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Petition from the Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood
To the Membership Committee of First Urantia Society
Requesting Explusion of Robert Burton

The Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood respectfully submit the following petition for the expulsion of Robert Burton from membership in First Urantia Society, and ipso facto from membership in Urantia Brotherhood.

  1. WHEREAS, the preamble to the Constitution of the Urantia Brotherhood provides, in part:  “Inasmuch as it is our most solemn conviction that the comfort, happiness, and well-being of Man will be enhanced by the creation of an organization devoted to the purposes hereinafter expressed, and inasmuch as it is our considered judgment that the purposes hereinafter expressed may best be accomplished through the mutual assistance and association of a body of people working together for a common cause…” and
  1. WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 4.3 of the aforesaid Constitution provides, in part:  “No member shall be expelled from membership in a Urantia Society unless, as adjudged by such Urantia Society, the attitude, conduct, or influence of such member shall be prejudicial to the interests and work of such Urantia Society…” and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton has failed, as hereinafter more specifically set forth, to participate in the mutual assistance of the body of people consisting of Urantia Brotherhood through membership in First Urantia Society in working together with them for a common cause and, more particularly, has exhibited an attitude, has been guilty of conduct, and has exercised influence which has been, is, and promises to be prejudicial to the interests and work of Urantia Brotherhood, and
  1. WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Executive Committee of the General Council of Urantia Brotherhood to maintain order and to protect their organization, and further, it is their prerogative to judge the loyalty, integrity, and sincerity of their members, and moreover, it is their privilege to be free of, and their duty to prevent, contemptible conduct designed to destroy their organization, and
  1. WHEREAS, Urantia Brotherhood was early warned that the enemies of the Urantia movement would seek to destroy it, using all manner of wily stratagems to create dissension, suspicion, and distrust among the membership responsible for the dissemination of the teachings of The Urantia Book – including the constant, purposeless harassment of the leadership, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton has persistently, over a period of years, carried out a sustained assault on the leadership of Urantia Brotherhood and Urantia Foundation, attempting to overthrow confidence in the rightfully ordained leadership of the custodians of the fifth major revelation, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton on numerous occasions has maliciously attacked the officers and members of the General Council of Urantia Brotherhood charging the usurpation of the prerogative of democratic debate and open discussion, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton has sought to foment distrust, suspicion, unrest, contention and strife among the membership of Urantia Brotherhood through the distribution of certain Resolutions attempting to censure the sister body of Urantia Brotherhood, Urantia Foundation, intimating that the Trustees of Urantia Foundation were misapplying donations and were engaging in other improper activities, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton has attempted to keep the leadership of Urantia Brotherhood and the Trustees of Urantia Foundation off balance and on the defensive through unjustified and inexcusable accusations and petty harassments, and
  1. WHEREAS. Robert Burton has made it a practice to harassing the leadership of Urantia Brotherhood and Urantia Foundation consuming much of their time and financial resources as they attempt to patiently deal with Robert Burton’s frivolous and insulting claims and charges, and
  1. WHEREAS, the Trustees have endeavored at numerous meetings to attempt reconciliation with Robert Burton, but Burton did not attend nor give notice that he would not attend at several of these meetings, and
  1. WHEREAS, the Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood and the Trustees of Urantia Foundation have patiently and actively – over a period of years – endeavored to act reasonably, consistently, and fairly at all times in the face of his unwarranted accusations, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton has been given full and fair opportunity to air any and all grievances – real or supposed and properly a matter of discussion before the General Council – at the meeting of July 23rd, 1972, and whereas he did not avail himself whatsoever of the opportunity to express his views fully, openly, and logically, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton following that meeting unfairly and willfully misrepresented and distorted the conduct of that meeting of July 23rd, 1972, in correspondence to a non-attending General Councilor, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton preaches the doctrines of the Lucifer Manifesto of unbridled liberty, and disrespect of, and rebellion against, rightfully constituted leadership, in this case, of the custodians of the fifth major epochal revelation accusing or insinuating that they have participated in fraud, autocratic rule, suppression of free expression, violation of the principles of fairness and justice, and improper conduct of policy discussion, alleging secrecy and insinuating wrongdoing, and
  1. WHEREAS, the foregoing charges, either jointly or severally, are tantamount to open rebellion against the rightfully constituted leadership of Urantia Brotherhood and Urantia Foundation, and
  1. WHEREAS, Robert Burton, by his conduct – notwithstanding his self-serving and insincere disclaimers – has shown that he is not a member of the loyal opposition but, indeed, that he wishes to undercut the authority, to cast doubt on the motives and intentions, and to undermine the support of the General Council and its officers, and the Trustees of Urantia Foundation, whereas Robert Burton cannot serve two masters, and one cannot call his brazen attacks, and baseless charges constructive or helpful in a positive way, especially when it is directly antagonistic to the cooperative purposes of Urantia Brotherhood and Urantia Foundation, and
  1. WHEREAS, the actions of Robert Burton have not been, nor do they promise to be, consistent with the high duty and responsibility of a member of First Urantia Society and of a General Councilor of Urantia Brotherhood to promote the cooperative effort of “a body of people working together for a common cause,” but whereas he has sought to create suspicion, dissension, and distrust to the end of disrupting the orderly functioning the that body, and
  1. WHEREAS, the Executive Committee wishes the public at large to know that Robert Burton has acted unreasonably and contrary to the best interests of Urantia Brotherhood and that they fully disapprove of his detrimental and insincere conduct designed only to create confusion, suspicion and distrust, and to promote strife, contention, and misunderstanding, and
  1. NOW, Therefore, be it Resolved that Robert Burton should be expelled from membership in URATNIA Brotherhood and to that end the Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood respectfully petitions the Membership Committee of First Urantia Society to consider and to act upon the foregoing charges to expel Robert Burton from membership in First Urantia Society and ipso facto membership in Urantia Brotherhood.

Respectfully submitted,

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF Urantia BROTHERHOOD

By Alvin L. Kulieke, Chairman

Attest: Marian Rowley, Secretary