What steps can Christianity take to re-invent itself?

[urantiavista]

Brothers & Sisters,

While considering this thread’s leading question, I think it behooves us to familiarize ourselves with the many accomplishments and ongoing individual spiritual transformations flowing daily through current Christianity – and not focus overmuch on the negative doctrines and practices.

I’ve been attending a local campus of a non-denominational Christian group (The Healing Place Church – a healing place for a hurting world). I find participation in their group worship and the fellowship of souls to be exceptional in intensity and sublimity. Their loving outreach activities – “whatsoever you have done for the least of these, my children, you have done for me“ – stretches from our locality and regional congregants to Africa, Honduras, and Nicaragua, feeding, clothing, sheltering, and educating many wretched poor, abused, and forgotten of our human family.

Yes, they fervently believe that the Bible is the literal ‘Word’ of God. Yes, they have misconceptions regarding Judeo-Christian history and doctrines. But –

I fraternize with simple friends who have totally and sincerely given their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them have long since given their every breath to the Giver of Life for our local universe, “born again” and consecrated to WORSHIP & SERVICE. With my own eyes I see the conviction of the Spirit of Truth and the grace of our Divine Minister powerfully move among these brethren every day. Sure, we all stumble along through the confusions and vicissitudes of mortal life on earth. Who among us (the FER readership) will point to themselves and claim preferment because they have the fifth epochal revelation to read while they type unending hypocritical arguments (I’m not pointing a finger at anyone particularly…) having nothing to do with living truth?

Imv, we can be well versed in the entire wonderful tome, but until we sincerely accept God in the form of our Creator Son as our personal Savior we aren’t established in the Way to our Father’s indwelling spirit. Jesus – Christ Michael is part and parcel of the Good News of sonship/daughtership and eternal life (see Paper 157).

32:3.6 – The surest safeguard for the creature throughout the long struggle to attain the Father, during this time when inherent conditions make such attainment impossible, is tenaciously to hold on to the truth-fact of the Father’s presence in his Sons. Literally and figuratively, spiritually and personally, the Father and the Sons are one. It is a fact: He who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Father.

168:0 – Then said Jesus, looking straight into the eyes of Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live. In truth, whosoever lives and believes in me shall never really die. Martha, do you believe this?”

180:2.1 – You must abide in me, and I in you; the branch will die if it is separated from the vine. As the branch cannot bear fruit except it abides in the vine, so neither can you yield the fruits of loving service except you abide in me. Remember: I am the real vine, and you are the living branches. He who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit of the spirit and experience the supreme joy of yielding this spiritual harvest. If you will maintain this living spiritual connection with me, you will bear abundant fruit.

180:4.2 – As I have lived with you in person, then shall I live in you; I shall be one with your personal experience in the spirit kingdom. And when this has come to pass, you shall surely know that I am in the Father, and that, while your life is hid with the Father in me, I am also in you. I have loved the Father and have kept his word; you have loved me, and you will keep my word. As my Father has given me of his spirit, so will I give you of my spirit.

196:2.6 – …to create a unified religion which might have given proper recognition to both the human and the divine natures of the Master as they were inseparably bound up in his earth life and so gloriously set forth in the original gospel of the kingdom.

Anyway, understanding that there’s much work to be done toward upstepping Christianity vis a vis the sage advices of the revelators, can we acknowledge the truth-value of the full gospel (which includes the “proper recognition” of the sovereignty and glory of the divine Christ) in tandem with the core gospel of the religion of Jesus, FOGBOM ? In the decades soon to come I think this will come to pass and the kingdom of the divine brotherhood will be emerging from its institutional cocoon.

[Mara]

urantiavista wrote:  . . . and ongoing individual spiritual transformations flowing daily through current Christianity – and not focus overmuch on the negative doctrines and practices.

Yes and thank you for your comments.  Each one of us can contribute to Christianity in our own way, according to our individual light and capacity to do so.  And it all depends on if a person wants to get involved with a Christian group or not.  I agree is does no good to focus “on the negative doctrines and practices.”  Focus on the positive.  See the good instead of evil.  Have faith.  Be of good cheer.  Build up, rather than tear down.  Jesus put something into people.  He wasn’t in the business of taking something out of them.

196:0:5    Theology may fix, formulate, define, and dogmatize faith, but in the human life of Jesus faith was personal, living, original, spontaneous, and purely spiritual. This faith was not reverence for tradition nor a mere intellectual belief which he held as a sacred creed, but rather a sublime experience and a profound conviction which securely held him. His faith was so real and all-encompassing that it absolutely swept away any spiritual doubts and effectively destroyed every conflicting desire. Nothing was able to tear him away from the spiritual anchorage of this fervent, sublime, and undaunted faith. Even in the face of apparent defeat or in the throes of disappointment and threatening despair, he calmly stood in the divine presence free from fear and fully conscious of spiritual invincibility. Jesus enjoyed the invigorating assurance of the possession of unflinching faith, and in each of life’s trying situations he unfailingly exhibited an unquestioning loyalty to the Father’s will. And this superb faith was undaunted even by the cruel and crushing threat of an ignominious death.

[Sabinatu]

2. Choosing the Six

^{138:2.1 (1539.4)} This first missionary tour of the six was eminently successful. They all discovered the great value of direct and personal contact with men. They returned to Jesus more fully realizing that, after all, religion is purely and wholly a matter of personal experience. They began to sense how hungry were the common people to hear words of religious comfort and spiritual good cheer. When they assembled about Jesus, they all wanted to talk at once, but Andrew assumed charge, and as he called upon them one by one, they made their formal reports to the Master and presented their nominations for the six new apostles.

^{138:2.2 (1539.5)} Jesus, after each man had presented his selection for the new apostleships, asked all the others to vote upon the nomination; thus all six of the new apostles were formally accepted by all of the older six. Then Jesus announced that they would all visit these candidates and give them the call to service.

^{138:2.3 (1539.6)} The newly selected apostles were:

^{138:2.4 (1539.7)} 1. Matthew Levi, the customs collector of Capernaum, who had his office just to the east of the city, near the borders of Batanea. He was selected by Andrew.

^{138:2.5 (1539.8)} 2. Thomas Didymus, a fisherman of Tarichea and onetime carpenter and stone mason of Gadara. He was selected by Philip.

^{138:2.6 (1539.9)} 3. James Alpheus, a fisherman and farmer of Kheresa, was selected by James Zebedee.

^{138:2.7 (1539.10)} 4. Judas Alpheus, the twin brother of James Alpheus, also a fisherman, was selected by John Zebedee.

^{138:2.8 (1540.1)} 5. Simon Zelotes was a high officer in the patriotic organization of the Zealots, a position which he gave up to join Jesus’ apostles. Before joining the Zealots, Simon had been a merchant. He was selected by Peter.

^{138:2.9 (1540.2)} 6. Judas Iscariot was an only son of wealthy Jewish parents living in Jericho. He had become attached to John the Baptist, and his Sadducee parents had disowned him. He was looking for employment in these regions when Jesus’ apostles found him, and chiefly because of his experience with finances, Nathaniel invited him to join their ranks. Judas Iscariot was the only Judean among the twelve apostles.

^{138:2.10 (1540.3)} Jesus spent a full day with the six, answering their questions and listening to the details of their reports, for they had many interesting and profitable experiences to relate. They now saw the wisdom of the Master’s plan of sending them out to labor in a quiet and personal manner before the launching of their more pretentious public efforts.

pre·ten·tious
prəˈten(t)SHəs/
adjective
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
“a pretentious literary device”
synonyms: affected, ostentatious, showy; overambitious, pompous, artificial, inflated, overblown, high-sounding, flowery, grandiose, elaborate, extravagant, flamboyant, ornate, grandiloquent, magniloquent, sophomoric; informalflashy, highfalutin, fancy-pants, la-di-da, pseudo
“Clytemnestra is a pretentious name for a dog”

I did stop reading to ponder the use of the word “pretentious” by the Midwayers to describe the “public efforts” of the apostles.

Educating yourself is very much a personal lifelong (and eternally long ) experience, also, that is comparable to acquiring a personal experience “religion”. Acquire something new everyday, right?

So glad it is a book this time as an “epochal revelation” and not a person. Whether it is christianity or any other “religion”, the error of psychology pretentiously pretending that it can control the social outcomes of “religion” will help release the religion OF Jesus to function properly as a normal and sane cosmic mind endowment.

[Vern]

urantiavista wrote:  …Their loving outreach activities – “whatsoever you have done for the least of these, my children, you have done for me“ – stretches from our locality and regional congregants to Africa, Honduras, and Nicaragua, feeding, clothing, sheltering, and educating many wretched poor, abused, and forgotten of our human family.

Hi urantiavista, thanks  for reminding us it’s all about manifesting “fruits of the spirit” consistent with personal integration of revealed truth.

urantiavista wrote:  …to do with living truth?

[Vern]

urantiavista wrote:   …In the decades soon to come I think this will come to pass and the kingdom of the divine brotherhood will be emerging from its institutional cocoon.

I agree. The time in which we live is a wonderful opportunity to clearly differentiate between good and evil………contrast is a great clarifier for a truth seeker…………to steel the resolve and strive with greater zeal to do right where wrong is so clearly defined.

[Vern]

When I initiated this topic I thought we would consider this question along the lines of methodology employed in professional problem solving as used by industrial designers, architects and town planners. My own qualifications are as an industrial designer and my training involved analysis of products into:

1. thing
2. need
3. form and function
4. materials
5. process

If this analysis was applied to an everyday product like “a spoon” the approach may look like this:

1. thing—spoon.
2. need—transfer food to mouth.
3. form and function—a stem with a bowl form at the end. Hand held tool with capacity to hold bite size portions. Thus its proportions are determined.
4. materials—various—historically, bone, wood, metal, ceramic—recently, plastic.
5. process—depending on use—turning and shaping, stamping, casting, injection molding, forming and firing.

If we applied these analytical steps to Christianity it may be approached like this:

1. Thing—Christianity is a religion resulting from the presence on our planet 2o21 years ago of our Creator Son Michael of Nebadon, incarnate as the man, Jesus of Nazareth.
2. Need—Reveal God to mankind and reveal mankind to God—Teach the Fatherhood of God and the consequent brotherhood of man.
3. Form and function—The church of believers growing to include all God’s children. Social evolution through mediation of spirit based on Jesus’ teaching “the kingdom is within you.” Liberating function of truth upon every believer.
4. Materials—Co-ordinate functioning of divine ministrations—The adjutant of worship, The adjutant of wisdom, The Holy Spirit—augmented by—Thought Adjusters, seraphim and the Spirit of Truth.
5. Process—Evolutionary planetary progress through socialization of truth—nobility of sonship resulting in the unified spiritual brotherhood of believers.

Christianity is a manifestation of the human instinct for Deity

I have appreciated the input from others on this topic as it has developed and made its winding course thus far. We have yet to apply Rodan of Alexandria’s technique of problem solving to this question of, “What steps can Christianity take to re-invent itself?” Who knows what new insights may come to light with such an approach?

Rodan gives great instruction regarding problem solving:

1. locate the difficulty.
2. isolate the problem.
3. recognize its nature and gravity.
4. fearlessly to face, what a sincere and logical mind discovers.

In the course of comments made, Sabinatu suggested a look at Papers 92 to 103 would be a worthy exercise. I shall now turn my attention in this direction and see what eventuates.

 Paper 92 sets the scene

Religion, hence Christianity, is a superanimal endowment…….inevitable evolutionary result of co-ordinate spirit ministry of three divine ministrations.

MAN possessed a religion of natural origin as a part of his evolutionary experience long before any systematic revelations were made on Urantia. But this religion of natural origin was, in itself, the product of man’s superanimal endowments. Evolutionary religion arose slowly throughout the millenniums of mankind’s experiential career through the ministry of the following influences operating within, and impinging upon, savage, barbarian, and civilized man: ^{[Paper92:0.1, page 1003:1]}

1. The adjutant of worship — the appearance in animal consciousness of superanimal potentials for reality perception. This might be termed the primordial human instinct for Deity. ^{[Paper92:0.2, page 1003:2]}

2. The adjutant of wisdom — the manifestation in a worshipful mind of the tendency to direct its adoration in higher channels of expression and toward ever-expanding concepts of Deity reality. ^{[Paper92:0.3, page 1003:3]}

3. The Holy Spirit — this is the initial supermind bestowal, and it unfailingly appears in all bona fide human personalities. This ministry to a worship-craving and wisdom-desiring mind creates the capacity to self-realize the postulate of human survival, both in theologic concept and as an actual and factual personality experience. ^{[Paper92:0.4, page 1003:4]}

The foundation of all the evolutionary religions of the world is the co-ordinate functioning of these three divine ministrations. Only after Jesus was here have the augmented influences of Thought Adjusters, seraphim and the Spirit of Truth, has accelerated spiritual planetary progress been possible. These co-ordinate spirit agencies will continue as long as this planet remains an inhabited sphere.

The co-ordinate functioning of these three divine ministrations is quite sufficient to initiate and prosecute the growth of evolutionary religion. These influences are later augmented by Thought Adjusters, seraphim, and the Spirit of Truth, all of which accelerate the rate of religious development. These agencies have long functioned on Urantia, and they will continue here as long as this planet remains an inhabited sphere. Much of the potential of these divine agencies has never yet had opportunity for expression; much will be revealed in the ages to come as mortal religion ascends, level by level, toward the supernal heights of morontia value and spirit truth. ^{[Paper92:0.5, page 1003:5]}

In light of the topic of Christianity re-invention itself it is worth taking note of the last sentence, “much of the potential of these divine agencies has never yet had opportunity for expression…”

The revelatory process has begun and is ongoing, the pace of revelation is dependent on capacity of reception. If we can accept and sanely integrate enlarged truth, concomitant with that, will develop an enlarged capacity to receive more truth. The scaffolding is not the building, the cocoon is not the butterfly, the river bed is not the river, if Christianity can dismantle its limiting scaffolding the building be clearly seen by all and can shelter all the people, receptive to augmented revelation “much will be revealed in the ages to come as mortal religion ascends, level by level, toward the supernal heights of morontia value and spirit truth.”

 

 

[Sabinatu]

Taking a second look at who/what/where/how/why of Jesus in the context of TUB is interesting, and the truth is probably going to be better received outside of Occidental races, for the time being. This passage came up during a “happy” word search:

6. Urantia’s Post-Bestowal Age

^{52:6.1 (597.2)} The bestowal Son is the Prince of Peace. He arrives with the message, “Peace on earth and good will among men.” On normal worlds this is a dispensation of world-wide peace; the nations no more learn war. But such salutary influences did not attend the coming of your bestowal Son, Christ Michael. Urantia is not proceeding in the normal order. Your world is out of step in the planetary procession. Your Master, when on earth, warned his disciples that his advent would not bring the usual reign of peace on Urantia. He distinctly told them that there would be “wars and rumors of wars,” and that nation would rise against nation. At another time he said, “Think not that I have come to bring peace upon earth.”

^{52:6.2 (597.3)} Even on normal evolutionary worlds the realization of the world-wide brotherhood of man is not an easy accomplishment. On a confused and disordered planet like Urantia such an achievement requires a much longer time and necessitates far greater effort. Unaided social evolution can hardly achieve such happy results on a spiritually isolated sphere. Religious revelation is essential to the realization of brotherhood on Urantia. While Jesus has shown the way to the immediate attainment of spiritual brotherhood, the realization of social brotherhood on your world depends much on the achievement of the following personal transformations and planetary adjustments:

^{52:6.3 (597.4)} 1. Social fraternity. Multiplication of international and interracial social contacts and fraternal associations through travel, commerce, and competitive play. Development of a common language and the multiplication of multilinguists. The racial and national interchange of students, teachers, industrialists, and religious philosophers.

^{52:6.4 (597.5)} 2. Intellectual cross-fertilization. Brotherhood is impossible on a world whose inhabitants are so primitive that they fail to recognize the folly of unmitigated selfishness. There must occur an exchange of national and racial literature. Each race must become familiar with the thought of all races; each nation must know the feelings of all nations. Ignorance breeds suspicion, and suspicion is incompatible with the essential attitude of sympathy and love.

^{52:6.5 (597.6)} 3. Ethical awakening. Only ethical consciousness can unmask the immorality of human intolerance and the sinfulness of fratricidal strife. Only a moral conscience can condemn the evils of national envy and racial jealousy. Only moral beings will ever seek for that spiritual insight which is essential to living the golden rule.

^{52:6.6 (598.1)} 4. Political wisdom. Emotional maturity is essential to self-control. Only emotional maturity will insure the substitution of international techniques of civilized adjudication for the barbarous arbitrament of war. Wise statesmen will sometime work for the welfare of humanity even while they strive to promote the interest of their national or racial groups. Selfish political sagacity is ultimately suicidal — destructive of all those enduring qualities which insure planetary group survival.

^{52:6.7 (598.2)} 5. Spiritual insight. The brotherhood of man is, after all, predicated on the recognition of the fatherhood of God. The quickest way to realize the brotherhood of man on Urantia is to effect the spiritual transformation of present-day humanity. The only technique for accelerating the natural trend of social evolution is that of applying spiritual pressure from above, thus augmenting moral insight while enhancing the soul capacity of every mortal to understand and love every other mortal. Mutual understanding and fraternal love are transcendent civilizers and mighty factors in the world-wide realization of the brotherhood of man.

^{52:6.8 (598.3)} If you could be transplanted from your backward and confused world to some normal planet now in the postbestowal Son age, you would think you had been translated to the heaven of your traditions. You would hardly believe that you were observing the normal evolutionary workings of a mortal sphere of human habitation. These worlds are in the spiritual circuits of their realm, and they enjoy all the advantages of the universe broadcasts and the reflectivity services of the superuniverse.”

“Caesar” is definitely not the “pressure from above” being discussed as the “the only technique for ACCELERATING the natural trend of social evolution”….

TUB is an “emergency” revelation.

Two of my friends, real friends at one time, found “Jesus” in the rock music, self-help sermon delivering “brotherhoods” of modern USA “Christian” churches when they moved away from their home town out into the big US of A. The transformation in their social skills was disturbing. They seemed to have acquired a whole new “political” book of limited vocabulary to explain their aggressive zeal for “Christ is Lord” that did not explain the new set of ethics that went with them out of the weekly service into their work, parenting, service to others. They acquired intolerance, mercilessness, hypercritical psychological analysis that erased their ability to see the “good” in anyone anymore – no one was good enough. A different take on the “you are all sinners” erroneous approach to introducing Jesus in light of the Atonement Doctrine. Very uncomfortable, and sad to lose the “spiritual brotherhood” connection true friendship is based on, usually. Could not trust them anymore because they provided no security or privacy for the other person, be it family, friend, customer or colleague, in their one on one relationships. Christianity seemed to hang on and pass on generation after generation what only Jesus was able to impressed as a “truth” on some of those who met him in the flesh – the fact that personality – the person, if you will – is “sacred”.

So I think “Christianity” has already recently re-invented itself. But it is coming up empty – in spirit.

Jesus never lost focus on discerning “God’s Will” as the Son of Man. I’m not getting that vibe in the modern adaptation of collective worship that was the re-invention started by Vatican II….one critique:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/opinion/vatican-ii-opened-the-church-to-the-world.html?_r=0

Why is Pope Francis focusing on changing people’s considered and rational reaction to “immigration” in tandem with other obtuse groups such as UK scientists who are shutting down some cerebral cortex functions with “magnets” to accelerate “acceptance” of “immigration”. Don’t think “magnets” directed at the biologic brain is the pressure from above, either, that TUB is talking about….yikes.

Maybe we should start carving out social security in our places of worship, again, the freedom (of speech) from persecution as “whistle-blowers” – and demand non-psychological explanations from religious “authority” as to why they are so certain that they ARE “God’s Will”, not merely discerning His “love” through “service to others” in the guise of “immigration”?

Have to agree with the PM of Hungary making the SANE observation that thousands of unaccompanied teenage men demanding food shelter and free access to everything else you got is an “army”, not “immigration”.

Ever raise a teenager? All are a “special needs” class of citizens to begin with as far as organizing their developing brains around ethics and service to others….the facts are what they are, it has been a slaughter of Christians in the Middle East since the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq….a “multi-cultural” decision, to invade, right?

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote:  …hypercritical psychological analysis that erased their ability to see the “good” in anyone anymore – no one was good enough. A different take on the “you are all sinners” erroneous approach to introducing Jesus in light of the Atonement Doctrine. Very uncomfortable, and sad to lose the “spiritual brotherhood” connection true friendship is based on…

Thanks Sab for sharing this experience of a personal loss of a onetime close friend through the effects of institutionalized religion. It is sad indeed that the enduring values of a personal relationship can be eroded in this way.

Being mortal means being imperfect, faith requires honesty to accept personal imperfection with all the less than lovely habits of a lifetime, to be forgiving of self requires ability to forgive others, the limitations that a sincere soul discovers in themselves. Judge not.

…Jesus had a firm sense of justice, but it was always tempered with mercy. He did not teach his apostles that they were to be imposed upon by social parasites or professional alms-seekers. The nearest he came to making sociological pronouncements was to say, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  ^{[Paper 140:8.12, page 1580:7]}

[Sabinatu]

“….Thanks Sab for sharing this experience of a personal loss of a onetime close friend through the effects of institutionalized religion. It is sad indeed that the enduring values of a personal relationship can be eroded in this way….”

They even mis-diag-nose “what is irony?”.  They paw through their psycho book and code it as “cynical”.  That’s what happens when the baseline – “first do no harm to soul growth” – is dismissed as believing in the Easter Bunny. Like their Math God is not another Easter Bunny fiction?

Without that baseline – what is the harm that you can’t do to another – if only because it is an EXPERIENTIALLY earned Rule of Law that did have it’s origin in “pressure from above”, God’s Will –

(this is the point I am babbling around)

– that is the LAW to be applied to every individual human being with a bona-fide imperfect personality – me, you, them, us, ALL – because that kind of earned law is based not on “faith” in an Easter Bunny, it is an earned right. Even TUB notes that nothing is allowed to replace the position earned through experience, ever, in that long journey to Paradise.

All of us got a Personality that was a gift given whenever the sovereignty of God’s Will decided in perfect wisdom o activate it.

There are no chosen people.  We all got the gift of a bona fide imperfect personality.  THAT is what Caesar can’t claim as his own, if he’s got any political smarts at all….

So the psychology that got all “christian”, that is in charge of managing the “religion” impulse as we are discussing, here, from Papers 99-103 of The Urantia Book,

is analyzing the moral and ethical interpretations – the Experientially Earned Rule of Law – against what standard?  Who/what is doing the judging? Spirit/soul?  Or even the secular outworkings of their version of personality, with all the mystery and paradoxes that only revelation can clarify the origins of – the “fatherly” pressure from above?

They have a play book, penned in the blood of collateral human damage, about how individuals will have to correctly adapt to Nihilism, Hedonism and Anarchy – the AI of their Math God.  

Here’s the dangerous new ism that love, truth, beauty and goodness seems to have no spiritual power to fight – puerilism. First wrong turn done at the re-invention of “christianity” in USA co-inciding with the Reagan Presidency.

I lost two friends, and more went scattering under the pews, when the SHamans of Gizmology rolled into the north east ethnic Churchs, re-inventing “christianity” for us….armed with their psychology script….

A more unworthy juggernaut of organized “christians”, committed to not being held responsible for actually doing the apparatchik job they stole in a way that “does no harm” to the people who’s “data” they are gathering, has never graced the pages of USA history.

They respond to pressure from above, irregardless of it’s “quality”. In the meantime, just change the list of qualifications.

“Did you participate in discussing “what is torture?” on the internet?”

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote:  …nothing is allowed to replace the position earned through experience, ever, in that long journey to Paradise.

Sab Be of good cheer, this is Michael’s universe we live in and he has a plan for all here on Urantia. Yes, you are absolutely right, the tried and true evolutionary method of growth by personal experience is the only way forward. Life is but a day’s work, do it well.

Freedom of choice is very constrained in mortals, from the Father’s point of view, there are only “two groups” of people in the world, those who are seeking to do his will and those who are not. Most average men and women are leaning Godward by virtue of Adjuster indwelling and are co-operating with spirit leading to varying degrees. We are informed most of us are weak rather than intentionally sinful, prone to errors of judgment when decisions of a moral kind are to be made. Hence, failure and consequent adjusting to one’s failures is the normal learning technique.

Christianity is still tainted with primitive notions of a battle between good and evil

The gods of evolutionary religion have generally been opposed by the forces of darkness.

Evolutionary religion has, however, paid a terrible price for the concept of dual spiritism. Man’s early philosophy was able to reconcile spirit constancy with the vicissitudes of temporal fortune only by postulating two kinds of spirits, one good and the other bad. And while this belief did enable man to reconcile the variables of chance with a concept of unchanging supermortal forces, this doctrine has ever since made it difficult for religionists to conceive of cosmic unity. The gods of evolutionary religion have generally been opposed by the forces of darkness. ^{[Paper87:4.6, page 961:7]}

Our secular society is infested with this notion of disproportionate reasoning, that each argument being presented in a “for” and “against” case, is of equal merit. Confusion about spiritual realities, combined with a fear of letting go of traditional ways of thinking, have perpetuated a situation where life is viewed as a battle between good and bad under the misguided notion each have equal standing in the way the universe is run. The fact we live in a friendly universe dominated by love, in which sin and iniquity is only manifest in extremely few isolated instances, is yet to be fully appreciated.

The tragedy of all this lies in the fact that, when these ideas were taking root in the primitive mind of man, there really were no bad or disharmonious spirits in all the world. Such an unfortunate situation did not develop until after the Caligastic rebellion and only persisted until Pentecost. The concept of good and evil as cosmic co-ordinates is, even in the twentieth century, very much alive in human philosophy; most of the world’s religions still carry this cultural birthmark of the long-gone days of the emerging ghost cults.  ^{[Paper87:4.7, page 962:1]}

[Sabinatu]

“….Hence, failure and consequent adjusting to one’s failures is the normal learning technique…..”

Yes, we ALL have had that “learning” and the lesson learned, agreed to by the ALL, is a Rule of Law.  That is one of the ways that the “pressure from above” becomes wisdom held by the individual, augmented by the society.  A “hacker” I worked with before hacking even had the word for it told me that the only reason he does not go out killing people is because of the legal consequences.

“….Our secular society is infested with this notion of disproportionate reasoning, that each argument being presented in a “for” and “against” case, is of equal merit. Confusion about spiritual realities, combined with a fear of letting go of traditional ways of thinking, have perpetuated a situation where life is viewed as a battle between good and bad under the misguided notion each have equal standing in the way the universe is run. The fact we live in a friendly universe dominated by love, in which sin and iniquity is only manifest in extremely few isolated instances, is yet to be fully appreciated…..”

Who is deciding on the where and when of THAT truth being appreciated?  Caesar?  Caesar’s kingdom on earth is threatened most by the existential threat of people knowing that we live in a “friendly universe dominated by love”? (you forgot “generous” – it is a generous and friendly universe). Is anyone allowed to have the conversation with the Caesars that asks for the data they are analyzing?

TUB states in so many numerous instances and from so many different angles that Personality operates outside of evolutionary dependency on antecedent causes/events.  No one NEEDS iniquity to learn the truth that the universe is a friendly and generous place dominated by even material expressions of Divine Love that are found all the way down to the origin purpose and destiny of an ultimaton

Cheap is the twin sister of Greed.  But I guess even back in the days of archetype theater for the masses, Greed and Cheap were not represented in the constellation of gods and goddesses as a “divine” trait….unlike now when they have become evolutionary contributions to the quality of the Supreme – or so the teachers seem to be heading that way in their incessant clamoring for “forgiveness”.  How about an explanation now and then for the reason God’s Will is all tied up with legal focus on the un-forgiver – teaching that iniquity (and the victims) are “destroyed” forever when they are forgiven.  Granted, that becomes a much more efficient – cost wise – legal system.  Case closed and dismissed once the un-forgiver forgives.

Still an applied force from above….forgiving under legal duress…when are we going to look at the data whether that is really true?  Iniquity being vanquished by forgiveness?  Before or after the release of the truth info that the we live in a friendly and generous universe….?

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote:  …it is a generous and friendly universe

I understand friendship is characterized by generosity. A quality of friendship that “freely gives.”

Christianity can show generosity in restoring man’s dignity

The doctrine of the total depravity of man destroyed much of the potential of religion for effecting social repercussions of an uplifting nature and of inspirational value. Jesus sought to restore man’s dignity when he declared that all men are the children of God. ^{[Paper 99:5.5, page 1091:4]}

That would be something one friend would do for another.

Christianity can show generosity in restoring man’s dignity

The doctrine of the total depravity of man destroyed much of the potential of religion for effecting social repercussions of an uplifting nature and of inspirational value. Jesus sought to restore man’s dignity when he declared that all men are the children of God. ^{[Paper 99:5.5, page 1091:4]}

That would be something one friend would do for another.

[Vern]

Christianity has a chance as mankind ripens sufficient to appreciate real religion

…With the dawn of civilization the human race espoused the more mystic and symbolic beliefs, while now, with approaching maturity, mankind is ripening for the appreciation of real religion, even a beginning of the revelation of truth itself.  ^{[Paper 92:1.2, page 1003:7]}

Christianity stands ready to transcend its cultish roots

… olden cult practices persist alongside newer economic customs and social evolutions and, of course, appear grossly inconsistent. The remnants of the cult present a true picture of the racial religions of the past. Always remember, the cults are formed, not to discover truth, but rather to promulgate their creeds.  ^{[Paper 92:3.1, page 1005:3]}

Christianity is poised to rid itself of a fundamental mischief making error

Religion has always been largely a matter of rites, rituals, observances, ceremonies, and dogmas. It has usually become tainted with that persistently mischief-making error, the chosen-people delusion. ^{[Paper 92:3.2, page 1005:4]}

Christianity can prevent truth becoming a casualty to human appeal

…when tempted to criticize evolutionary religion, be careful. Remember, that is what happened; it is a historical fact. And further recall that the power of any idea lies, not in its certainty or truth, but rather in the vividness of its human appeal. ^{[Paper 92:3.3, page 1005:5]}

Christianity can be changed by revelation

Only two influences can modify and uplift the dogmas of natural religion: the pressure of the slowly advancing mores and the periodic illumination of epochal revelation. … …Evolutionary belief in ghosts laid the foundation for a philosophy of revealed religion which will eventually destroy the superstition of its origin. ^{[Paper 92:3.5, page 1006:2]}

Christianity is destined to be refined and ennobled by both, revelation and science

And this sacred heritage of animal ascent, evolutionary religion, must ever continue to be refined and ennobled by the continuous censorship of revealed religion and by the fiery furnace of genuine science.  ^{[Paper 92:3.10, page 1006:7]}

[Vern]

Has Christianity’s capacity of receptivity been accurately anticipated by the Revelatory Commission?

…if revelation is to exalt and upstep the religions of evolution, then must such divine visitations portray teachings which are not too far removed from the thought and reactions of the age in which they are presented. Thus must and does revelation always keep in touch with evolution. Always must the religion of revelation be limited by man’s capacity of receptivity. ^{[Paper 92:4.1, page 1007:1]}

[Vern]

Do the leaders within Christianity have the capacity to faith-grasp the significance of revelation as a censor and sorter?

…It is the mission of revelation to sort and censor the successive religions of evolution.   ^{[Paper92:4.1, page 1007:1]}

Do the leaders within Christianity have the capacity to faith-grasp the significance of the 5th epochal revelation when considered together with the previous four?

…Revelatory religion is propounded by the real spiritual world; it is the response of the superintellectual cosmos to the mortal hunger to believe in, and depend upon, the universal Deities. Evolutionary religion pictures the circuitous gropings of humanity in quest of truth; revelatory religion is that very truth. ^{[Paper92:4.3, page 1007:3]}

As the authors of the Urantia Papers so authoritatively state, they……. “know whereof they speak.” Think of it, authors such as the very Life Carriers who scoped out this region of the universe looking for a suitable planet to implant life upon, then modified the life plasm patterns accordingly, implanted them and participated in the delivery of the life spark that activated it in the primordial soup of the warm shallow seas of pre-history and then fostered emergent life as it evolved over millions of years to arrive at the first will creatures capable of knowing their creator, Andon and Fonta, parents of mankind. Life carriers serving still to guide us to Light and Life. Urantia is very much a Life Carrier project, of course they are dedicated to see their decimal life modification experiment succeed. Well, if an ordinary person like myself can appreciate in some measure, how amazing this truth is, I’m sure there are sincere truth-motivated Christians who can do likewise.

To put things into perspective I’ve attached a diagram of the Planetary Epochal Timeline as you reflect upon the significance of each of  the five epochal revelations:

1. The Dalamatian teachings. The true concept of the First Source and Center was first promulgated on Urantia by the one hundred corporeal members of Prince Caligastia’s staff. This expanding revelation of Deity went on for more than three hundred thousand years until it was suddenly terminated by the planetary secession and the disruption of the teaching regime.… ^{[Paper92:4.5, page 1007:5]}

2. The Edenic teachings. Adam and Eve again portrayed the concept of the Father of all to the evolutionary peoples. The disruption of the first Eden halted the course of the Adamic revelation before it had ever fully started. But the aborted teachings of Adam were carried on by the Sethite priests, and some of these truths have never been entirely lost to the world. The entire trend of Levantine religious evolution was modified by the teachings of the Sethites. But by 2500 B.C. mankind had largely lost sight of the revelation sponsored in the days of Eden.  ^{[Paper 92:4.6, page 1007:6]}

3. Melchizedek of Salem. This emergency Son of Nebadon inaugurated the third revelation of truth on Urantia. The cardinal precepts of his teachings were trust and faith. He taught trust in the omnipotent beneficence of God and proclaimed that faith was the act by which men earned God’s favor. His teachings gradually commingled with the beliefs and practices of various evolutionary religions and finally developed into those theologic systems present on Urantia at the opening of the first millennium after Christ.  ^{[Paper 92:4.7, page 1007:7]}

4. Jesus of Nazareth. Christ Michael presented for the fourth time to Urantia the concept of God as the Universal Father, and this teaching has generally persisted ever since. The essence of his teaching was love and service, the loving worship which a creature son voluntarily gives in recognition of, and response to, the loving ministry of God his Father; the freewill service which such creature sons bestow upon their brethren in the joyous realization that in this service they are likewise serving God the Father.  ^{[Paper 92:4.8, page 1008:1]}

5. The Urantia Papers. The papers, of which this is one, constitute the most recent presentation of truth to the mortals of Urantia. These papers differ from all previous revelations, for they are not the work of a single universe personality but a composite presentation by many beings. … …the time has arrived on Urantia when it is advisable to make such frank statements, even at the risk of weakening the future influence and authority of this, the most recent of the revelations of truth to the mortal races of Urantia.  ^{[Paper 92:4.9, page 1008:2]}

It is consistent with the mission of the revelators that they state up front in the Forword the mission of clearing up confusion.

IN THE MINDS of the mortals of Urantia — that being the name of your world — there exists great confusion respecting the meaning of such terms as God, divinity, and deity.…  ^{[Foreword 0:0.1, page 0:1]}

The Time has arrived for Christianity to consider these frank statements delivered in timely fashion so that confusion can be converted to clarity and certitude.

 

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