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Greetings fellow truth seekers and students of the URANTIA Book!!
I am starting this topic to explore the history, current status, and potential future of the dissemination of the UB and its teachings and I invite all who will to join in. There is no particular focus for the thread but some ideas for sharing might include:
How I found the UB (or did it find me?)
Forms of dissemination you have attempted and found either success or failure in those different forms of effort.
Current dissemination efforts you are supporting.
Forms of dissemination you would like to support or know about.
The history of UB dissemination efforts.
Dissemination began back in the 1950’s by the Foundation and the Brotherhood (formed originally by members of the Forum). The Foundation has, for the last 60 years, been the publisher of the UB and its distributor. Distribution was originally an exclusive work for the Brotherhood which developed many grass roots systems and networks for hand to hand, study group, library, used and new book stores, book fairs, Jesus Birthday celebrations, local conferences, and other forms for getting the printed book into circulation. That success allowed the Foundation to focus on two priorities: commercial book distribution systems and translations. The Foundation has also been very supportive in supplying free or discounted books to many disseminators over the decades.
Today, the Foundation and the Urantia Association work together to get cases of books into the hands of study group hosts and Association members (and others) overseas where there is no commercial distribution system – demand must come before the supply side will respond. So while the West can buy UB’s from multiple commercial book distributors, books are being shipped into India, Africa, S. America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Philippines, and other countries where there are students and study groups needing books (often such places require free or deeply discounted books due to national/local poverty). Some disseminators do truly take great personal risk in this act of dissemination in service to the growing student body.
While there are over 1000 study groups that meet in person, the fastest growing form of study groups are Skype and on-line, usually organized by language rather than geographical proximity. The Foundation and Association do not need to create readers or promote readership….as the growth in readership is now an exponential explosion of demand making it more important to “respond” to rather than “create” demand. Many from sponsoring organizations are also on the ground in every continent and many countries, organizing group events and supporting study group hosts and establishing book distribution networks, either private or commercial.
The number of schools with published curriculum and experienced instructors is increasing and so is their student body. My wife and I have taken 3 classes with UBIS where each class of 20 often had students from 3-4 continents and 6-8 different countries!!! From my first touch of a UB to today, the planet is being blessed by the efforts of so many to disseminate the book and its teachings.
As to dissemination of the “teachings” of the Revelation, there is much variety. The Association’s efforts are to promote the living of the truth by those who disseminate and the sharing of knowledge, truth, experience, and wisdom by students with each other – there are no creeds, dogmas, beliefs, or other forms of leadership or group expression of the teachings….the book contains the teachings and students both learn from and teach one another in their learning and sharing and caring. The readership determines the form and content of disseminating the teachings and not the service organization or any form of hierchy (no damn priests allowed!!)
There is access here at this website for information and updates as to current dissemination projects which the Association is supporting now and a great historical archive about prior efforts and links to various groups and individuals who also work to disseminate the UB.
A big thank you to I don’t know who….but to you and them who got a used UB into a small used book store in a little dusty western town in 1976 just in time for me to find it after looking for my own book for over 2 years after another hippie loaned me his for a summer read in 1974. And to those gentle folk in Northern California who were the first readers I ever met and not until 1984 who placed a book, a Concordex, and a Paramony in the public library which I found roaming the religion/philosophy aisles as I always do – I was struck by lightening and wept in joy that day. Thankfully those days are long gone and the book is everywhere….but it did not happen easily, quickly, or without the work of thousands of students. But there are still places where the book requires the passing of the book from one reader’s hand to another’s hand carried by boat or burro to reach those who wish their own copy in their own language.
What a privilege to serve with a valiant corps of disseminators inspired to share that which has meant so much to each of us who so endeavor together in this service to our world and to those who made this gift to us. Peace.
Every time I go to the VA hospital I drop one off. Somebody is taking it home every time.
my only success.
My most recent attempt was a good friend is a seventh day adventist and I thought I could get him interested just because of the Kellogg/Saddler connection to the SDA Sanitariums etc
another failure
I’d love to gain some wisdom in successful discimination
Why disseminate TUB? The Spirit of Truth bathes all true believers. Is there something lacking in the Spirit that I am not aware of?
I came across TUB through a friend who received it from his professor. This was back in the early 90s. He felt the book could be put to better use in my hands as I was heavily into the esoteric at the time. On several occasions I tried introducing TUB to people but with no real success. And the little headway I made with introducing it, I have had to do some serious rationalization of the racial papers; the reaction I got from those who gave the papers a chance was it promotes white supremacy. I don’t bother introducing the papers to people now.–I now wonder if the revelations are even important in the greater scheme of things, which brings me to a question I asked earlier of emanny. In order of importance, which ranks higher, auto-revelation or epochal revelation? You don’t have to entertain that question. I just want to put that out there for rumination. If I am not mistaken, with auto-revelation and the other spirit ministries there is no need of a TUB.Why disseminate TUB? The Spirit of Truth bathes all true believers. Is there something lacking in the Spirit that I am not aware of?
BB
Every time I go to the VA hospital I drop one off. Somebody is taking it home every time.
my only success.Don’t count on it nelsong. I leave hundreds of magazines in my waiting room monthly and they disappear. People take them and they take the toilet paper and tissue boxes and plug-in odor eaters as well. I wish it were true but really the book must find the person who could benefit from it and then carry on, beyond the book.
If I am not mistaken, with auto-revelation and the other spirit ministries there is no need of a TUB.
You are not mistaken BB. TUB book eventually out grows its usefulness with the individual. The book is stagnant and the individual must progress.
Every time I go to the VA hospital I drop one off. Somebody is taking it home every time. my only success. My most recent attempt was a good friend is a seventh day adventist and I thought I could get him interested just because of the Kellogg/Saddler connection to the SDA Sanitariums etc another failure I’d love to gain some wisdom in successful dissemination.
Hello nelson….I hope you get many such strategies presented by other disseminators here. Yes, my favorite way is to lay the “bread upon the water” too. I’ve also left books around college campuses and “smuggled” them into used book stores and libraries. It often “disappears” from library shelves so one must be diligent in their replacement check ups! I’ve not found it useful to look for individuals so much as making the book available for some other agency to help someone find the book for themselves. But my first was handed to me and by someone who never read the thing….he just handed it to me and said…”Here, this book is weird and so are you so I thought you might want to borrow it and read it.” Weird….yes indeed.
Tens of thousands of people have given this Revelation to all others who now have it for their own pilgrim’s path. Bless them all. And you nelson….well done. We will not know which seeds so sown will find good soil and grow great fruit in the kingdom. Thanks.
Given my own experience and tendencies, I think using people’s curiosity may be a useful approach to introducing the Urantia Book. If someone had given me the book and suggested that I read it, I expect I probably would not have been as open minded when first opening the book. I saw the reference to “Urantia Book” in a bibliography for another book I was reading, and it immediately caught my attention and made me curious. I had no idea what the book was, but the name was so unusual, I just had to investigate.
I have done similar to what Bradly posted – I occasionally go into our university library and take the copy of Urantia Book off the shelf and leave it lying (invitingly!) on a table somewhere in the library. At the very least, a shelver will pick it up and maybe they will be curious the way I was. Another thought I have had is to just make stickers that say Urantia Book, and stick them on things in places where curious people hang out.
I have tried introducing the book to my grown daughter but it didn’t go anywhere. I remember when my mom first talked to me about her beliefs in Jesus and I was completely turned off. I know now she was right! and she meant well, of course, but in my case it sorta backfired. I never wanted to become a “Jesus freak” like her. I feel really bad about that, now …..
I confess that I am no longer a disseminator of the book itself. It’s not that I haven’t tried throughout the years. I am now a disseminator of the teachings I have learned from internalizing the book, which I attempt to live out myself and apply to life’s situations in my relationships with others. I have been successful in teaching what is in TUB without ever mentioning where I got the ideas from. I think I’ve incorporated them into my life philosophy so much that I can claim them as my own. I rarely use the words as they are in the book, but my own words instead. I know there are some purists who might think that is defiling the book, but that is exactly what Jesus taught his disciples to do. They were to internalize his teachings, each to his own, and then go out and share them with the world. Of course, they made the mistake of teaching about Jesus instead, and that turned out to be a wrinkle in the fabric of dissemination. My personal opinion is that focusing on dissemination of the text is the same as preaching the gospel about Jesus. I prefer to disseminate evidence of how the book has changed my attitude toward life and toward God by sharing a whole new look on reality not based upon myths, legends and fear.
Greetings. Most veteran readers do find much frustration, even failure and rejection, in trying to identify or evaluate who we should offer the book to, it is true. That’s why there are so many different ways utilized today that offer more opportunities I think. I find it odd that any who now have the Revelation unto themselves have any form of indifference to those who do not but especially so for those who personally seek it out and wish it for their own study and truth seeking and applications in their own lives. There is no need to seek out such ones as they are now everywhere!! Shall this lamp we find so helpful now be hidden under the bushel or removed from the hill top? Strange.
My belief is that disseminating the text – in whole and total – is not evangelism of any form. It is simply assisting those who wrote and gave this gift in their purpose for it…..the reduction of confusion and elimination of error to uplift the each and the all in their personal pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness. This website, and many others, would not exist for the readership of today without the commitment to dissemination by many for a long time to just “allow” the book to find voice through the readership. More readers is an inevitability. Some work in support of that and do so in many different ways. Others are content with their own possession of it. Both are fine…for it is the living of truth that does more effectively disseminate its truths.
But I am most amused by those, here, who claim the book itself teaches them that there is no purpose or value for the book due to their, now, understanding of mind and spirit circuitry!! Simply amazing. And a contradiction of the actual text where its purpose is clearly and redundantly presented. While it is not important as to one’s belief in the book’s authority, authorship, or truth content, it is the height of folly and inconsistency to quote the text and then contradict the text at the same time. Very illuminating. Others conclude far differently by their study and embrace of the teachings of this epochal revelation. What is the purpose of epochal revelation? Why would anyone ever want to disseminate an epochal revelation? What value might there be in the whole world, eventually, coming to know this book of revealed facts and truths about our source and destiny? I did not suspect there would be any doubt as to the importance of disseminating that which we all share here together. Curious.
Bradly wrote: My belief is that disseminating the text – in whole and total – is not evangelism of any form.But I do think it is evangelism. I also think the attitude and the spirit with which one evangels determines the degree of success. I have never, ever met with any success in the last 45 years spreading just the book, so I must be doing it wrong. However, I have had much success spreading its teaching. As soon as I bring up the book, people turn off and change the subject. It has not worked for me. I also have never encountered a single person looking for the book or begging to find the book. I only get emails from people begging for money so they can disseminate the book, which irritates the bejeebers out of me. I’ve had much more success helping people who tell me about their fears of armageddon, about the dangers of going to hell and all manner of fearful beliefs. Being absolutely confident about these things helps me instill confidence in others that these are myths created by people from long ago. But just handing them a book will not help them if they won’t read it out of fear . . . so I don’t. I’m so done with that. Very done. Every time I do it I regret it and I feel like some self-righteous idiot for having tried. But that doesn’t mean that I think it shouldn’t be done at all, just not by me. Done with that, end of story.
Bradly wrote: More readers is an inevitability.I agree. Our unseen friends help bring readers together. A few years back, about 1,000 weeks ago of my study group, a new (to us) reader introduced himself and this is how he found us. He was on foot and walking up the rural road towards his home, when he stopped to converse with the rural postman. He saw a piece of mail with the Three-Concentric-Circles Trademark in the postman’s hand and said. “That’s mine. I’ll take it.” To which the postman said no, because he was not the recipient. The recipients were/are long time UB readers and study group participants. And that’s how he hooked up with us. How about that for location and timing? Was it a coincidence?Mara wrote: How about that for location and timing? Was it a coincidence?That’s my point Mara. Those who are meant to read the book will find it. Pushing it on people is not necessarily God’s will for them. That’s the part of evangelism I despise, the proselytizing part. Reigning UB’s from the sky will not work unless the people who are rained down upon are meant to be readers. We are not the ones to determine that. On the other hand, the availability of the book in many different languages is helpful as long as you can trust the interpreters to maintain the original meaning, which is almost impossible to do. The best way to read any text is in the original language, albeit doing so is not always possible.
I agree with Bonita. I have come to believe TUB is ingeniously crafted in such a way that it somehow draws readers to it when they are ready to be receptive to what they will find inside. Being exposed to it before one is ready could be damaging to their spiritual path because it could turn them away from it before they are ready to give it a chance.
That is why I prefer the ‘bread on the waters’ way of dissemination of the book as opposed to the personally handing a book to someone way. That said, I do believe it can be effective in rare circumstances when people know each other so well and share a spiritual kinship such that one can share the book with another and it will be well received because of the foundation of the relationship of the individuals.
Bonita wrote:. . . as long as you can trust the interpreters to maintain the original meaning . . . .Ah yes. Interpretation. But interpretations evolve and that is good. Baby steps lead to the full stature of maturity. When I was a child, I thought like one. All grown now, I look back and see how my interpretations have evolved and enlarged, as regards the interpretation of the teachings in the book. It’s an open book. A springboard for all manner of interpretation, according to one’s desserts. I have long ago reconciled myself to those who would make fool’s gold of it. As a child I played with fool’s gold myself.Keryn wrote: That said, I do believe it can be effective in rare circumstances when people know each other so well and share a spiritual kinship such that one can share the book with another and it will be well received because of the foundation of the relationship of the individuals.In theory I agree with that, but in practice I have had absolutely zero success. My closest friends happen to also be those with spiritual tendencies, fellow seekers – a likely pool of potential readers, I thought. I have shared the book with them and given away many copies over the years with hopes of establishing a study group. Despite being enormously polite and gracious about receiving my a gifts, only one has bothered to read a few pages of it before he suddenly dropped dead, ending my hopes of ever gathering reader-friends. So yeah, that was the end of it that tactic. In fact, one friend actually asked me for a copy of the book just recently, but when I gave it to him, he suddenly changed his mind and refused it. And when I ask those friends who I gave the book to whether or not they’ve had a chance to read any of it, they immediately change the subject. I think most of them gave it to the Goodwill, which is another “bread on the water” method, I suppose.
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