Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Urantia Book

[From my book, Jesus in an Age of Controversy.]

I once received a call from a young radio announcer for a Christian station, who wanted information on a Christian view of UFOs and life on other planets. After a few minutes the man reluctantly confessed that his interest was based on The Urantia Book, a revelation that supposedly supplements, corrects, and updates the Bible. Despite his Christian background, this man had doubts that Jesus had to die in order to atone for our sin and turn away the wrath of God. I spoke with him for almost an hour, earnestly arguing for the biblical teachings on Christ’s sacrificial death. Near the end of the conversation his troubled soul seemed to come back to the Bible. What is this Urantia Book and how could it lead someone away from the teachings of Scripture?

The Urantia Book (1955) is a mammoth tome that credits no human author. Rather, it claims to have been assembled by extraterrestrials entities or “Revelators”--with ostentatious names such as Perfector of Wisdom, Number, Divine Counselor, and One Without Name--and channeled by one unidentified human. This 2097 page volume gives a fantastically convoluted and obscure account of cosmology, anthropology, theology, and history. One of its more objectionable anthropological claims is that the black (or “indigo”) race was the most inferior; although it claims that these people “have exactly the same standing before the celestial power as any other earthly race.”[i] Martin Gardner observes that this “is exactly what southerners in the United States, including their minister, used to say about the African American slaves.”[ii]
One of Urantia’s devotees, Peter Bergman, of the comedy group “The Firesign Theatre,” said of it: “It’s been this major influence on my life since 1972. . . . I find it to be the most complete expression and explanation of our relationship to God and where we’re going and where we come from.”[iii] Under the leadership of the Urantia Foundation in Chicago, the book has gone through eleven printings in the United States, with translations in Spanish and Finnish appearing in 1993. Work is being done on Russian and Dutch editions, and there are plans for other languages as well.[iv] My search of the Internet yielded several home pages dedicated to spreading the gospel according to The Urantia Book. Some of the materials offered were aimed specifically at reaching Christians.

The Urantia Book supplies us with over 774 pages on the life of Christ--much of it concerning his supposed world travels during the “lost years of Jesus” not addressed in the New Testament (see chapters 7-8). It tips the extraterrestrial hat to the biblical Gospels, deeming them influential but inadequate, partial, and imperfect records.[v] From the alien angle, the New Testament was corrupted by the influence of Paul, Peter, and others, and only dimly reflects the real teachings of Jesus.[vi]

To attempt to fathom The Urantia Book one must descend into a dark and foreboding labyrinth of quirky terminology, pseudo-scientific pronouncements, and revisionist ideas about Jesus. In barest outline, the book informs us that God is a “Trinity of Trinities,” that humans are unfallen beings who have a divine spark within them (called a “Thought Adjuster”), that they can become fused with God through evolutionary development, and that Jesus’ death on the cross did not atone for our sin against God.

In its attack the idea that Jesus sacrificed his life for ours, The Urantia Book states that “the Father in Paradise did not decree, demand, or require the death of his Son as it was carried out on earth.”[vii] And: “Jesus did not die...to atone for the racial guilt of man nor to provide some sort of effective approach to an otherwise offended and forgiving God.”[viii] Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus was, it claims, spiritual and not physical, since his body instantaneously decomposed in the tomb.[ix] It says: “This material or physical body was not a part of the resurrected personality.”[x] These notions contradict the preaching of the Apostle Peter, who proclaimed shortly after Pentecost:

Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know--this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power (Acts 2:22-24, NRSV).

Peter was only echoing his Master, who solemnly asserted that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). The most ancient and reliable records available clearly teach that Jesus offered his life on a bloody cross in obedience to the will of his Father for the redemption of humanity. The first Christians, such as Peter, witnessed and declared that Christ rose from the dead in a perfected physical body, not as a disembodied spirit (Luke 24:36-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34; see also chapter 15). However, The Urantia Book, with its Gnostic devaluation of the body, would have us abandon the biblical record and embrace its own unhistorical and idiosyncratic perspective, which it claims is a revelation superior to the Bible or any other source.

The Urantia Book declares that “the gospel of the kingdom is: the fact of the fatherhood of God, coupled with the resulting truth of the sonship-brotherhood of man.”[xi] The true gospel as taught by Paul is that: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” and that he appeared to many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). These apostolic words bear the marks of historical facticity and personal integrity. For these truths Paul lived and died. On these truths Christianity was born, survived through bloody adversity, and makes its unique appeal today. For all its physical bulk and metaphysical murk, The Urantia Book is devoid of this transformative authority and power.

-------------

[i] The Urantia Book (Chicago, IL: The Urantia Foundation, 1955), 725.
[ii] Martin Gardner, Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery (New York: NY: Prometheus Books, 1995), 24.
[iii] Quoted in Peter Stenshoel and Jay Kinney, “Audio Magicians: When is a Cult Figure an Occult Artist?” Gnosis, Summer 1994, 42.
[iv] Gardner, 11.
[v] The Urantia Book, 1341-1342.
[vi] Ibid., 2091-2093
[vii] Ibid., 2002.
[viii] Ibid., 2016.
[ix] Ibid., 2023-2024.
[x] Ibid., 2021.
[xi] Ibid., 2059.

26 comments:

Lars Larson said...

You write, "Despite his Christian background, this man had doubts that Jesus had to die in order to atone for our sin and turn away the wrath of God."

Just re-read that once or twice. Is this really what Christianity is selling? Really? A wrathful God whose son HAD to die? Really? For my part...no, thanks. Don't care WAHT book you are reading...don't care HOW many people buy into it. It just can't be true.

I know you won't let the comment through. Being how antagonistic it is and all, but you are a kook, pure and simple. You are dangerous. What gets me most is how you intellectualize everything, "explain" the science in your lectures and everything, as if YOU really understand any of it.

You have a PhD do you? Hell, I could speak fluent KLINGON too, but it doesn't make the Planet Klingon and its inhabitants SPRING to life.

Your way of thinking doesn't even get in the DOOR of rationality.

Lars Larson
trytrytri@gmail.com

Furchizedek said...

Hello.

I read your statement, "THE WILLINGNESS TO SNIFF OUT THE TRUTH AND EXPOSE LIES AND SPIN AS BEST ONE CAN," and then read your Urantia Book critique. The two don't match. You're clearly biased and are unable to "sniff out the truth." When Christians say The Urantia Book is false, they mean, "It's not what I currently believe." Take care. -Norm.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

I don't usually publish invective, but I'll respond to this, since the topic is so important.

Notice that there is no rational argument in this post, only insultd. That is the fallacy of ad hominem. I do not attempt to "intellectualize" (if that means pointless shows of ratiocination), but to understand rationally; a wise person at least tries to understand. The alternative is foolishness.

Most importantly, Jesus coming to earth as "the lamb of God" is the ultimate expression of God's mercy and love. Yes, it offends our pride that says, "I don't need forgiveness. I am fine." But we are not. We have all broken our own moral rules; we have all experienced real guilt. That guilt cannot be ignored; it must be atoned for.

This is what Jesus Christ did. He offers forgiveness and new life for those who realize they have fallen short of God, for those who realize they have not loved their neighbor as themselves, let alone loved God with all their being.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Norm:

Of course, I don't think that my disagreeing with X means it is false; I might be wrong. So might you. The issue is that Urantia contradicts a much more reliable source: The Bible.

Furchizedek said...

But Doug, you just made my case. The Urantia Book is false because it's not what you believe, the bible, which you deem to be "a much more reliable source." You remind me of the Pharisees who asked Jesus, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?"

Have you READ The Urantia Book? You have to read it to believe it. Don't be afraid. If you reject it out of hand, the way the Pharisees rejected Jesus, what if you're wrong? What then? As Philip said to Nathaniel, "Come and see!" It deserves an honest read.

Take care.

Norm.

Anonymous said...

Norm,

To say (1) "I believe X to be false because it is not what I believe" is indeed a bad, circular argument. However, when one argues (2) that the burden of proof is on X because it contradicts something much far more reliable, Y, that is entirely different from (1), and is actually quite a good evaluative case to make. (1) and (2) are not remotely the same argument. (2) was argued in this post, but never (1).

Furchizedek said...

Hi Sarah,

Again it comes down to opinion, and to someone's settled ideas. You prove that when you say, "because it contradicts something much far more reliable." How do you know that the book you believe is "far more reliable"? You simply believe it is. The Urantia Book claims to be written by agents of God's government, angels and such, at God's direction. How could what you believe possibly be more reliable than that? I think what you may really mean is that 'it contradicts something much far more traditional.' Yes, The Urantia Book contradicts the bible in places. The only real way to evaluate the differences is to read The Urantia Book. If anyone wished to have a private discussion about this, I am happy to have it. Take care. -Norm

Furchizedek said...

PS, Sarah.

We have a "Larry Geis" who is a Urantia Book reader who is active in the membership. Is he any relation?

Norm.

Anonymous said...

Norm,

It does not come down to opinion. When evaluating reliability, there is a significant amount of external evidence to which we appeal. For instance, in determining the reliability of the Gospels, we look at the likelihood that the stories actually happened by analyzing archaeology, culture of the day, and the like, then compare it to the gospel accounts. This is not the same as "reading and seeing if you believe it." If the Urantia Book has compelling external evidence, then argue that case. As has been argued before, the burden of proof is on that book. Read-and-see won't cut it.

On your second comment: Nope, I don't recognize a Larry Geis, but as I am only a Geis by marriage, I have a degree of "Geis family ignorance."

Sarah

Furchizedek said...

Hi Sarah,

So you are saying that say, the story of The Wedding at Cana is backed up by "archaeology, culture of the day, and the like"? You know (or maybe you don't know) that the story of The Wedding at Cana is also in The Urantia Book. As is The Feeding of the Five Thousand, and the walking on water story. And all these can be backed up by archaeology, culture of the day, and the like? I don't think so, but if they can, they back up The Urantia Book equally well. Curiously, when The Urantia Book validates the bible, Christians say it plagiarizes the bible, and when it corrects the bible, Christians say, "It's not biblical." CAn't win. What do you think is in The Urantia Book that cannot be verified by the same "archaeology, culture of the day, and the like" that you seem to think verifies the gospel stories in the NT? There's no difference. The Urantia Book has essentially the same stories, and that is because they happened, and the angels are reporting them, from THEIR records. To an objective person, one not prone to leaning one way because of one's upbringing or conversion, both books are on equal ground, and both books must be examined honestly based on their content. Neither I nor The Urantia Book have any "burden of proof" to show, to prove it right over the bible. Just read them both and decide for yourself, don't let tradition or belief decide for you. You wrote: "...in determining the reliability of the Gospels, we look at the likelihood that the stories actually happened by analyzing archaeology, culture of the day, and the like, then compare it to the gospel accounts." The same essential stories are in The Urantia Book. Whatever archaeology, culture of the day, etc., that one might use to validate the Gospels in the NT, also validates the stories in The Urantia Book just as well. Read it, you'll see. Start at Paper 121 and read to the end. It's a good read. "Come and see" as Philip said to Nathaniel.

Take care.

Norm.

Furchizedek said...

A little PS-

If anyone would like to see just a small sample of how The Urantia Book reads, here's a link to Paper 137:

http://urantiabook.org/newbook/papers/p137.htm

And then when you get to the Paper, scroll down to section four, like below:

137:4 THE WEDDING AT CANA

It's a very good read, maybe a page or two. I know everyone is familiar with the story.

Take care.

Norm.

The Urantia Book: Perspective said...

I was raised a Christian and I started reading the Urantia Book over 25 years ago. I have had many experiences with Christians who scoff at the Urantia Book. It is hard for people to believe that such an authoritative book might exist, and the complexity of its detail is abit overwhelming.

Christian's have a long history of being told what and what not to believe, and the Bible represents an agelong account of people seeking God.

But I do resent people of faith who think they own the truth-and it only shows arrogance when you criticize something just because you don't believe it to be true.

If you think the Urantia Book is false, but haven't read it, I challenge you to read just the fourth section (Jesus' life).

Even people who don't believe the Urantia Book is authenthic marvel at the quality of detail of the narrative- and historically, the dates, times and events are consistent and accurate if you mapped it all out chronologically.

It is pretty amazing writing - whoever wrote it.

Unknown said...

I have read all the above comments on the validity of Urantia book.I haven't read it in full but one thing is clear to me.It's a detailed book which surpasses human formulation and creativity.I read the bible since am a christian,and the bible clearly says that what is written in it is just to proof the truth about God and why we must believe in Him.To me,Urantia book makes me understand the Bible even more clearly.The spirit of truth that we have i.e Holy spirit always knows what is true and what is not and my spirit senses that the writtings in Urantia have some elements of truth.

It was not Gods intention that we think not beyond the Bible,also God aspires that we know Him as He is and my knowing of God has been increased through my reading on Urantia book.

So no matter your view on this book,its upon you to decide but i urge the critics to read it very carefully and with an open mind.Don't be rigid in your mind.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Daniel:

The Urantia book contradicts the Bible in many ways:

It denies the saving work of Jesus Christ to atone for our sins, for example. This is the heart of the gospel. Paul says that anyone who denies the Gospel is accursed. See Galatians 1:1-11.

The Bible is a sufficient revelation from God to humans. Any book outside the Bible that claims to be divinely inspired always, always contradicts the Bible. This is true of The Book of Mormon, The Divine Principle, and for all others. You cannot have it both ways.

Furchizedek said...

> Doug Groothuis said...

> The Urantia book contradicts the Bible in many ways:

So what? That doesn't make The Urantia Book wrong, it just means "The Urantia book contradicts the Bible in many ways."

It does. No one has said it doesn't. It does, and that's a good thing.

> It denies the saving work of Jesus Christ to atone for our sins, for example.

That's the centerpiece of the Christian gospel, and JESUS NEVER TAUGHT IT. Look, the REAL gospel comes from Jesus and He and the real apostles that Jesus chose and trained were out preaching and teaching Jesus' real gospel:

"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." (Matthew 9:35)

"And it came to pass...that Jesus went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him..." (Luke 8:1) (Also see Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:14, and Luke 4:43.)

There is no way they were telling the people that Jesus had come to die for their sins.

> This is the heart of the gospel.

Indeed it is, and Jesus never taught it to the people, and yet the verses above clearly say that Jesus preached the gospel. The Atonement Gospel comes from Paul, not Jesus.

> Paul says that anyone who denies the Gospel is accursed. See Galatians 1:1-11.

Who cares what Paul says? Jesus is the Son of God, the main attraction. Why do Christians follow Paul? They should follow Jesus. For some reason they prefer Paul, a mere man. The OT says:

Isa 2:22 -
Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

> The Bible is a sufficient revelation from God to humans.

Who says so? I disagree. And that's why God has sent this new revelation.

> Any book outside the Bible that claims to be divinely inspired always, always contradicts the Bible.

So what? In any case, The Urantia Book does not claim to be "divinely inspired." It claims to be written by God's agents, angels and such.

> This is true of The Book of Mormon, The Divine Principle, and for all others. You cannot have it both ways.

Those books have nothing to do with The Urantia Book. That's a red herring and a distraction.

Norm.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Daniel:

Since you said the Urantia book helps you understand the Bible, I pointed out that it contradicts the Bible. I thought you were trying to synthesize the two of them, which cannot be done.

My reference to other religious books was not a red herring; it illustrates the principle that when a non-biblical sacred book says it agrees with the Bible, it never does. If the Urantia book says it augments or supplements the Bible, this is false. It contradicts the Bible in crucial ways.

Jesus taught that his death on the Cross was the point of his coming to earth. John the Baptist hailed him as "the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." The lamb was a sacrificial animal in the Old Testament. Isaiah 53 speaks of the coming Messiah who would bear the sins of God's people. Jesus quotes this verse pertaining to himself. Jesus on the Cross says, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" This reveals that he was taking on punishment for sin that we deserve. Jesus also said he came to give his life as a ransom for many.

Paul simply developed ideas given by Jesus. He was authorized to do so by Jesus himself (see Acts 9). There is no disagreement between Jesus and Paul. I have written on this in "Jesus in an Age of Controversy."

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

John 12:37-38:

37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

"Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"[a]

Footnotes:
John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1

Er. Rajan C Mathew FIE said...

A christian myself, I have never been able to digest certain of the writings that existed in the NT Bible, attributed to St Paul. Some where in his writings Paul cautions the readers that if any one teaches something contradictory to what he had written, even if that teaching is from the angels, he would get the curse of the christian church. This kind of cautions can be seen in the religious books of other religions as well. A particular religion does not even allow others to translate their holy book to other tongues, taking shelter in a verse of similar meaning found in their holy book. Chritians also did the same during the Dark Ages after the Crusades, before the Reformation period. The Urantia Book, to my humble opinion, is an attempt by the Unseen Administration of God, to correct the human belief systems at a time when mankind is about to enter an epoh of scientific knowledge and discoveries. The the Celestial Authors of the Book are not secretive on this, rather they explain the logic and reasons for providing this revealed knowledge at this stage to the peoples of our world. This marvellous book came to my notice in 2008. I began to really believe in God and Jesus after reading this book. Earlier my belief, to be honest, was oscillating between theism and atheism. You just have to read this book to understand what is meant by 'God is Love'.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Rajan:

Urantia cannot explain the meaning of the New Testament because it contradicts its central and cardinal claim: Jesus died to atone for the sin of human beings. Urantia does not complete the core teachings of Jesus and his disciples; it rejects them and asserts other teachings.

Furchizedek said...

Doug, you wrote:
> Urantia cannot explain the meaning of the New Testament because it contradicts its central and cardinal claim: Jesus died to atone for the sin of human beings. Urantia does not complete the core teachings of Jesus and his disciples; it rejects them and asserts other teachings.

Doug, that "central and cardinal claim" is nothing that Jesus ever taught. It's from Paul, not Jesus. Jesus warned of false prophets, and then Paul showed up.

Look, Jesus and the 12 real apostles preached the gospel to the people:

"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." (Matthew 9:35)

"And it came to pass...that Jesus went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him..." (Luke 8:1) (Also see Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:14, and Luke 4:43.)

Jesus and the 12 never told the people that the gospel was that Jesus had come to die for anyone's sins, and yet we see clearly above that they did preach "the gospel."

Doug, it's not too late for you to leave the Cult of Paul and follow Jesus only. The Urantia Book can help you do that. Paul was a mere man with mere man ideas and teachings. Follow Jesus, the Son of God. It's not a hard switch to make and it's very liberating. Jesus says if you do the Father's will, and if you love God and love your fellow man, you WILL have eternal life. That's the gospel of Jesus, Doug, the real gospel.

The Urantia Book asserts Jesus' teachings, not Paul's.

Take care.

Norm.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Norm:

Jesus' pronouncement and demonstration of the Kingdom is not incompatible with this atoning death for sin.

"God so love the world, he sent his one and only Son, that who ever believes on him will not perish, bu have everlasting life"--Jesus (John 3:16).

"The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"--Jesus (Matthew 20:28).

Further, Isaiah 53 predicts that Messiah will come and be a sacrifice for sin.

Furchizedek said...

Doug wrote:
Jesus' pronouncement and demonstration of the Kingdom is not incompatible with this atoning death for sin.

He never told the people that, Doug, and yet the scriptures say he and the 12 real apostles did preach "the gospel" to the people.

Furthermore, Jesus said, "Follow me," and God the Father said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Neither Jesus or God the Father mentioned anything about following Paul or listening to Paul. Paul is not mentioned in the 4 gospels. Paul is not mentioned until Paul shows up.

Doug:
"God so love the world, he sent his one and only Son, that who ever believes on him will not perish, bu have everlasting life"--Jesus (John 3:16).

"The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"--Jesus (Matthew 20:28).

Doug, Christianity does not focus on the "ransom" idea. That's pretty much the province these days of the Jehovah's Witnesses. And consider that a "ransom" is not the same thing as a "sacrifice." They are two different ideas.

Doug:
Further, Isaiah 53 predicts that Messiah will come and be a sacrifice for sin.

Doug, you should contact a Rabbi in your area and ask him if Isaiah 53 has anything to do with Jesus. Isaiah 53 is their religion, Doug, it's the Hebrew scriptures, they're the experts. And even if it does predict the Messiah, that does not mean that Jesus was the Messiah. You are used to thinking that he is, but he doesn't have to be, he can still be the divine son of God and not be the "Messiah." I know Christians have completely turned the meaning of these verses around, but here, Jesus tries to tell these people that he is not the Messiah:
(Continued...)

Furchizedek said...

Continued from part 1...

Mat 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
Mat 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
Mat 22:43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
Mat 22:44 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Mat 22:45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

By the way, do you know about the total solar eclipse of the sun over the USA on August 21, 2017? That's just under 7 years away. According to The Urantia Book, August 21 is Jesus' birthday. You can Google the eclipse and here's the NASA map which you can move and Zoom down to street level: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html
On that date, Doug, these verses come to mind:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Take care.

Norm.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Norm:

This does not respond to everything you said, but please think about it:


In four different encounters, Jesus commends people for faith that goes beyond the law by saying to those who trusted in him: “Your faith has healed (or saved) you” (Mark 5:21-34; 10:46-52; Luke 7:36-50; 17:11-19). This means that their existential orientation toward Jesus—and not simply their adherence to religious law—brought them physical and spiritual restoration. The parable of the unworthy servants, which comes after a discussion of the need for faith, also indicates the insufficiency of mere duty (Luke 17:7-10). The reverent and trusting attitude displayed by one of the two criminals crucified with Jesus warranted this response from Jesus: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:32-43). Jesus speaks of God’s kingdom as a gift to be received, but one that should be sought after with proper faith (Luke 12:27-32). The escape from destruction and entrance into eternal life, according to Jesus, is found through belief in God’s one and only Son (John 3:16-18). When asked, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29).

Furchizedek said...

Sorry Doug. Have you read The Urantia Book? At least read Part IV, The Life and Teachings of Jesus, starting say, at Paper 121 to the end of the book at Paper 196. Part IV technically starts at Paper 120 but Paper 121 is a better starting point if one is not ready to read the entire book. Then you'll know what I know. And I was raised Christian so I pretty much already know what you know. I can't go back to that. I won't be posting here again (unless I slip up). But if you have any questions about The Urantia Book, feel free to email me privately at furchizedek@gmail.com. Yes, The Urantia Book does not agree with all of your previously settled ideas. But it's not wrong simply because it's not what you currently believe. Take care. -Norm.

kirk413 said...

One must be able to accept truth, the Bible was written by men, over 300 of them, well after Jesus died.
The Urantia Book may well be part II of the Bible..who knows.
The UB supports the Bible in nearly every way; yes the first part of the UB challenges the mind, and stretches it.
Folfs who need to only believe in the Bible are free to do so...at least here in the US....as of today.
Sometimes, the truth is hard to hear if you are not tuned in...I love the conversations.
JP