Jesus' Birthday Celebrated
On August 21 and on days immediately surrounding this date, groups of readers in many different parts of the world gather to socialize and celebrate the birth of Jesus on our world. Pictured below are readers from Lithuania, Florida, and Colorado.
A Birthday Gift for the Master
The email exchange published below took place between JJ Johnson, who places books around the world in conjunction with his work-related travels, and an agent for the National Bibliotheque in Rome.
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27 July, 2006
Dear Mr Johnson,
I have spoken with the responsible person at the gift office of the National Bibliotheque of Rome. I will bring soon the book to them. I will be out of Rome from July 31st to August 10th. I will bring the book when I return on August 11 and I will send you all the details by e-mail. I thank you very much for the gift you left for me, it was very kind of you. I await your answer,
Kind regards, G.
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Sun, 13 August 2006
Dear Mr Johnson,
I have just come back after my holiday. The National Library is closed until August 20th. I Promise that I will make the delivery on August 21st. Sorry for the delay. I will confirm everything to you on Monday 21 August.
Kind regards, G.
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Monday, 21 August, 2006
Dear Mr Johnson,
I have delivered today your book at the gift office of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Vittorio Emanuele II, viale Castro Pretorio 105, 00185 Rome.
Kind regards, G.
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Marvin with elder statesman, Dr. Meredith Sprunger, summer 2006
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Fellowship Appoints Marvin Gawryn to Function as Urantia Foundation/UAI Liason
Marvin Gawryn has been appointed by President Robert Burns, with the approval of the Executive Committee, to function as a liaison with the purpose of working toward improved relations and communication between leaders in the Fellowship, Foundation and Urantia Association International. Marvin, a family therapist by profession, is charged with working to develop collaborative efforts that benefit the mission of the Urantian revelation, and the healing of the historic rifts between the three organizations.
This action has been taken in response to a series of resolutions originating in the General Council and Fellowship TDA meetings directing the Fellowship to become proactive in this process.
Subsequently, on the weekend of August 19, a preliminary exploratory meeting was held at the Silver Springs Retreat Center in Canada. More information about this important development should be available in the near future. |
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The Urantia Book in the Muslim World 
Slowly, copies of The Urantia Book are beginning to find homes with readers in the Muslim world.
Here is a partial overview of how this is developing.
Croatian Translation
The husband/wife team of Nora and Saed Moakher continue their work on the Croatian translation. Nora is from Bosnia and Saed is from Kurdish Iran. Both have backgrounds in Muslim culture and belief. Begun in 1994, the translation has been supported by members of the Golden Gate Circle society in the San Francisco bay area and other interested readers. The translation is now 70% complete. Completed papers are published via the Internet on Barry Clark's Translation Portal. Already some 13,000 individual copies of papers have been downloaded in addition to more than 200 downloads of the complete set.
More money is needed to complete the work -- it costs approximately $500 to translate, edit, and check each paper. Organizations, groups, societies and individuals may make tax-deductible contributions to the Golden Gate Circle Society of The Urantia Book by sending their checks c/o Martha Babatola at: 2812-A South Main Street, Soquel, CA 95073. Please make your check out to "Golden Gate Circle" and note “translation fund.”
If you would like additional information please contact Claudia Ayers, chairperson of the Golden Gate Circle translation committee.
India and Pakistan
In India there are reader groups who are regularly harrassed by their conservative Muslim neighbors. In Pakistan, study groups have had to go underground because of demands by local clerics. There is no small amount of danger in these countries that must be dealt with by individuals wanting to promote the book. If you believe in the power of prayer, this might be a good time to try some.
Ken Raveill's study group in Kansas City has established a "sister group" relationship with a study group in Islamabad. Very shortly, a "Urantian Sampler" consisting of five papers translated into the Urdu language spoken in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and parts of India, will be shipped to the readers in Islamabad.
Paid for by funds contributed as a joint effort by persons from the primary Urantia organizations, this hard-back book contains Paper 1 -- The Universal Father, Paper 56 -- Universal Unity, Paper 100 -- Religion in Human Experience, Paper 112 -- Personality Survival, and Paper 196 -- The Faith of Jesus.
Muslim Africa
The first known Urantian outreach work into the Muslim world has been pioneered by Moussa Ndiaye in Dakar, Senegal. Moussa is a French-speaking university professor and spiritual teacher. His teachings are based on Urantia Book concepts. He also uses scriptures and other texts depending on the background of the student. Moussa developed his methodology over 25 years during which time he taught over 1000 students in Dakar and trained more than 80 teachers. He has led workshops in the US, in Canada, and in France.
Kazakhstan
Landscape in Central Kazakhstan
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A reader who worked in Kazakhstan a short time ago writes:
At the time I was working there, Kazakhstan had fairly restrictive laws against all religions other than Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Persecution, harassment, and other intimidation occurred even against the Catholic and Protestant groups, and the Moonies and Hare Krishnas and other cults were really given a hard time. I had to be very careful in spreading the books, so I chose a trustworthy person and let the interpersonal grapevine do the work of connecting books to seekers. Starting a study group was simply not advisable. |
Chechnya
David Kantor writes:
This summer I have had an opportunity to get to know some spiritually devout, politically active Muslims from Chechnya -- individuals actively involved in the quest to promote spiritual advancement amongst all peoples along with a cessation of all political and social violence. In discussing The Urantia Book with these folks several things became clear.
First, these folks have a well-developed, spiritualized world view which provides a context in which they are doing very important work on spiritual, social, and political levels. Support and reinforcement is likely to be more productive than attempts at conversion. This may be a function of age. It appears to me that in later life the pressing questions about philosophy and cosmology which dominated young adult years get replaced by questions relating to more effective spiritual service and productive coordination with other spiritual workers operating from different intellectual frames of reference.
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In Vilnius with the widow of the first elected President of Independent Chechnya (center) and the Chechen Ambassador to the Baltic States (left). |
Secondly, it is important to appreciate that Islam and Judaism (and I suspect all the other major world religions as well) encompass a range of social expression similar to Christianity. That is, a spectrum with strict fundamentalism and charismatic spiritualism at one end, and liberal or post-modern intellectualism at the other end. It may be far more important to clearly communicate our support and companionship on critical spiritual and social priorities rather than trying to get active religionists to switch to a different sacred text.
While I've addressed a number of specific questions about the cosmological and religious aspects of the book, our primary conversations have focused on two main areas:
1. Are readers of The Urantia Book likely to be the allies of spiritually concerned Muslims working toward a world in which spiritual values -- regardless of particular religious ideologies or belief systems -- are upheld and pursued?
2. Are readers of The Urantia Book likely to be the allies of spiritually concerned, politically active Muslims working toward a world in which violence is unacceptable as a means of creating change?
These encounters have helped me to appreciate the different levels on which our work should be taking place.
First, it is important to make people aware of the illumination of personal spiritual issues which the book provides. But beyond creating interest in the book itself we should also be prepared to work effectively with other religionists within the five categories of work the book says need to be done to facilitate the realization of social brotherhood -- social fraternity, intellectual cross-fertilization, ethical awakening, political wisdom, and spiritual insight. It is helpful to review the lists of items which the book provides within each of these categories. [52:6 (p.597)]
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Resources on Islam for Readers of The Urantia Book
An Introduction to Islam for Readers of The Urantia Book -- Dr. Meredith Sprunger Highly recommended
An Approach to Inter-Religious Dialog -- Dr. Ted Peters, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California -- Important perspectives on maintaining the integrity of your own beliefs while engaged in honestly open conversation with other religionists. Highly recommended
Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia -- Ahmed Rashid; Available from Amazon.com Highly recommended
The Politics of Muslim Cultural Reform -- Adeeb Khalid
-- Important background for discussions with contemporary Muslims about spiritual and intellectual reform within Islam. Readers engaged in outreach to members of other religious cultures should acquire more knowledge and insight into reform movements within those religious cultures which attempt to illuminate values emphasized in The Urantia Book.
Selected Quotations from the Koran for Readers of The Urantia Book -- Stuart R. Kerr, III
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Pipeline of Light Update 
Red indicates countries which have received Pipeline books. Yellow indicates other countries
known to have had books placed. White indicates a country not known to have any books.
Map maintained by Saskia Raevouri at the Square Circles Website
The Pipeline of Light kicked into high gear during the first six months of 2006. Between January and June, we placed 352 copies of The Urantia Book (including translations, the audio version, and English) into twenty-two countries:
Colombia, Costa Rica, South Africa, Lithuania, Pakistan, Republic of Guinea, Zambia, Croatia, Argentina, Chile, Myanmar, Greece, Panama, Nicaragua, India, Brazil, Egypt, France, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Algeria, and The Philippines.
We have since placed books with readers in Iceland, Germany, Peru, and Chechnya for a total of twenty-six Pipeline countries this year.
How do we do it? Every way we can think of! Sometimes books are sent with travelers who are vacationing in other countries. One Pipeline volunteer travels extensively for business, and he makes excellent use of the Fellowship's contacts to find readers who need books. The International Committee sent ambassadors this year to a Urantia conference in Ecuador, and also to Africa to follow up on contacts originally made by Norman Ingram years ago.
We've experimented in the past several months with new ideas. We send post cards redeemable for one book with Pipeline volunteers as they travel, so they don't have to pack so many cases of real books. We had one creative reader in the USA who purchased a book himself and sent it directly to a seminary student in Zambia. As time goes on, I'm sure we will find many ways to keep the flow of the revelation moving outward into the world.
Your support of the Pipeline of Light keeps the revelation flowing to distant corners of our earth. Please help us!
Donations are accepted online or by mail to: The Urantia Book Fellowship, PO Box 4583, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163. You may contact the Pipeline coordinator directly by email.
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University of California, Santa Barbara: New home for the accumulating collection of Urantian historic documents and materials
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Urantia Book Historical Society Update
The Urantia Book Historical Society is a newly formed independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to begin formally collecting and preserving Urantia Book related historical materials. An electronic collection process began in October of 2005. The Historical Society was set up to be responsible for these electronic records, physical documents, and for other historical materials relating to Urantia Book history.
About the Urantia Book Historical Society
The Urantia Book Historical Society is working with the University of California Santa Barbara, Special Collections, "American Religions Collection." which is where the Urantia materials are to be housed.
The American Religions Collection contains more than 30,000 books, several thousand serials, and approximately 1,000 linear feet of manuscripts mainly relating to 20th century non-traditional religions and splinter groups of larger religious bodies in North America. It is the largest collection of its kind in the United States and is the most heavily used area of Special Collections. The staff -- archivists, curators, or librarians -- preserve historical materials and ensure that they will be available for research for generations to come. This repository provides environmentally controlled, secure storage and guarantees proper handling of valuable materials. Equally important, it can provide research access to the contents, both to Urantia Book students and to public scholars. In future years, researchers - including students, professors, genealogists, journalists and many others -- may find these materials to be of significant value to their work.
Access to Collections
Iin order to insure its preservation for as long as is humanly possible, the physical materials are not in public circulation. The general public has access in a secure area of the library. Access to donated materials is governed by the repository's written policies regarding availability, photo duplication, and publication. But this only regards access to the original documents. Plans are to maintain a complete electronic copy of the archive online (with the exception of documents kept in reserve to protect the privacy of living individuals).
A partial and incomplete version of the archive may be viewed on-line.
This will give you an overview of the scope of the project although the full archive is already many times the size that's available at this demo site. And already a new web site is being developed for the Historical Society which will be located at www.ubhistory.org.
There are many issues related to this project such as copyrights, access to original documents, tax deductions for contributions, and much more. For more information contact Larry Watkins.
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A Short History of The Urantia Book Club
at the University of Colorado and How it Works
by Donald Shea Green
It all started back in 1981. At the time I was a student at The Boulder School for Students of the Urantia Book founded by John Hay. Merritt Horn designed and taught the two and a half year program. Besides the incremental study of the book, Merritt insisted that we all had to find some sort of community service project. Several of us at the school figured that the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus (CU) would be a great place to expose students to The Urantia Book. So a few of us decided to try to do something on campus.
In those days, the Student Union building would allow the various student clubs and organizations to set up booths along a large gallery leading into the cafeteria. Hundreds of students would pass by all day, five days a week. It looked like an eastern bazaar with a crazy assortment of campus organizations, sports clubs, fraternities, sororities, along with clubs representing every possible religion. Mixed into this clamor were vendors who could get permission from any of the official clubs to use their booth privileges to sell products and in return give the clubs a percentage. All vying for attention – it was great!
We decided that we’d call ourselves “Synthesis” – as in the synthesis of science, philosophy and religion. The big question was just how would we present a virtually unheard of big blue book (with no pictures!) which called itself a revelation. We got one of the non-religious clubs to sponsor us, and we set up a booth. We figured if we got a lot of different books relating to philosophy, science and religion and casually stuck The Urantia Book in the midst of them, we might be able to engage some unsuspecting young person into a conversation. And (of course) hook them on the big blue one in the middle. Everyone thought we were selling used books! Actually, the only book that got absolutely no interest was – you guessed it – The Urantia Book.
Our next plan was to put some notices around the Student Union announcing a discussion group on how to synthesize science, philosophy and religion. We packed one of the meeting rooms with 5 or 6 of the students from the Boulder School and laid in wait for any curious student that might happen into the room. Two or three stumbled in looking for a meeting taking place next door, and here we were, five guilty looking individuals all with big, blue, books on our laps. They took one look and fled in horror! “Synthesis” lasted one semester.
It dawned on me that our approach was wrong. We wanted to interest, or at least expose, the students to the Urantia Papers – not necessarily trick them into a debate. Why not call our group what it really was about? So I changed the name to "The Urantia Book Club."
I picked out a very clean, shiny blue cloth to cover our table and placed three copies of The Urantia Book on it – two opened to different places and one closed in the center, showing the book and its cover. Next, I added some brochures and flyers. Also displayed was a copy of the Concordex and one of the Paramony. The Urantia Book Club was now open for business, three days a week for two hours a day.
Periodically, members of the local Urantia Book community would stop by to help out. Most of the people who came up to the university to help – with a few exceptions – did it a few times and then decide they just didn’t have the time or the inclination just to sit there. And believe me, most of the time that’s just what you’re doing – sitting and watching the kids pass. It may appear they don't even glance in your direction, and they don't ask as much as a single question.
Most of us – when we start doing outreach like this – tend to think of it as a numbers thing. “How many people have I had a meaningful dialogue with or at least connected with today?” If the answer is, “None,” then the natural tendency is to think I must be doing something wrong. Wrong! What we need to look at very hard is just what we’re trying to do. After many years of experimenting with all kinds of methods, I’ve come to one clear conclusion. It’s not about us, and whether we feel we’re being accepted, or if we’re doing a good enough job. It’s about those students who are passing by.
Every time someone walks by your booth, that person has given your display at least a brief glance. From that point on, they will remember, on some level, that there is such a thing as The Urantia Book. In other words, The Urantia Book is no longer something they’ve never laid eyes on. Now the Adjusters and the angels can do their work to underline the revelation. That makes all the hours I’ve spent sitting at the university worthwhile. If you’re looking for, “Oh, thank you, sir, for turning me on to this revelation,” you may have a long wait.
Believe me, we’ve learned that the passive approach is the best. Now I don’t even sit at the booth, but at another table near by. Students are more likely to stop and look it over when there is no one sitting behind the table ready to leap. If I see that someone is looking it over with interest then I might approach with, “Feel free to take some of the literature.” The approach is very relaxed. “Any questions just ask.” And sometimes they do.
There are always those encounters that make your heart leap: when some kid really wants to talk and asks all kinds of questions. The more you become a recognized fixture on campus, you’ll find that more and more kids will stop and pick up a brochure or one of the magazines we give out. I think it’s important that when you do set up a booth or table, you try to make it at the same time and day. That gives the impression of stability and safety. And you are easy to find another day.
On the CU campus if you have what’s called an On-Campus-Club status, you are entitled to use almost any of the university buildings and services at no charge. So there is a lot of room for new approaches to disseminating the teachings of The Urantia Book. This would include interfacing with many of the other religious clubs, utilizing the campus radio station by producing programs and ads, hosting study groups with guest speakers, staging events, and potentially lots of other activities. We post short quotes from The Urantia Book on bulletin boards around campus with our name The Urantia Book Club in small print down in the corner. Like many of the clubs on campus, The Urantia Book Club will soon have its own website for students to browse. The internet will
also make it possible to dialogue with anyone who wants more information on how to set up their own Urantia Book Club at colleges and universities across the country.
Over the years, The Urantia Book Club has evolved to where it is today, and we believe the best is yet to come. We’ve had a lot of help along the way and learned how to operate and maintain an on-campus organization. Now I feel it’s time for you to take it to other colleges and universities. We know the educated young people – not only of this country but of the world – are the future of this fabulous revelation.
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Italian Translation Finished! by Saskia Raevouri
I have just received word from Jay Peregrine at Urantia Foundation that the Italian translation of the Urantia Book, Il Libro di Urantia, is expected to be ready for shipping within the next few weeks!
Once again I want to thank everyone who pitched in with the printing fund which is making this possible, and also the Italian translation team who devoted more than two decades to make this dream come true!
Here is the announcement on Urantia Foundation's website:
"Il Libro di Urantia is scheduled to ship from the printer on August 25th. We will first publish the book in the United States, and after one month we will be able to publish it world-wide. The book will sell in the US for $24.95 for the softcover and $29.95 for the hardcover. We are now taking advance orders on the phone at (773) 525-3319 or via our website store."
Please tell all your Italian-speaking friends!
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Interfaith Committee Offering
On-Line Course
The Urantia Book Interfaith committee is conducting an on-line course aimed at dialoguing with people of different faiths. This is an eight week course. Participants will attend an in-depth retreat at the conclusion of the course. Dr. Peter Laurence created this class for university students and will be the facilitator.
Our intent is to introduce materials that will give you the skills to speak with people of different faiths. We have no intention of converting anyone, but rather entering into dialogue for the purpose of learning from, and working with, people of other faiths. There is much work to be done and our hope is to create relationships through dialogue and actual work with others.
If you would like more information and/or would like to take this on-line course please contact Susan Cook. There are still a few spots open.
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Do You Have a Study Group?
If so, please check your study group information in the On-Line Directory.
Email Bobbie Dreier or call her at 201 224-7548 if you have any changes.
Bobbie thanks you!
WILL YOU WORK ONE HOUR EACH MONTH FOR THE REVELATION?
"The social ship has steamed out of the sheltered bays of established tradition
and has begun its cruise
upon the high seas of evolutionary destiny … "
[The Urantia Book, Page 1086, Paper 99:1.3 ]
Our good ship "Urantia" has steamed from the harbor !
Stoke her engines with your dollars!
Please pledge one
hour's earnings a month
to The Urantia Book Fellowship.
Her mission is clear so please click here!
Our online contributions page is simple, fast and secure.
A beautiful special edition leather Urantia Book will be sent to anyone
who signs-up for a $20.00 monthly auto-debit contribution.
The New York Urantia Society is offering this bumper sticker for sale in order to raise funds for its outreach activities. It measures 11.5" X 3" and is made from outdoor vinyl with easily removable adhesive.
Click here to order
For more about the New York Urantia Society, visit their website.
IC08 Reminder
Service is mentioned in the Urantia Book 654 times. The service of our Father, of Michael, and service from us to our sisters and brothers, is the most important act we can do while we are on this planet. Jesus consecrated his life to loving us and being of service to us. And our beloved book tells us over and over to serve mankind by telling them about the life of Jesus and his teachings.
As readers of the Urantia Book, we are called to serve in various ways. The IC08 conference team needs stories of your adventures and experience in attempting to follow the Master's exhortation to be about a life of service. If you are looking for service opportunities please let us know and we will put you in touch with others who are already energetically engaged in a variety of powerful service projects.
We need to know who is serving and who wants to serve -- and we thank you for helping us to serve!
Send your stories or articles to Susan Cook, IC08 Conference Chair.
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