Urantia Book (Jesus, ritual, Earth, paradise, crucifixion)

[Katzpur]

Has anybody here ever read this? If so, what did you think of it. My friend's daughter has embraced this religion and I know nothing at all about it.

[ayani]

i've heard a couple things about this book, but i've never bothered to read it. most of what i hear about it is positive, though.

here's a link to the Urantia Foundation's main site.

http://www.urantia.org/

[Jaymes]

From Wikipedia:

Urantia is the name sometimes given to the spiritual movement whose principal text is The Urantia Book. According to The Urantia Book itself, Urantia is what the universe calls the planet Earth. The book, a self-purported revelation to the planet, was first published in 1955, reportedly authored by celestial beings in collaboration with a physician named William S. Sadler, living in the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois, USA. A handful of volunteers at that time, known as the The Forum, gathered together under the leadership of this physician to aid in the reception of The Urantia Book. The names of all humans involved in the project were intentionally withheld to prevent their unintended exaltation. Their possible identities are discussed in a matter of recent court record (p.9), but are as yet uncertain.

The book itself is divided into 196 papers across four major parts, and each paper is written as if presented or "sponsored" by a celestial being. The book was first published in English and has since been translated into a number of other languages. In 2001, the Urantia Foundation lost a court decision concerning the book's U.S. copyright, and the text of the original English version is in the public domain. Full electronic copies are available on the Internet.

. . .

The book somewhat erroneously has been associated with the New Age movement, likely because its origin is purported to be through channeling or materialization. The book's doctrine is largely consistent with the teachings of Christianity, but there exist significant differences between The Urantia Book's history and the Christian history of the life of Jesus.

As with Christianity, Jesus is of central importance to The Urantia Book. More than one third of the page count in the book is devoted to a retelling of his life. The divinity of Jesus is fully embraced by the book, as is his human nature. The following are attributed to him:

• He was a Son of God incarnate and "the light of the world"
• He lived a perfect and sinless life
• He was crucified and rose from the dead
• He performed many of the miracles described in the Bible, including the resurrection of Lazarus, the turning of water into wine, the feeding of the five thousand, and numerous healings of the blind, diseased, and infirm.
• He sent a Spirit of Truth after he "ascended into heaven"
• He will return again someday

The primary differences with orthodox Christianity include:

• The Urantia Book states that Jesus' crucifixion was not an atonement for the sins of humanity, instead his death is described as a human outcome of the fears of the religious authorities of the day.
• Though Jesus is described as a "Paradise Son" of God and a high personality who is the "sovereign ruler of our universe," he is not accorded the rank of second person of the Trinity, as he is in Christianity.
• The virgin birth is denied.
• In rising from the dead, Jesus was in a "more glorified form" according to The Urantia Book teachings. His physical body was not raised. (The physical body of Lazarus was raised from the dead, however, according to the book.)
• The return of Jesus is described as "an event of tremendous sentimental value," but otherwise "of no more practical importance to human beings than the common event of natural death, which so suddenly precipitates mortal man into the immediate grasp of that succession of universe events which leads directly to the presence of this same Jesus." The book says that it is not unreasonable to think that Jesus will return even more than once. Common Christian eschatology doctrines, such as the Rapture, where Jesus returns to take faithful believers to heaven and leaves behind unbelievers for tribulation, are denied.

Hope that helps, Katzpur.

[Katzpur]

Hey, thanks, Jensa! I never even thought to look on wikipedia.

[EnhancedSpirit]

Yes, I've read it. It's really out there Katz. I know you can read it online somewhere for free. My friend has a copy of it and told me about it. It was a little far fetched even for me But had some interesting things to ponder. I say skim through it, who knows, you might find the answer to some question you have had. Remember, you can find the truth everywhere, and everybody has something to offer. So definitely take this hint to read through at least some of it.

There might be a message for you.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by EnhancedSpirit

Remember, you can find the truth everywhere, and everybody has something to offer.

I agree wholeheartedly. But I'll probably try reading the Qu'ran before the Urantia Book. I really need to understand Islam better than I do.

[EnhancedSpirit]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

I agree wholeheartedly. But I'll probably try reading the Qu'ran before the Urantia Book. I really need to understand Islam better than I do.

I would say that you will get a lot more truth out of the Quran than the Urantia. But if your looking for some light reading, science fiction kind of stuff, the Urantia book is a good place to really throw your perspectives into wack.