Leadership today is often political and governmental leadership.
…until man evolves to higher levels, civilization will continue to be dependent on wise and vigorous leadership. 81:6.37 (911.2)
While considering how The Urantia Book defines and frames leadership, I discovered an interesting text that has been used for decades in schools in the United Kingdom: Understanding Political Ideas and Movements by Kevin Harrison and Tony Boyd (2003).
The seven headings in this article are the first seven chapters of their textbook, which provides a structure for delineating key ideas from The Urantia Book about political leadership and how political discourse is organized.
As Urantia Book believers, we look to a time when political leaders will be deeply inspired by the ideas and ideals of The Urantia Book. By focusing on the basic concepts around which political discourse is structured, I compare current ideas of political leadership with concepts from the book.
The State
Harrison and Boyd write:
“Real states function as political associations that establish sovereign power within a defined territorial area and possess a monopoly of legitimate violence, having the following features:
- the control of an identifiable population
- the control of an identifiable geographical territory
- high degrees of longevity compared to other social institutions
- a structure of law in society
- characterized by sovereignty” [1]
In our current world, statehood is shared with citizens based on nationality or loyalty to the state, while in the ideal states of the future, people will acknowledge and share human brotherhood.
The ideal state functions under the impulse of three mighty and co-ordinated drives 71:3.3 (803.3):
- Love loyalty derived from the realization of human brotherhood.
- Intelligent patriotism based on wise ideals.
- Cosmic insight interpreted in terms of planetary facts, needs, and goals.
The idea of human brotherhood is associated with an open world, global citizenship, worldwide peace, limitless travel, work, and life opportunities. The realization of human brotherhood will include many more positive changes.
Unfortunately, the political discourse of many nations is still significantly focused on isolationism and competition rather than cooperation, integration, and the concept of a free and united world––not to mention human brotherhood. On the other hand, such progressive ideas are embedded in the agendas of many global and local religious and social institutions and organizations. With varying degrees of progress, the world is already moving towards global governance in environmental and climate issues, trade and economics, health, peace, security, conflict resolution, science, education, information, communications, and culture.
It’s the human brotherhood’s turn to appear as a uniting ideal in the political agendas of courageous and wise political leaders.
Sovereignty
Today, sovereignty is the distinguishing characteristic of the state. It entails the right to absolute and unlimited power, either legal or political, within the territory of a state. Modern political leadership is based on national sovereignty.[2]
In many cases, national sovereignty, as “absolute and unlimited power,” opposes the progressive needs of humanity as a whole. As humanity, we progress towards exercising human rights and freedoms, respecting them as fundamental values, meaning they should be respected everywhere. But simultaneously, political structure enables the right of the state to be sovereign, having “absolute and unlimited power,” even to the extent of ignoring human rights. We certainly hope for an eventual resolution of this but, in his Urmia lectures, Jesus said that the only possible way to resolve this is to create a global government which exclusively holds that right of “absolute and unlimited power.”
War on Urantia will never end so long as nations cling to the illusive notions of unlimited national sovereignty. 134:5.2 (1487.9)
It seems logical that we should have central sovereign governance, since we live on one world, one planet, breathing air from a common atmosphere, sharing a global ocean, enjoying the same sun, and even sharing common responsibility for global climate change. We now share an interconnected global economy –– not to mention the same Spirit of Truth.
The concept of the major and primary sovereignty of one worldwide association, organization, union, or government is a long-awaited ideal that needs to be embedded into the political discourse of the near future. The time has come for humanity to set goals and declare the start of the movement towards such a progressive and unifying objective.
The Nation
Harrison and Boyd observe:
Perhaps the most powerful of all political concepts to motivate human beings is that of the ‘nation.’ But the concept is an elusive one…Important elements in national identity include language, religion, government and common historical and cultural ties. There are enormous differences, however, in the significance of these factors from nation to nation. Perhaps the most useful way of defining a nation is a subjective one. A nation is what its members feel it is, and they are identified by their deep loyalty to it.[3]
Among other things, The Urantia Book states about the nation:
There is a spiritual cohesiveness among the spiritual and spiritized personalities of any world, race, nation, or believing group of individuals. 7:1.6 (82.5)
Even in light and life, there is no indication that nations will disappear. National heritage is like the “salt of humanity,” and thus in my opinion, nations deserve to be saved. As stated in Paper 52, “Planetary Mortal Epochs”:
There are many nations, mostly determined by land distribution, but only one race, one language, and one religion. 52:5.10 (597.1)
Unfortunately, “nationalism” is frequently used negatively due to historical precedence. Nations have engaged in dangerous “winner take all” antagonisms resulting in such shameful outcomes as totalitarian regimes. But the “national problem” is rooted not in a phenomenon of the nation itself, which is even spiritually uniting for a people, but in an exclusive national sovereignty which results in military dominance. A nation becomes a threat to other nations when its national objective is hostile to global brotherhood; when the idea of the primacy of national sovereignty prevails over the real sovereignty of humanity as a whole.
But the “national problem” is rooted not in a phenomenon of the nation itself, which can be spiritually uniting for the people. Even today, nations that have developed strong respect towards human rights (the evolutionary precursor of the spiritual brotherhood of all people) and which have transferred part of their sovereignty to the level of a higher associated structure (e.g., states associated in the European Union), have demonstrated greater chances for steady, certain progress, in part because of the mutual protection obtained in exchange for the transferred sovereignty.
What could make the difference in political national and global discourse today, while we still struggle with current worldwide and local challenges, is to proclaim the ultimate political goal––a united world of associated nations. This core structure would not only offer exclusive and sovereign rights for “the government of the sovereignty of all [people]” but also has an obligation to protect every nation based on the idea of true human brotherhood (or the declaration of human rights and global discourse we see today).
Nationalism is based on patriotism. One drive of the ideal state is:
Intelligent patriotism based on wise ideals. 71:3.3 (803.3)
Wise, intelligent concepts of patriotism and nationhood, separated from regressive concepts of national superiority and dominance, will facilitate a more globally oriented society.
The idea of a united world where large and small nations are similarly protected by an overarching sovereignty is powerful enough to overcome outdated ideas of national dominance, where each nation is fighting for geopolitical spheres of influence. The idea of national “inferiority” belongs to a declining epoch. The equality of nations will help save the world from a painful competition for resources.
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. 52:6.6 (598.1)
The consequences and destructive influence of “selfish political sagacity” are familiar to me.
Writing this in 2024, my countrymen in Ukraine are suffering from a foreign power’s “special military operation” – namely a war undertaken because of uncontrolled and destructive selfish desires.
“Selfish political sagacity” can and does result in terrible consequences. It must become a thing of the past.
Democracy
It is on such worlds as Uversa that the beings representative of the autocracy of perfection and the democracy of evolution meet face to face. 15:11:1 (179.11)
Democracy, being an evolutional achievement, still represents the better way of political governance. Only perfect beings by their nature may benevolently rule in an “autocratic” way. We humans make mistakes, so any kind of human autocracy by nature will make mistakes in decision-making and management, while democracy enables governance structures which reduces personal imperfection.
Democracy, representative government, should and can evolve to the levels compatible with the perfection of the heavenly autocracy. But for this level of human democracy to occur, the authors of The Urantia Book remind us:
Mankind’s struggle to perfect government on Urantia has to do with perfecting channels of administration, with adapting them to ever-changing current needs, with improving power distribution within government, and then with selecting such administrative leaders as are truly wise. 70:12.20 (799.1)
Political leadership depends on selecting wise and well-prepared leaders. But training leaders is something lacking in our world’s governments, particularly as a prerequisite to leadership. From the “Government on a Neighboring Planet” paper:
Statesmanship schools. These schools are of three classes: national, regional, and state. The public offices of the nation are grouped in four divisions. The first division of public trust pertains principally to the national administration, and all officeholders of this group must be graduates of both regional and national schools of statesmanship. 72:8.2 (816.7)
Is it possible for our nations to have similar requirements for individuals seeking political, elective, or appointive office? Could the successful completion of the specialized “school of statesmanship” be made mandatory? Consider how such a requirement might affect this concern:
Men have also made a fetish of democracy, the exaltation and adoration of the common man’s ideas when collectively called “public opinion.” One man’s opinion, when taken by itself, is not regarded as worth much, but when many men are collectively functioning as a democracy, this same mediocre judgment is held to be the arbiter of justice and the standard of righteousness. 88:3.4 (970.5)
The recital of the affairs of a neighboring planet was made available to us with the intent of advancing civilization and augmenting governmental evolution on Urantia. It is a worthy example for our current political leadership to consider.
I believe that a high dependence on public opinion and a compromised democracy are closely related. Public opinion on our planet manifests in two extremes: 1) allow public opinion to control the political agenda in democratic societies or 2) ignore the peoples’ voices in autocracies. We see a mix of these two extremes in every democracy. Somewhere between these two extremes rests the truth.
“Government on a Neighboring Planet” describes a voting system with voices for the citizens according to their “economic function” as well as their political, philosophic, and social inclinations, with additional votes for those individuals who “have rendered great service to society, or who have demonstrated extraordinary wisdom in government service” (72:9.3). Could a voting system like that be possible in our nations?
The problem of overdependence on public opinion could partially be improved by providing more specific training for political leadership. But an increase in wise leadership could also be stimulated by improved election procedures.
For example, in “Government on a Neighboring Planet” office holders are elected for only one long term. This prevents spending time and effort focused on campaigning for re-election and more time concentrated on tasks of governing.
But no improvement to democratic processes will allow us to reach perfect governance except that of true brotherhood:
Neither democracy nor any other political panacea will take the place of spiritual progress. 195:6.10 (2077.6)
Perfect governance and final democratic improvements imply public recognition not only of our human leadership, but the proclamation of a higher, superhuman government:
4. The angels of nation life. These are the “angels of the trumpets,” directors of the political performances of Urantia national life. The group now functioning in the overcontrol of international relations is the fourth corps to serve on the planet. It is particularly through the ministry of this seraphic division that “the Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men.” 114:6.8 (1255.7)
Public recognition of the rule of the “Most Highs” would be a significant improvement in political discourse and a huge shift in principle of implementation of sovereignty, but that could only come about by each individual’s personal recognition of this rule––or perhaps by the real and visible presence of the representatives of superhuman administration on our planet.
Freedom and Liberty
Let’s return to Harrison and Boyd:
There are many ways in which the concept of freedom is expressed in political discourse. A useful starting point in our exploration of the idea is to introduce a number of these elements:
- individual freedom
- freedom of opinion and expression
- freedom under the law
- economic freedom
- property and freedom
- national freedom.[4]
The fight for human freedom is ongoing. Progressive states are making steps towards the aforementioned freedoms, as well as towards true liberty as paraphrased from “Problems of the Lucifer Rebellion,” specifically, the section “True and False Liberty” (54:1):
- Enduring liberty is predicated on the reality of justice—intelligence, maturity, fraternity, and equity.
- True liberty is progressively related to reality and is ever regardful of social equity, cosmic fairness, universe fraternity, and divine obligations.
- True liberty is the associate of genuine self-respect; false liberty is the consort of self-admiration.
- True liberty is the fruit of self-control; false liberty, the assumption of self-assertion.
The watchword of the universe is progress, but progress in such things as education, arts, industry, sports, and public service requires freedom. Opportunity is essential. Without opportunity, we do not have the freedom of self-determination. Many societies and leaders endeavor to provide personal freedom, progressive societies encourage freedom of self-expression, and of course, no form of freedom of expression should harm others:
How dare the self-willed creature encroach upon the rights of his fellows in the name of personal liberty when the Supreme Rulers of the universe stand back in merciful respect for these prerogatives of will and potentials of personality! No being, in the exercise of his supposed personal liberty, has a right to deprive any other being of those privileges of existence conferred by the Creators and duly respected by all their loyal associates, subordinates, and subjects. 54:1.9 (614.4)
An unfortunate downside to liberty is the freedom to reject our very own ethical nature, which may result in art that confuses, media that depraves, a culture that degrades, and science that misleads. Political discourse may evoke a golden rule to protect the ethical limits of true freedom. Keeping freedom inside reasonable limits determined by our ethical nature is important at all levels of society—from the personal to the global.
Probably even during the epochs of light and life we will still have to adapt to the limits of personal freedom. But new freedom and extended growth opportunities will become available to us during our morontia career:
…those things which you so earnestly longed to do on earth and which circumstances so persistently denied you, if, after acquiring true mota insight in the morontia career, you still desire to do, then will you most certainly be granted every opportunity fully to satisfy your long-cherished desires. 44:8.4 (508.2)
Terrorism is a much more controversial political tactic for achieving freedom. Almost daily we see organizations and even nations willing to use fear and terror in the name of obtaining freedom. But it has no place in “a normal advancing civilization”:
War is the heritage of early evolutionary man, but in worlds of normal advancing civilization physical combat as a technique of adjusting racial misunderstandings has long since fallen into disrepute. 54:1.10 (614.5)
How do we establish opportunities for oppressed individuals and groups to protect their freedoms in a proper, democratic way, and in the spirit of human brotherhood?
Liberty is suicidal when divorced from material justice, intellectual fairness, social forbearance, moral duty, and spiritual values. 54:1.4 (613.6)
Simply put, freedom without these qualities is destructive. These qualities provide the moral discipline to prevent a free, prosperous, powerful nation from the “temptation” described in “Government on a Neighboring Planet”:
They have become civilized to that point where they can vigorously defend civilization without yielding to the temptation to utilize their war powers in aggression. 72:11.4 (819.3)
During the current war in my country, the two above quotes from The Urantia Book have taken on a visceral meaning for me.
The fight for liberty, freedom, independence, and democracy is strong medicine. I do believe that it will ultimately result in more good for humanity as we strive to unite detached nation states into one strong associated world government, based on the principle of true brotherhood.
Equality
Most people support equality of opportunity, which in reality is compromised by differences in age, health, physical strength, qualities of the mind and soul, and numerous social factors.
This is a nation’s challenge—equitably addressing such factors of inequality. And a good starting point is mindfulness of the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Despite the statement in the Paper “Planetary Mortal Epochs” that “It becomes possible to put the golden rule into practical operation” only during the postbestowal Son age (52:5.8), our current political discourse can certainly promote the golden rule as an instrument of progress towards equality. We don’t have to wait for that distant epoch.
Balancing unequal wealth distribution with basic property rights, the basis of society, is an ongoing concern and challenge of progressive nations:
The right to property is not absolute; it is purely social. But all government, law, order, civil rights, social liberties, conventions, peace, and happiness, as they are enjoyed by modern peoples, have grown up around the private ownership of property. 69:9.17 (782.4)
Only fair and balanced policies must be used to compensate for this uneven distribution. Our political discourse should address that, again relying on the principle of the golden rule.
Paper 55 describes social equality on a world in the early stages of light and life, where “every adult worker pays ten percent to the public treasury for the promotion of truth, beauty, and goodness,” “natural resources administered as social possessions, community property,” and the “majority of social and administrative posts were held jointly by men and women” (55:3.2-9).
Another dimension of equality is equal voting rights and participation in political institutions. Although that right is considered the basis for the equality of man, in many cases allowing all to vote is not fair and even dangerous. Should people who cannot bear responsibility in society have the right to vote? Is it fair that the most educated and responsible people have the same weight in voting as the uneducated and least responsible people? Possible improvements in voting procedures should be discussed by the political leadership.
Equality before the law is also a base principle, which is not, however, well-balanced in many cases through social inequality. The political accent on a positive law principle might help much:
Law is always at first negative and prohibitive; in advancing civilizations it becomes increasingly positive and directive. 70:11.2 (796.8)
Inequalities in different countries play a key role in migration processes. Even the countries advanced in immigration adaptation processes have many related problems, still many inequalities are present between the immigrants and the “natives.” The human brotherhood idea and its political promotion, the Golden Rule, and the positive law principle can continually inform how to overcome the difficulties of immigrant adaptation.
The following quote could be a real inspiration for political leaders of the future in truly ministry- and equality-rooted societies:
Throughout this epoch there is a gradual lessening of governmental supervision. True self-government is beginning to function; fewer and fewer restrictive laws are necessary. The military branches of national resistance are passing away; the era of international harmony is really arriving. There are many nations, mostly determined by land distribution, but only one race, one language, and one religion. 52:5.10 (597.1)
Rights, Obligations, and Citizenship
Broad political discussion about human rights is centered on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, officially adopted by the United Nations seven years before the publication of The Urantia Book. The Urantia Book appeared during times of new hope after terrible wars, when “the worst of the materialistic age [was] over” (195:6.4). In the words of Harrison and Boyd:
The atrocities of the German Nazism period forced conservative thinkers to accept that there were real human rights. The experience of Soviet-style communism led the left, even the far left, to a reluctant acquiescence in recognizing the importance of upholding individual rights as a defense against the might of totalitarian regimes. Thus the post-WW2 period was notable for a plethora of proclamations of “rights”. Human rights were espoused by the Vatican and adopted by the United Nations.[5]
Perhaps the end of World War II, the establishment of the global-oriented structures of the UN and adopting the Declaration of Human Rights was something that the Revelatory Commission was waiting for before publishing The Urantia Book.
The Declaration in Article 1 starts first with the phrase “All human beings should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood,” followed by the rights explanation. “Spirit of brotherhood” is exactly what the golden rule teaches us. This idea is present in virtually all religions. It was and is core to Jesus’ teachings and is reiterated throughout The Urantia Book.
Political agendas today are often based on human rights. Maybe it’s time to focus on the starting point of the Declaration––the spirit of brotherhood. Rights are evolutionary achievements, while the spiritual brotherhood of man is a real fact based on our human essence, based on our common sonship.
The universal rights we have as citizens of our countries, which we call natural and human rights, legal rights, and civil rights––all result from the progress of our civilization.
When talking about rights, political discourse should also talk about obligations. Both rights and obligations make sense only within a group of individuals who share an ethical nature. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is also based on the same moral duty of the individual.
Even the penultimate Article 29 of the Declaration set the limitations of human rights based on the golden rule and thus on moral or ethical human nature:
In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.[6]
But there’s one more astonishing right each of us already have—the right to accept eternal life and an ascending career in the grand universe. This is the right to join the universal plan of mortal ascension and step on the path starting with physical death. This is the right to obtain true education of the universe on the seven mansion worlds, during the morontia life, and further.
To each of you and to all of us, God is approachable, the Father is attainable, the way is open; the forces of divine love and the ways and means of divine administration are all interlocked in an effort to facilitate the advancement of every worthy intelligence of every universe to the Paradise presence of the Universal Father. 5:1.8 (63.6)
There are many things in mortal life that distract us from that exciting path. Is it possible that one day the right to follow the ascending career will be protected in the same way that basic human rights are protected now, and everything that deprives a person of this right and path will also be strongly condemned not only by religious institutions but at the official state level? That is a challenge for wise and brave political leadership.
Initiatives such as this special edition of the Association’s Journal dedicated to government and politics build bridges between ideals and reality, between future epochs of light and life and our current epoch of confusion and disorder. As we know, Urantia Book believers should not be afraid to be active in political affairs. Pointing out the worthwhile perspectives of political discourse from The Urantia Book is one of the sure ways to advance wise and vigorous worldwide political leadership.
ANTON MIROSHNICHENKO works in information technology and loves to be involved in community projects. Originally from Sumy, Ukraine, he found The Urantia Book while living in Kyiv. A Urantia Book believer for over 18 years, he currently lives with his wife Kateryna and three children in Sweden, where he was relocated by his employer at the beginning of 2022.
[1] Kevin Harrison and Tony Boyd, Understanding political ideas and movements. Manchester University Press, 2003, p.23
[2] Ibid, p.17
[3] Ibid. p.56
[4] Ibid. p. 85
[5] Ibid. p.123
[6] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations, 2016.