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Summary: Do not simply grasp it because you are searching
Review: I have read a great part of the Urantia Book, and, being a 20 year old philosophy/theology student, I revel greatly in the words of wisdom this book provides. However, I ask anyone who reads it one thing: if you are hungry for a sense of direction in your spiritual life, be careful. Though this book offers many answers to those who are searching, it is important that you THINK when reading this book because it does display words of great splendor, but also some of odd and controversal confusion. Though I cannot say what and what is not true in this book, I have found it to strengthen my belief in God. Before reading this book I was not a Christian. I was raised to be one, but did not put my heart into it. In the last year I have read much of the Urantia Book and it has made me a stronger Christian because of it. Not in the sense that I read and believed everything the book had to say, but because it finally opened my heart to what I knew to be true, that I am a child of God and more lies in store for me than this physical existence. Whether this book was written by men or immortals is a topic of debate. Also worthy of debate is the question of "is it all true? Are those who read it members of a cult and they don't even realize it?" I'm not going to answer any of those questions. It is each person's responsibility to find out for themselves. But regardless of who the author(s) is, or what their intentions were by writing this book, either by their planning or through their mistake, I am closer to God.
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Summary: Here's a 2,000 page book about Jesus...have you read it??
Review: I began reading the UB over 10 years ago for the purpose of saving my brother from, what I suspected was, a personality cult. Ya know....like David Koresh. Well, guess what? I learned the lesson of my own ignorance!!! Let me just speak to the folks who, out of abject fear, need to sling the "cult" word at the brilliance of this wonderful book. One reviewer used a phrase like "...members of the Foundation...", suggesting that favorable reviews came only from "members". NEWS FLASH: There are NO "members"!!! Nor are there any "personalities" standing in a pulpit anywhere "interpreting" the text of the UB for the hopelessly lost!!! THe Urantia Foundation merely works to keep the book in print...it is a publisher....and that's it. There are local Study Groups all over the U.S. and world made up of people who read and study the UB. They each make up their own study agendas and topics and discuss and exchange their own individual ideas about the text and the incredible meanings found on the UB pages. I've also read Martin Gardner's book attempting to debunk the UB. If you don't know this you should...Martin uses (of all things) Numerology as the basis for his attack on the UB!!! Ya gotta love the poor guy who uses the surface temp of the sun as his proof that the UB is fallacious!! This book identified sub-atomic particles long before they were discovered by science (called ultimatons). Read this book with the most skeptical mind you can muster and commit yourself to read the entire text and see what happens. If you worship the Bible you'll have trouble with it...if you worship God and love Jesus....you'll be thankful. And you'll appreciate the Bible even more!!! When you are done reading the UB, read a review or summary of the UB, written by any major Christian denomination for use by their "members". You'll be startled at the dishonesty and un-Christ-like nature of those reviews. The UB is NOT and attack on the Bible or any other religious work. Don't be afraid...just read and kiss fear good-bye forever. And remember...Jesus wasn't kiddin' when he used the metaphor "Father" to teach us about God. In every child is present the germ of the Father.... Truth, Goodness, Beauty and Light, to you all.
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Summary: The most wonderful book I could ever imagine!
Review: There aren't words to describe the love these papers can pour upon a seeking soul. That I ever doubted there was a loving intelligence supporting reality now seems hard to believe. These are the most wonderful, most beautiful, most ego-free, most authoritative, most enlightening words ever delivered to our eyes. As the commission of revelators points out, truth is ever-changing, and what is true in this part of the universe, at this point in the circle of time, may not be exactly so in other conditions, but this is as close as these friendly celestial beings can get for us, animal-origin mortals on one of the whirling evolutionary worlds of time and space. These wonderul, truely indited papers got my soul a'singin', and months may pass without seeing the pages, but the sublime message of God's infinite plan for us ascending mortals burns in my heart, and I am so happy to have discovered this book as it landed in my lap 28 years ago, the beginning of my conscious life. Here is a gift to us, to mankind, the teller of what is true religion: the dialogue each of us has with his own pure fragment of God the Father, a fragment destined on a world up ahead to fuse with our own personality, if we but choose.
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Summary: This book will change your life forever...
Review: Twenty years ago, a copy of the Urantia Book was mysteriously discovered in the ruins of a burned home, completely unscathed. I marvel daily at how this book arrived in my kitchen at the exact right moment of my life! I was searching for answers, especially for a reason and a meaning for life. The answers are all contained within its pages. And so is the answer to the mystery of how and why so many true seekers have been guided to discover this book. If you are sincerely wanting to know the truth, you will know it when you read the Urantia Book. You should be aware that many papers in the book are a challenge to comprehend; however, the thrill of discovery and the exhilaration of realizing that your journey has only just begun is a fraction of the many rewards for your efforts. This book *IS* is this world's future.
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Summary: A book which has life changing potential.
Review: The Urantia Book is an astounding book which can change the life of one who seeks a deeper understanding of God and God within. It discusses the nature of God, describes the physical and spiritual organization of the universe and its overseers, traces the spiritual history of this planet and provides a day by day narrative of the life and teachings of Jesus that goes beyond the bible. The book supports the concepts of the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of man superbly. It is a revelation for modern humankind! If the reader has the courage to suspend judgement about the book until s/he has thoughtfully contrasted current beliefs with insights presented in the papers (stand alone chapters), a deeper, joyous and more intimate relationship with God may evolve. Each new experience with truth, beauty and goodness builds faith and greater God-consciousness becomes living reality. It can be life changing.
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Summary: Garbage
Review: One of the most ridiculous books I've ever read in my entire life. The assumptions are conspiracy-based and really betray human intelligence. I don't believe celestial beings, custodians, space aliens or any ideas of that sort are helpful to the human condition. I just don't see the point. Sorry but these kinds of books belong on the shelf with and alonside those that they criticise as nothing more than end of the age hoo-haw and spiritual garbage. Why do people incessantly write books and theories that ascripe intelligence to somewhere other than where it actually resides. This and other new age throw-aways represent an all out war against personal responsibility and the human intellect. Farewell to the age of reason.
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Summary: You gotta read it
Review: I discovered the Urantia Book in 1971 and fortunately had the time to read and study it then because it takes a bit of effort to get acquainted with the concepts and word symbols used to convey meaning. But, for me, this book describes the workings of God's Universe of universes--from the most spiritual to the most physical--in ways no other single source can. To evaluate it or to allow it to affect your life, you gotta read it.
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Summary: If you are at all curious about our universe, get it!
Review: I purchased the softcover version about 5 months ago and have now read about two thirds of this enormous 2000 page work. This book is simply without parallel. I remember thinking many years ago, 'Why do I have to wait until I die to find out the reasons for such and such...' Well I never did expect to get those questions answered in this life. But then, I hadn't read the Urantia book. This book has managed to appear to assimilate the best from the world religions and philosophies to form an incredibly cohesive cosmic worldview. In fact, the way the entire book holds together in its self consistency, profundity, sublime morality, and sheer original brilliance has convinced me that it must in fact be a divine revelation, as it indeed purports itself to be. Indeed, after reading much of this book, the religions and philosophies of the world appear to be dilutions of the real thing. Expect adequate answers to these questions, and more: Who is God and what is He like? How does God 'interface' with our universe? How was the universe created, and why? How did biological life come into existence? Why is life progressing? What really is the detailed biologic and geologic history of earth? When did man appear, and what is his detailed history? What really makes man unique from other animals? How did the different races and cultures begin? What is involved in 'mind' and 'spirit'? How can God live in us? How does God communicate with us? What are the nature and kinds of celestial intelligences? What really happened in the rebellion of certain celestial intelligences? Why are there so many religions? Why does God allow suffering and injustice? Is there life on other planets? What is earth's ultimate destiny? What is our destiny after death? Who will survive? How does Jesus really fit into all of this? What is my ultimate purpose here? How can I be happy and fulfilled? I have spent so much time pondering these questions on my own. As a Christian, I have become personally convinced of many truths (like 'Jesus is Lord'), but still there remained questions that I felt even the bible was not really clear on. Well, now I can spend less time pondering and more time living out amazing truths that I could not have 'pondered into' in a thousand years. This book truly is a gift, whether one agrees that it was from superhuman sources or not. If you have a friend who is spiritually minded with lots of questions, give them this book as a gift. Even if they don't believe it for what it says it is, they will come away with insights that would have taken a lifetime to learn.
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Summary: Without a doubt, the most important book in print today!
Review: . Doubt its' source, question its' Truth, be sceptical, or even mock it, but read it. Cover to cover. Merges the belief systems of humanity, no matter what one's background is: Jew, Christian, Doukhobor, Materialist, Athiest or Agnostic. See p 1130: "While your religion is a matter of personal experience, it is most important that you should be exposed to the knowledge of a vast number of other religious experineces to the end that you may prevent your religious life from becoming egocentric..." You want simplicity? Buy a colouring book or read a romantic novel. Not that it is completely complicated, a good portion is elusive. This book does not offer itself as complete, nor The final source. It is but a step along the path of eternal growth in knowledge. Be prepared to re-read it. A few words of caution on the last 1/3 of the book. This section is about the intimate and personal experience of Jesus' life here on earth. It may provide a depth of insight about the way many people think that you had never expected, and you could wind up much more connected to everyone on earth! After reading this book it will be easier to accept the lack of uniformity of thought among the people of earth, and easier also to see the spirit essense that binds us and makes all men equal.
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Summary: The most enlightening spiritual book of our time!!!
Review: In my honest opinion, of all the religous, spiritual and new age books out there, this is positively the most comprehensive, engrossing, and all-encompasing book of our time. The Urantia Book will undoubtedly change humanity and your nature and style of living for the better! I would suggest starting with The Jesus Papers as that is the most treasured and familiar part of this book. This section of the book will make you fall in love with the Jesus you learned about in the Bible. The beauty of this book is that it combines the nature of religion and science into REALITY. It does not pit science against religion or vice versa. It also does not directly contradict any religions. In fact it gives people a greater appreciation and understanding for whatever religion they may be in! In addtion to that, this book will give you an incredible understanding of the universe, where you are going, where you came from, and hundreds of other BIG questions that WILL be answered! This is the Fifth Revelation of God to Man. Many wish to the live life according to the Fourth revelation, the revelation of God Jesus taught 2000 years ago, and that is fine. For those who wish to degrade this book, that is mainly because they are comfortable and secure with the Bible, Koran, etc., and are not comfortable with change or dynamism. But for those of you who feel as though you need more, and are willing to broaden your perspective of the nature of God, Man, and your role in the Universe, this book is the beginning of an enthralling, exciting, epic, and ever-lasting journey to ultimately find God and be like him!!! There is only one book that tries to make a mockery of and debunk The Urantia Book. After completing the Urantia Book, read Martin Gardners book, Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery. After completing The Urantia Book you will realize that Mr Gardner describes ALL religions, Catholics, Mormons, Christians, and Muslims, as Cults and that he has spent very little time studying The Urantia Book, and spent very much time proving his ignorace by taking almost everything out of context, commiting hundreds of errors in regards to science, and misqouting many passages. I myself would be weary of any author who is an aethist and has a large cult of science-beliveing, religion-bashing, followers, but hey, criticism and skeptisim is always healthy and only aids in strengthening your true beliefs. Pay the 15 bucks, and begin reading the Life of Jesus on Page 1332. It will be the greatest investment you could ever make!!
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