The Urantia Book
Paper 102: The Foundations of Religious Faith; Section 5
The Supremacy of Purposive Potential
| 102:5.1 Although the establishment of the fact of belief
is not equivalent to establishing the fact of that which is believed, nevertheless,
the evolutionary progression of simple life to the status of personality
does demonstrate the fact of the existence of the potential of personality
to start with. And in the time universes, potential is always supreme over
the actual. In the evolving cosmos the potential is what is to be, and
what is to be is the unfolding of the purposive mandates of Deity.
102:5.2 This same purposive supremacy is shown in the evolution of mind ideation when primitive animal fear is transmuted into the constantly deepening reverence for God and into increasing awe of the universe. Primitive man had more religious fear than faith, and the supremacy of spirit potentials over mind actuals is demonstrated when this craven fear is translated into living faith in spiritual realities. 102:5.3 You can psychologize evolutionary religion but not the personal- experience religion of spiritual origin. Human morality may recognize values, but only religion can conserve, exalt, and spiritualize such values. But notwithstanding such actions, religion is something more than emotionalized morality. Religion is to morality as love is to duty, as sonship is to servitude, as essence is to substance. Morality discloses an almighty Controller, a Deity to be served; religion discloses an all-loving Father, a God to be worshiped and loved. And again this is because the spiritual potentiality of religion is dominant over the duty actuality of the morality of evolution. |
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