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Would like Gene to point out concerning Divine teachers, Urantia is not in a helpless situation au contraire.
Divine teacher status would take a bit of research
however: if lucifer had not rebelled, where would he and his staff be right now? I’m not certain.
if Adam and Eve had not defaulted the genetic upgrade that the human race missed may have evolved people capable of revealing truth? Or the human race may have been closer to angelic beings. We may have been able to be closer to God through Jesus, knowing Jesus much better. Adjuster fusion may be much more common and accepted as normal.
no, we are not helpless Urantians but we are certainly earning the title of Agondonter
these quotes get me thinking – do you think the authors would be talking like that to beings on an evolutionary world free of rebellion and in possession of divine living teachers?
Yeah, I think so. The quotes are about the Spirit of Truth and the work he does in the soul. If a planet, regardless of status, receives a Spirit of Truth, then that Spirit will behave the same no matter where or what. Of course, the work the Spirit of Truth has to do is perhaps harder on a world of rebellion and default, but I doubt that it’s much harder. In fact, one could argue that it might be easier because the contrast between good and evil is more pronounced. Either way, we’re told this:
p382:6 34:7.6 Notwithstanding this double disaster to man’s nature and his environment, present-day mortals would experience less of this apparent warfare between the flesh and the spirit if they would enter the spirit kingdom, wherein the faith sons of God enjoy comparative deliverance from the slave-bondage of the flesh in the enlightened and liberating service of wholehearted devotion to doing the will of the Father in heaven. Jesus showed mankind the new way of mortal living whereby human beings may very largely escape the dire consequences of the Caligastic rebellion and most effectively compensate for the deprivations resulting from the Adamic default. “The spirit of the life of Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of animal living and the temptations of evil and sin.” “This is the victory that overcomes the flesh, even your faith.”
The spiritual effects of the rebellion and default do not affect us. It’s only in the mental and physical realms where we suffer the consequences. The Spirit of Truth is in the spiritual realm and when you work with him the spiritual result has dominion over the mental and physical realms, essentially neutralizing the repercussions of the rebellion and default.
p761:6 67:7.7 Caligastia rebelled, Adam and Eve did default, but no mortal subsequently born on Urantia has suffered in his personal spiritual experience because of these blunders. Every mortal born on Urantia since Caligastia’s rebellion has been in some manner time-penalized, but the future welfare of such souls has never been in the least eternity-jeopardized. No person is ever made to suffer vital spiritual deprivation because of the sin of another. Sin is wholly personal as to moral guilt or spiritual consequences, notwithstanding its far-flung repercussions in administrative, intellectual, and social domains.
The word itself, no.
Yeah, I agree. The word of God is living truth, right? They tell us that truth is inconcussible. But they also say that it when it becomes linked to facts, corruption creeps in.
118:3.3 Truth is inconcussible — forever exempt from all transient vicissitudes, albeit never dead and formal, always vibrant and adaptable — radiantly alive. But when truth becomes linked with fact, then both time and space condition its meanings and correlate its values. Such realities of truth wedded to fact become concepts and are accordingly relegated to the domain of relative cosmic realities.
What happens when people think the written word is the word of God, the living truth? Does truth then become wedded to fact?
What happens when people think the written word is the word of God, the living truth? Does truth then become wedded to fact?
My opinion, or should I say historically? Yes.
however, thinking about how Jesus interpreted the written word so many times for his audiences gives me reason to believe that intelligence and genuine truth seeking is remedial.
however, thinking about how Jesus interpreted the written word so many times for his audiences gives me reason to believe that intelligence and genuine truth seeking is remedial.
Yeah, he was a master of reading life into dead words. That’s for sure. I suppose he’s doing that still today.
we are told that we die because we do not fuse with our adjuster. Do you think the mechanism or other issues that make this the norm are analogous to how the Word gets distorted?
Analogous or caused by?
If our thoughts guide us Godward (or not), and the words themselves aren’t important to God, then I would say that the reason we don’t fuse has more to do with thought distortion. But since most normal people attempt to communicate with God in words, I think word distortion can lead to thought distortion, and then it can get messy.
It all comes down to the meanings of words and the attitude the individual strikes in regards to those meanings and values. Is it possible to attach erroneous meanings to words and then develop a distorted attitude toward God because of that? Yeah I think so. Can that slow spiritual progress? Definitely.
Excellent point.
Our motives are not always in line with our words. Some part of us can easily get in between the two creating difficulties. That said:
As the Word goes out as the original Son into the time space creation there must be built in distortions simply because it’s finite here and infinite perfection there.
As the Word goes out as the original Son into the time space creation there must be built in distortions simply because it’s finite here and infinite perfection there.
Well . . . perfection of Divinity only occurs on existential levels. All the rest of reality falls into 6 other categories of relative perfection (0:1.18). We’re out on the end of this spectrum. But the good news is that we have a focus of perfection to guide us toward those existential levels, the Thought Adjuster. And the other bit of really good news is that out here where we are is the place where the cosmic mind has it’s greatest function. In other words, mind gravity really has some oomph-power for us.
9.6.7 The greater the spirit-energy divergence, the greater the observable function of mind; the lesser the diversity of energy and spirit, the lesser the observable function of mind. Apparently, the maximum function of the cosmic mind is in the time universes of space. Here mind seems to function in a mid-zone between energy and spirit, but this is not true of the higher levels of mind; on Paradise, energy and spirit are essentially one.
They say that the most beautiful thing in the universe is the contrast between imperfection and perfection, creature and Creator. What makes it beautiful? I think it’s the Creator’s efforts and the creature’s willingness to be perfected . . . true, beautiful and good.
56:10.3 The supreme beauty, the height of finite art, is the drama of the unification of the vastness of the cosmic extremes of Creator and creature. Man finding God and God finding man—the creature becoming perfect as is the Creator—that is the supernal achievement of the supremely beautiful, the attainment of the apex of cosmic art.
I think the distortions are really imperfections in understanding meanings and values, which is one reason why it’s so critical to develop spiritual insight into true meanings and values by making contact with the Creator and learning his ways. Then let the cosmic mind ping away with its reality beacons to keep you in chartered waters.
what is the distorting mechanism/s? Personality? environment? Mental disease? After effects of rebellion? All of the above? Our physical brain?
Personality doesn’t distort. Personality is a pattern from the Universal Father on Paradise; it’s paid all its gravity debts so it’s non-distortable. Personality does have the power of choice though, and in that sense, it can create. But it can’t create without mind. Mind is its creative substance, which is why the Adjuster lives there, so we can co-create with him. What the personality chooses to create depends entirely on what’s happening in the individual mind.
Mental disease, brain damage, genetic variables affecting the function of intellect, environmental agents damaging the brain and/or distracting the intellect all play a role. In fact, there are certain racial factors too which influence the ability of the brain to make contact and respond to the adjutants. For instance, I think the blue man preferred alphabet writing, the red man preferred pictures for writing and the yellow man used symbols. These differences in preference affect the avenue in which creativity takes shape in the mind.
But the adjutants are relentless. They will continue their ministry until death do us part. Some people have legitimate reasons for their mental difficulties, some others are lazy, and some are actively resistant. Have you ever noticed that some people get pleasure from being contrary? Some folks get childish satisfaction out of being destructive rather than constructive.
As to the assault of the rebellion on the Word, we all know it happened. It was deliberate, deceitful, destructive and devastating. The rebels do their most destructive work in the mind arena. But I think it is a total cop out to blame the devil for evil thoughts. Doing so is immature and lazy. All mind ministries are urgers, prodders, coaxers and drivers toward reality (don’t forget those reality reflexes). All that far outweighs the potential stumbling blocks provided by the rebellion.
53:7.13 They continued their deceptive and seductive efforts to confuse and mislead the minds of men and angels.
Excellent point. Our motives are not always in line with our words. Some part of us can easily get in between the two creating difficulties. That said: As the Word goes out as the original Son into the time space creation there must be built in distortions simply because it’s finite here and infinite perfection there.
Gene….can’t say I really understand the following but I do think it goes to the issue of distortion. Also, as the 7 Master Spirits are ‘expressed’ in each Super Universe, there is a unique Word or expression of God’s nature and being by every Creator Son I think. They’re creative expression is also formed by wisdom as gained by experience.
The Paper 118 – Supreme and Ultimate is difficult for me but can shift a paradigm or two!!
118:4.1 (1298.1) Many of the theologic difficulties and the metaphysical dilemmas of mortal man are due to man’s mislocation of Deity personality and consequent assignment of infinite and absolute attributes to subordinate Divinity and to evolutionary Deity. You must not forget that, while there is indeed a true First Cause, there are also a host of co-ordinate and subordinate causes, both associate and secondary causes.
118:4.2 (1298.2) The vital distinction between first causes and second causes is that first causes produce original effects which are free from inheritance of any factor derived from any antecedent causation. Secondary causes yield effects which invariably exhibit inheritance from other and preceding causation.
118:4.3 (1298.3) The purely static potentials inherent in the Unqualified Absolute are reactive to those causations of the Deity Absolute which are produced by the actions of the Paradise Trinity. In the presence of the Universal Absolute these causative-impregnated static potentials forthwith become active and responsive to the influence of certain transcendental agencies whose actions result in the transmutation of these activated potentials to the status of true universe possibilities for development, actualized capacities for growth. It is upon such matured potentials that the creators and controllers of the grand universe enact the never-ending drama of cosmic evolution.
118:4.4 (1298.4) Causation, disregarding existentials, is threefold in its basic constitution. As it operates in this universe age and concerning the finite level of the seven superuniverses, it may be conceived as follows:
118:4.5 (1298.5) 1. Activation of static potentials. The establishment of destiny in the Universal Absolute by the actions of the Deity Absolute, operating in and upon the Unqualified Absolute and in consequence of the volitional mandates of the Paradise Trinity.
118:4.6 (1298.6) 2. Eventuation of universe capacities. This involves the transformation of undifferentiated potentials into segregated and defined plans. This is the act of the Ultimacy of Deity and of the manifold agencies of the transcendental level. Such acts are in perfect anticipation of the future needs of the entire master universe. It is in connection with the segregation of potentials that the Architects of the Master Universe exist as the veritable embodiments of the Deity concept of the universes. Their plans appear to be ultimately space limited in extent by the concept periphery of the master universe, but as plans they are not otherwise conditioned by time or space.
118:4.7 (1298.7) 3. Creation and evolution of universe actuals. It is upon a cosmos impregnated by the capacity-producing presence of the Ultimacy of Deity that the Supreme Creators operate to effect the time transmutations of matured potentials into experiential actuals. Within the master universe all actualization of potential reality is limited by ultimate capacity for development and is time-space conditioned in the final stages of emergence. The Creator Sons going out from Paradise are, in actuality, transformative creators in the cosmic sense. But this in no manner invalidates man’s concept of them as creators; from the finite viewpoint they certainly can and do create.
What distorts or corrupts the Mother Spirits mind ministry? Or the Spitit of truth?
The same thing that corrupts the Thought Adjuster’s ministry: opposition, resistance and obstructionism, refusal to go the way of universe gravity in preference for the “way of the self.”
But the Holy Spirit is a little bit different. She doesn’t rely as much on cooperation as does the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of Truth is limited in his ability to do his work by the person’s identification with the gospel message of the fatherhood of God. If a person doesn’t accept that on some level, the Spirit of Truth’s work is very much curtailed. But not so much with the Holy Spirit. Once that first moral decision is made and the soul is born, you’re stuck with her (affectionately speaking).
The Holy Spirit is part of the soul, and the soul will grow in and of itself, at least initially. The more you cooperate, the easier the job for the Holy Spirit, but she works on you even if you resist, like all good mothers. Her work is independent of your attitude . . . the soul must be fed in those early years. Mother’s don’t wait for their babies to cooperate.
34:5.5 Though the Spirit of Truth is poured out upon all flesh, this spirit of the Son is almost wholly limited in function and power by man’s personal reception of that which constitutes the sum and substance of the mission of the bestowal Son. The Holy Spirit is partly independent of human attitude and partially conditioned by the decisions and co-operation of the will of man. Nevertheless, the ministry of the Holy Spirit becomes increasingly effective in the sanctification and spiritualization of the inner life of those mortals who the more fully obey the divine leadings.
How do we deceive ourselves to the point where we loose track of these vital ministries and begin to talk to dead people and hear their voices or firmly believe we have had many lives before this one or have our unhealthy fantasies become our living reality?
Because man is a myth maker.
4:5.1 Religious tradition is the imperfectly preserved record of the experiences of the God-knowing men of past ages, but such records are untrustworthy as guides for religious living or as the source of true information about the Universal Father. Such ancient beliefs have been invariably altered by the fact that primitive man was a mythmaker.
This quote says primitive man WAS a myth maker, but apparently it still happens that some modern folk lapse into primitive myth-like thinking from time to time with their illogical creative imaginings. We even see it here on this forum from time to time . . . the mind at mischief . . . just hovering on the brink of reality.
Then there’s also a racial/cultural component which seems to favor myth making.
122:8.7 Oriental and near-Oriental minds delight in fairy stories, and they are continually spinning such beautiful myths about the lives of their religious leaders and political heroes.
Then again, Joseph Campbell would argue that myth making is part of the hero’s journey, a vital attempt of the human mind to relate to the transcendent. I think that’s all well and good provided the mind remains grounded in reality while playing with its contemplations. Those cosmic reality reflexes must be allowed to function. Once they’re turned off . . . all hell breaks loose . . . pandemonium.
The word of God . . . does it exist? If so, what is it? Where is it? How do we find it? How do we recognize it when we find it? They say the word of God is the bread of life. What does that mean?
This has been a most helpful topic and discussion to me. I am thinking that the “Word” of God is revealed and spoken (or echoed?) by every creature who hears, responds, and gives personal voice to God’s Love. I am especially impressed by the Holy Spirit’s role and the Adjutants who minister to the most ignorant, fearful, blind, primitive, immature, and material of all God’s children. The word of God is spoken endlessly in this friendly universe. And now we have the Father Fragments and the Son’s Spirit to give even more power and harmony and clarity to that Voice of Love.
This is how even the mortal tadpoles can serve….to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, demonstrate them in our daily life and walk, and share them others. Even we can be the Word….the choice made, the love given, self forgetting service to others, kindness, happiness, patience, perspective, wisdom, hope, faith, trust, and sublime peace.
Isn’t everything and everyone in all the universe of universes that are true, good, and beautiful…the Word of God?
And the Supreme the integrated and aggregated experiential expression of the Word?
Thanks Bonita….hope I’m not again in the weeds here.
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