of the universe, the authors of the papers do not seem to be troubled by telescoping facts.Put God at the top and phenomena at the bottom. In the absence of information concerning intermediate points, the authors don’t hesitate to refer the phenomena to God.
In the lst and 2nd editions of the papers, gravity was called an attribute of the Father because Paradise was dealt with only as a place. Later, when they portrayed P. as having functions, they shifted gravity from the Father to P. Keep your telescoped line straight, not bulging. At no time did our say the Eternal Son was the center of gravity. God was.
Never worry about a Christian’s confusion concerning Jesus and the Et. Son. Represents a distortion in fact, but not of truth — because the Son could have done no more for us than Jesus did. You are dealing with equivalents of divinity from our perspective.
Two kinds of minds. One insists on Jesus as second person of Deity. Don’t disturb that concept. Our job is to help. Will have to be cautious. Second type of mind will be relieved to know that God has many sons.
Johah and the whale — Gadiah’s question. Jesus evaded that question as to fact and extracted the one and only truth that is in it — God’s love for the heathen. Study his answer!
Avoid bringing in new facts which may only becloud the truth which you have to offer and which may frighten your listeners.
Bill’s question one night: “Why don’t we get replies to this series of questions?” Andrer: “Too complicated. These papers are written primarily to save men’s souls, secondarily to illuminate their minds.”
Look first at man’s soul, not his mind. If you approach him intellectually, you may be tripped by intellectual pride. You know so much more than he. We’re not here to enlighten men, we’re to love them. Jesus didn’t tell the apostles so go out and repeat to menthe things he had told them, but to love them as he had loved them.Hold back your facts lest they trip you.
Atonement — Bill was asked about it before a fundamentalist congregation, steeped in John 3. He answered: “No man approaches the Father save through the Son.” Statement is correct. Will not have to retract it later. The audience put its own interpretation on it.
(When Charlie Rawson gets questions on the atonement, he attempts to switch the discussion to the cross. Explains thet the atonement was Paul’s attempt to describe the meaning of the cross.)
Virgin Birth — “I’m not sure that any human being or human mind is wise enough to try to fidure out how God accomplishes his ends. It seems presumptuous. It may have happened one way or another.” Not important how it happed, but that it happened.
Bill’s discussion with Jew about Jesus’ divinity. “You explain to me how you were born and I’ll explain how Jesus was born.” Sperm and ovum. Why does sperm penetrate — not go the other way? Why don’t all sperms penetrate? Why do cells divide —amebaes don’t. The Jew conceded he didn’t know how the process operated as it does. Accepted the process, but didn.'t know why these things happened. Swallowed the camel, strained at the gnat. Can’t explain life, so you don’t have to explain how Jesus got here.
With Catholics, comment favorably on the purgatory concept. Avoid known problems. Bill’s discussion of secularism with priest — in complete agreement.
Simon Zelotes and the fire worshiper.Jesus saved the situation.
Don’t substitute information for love and truth.
Question: How can you convince someone of the love in the universe? You can’t convince them. You have to love them. Plant seeds, and it’s the Spirit of Truth that does the convincing. We are just seed sowers.
Essential error. In apocrypha there is evidence that the authors used great tenderness in approaching the concept of multiple Sons of God. Willing to wait years for that concept to grow. No chick may be hatched without the shell and after the chick is born, the shell is of no use. If you break the shell prematurely, you will kill the chick. If you warm it with affection, the chick will peck its way out and the shell will be discarded.
Ganid reprimanded Jesus because he didn’t help someone.
“The young man wasn’t willing to be helped. Two things possible. I. If he could live with us and if by our lives we could intringue him to ask for help, we could help him. 2. If he lives long enough, adversity will make him ask for help.”.
Don’t be over-eager. If someone shoves steal in your mouth, you gag. You may likz steak and it may be the best, but you’re not eating it, it’s being forced on you.
When people are too proud and don’t want to be helped, ask them to help you. Remember Jesus and the young man in the hills. Jesus said he was lost and asked the way.
Much more important that you tell people God loves them than that P. is the governor of the universe of universes. Talk about fundamental principles.
Jesus taught 3 things about the Father: God is Father, God is love, and God is spirit. You understand 2/3 — father and love, at least on human level.Don’t know what spirit is except that it’s nothing like us. But that isn’t important because we don’t expect to understand everything about God. Bebare of any teaching that is inconsistent with these fundamentals. You’ve got to start by assuming something. Assume Jesus knew what he was talking about when he made these statements. That’s north. You can figure out the other directions from that.
Deal with principles, not so much with details. Give your friend the big concept. Tell him about God. Don’t worry if he doesn’t know about the mansion worlds.
Don’t be dogmatic. Have more than one sermon. Have more than one way of telling your story.
Discussion of religion with a fundamentalist in a cafeteria. Bill spent time in cementing up the cracks in his religion. Didn’t dynamite the dam.
Discussion with 2 teachers. Bill started with Jesus’ 3 statements about God. Agreed on those. Then God is infinite, powerful, wise (that knocks out the atonement). We are at alpha and God is at Omega. Materially, we are dead sure about alpha. Can be spiritually sure about omega. If you really have faith in God, you can be sure of that. Then you can speculate on what’s in between. Beta would be mansion worlds, modified Catholic purgatory, etc. Also discussed free-will and man’s evolutionary processes. Didn’t discuss Jesus or the Trinity.
Use humor. When you stand on your dignity and lose your sense of humor you show lack of confidence in what you believe.
The argumentative defense of any propssition is inversely proportioncl to the truth contained.
Don’t becore involved in argument. You may have facts but not truth as concerns the principles you are dealing vith. Value of persuaviveness. It adas the quality of truth to fact.
Be gentle. When truth and error are bound up closely, be ccreful not to dissect too harshly. Present open-mindedly, teking into consideration the attitude of person you are talking to. Bill uses “elleged” superhuman authors.
When someone says they don’t believe, ask if they have read the book. If they have read and still don’t believe it, use an answer to turn eway wrath.
Use humor and wisdom. Do not arouse antegonism, sales resistance.
Don’t be concerned with errors at first. Remember Simon and fire-worshipper.
In approaching people to help them, Dr. S. looks for 2 things:
Refuse to discuss origin of book. When someonu asks how it came to be, say: “Readit. It explains itself, better than I can.”
Sample conversetion rith someone just starting:
“Do you believe that?”
“Isn’t that the damnedest thing?”
“Do you believe?”
"Yes, I do, but I’m sure you don’t now. But read it. It’s a beautiful book and I think you’ll like it. Look at the table of contents.”
Soneone just starting:
“This is the work of the devil.” Use great good humor and good neture. Remember: Ue have no proprietary interest in the kingdom of heaven. We just work here. Be humble.
Impress people with the way you live. “And it will not be so much by the words…” J. in Swiss lakes.
5 steps of salesmanship
Someone who has read the book and still says: “Work of the devil.” Srile at him and say, “I would disagree. I’ll sure you are sincere. Then please respect my sincerity.” Then withdraw the book. Don’t argue. Have faith in Spirit of Truth, Holy Spirit, and Thought Adjuster. Besides, you don’t have to believe this book to get to the mansion worlds.
On publication of the book, friends who knew we came to Forum will ask About it. How relate ourselves to our previous experience? “Yes, it’s related to the Forum. Look at the date. What do you think we’ve been reading all these years? How would you like to read it?”
The argunentative defense
A soft answer turneth away wrath.
Humor, good-nature. Humor presents a curved surface to the barb of ridicule. Square fortresses, round towers.
I have married a wife, ete.
J.'s story of how affeirs of this earth sometimos interfere with kingcow of heaven. Kingdon non’t weit. Rich man who made afeast end invited friends. All Eave excuses. Invited others. J. told story to illustrate “might miss the boat.”
People just too busy to listen or care. Occupied with good(!) things, like better unions, production, government, etc. This is getting close to the social gosper.
Our great prodlem — indifference. Seed thst falls on berren or stony ground. “I’ve got a religion. I’m happy. Don’t bother me.”
What’s good enough for Pop is good enough for me.
Self contentifent. Dr. Lena’s experience: “If itis sbout relicion, I don’t want to herr it. I’m settled in my religion. I don’t wish to be concerned.” Snug. Too satisfied.
We live ir civilization full of material things.— newspapers, radios, billboards. Conversetion languishing. Meditetive thinking diminishing. No time. Everything diverts human mind eway from inner life. This life is full for many people. Soil on thich we intend to scatter seeds is in meny places packed hard by the impact of material entertainment.
One of the bitterest experiences we will encounter is that of dealing with the man in the street who is not aware of the fact that he is spiritually hungry. We won’t even have a change to use humor or avoid argument. He just won’t care. Will be too preoccupied. God’s a long way off. His boss is close and vill raise his pay.
Neither hot nor cold — Indifferent
Not hungry for light nor afraid of darkness.
The people under the last three groups will give us no strong opposition. They will subject the members of our group to the cruelest trial of all.indifference. We will be stimulated by the first two groups.
The thing that was hardest on the apostles was when nothine heppened -monotony is hardest to bear.
We’ll find ourselves in a vacuum. Frustrated. Won’t have a chance to argue or use hunor. We’ll get set to pitch and discover there’s no batter, no plate, no one wants to play.
We must learn to identify “swine” — that you’don’t cast pearls before.
Don’t spead a banquet before those who aren’t spiritually hungry.
We are new type of seed-sowers. We santch no brands from any burning. All forms of worship are acceptable. It is attitude of soul that is important — not forms or names.
We can avoid the fury of the fanatic who hammers on tables screaming, “Your house is on fire.” The house may be faulty, but at least we know he has a house. And if he has built sincerely, it is enough.
We can be sorry for man who has married a wife. And for man who is not hot or cold, and we can follow J.'s example when he dia not waste words on young man in Swiss Lakes. Two ripening conditions:
It’s your life that matters. J.'s life is greater than his teachings.
If you want to intrigue the last three goups, live in a way that intrigues them. Lives are stronger than words. More compelleing, more inspiring than ;ords.
Bait your hook. Intrigue people by being unargumentative and by being good-humored. But you really intrigue them by how you live.
Case history — 2 men — 1. Older, kindly, spiritually-minded. 2. Younger, cynicol. “Evolution of Soul” to each. Older didn’t take it. Never mentioned it. Younger took hook, line, and sinker. Asked a lot of questions. Seed didn’t take root where it looked likely. Can’t be sure until you’ve tried. Sower parable. “You can’t tell by looking at soil.”
Dr. S.'s story of meeting Callahan, detective, on train in Europe. Sister cabled: “Brother died yesterday. His last words ‘Tell Dr. Sadler I’m gambling the fate of my imnortal soul on the truth of our convarsation.’” Dr. doesn’t know what he said. But said right thing at right time.
J. said — in emergency, Spirit of Truth will speak through you.
If you are humble and live truth, there is no reason why you can’t become a channel for truth.
Passage in papers: “As Jesus passed by.” Normal, casual, natural, not pre-arranged, rehearsed. Dr.: “Worry doesn’t make seeds sprout.”
Salt the episodes with faith and truth.
Charlie Rawson: Be like elevator starters — get people sterted ur. Where they get off is God’s business.
We must be diligent. Must work at the business of the kingdom. Must be in dead earnest.
Remember rich man on mension worlds. 3 questions about money. We may have to give an accounting too. An account of our stewardship. We have been given much light. May have to show hov we used it. Parable of talents will apply. They will expect dividends. J. to Peter: “Feed my sheep. Be a good shepherd.” Peter had light and J. expected much of him. He required of Alpheus twins just as much as he asked of Peter — consecrated lives.
An investment has been made in us and they would like the hishest rete of return thet this investment can pay.
Tom Brown, Urantia teacher-leader, asked to go to Peoria to answer questions of a new Urantia Society.
Use analogy. To a Mohammedan, Christianity with the Trinity is polytheistic. Urantia Book is no more polytheistic than the Koran. Really 1 Deity. Quote the Foreword and Universal Unity. All are different phases of one Deity.
Christian religion ignores cosmology. God is in everything — not only the God of personality, but also of universes. God is love, but also controls gravity.
Use analogy. The people who listened to Jesus had Moses and the prophets — why did they need new truth? All the things in the book supplement, but do not supplant the 3 things named in the question. Also, many people have different tastes and die. Some need to know the relationship of God to the physical world.
Material universes take origin in Paradise. They are not all here. Where are they? In potential, in the Unqualified Absolute. Nebulae come from them. Quote Paper 11. Paradise is antipodal repercussion of Eternal Son. Hegel: thesis and antithesis. When the Father separated himself from the Son, Paradise separated also. The Son is center of spiritual gravity, Paradise of material gravity. Father doesn’t do anything he can get anyone else to do.
Know your maps, be able to diagram it. Space is real, positive, active. Water traps it. Ice traps space and is lighter than water.
The Adjuster ruled it was not against the Father’s will. Whole experience was progressive revelation in Jesus’ mind. The human Jesus hadn’t experienced creative part of his personalyty. Wonderful lesson in the nature of the Bestowal Son. Humanity, divinity, and unity.
Don’t contradict or try to prove it isn’t. Don’t take aything away from anyone. Simon and the Persian. New recruit will find out for himself.
Discuss the Adjuster and the soul, and cite passage about the Reserve Corps. Also midwayer paper. Rest your case on the references — beyond that we don’t know. Four references on contact personality — UB 77:8.8; UB 110:5.7; UB 113:2.6; UB 114:7.9.
Quote from paper. Jesus to apostles.
Don’t know — but we’ll have one sometime. Stick to the book.
You will know who you are, and you will be known. Mansion Worlds, and Morontia Life.
What about divorced wives?
Same as 1900 years ago. No longer any giving in marriage, etc.
Is there continuation of family life?
Not specifically covered. Personal opinion is that attachments of family life are strongest on lst mansion world. Lessened later, but not ignored. Use Mighty Messenger example. God is more than King, he’s Father. His children like it.
No, don’t understand it. Probably no personality or Adjuster was present. Perhaps it’s only potential, though a physical being. The personality and Adj. probably bestowed on someone else.
You can’t win this one. Idealist is right and you’re wrong. Be good-natured, good-humored, and pull away.
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A lecture given by Bill Sadler to the Seventy, November 17, 1949. This document taken from Marian Rowley’s notes.
Some Tips on Personal Evangelism This notes are added in this article.