An Introduction to the Blog:
How did I end up where I am today, a Urantia Book reader, conference organizer, Urantia Society officer (Golden Gate Circle), blogger, and essayist publicly sharing thoughts and ideas with you?
In Toronto, Ontario, (Canada) where I was born, I was involved as a young man with a few different groups, classical music students, blues-rock musicians, and the student radical-political community. I’d left the United Church of Canada. My political friends helped start experimental communes, organized strikes, labored for worker’s rights, and socialist ideals in government. My best friend in college was jailed a couple of times for his labor union activities.
Even while I was still in that scene, I knew my perspective was changing. I was making decisions to get involved with spiritual solutions, and was less interested in political answers to social problems. Eventually my gradually evolving idea was that a ruling kingdom of the spirit (I didn’t have these words for it then) had to be established, not necessarily a new and more just power structure for the worker. Many of us had grown up watching the rule of labor devolve into a rule of tyrants in the Russian experiment.
My language back then also did not include terminology for describing growth of the spirit or soul, but I began to believe in the spiritual transformation of the individual. This was the real requirement that would lead to social improvements. I wanted transformation for myself, and I admired a song the Beatles sang, “You tell me it’s the institution, you better free your mind instead.” (John Lennon’s hit, Revolution)
When I arrived in California in the early 70's, it was the spiritual ferment of the San Francisco Bay Area that I found irresistible, its atmosphere of excitement and discovery that made me want to live here. I explored many paths: The Fourth Way (Gurdjieff/Ouspensky), psychedelics, yoga, Hinduism, Jesus Freakism, psychic readings, astrology and more. Northern California was criticized for its “salad bar” approach to spirituality. Critics say the exposure to so many spiritual traditions that is encouraged here will not ultimately provide an enduring haven, true sustenance for the soul. Of course, for some, it was true their New Age religious phase was just a passing fad. They left religions and got jobs in San Francisco’s financial district or Silicon Valley’s computer industry.
The era of 1967 to 1980 is when the Urantia Book gained a larger audience and an enthusiastic readership among the spiritual orphans and adventurers. After 1985, the appeal of the Urantia “movement” and new age spiritual groups in general seemed less attractive to younger generations. The appeal of the UB declined further when the conflicts of the 80’s happened between the Urantia Foundation and the Fellowship. Efforts undertaken to overcome the old conflicts are having some success.
In addition to that, there seems to be less overall interest in spiritual movements and religious messages currently. Atheism is more present. It speaks with a more strident voice. Some of the reason for this is undoubtedly economic—the modern business ethic that draws our creative youth is centered more on goals of getting rich, less on ideals of service to the community. Spiritual activities were discredited in the past by episodes of cult behavior that would be considered immoral by any genuinely spiritual or religious person. Sexual indiscretions, financial irregularities, crimes, even murder plagued New Age communities and the New Thought churches. A faith in God founded on personal experience will have a more certain chance of surviving such episodes. I believe the credibility of The Urantia Book stands because it is such a strong advocate of the religion of personal experience “founded” by Jesus (196:2.6).
I hope you will enjoy following the themes and ideas in this blog. The “religion of personal experience” is one of the topics I will be talking about, along with explications of the Urantia Book’s difficult texts, its unusual ideas, unfamiliar history, unknown personalities, and new language. I often like to compare what we read in the book with traditional sacred texts, when possible, as a way of enhancing interfaith understanding, relationships and communities. I will share the leadings of my spirit guide, and those of my master teacher, Jesus, as I continue to grow in my understanding. I’ve pursued these worthwhile activities for many years so I hope I’ve learned some things of value along the way that you will also enjoy as I share them with you. Cheers and blessings on the path!
