Response to Foundation's Open Letter
Philip G. Calabrese

Friday, November 12, 1999

Dear Urantia Foundation,

 

I am aware of the recent unauthorized (as far as Urantia Foundation is concerned) publication of all but the first of the "Jesus" papers of The Urantia Book (UB) in a separate book, a book which makes reference to the whole text as published by Urantia Foundation (UF).

I have also recently read your principled letter to the readership, the "congregation of readers of the UB", to seek advice on the matter of Urantia Foundation's copyright concerns as related to such publications. After considerable reflection I have concluded that UF is taking it's role in the Fifth Epochal Revelation too seriously.  UF is supposed to "foster" (not lead) a revelation and publish and protect authentic inviolate copies of the first edition of the Urantia Book.  It can do that without also attempting to play a central role in the presentation of The Revelation as UF does by maintaining central control over the publication and presentation of parts or all of the book.

UF brings up the possibility of various bastardizations and distortions of the Urantia Book as reasons for it's need to carefully control all publications of The Revelation, but these reasons seem to me in this day of world computer interconnection and quick communication to be just an after-the-fact excuse for UF's maintaining itself as the central control point of UB revelatory presentations and publications - the one and only publisher and copyright holder of the Urantia Book.

Unfortunately, as long as UF continues to see its role in this way, the presentation of the Revelation will be stunted by the uniformity inherent

in a central human control point.  In its zeal (and overmuch self concern) to present an ideal and inviolate copy of the original manuscript, UF

attempts too much in one direction while missing the larger picture of thousands of individual believers doing there own thing with the text, adapting it to their own needs and to the needs of the world's peoples.

It never was meant to be a perfect revelation, and so human reworking and representing is a good thing that can only lead more people right back to that same Urantia Book that UF can continue to publish inviolately.  With computers and communication now so generally available, it would take less than a day for anyone to trace the origin of material taken from the Urantia Book.  Most authors would be happy to refer the whole text to anyone (like us) with the intellectual bent to read it and love it.

Please consider taking a more decentralized role in the presentation of the Fifth Epochal Revelation; allow The Revelation to breathe.

Respectfully yours,

Philip Calabrese, Ph.D.