Planet Urantia

Is God real? Thoughts to consider....

After facilitating one of our Cosmic Cafe - Interfaith Spirit Quest discussions recently, I thought about an interesting fellow who attended the discussion and who also happens to be a very science-minded (materialist) atheist.  We asked him if we could call him Spock, he didn't seem to mind.  I give him a lot of credit for being open-minded and attending a spiritual discussion group, this is his 2nd visit to our group - and of course we welcome people of all faiths or no faith at all for the purpose of having meaningful and fruitful conversations, and becoming more understanding of each other.

I asked our 'Mr Spock' to consider what I had been thinking earlier:

There is no beginning.  Creation, as the Bible teaches, is only the beginning of their knowledge.  The beginning of evolution is only the beginning of evolution.  Intelligent Design seems to me to be the most logical way of looking at things. 

Matter and energy has always existed and will continue to exist eternally.  The only thing that is changing is the form of matter and energy.   Creation is the act of creating something out of matter and energy.  We do it all the time, and when we do, it is thought that initially causes our mind's creation to manifest itself.

It is said that God created man in His image.  A new female member of the group who was very spiritually minded and just happened to be eavesdropping on our conversation while reading a copy of the Urantia Book in the cafe cafe area of the bookshop we were meeting in (what are the odds?), said last night - 'that God created a mirror image of Himself when He created the universe'.  Of course we know that we can create many things, not just babies.  So just because God created the universe, does not mean the universe looks like Him.  I think it is the personality that is like God.  The pure spirit that is us is the mirror image of God, we look like God when we manifest this pure spirit.  Our purpose is to make progress in this life toward the manifestation or growth and development of our awareness of this pure spirit.  When we look at our parents or our children, we see the likeness, it is automatic/genetic.  Our personality can reflect God in the same way if we allow it to (our free will).

So.... we have evidence that the universe has existed for a very long time, if not forever.  We can either say it existed forever, or we can say it began at a certain time - we're not quite certain on that point, but it doesn't matter, the point is that we know it's there and that it can be manipulated into different forms.  We can fathom the idea of creating something new out of matter and energy.  It is not so crazy to believe that someone or something formed us out of eternally existent matter and energy when one thinks about it this way. 

Wisconsin Urantia Book Conference - Aug 22 2009 - The Urantia Comedy

What:  The First Society of Wisconsin Urantia Book Readers - Annual Fall Conference 2009!

When:   Aug 22 - Saturday - from 9:30 am to about 4-5pm

Where:  Sheboygan Falls, WI

Registration Fee:  $10 per person - includes sub sandwich lunch

The program for the day is called "The Urantia Comedy"
(times are approximate)

9:30am Registration, coffee, morning social

10-11am Subject:  Overview of the Lucifer Rebellion and the Caligastia Betrayal

11:15am-12:15pm Subject:  Overview of the Adamic Default and Aftermath

12:15-2pm  Lunch Break:  Sub sandwiches to be brought in by hosts (fee $10 per person)

2-3pm Subject:  The Long Rehabilitation Process:  Revelation numbers three to five and beyond

3:15-4pm Business:  A report on the elections and resolutions of the Triennial Delegate Assembly will be heard

Other Show and Tell items can be presented at this time.  Please keep any presentations brief and to the point.  Please no solicitations.  This is a study conference.  Other types of business can be conducted at separate venues. 

Who should attend?  This conference is for those who are interested in studying the Urantia Book as well as long time readers.  It is not necessary to have read the entire book, just have an open mind and a good sense of curiosity.  

Do I need to live in Wisconsin or be a member?  No - absolutely not - if you can get there you can come!

To RSVP:  Please leave a comment on this blog post with your email address and/or phone number. 

Where Did You Get Your Unique Personality?

Each of us has a unique personality.  While we all share similar personality features; each one of us is recognizable by our differences in personality.  Where did you get your unique personality?  The Urantia Book says that God bestows personality upon human beings.  God knew you before you were born.  This God-bestowed personality is made up of material, mental and spiritual energy and is diverse, original and exclusive to the individual.  Personality manifests through the material, mental and spiritual energy of the individual; this manifestation is not automatic, but comes about as a result of our becoming self-aware of our own and others unique personality, and develops through human experience.  Our personality gives us the opportunity to individually and uniquely experience every event in our lives. 

Awareness of our relative independence, creativity and free will is the beginning of becoming self-conscious.  Becoming self-conscious allows us to tap into universal wisdom, it affects our morality and our ability to discern truth, it encourages loving service to others, worshipful dedication, and sincere love for the personality-Creator, God.

The human personality functions within a physical organism; so all human experience is subjective except for that experience which acknowledges the reality of God, recognizes the logical order of the universe, and recognizes the obligation of moral conduct and loving service to other personalities.

Urantia Paper Reference: 

Paper 16:7-9

See also Paper 112:1-2 

50 Reasons Why You Should Read the Urantia Book

Urantia Book
 * Religion * Spirituality * Philosophy * Science *

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This post seeks to answer the question: 
Why should I read the Urantia Book? 

Ah, let us count the ways...

The Urantia Book...

1. is one of those rare books that can actually transform your thinking and your life
2. provides new information about God
3. provides new information about the life of Jesus (the Bible provides details for only 28 days)
4. answers the question 'Who was Jesus?'
5. gives us an unprecedented account of Jesus' resurrection
6. will be a blessing in your life
7. is believed to be a new revelation for our time - it's like an update for every religion
8. helps you understand the world better
9. provides spiritual truth and inspiration that resonates with the soul
10. defines personality, soul and spirit
11. defines love, abundance and joy
12. defines ministry and loving service to others
13. teaches respect, honor and integrity
14. may cause creationists to believe in intelligently designed evolution
15. may cause happiness
16. deepens and strengthens your faith
17. defines the supreme purpose of life:  the development of a majestic and well-balanced personality
    
18. increases desire to be loving, generous and kind
19. provides an even greater peace that passeth all understanding
20. answers philosophical questions about life
21. shows us 'there are more things in heaven and earth' (said Hamlet to Horatio)
22. increases tolerance and understanding
23. answers questions about the formation of the universe
24. answers questions about the formation of our galaxy
25. answers questions about the formation of our planet
26. answers questions about the formation of everything on the planet
27. answers the question "Is there life out there?"
28. fills in missing links from history, theology, philosophy and science
29. teaches that there is no hell and that eternal life is yours to accept or reject
30. promotes living in truth, beauty and goodness
31. makes the Good News even better than previously imagined
32. establishes the possibility for us a closer connection with God and Humankind
33. will expand your consciousness
34. increase our awareness of cosmic consciousness
35. increases our ability to understand the cosmic context of our actions
36. through continuous study deepens and enriches our understanding of our role in the universe
37. through continuous study enriches our experiences, our lives, our loving, and our service
38. optimizes our opportunities
39. strengthens the desire to search for  truth in every experience
40. does not replace your current religion
41. enhances even the best religions
42. allows the skeptic, the agnostic, and even the scientific atheist to join believers
43. may have been introduced to you for a reason
44. found you at the right place and the right time in your life
45. provides eternal assurance, peace, and joy
46. provides knowledge and insight about God and his vast and magnificent creation
47. tells you what to do with your money
48. answers more questions than you ever thought to ask
49. will give you brain pain, but it's worth it
50. affirms the truth that God still speaks

These 50 reasons are a compilation of my own answers and the answers of other Urantia Book Readers to the question "Why Should I Read the Urantia Book?"

Note:  In case anyone was wondering how I would have answered the question - see answers 1, 9, 12, 14 & 17 (biggies), 18, 20, 29 (another biggie), 49, and 50.

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From UrantiaBook.org: Why You Need to Know About The Urantia Book:

Making good life decisions—the exercise of true wisdom—requires insight into the context in which the decision or choice is being made. 

The Urantia Book provides a comprehensive overview of the context in which we live our daily lives -- historical, social, personal, intellectual, spiritual, and material. It provides important background information that will deepen, enrich, and strengthen your relationship with God, empower you to prevail in your struggles with the difficulties of daily life, and enable you to participate creatively in the much-needed spiritual transformation of our world. 

By integrating science, philosophy, and religion into a coherent world view, the Urantia Book enhances the meanings we derive from our life experience, equipping us to live our lives relative to positive, creative spiritual values in the midst of difficulty, chaos, and uncertainty.

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Resources & Links for the Urantia Book: 

Urantia Book - read online text

Urantia Book - listen to online audio

UrantiaBook.org
Urantia.org
Truthbook.com
PlanetUrantia.com

Purchase the Urantia Book on Amazon

Making Decisions is Part of the Purpose of Life

I think our purpose is progress - you know, like evolution.  The gradual development of the human mind into something majestic, something true, beautiful and good. 

It is difficult to stand on one's own two feet, and avoid copying others.  There is a saying (slightly modified by this female):

    A smart man learns from his mistakes, a wise woman learns from the mistakes of others.

We look to history to see what we should be doing and how we should be doing it, we try not to repeat past mistakes; but we are not recycled robots, we are dynamic, evolving personalities.  Being able to make our own decisions is progress. 

   

Even secular education could help in this great spiritual renaissance if it would pay more attention to  the work of teaching youth how to engage in life planning and character progression. The purpose of    all education should be to foster and further the supreme purpose of life, the development of a     majestic and well-balanced personality. There is great need for the teaching of moral discipline in the place of so much self-gratification. Upon such a foundation religion may contribute its spiritual incentive to the enlargement and enrichment of mortal life, even to the security and enhancement of life eternal.

Urantia Book - Paper 195.10:17

Cosmic Citizen Radio Show: Introducing the Urantia Book to Children

Cosmic Citizen is a Urantia based radio program that airs Saturday mornings on Blog Talk Radio.  If you miss a show - you can listen to it later. 

Saturday, 3/20/2009:  This week's Cosmic Citizen Radio Show guest is Jennifer Siegel, a long time Urantia Book reader, her topic is:  Introducing Children to the Urantia Book.

Jennifer has been running a study group for children for many years and has a lot to say about how to share Urantia Book concepts with little ones and young people.  Hosts will be Christilyn Biek, sitting in for Paula Thompson, and Andre Traversa. 

Listen to the program using the embedded Blog Talk Radio widget above - if the correct program is not playing properly, please check the archives for this particular show on the main site:  Cosmic Citizen Radio Show

The Tao of God according to the Urantia Book

A book based on the teachings of the Urantia Book:

Following is an excerpt from a book called The Tao of God, a restatement based on the Urantia Book, by Richard S Omura. 

The Tao of God, a restatement based on the Urantia Book transforms and embellishes the work of Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching by incorporating the revelatory teachings of The Urantia Book.

Back of the Book:  In verse, it expresses a philosophy of living that harmonizes logic and intuition, science and religion, Eastern thought and Western thought, existence and non-existence, the material and the spiritual, action and non-action, peace and conflict, stillness and movement, and light and darkness. The Tao of God is an embellishment to the original Tao Te Ching, adding 20 extra chapters to present the idea that spiritual insight is infinite.

One

The Tao that I understand is not the true Tao.
The name of God is not the actual being.

The essence of the infinite is unnameable
Naming is what we do with finite things.

Trapped in flesh, you see only the outward form.
If you cease the grasping, the mystery is realized.

Yet mystery and science has the same origin. 
This origin is the First Source.

If you can't picture it, you'll say it's all dark.
If you see it, you see that it's all light.

Light within light, the key to all understanding.

Fear, Faith and Transformation

Abner had arranged for the Master to teach in the synagogue on this Sabbath day, the first time Jesus had appeared in a synagogue since they had all been closed to his teachings by order of the Sanhedrin. At the conclusion of the service Jesus looked down before him upon an elderly woman who wore a downcast expression, and who was much bent in form. This woman had long been fear-ridden, and all joy had passed out of her life. As Jesus stepped down from the pulpit, he went over to her and, touching her bowed-over form on the shoulder, said: "Woman, if you would only believe, you could be wholly loosed from your spirit of infirmity." And this woman, who had been bowed down and bound up by the depressions of fear for more than eighteen years, believed the words of the Master and by faith straightened up immediately. When this woman saw that she had been made straight, she lifted up her voice and glorified God.

Urantia Paper 167:3.1

The Doctor says you're fine, but you're depressed and your head hurts.  Is your physical and emotional pain the result of a fear-ridden and joyless attitude?  Do you want to be transformed?  Then realize that you have the power to decide right now whether to be ruled by fear or reality.  You decide your own reality; every moment you are making decisions about what is and what isn't, and it is your faith that enables your transformation. 
Please see a previous post entitled:  Overcoming Fear - Phobias - Anxieties 

Relaxing Mediation Music Videos

Relaxing Music Videos to meditate by or work by - A series of sixteen diverse relaxation and meditation videos, ranging in length from a couple of minutes each to one as long as twenty-two minutes. 

More Meditation Music Selections - for purchase:

Thank you for stopping by!

Free Article: Cultivation of Universal Intelligence

Excerpt (intro) from Cultivation of Universal Intelligence: 

How many of us have done a little retrospective thinking and picked up a self-help book about some philosophy of living or a method to change some quirk in our attitude?  Being knowledgeable about a problem is important because it is a step towards better behavioral balance and it can inspire us to a greater good.  The Urantia Book is a book that inspires, answering many questions about our origin, history and destiny not provided anywhere else.  We may even expound about some newfound knowledge to anyone who might listen, but a major question arises: How many of us truly assimilate the knowledge we have gained and allow our newfound insights to influence the choices we make?

1. Improve the quality of thinking
2. Explore beliefs
3. Develop emotional maturity
4. Cultivate moral awareness and consistency
5. Attune to spirit guidance
6. Cultivate sound taste
7. Develop a consecrated attitude