• 2. The co-ordination of known or about to be known facts and observations.
  • 3. The restoration of important bits of lost knowledge concerning epochal transactions in the distant past.
  • 4. The supplying of information which will fill in vital missing gaps in otherwise earned knowledge.
  • 5. Presenting cosmic data in such a manner as to illuminate the spiritual teachings contained in the accompanying revelation."

    While the enlarged spiritual cosmology is basic in presenting expanded spiritual truth, the authors of The Urantia Book repeatedly warn against identifying the temporal scientific-cultural frames of reference of the book with its eternal spiritual truths. Urantia Book fundamentalists seem to have just as much trouble separating the temporal scientific-cultural-carrying vehicle concepts from the eternal truths of The Urantia Book as do the Biblical fundamentalists. They retort, "The Urantia Book is not the Bible!" Obviously not, but human mind makes the same identity responses linking the temporal and the eternal aspects of revelation. In all probability, they will spend their lives attempting to harmonize the book's contemporary carrier concepts with its eternal spiritual truths.

     Martin Gardner's recent book, Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery, is designed to undermine the credibility of The Urantia Book. To accomplish this purpose Gardner deals almost entirely with the human concept carriers, not the spiritual truths themselves. In actuality, history may show that it helped to focus attention on the real spiritual quality of The Fifth Epochal Revelation (which he totally ignores) that will ensure its recognition and appreciation for centuries to come. Although Gardner's book abounds with misinformation, erroneous assumptions and fantastic speculations, it may be fortuitous that it appeared early in the Urantia movement.

     Gardner is best known as the author of columns in the Scientific American and the Skeptical Inquirer. He is  a professional debunker of psychic and esoteric phenomena. Gardner is an indefatigable researcher reporting facts, events, and rumors which make The Urantia Book appear in the worst possible light. Urantia: The Great Cult Mystery is a hodgepodge of information and speculation about Ellen White's revelations, Seventh day Adventism beliefs, Oahspe revelations, numerology, scientific errors in The Urantia Book, deviant activities, and controversy in the Urantia movement. His book is focused on the scientific-cultural-carrier vehicle aspects of The Urantia Book and largely ignores its spiritual truths. He believes Wilfred Kellogg channeled The Urantia Book and Dr. Sadler edited and revised it. Since the supermortal authors of the Urantia Papers tell us they have used the ideas of thousands of human beings in the production of the book and research is confirming this fact, it would not be surprising if Dr. Sadler's ideas were among this distinguished group. But, for many reasons, I am confident that Dr. Sadler did not write or revise the book.

  Gardner attempts to denigrate the spiritual quality of The Urantia Book not by dealing directly with this issue but using many of the classic logical fallacies:

  • 1. The Genetic Fallacy. Gardner asserts that The Urantia Book is the product of channeling; therefore, he implies, its message is inferior, or, at least, the product of human authorship. The Urantia Book is not the product of channeling activity. In 1958, I arranged a meeting of a group of ministers who were making a critical study of The Urantia Book and Dr. William S. Sadler to discuss the origin of the Urantia Papers. When we arrived, he had prepared a paper for us listing every imaginable form of subconscious mind or psychic activity, including channeling. At the bottom of the outline he had a note saying, "The technique of reception of The Urantia Book in English in no way parallels or impinges upon any of the above phenomena of marginal consciousness." He went on to tell us that as far as he could determine, the appearance of the Urantia Papers was associated with some form of superconscious mind activity.

  •      Even if the book were a product of channeling, or any other technique or source of authorship, the only way to ascertain its quality is by evaluating its content or teachings. The real issue of spiritual quality is not seriously considered by Gardner. 

  • 2. The Post Hoc Ergo Hoc Fallacy (After this, therefore, because of this). Gardner points to the contradictions in Sister Ellen White's pronouncements, documents her plagiarisms, and recites disputes among Seventh-day Adventists. Early in my correspondence with Gardner I observed that he had an emotional fixation on Seventh-day Adventism. I was therefore not surprised to read on his p. 181, "I have always been interested in the history of Seventh-day Adventism ever since, as a young boy, I considered myself an Adventist." After these extensive references to Seventh-day Adventism, Gardner implies that since Dr. Sadler as a young man was active in Seventh-day Adventism ministry, The Urantia Book is in many ways an outgrowth of the beliefs of Seventh-day Adventism.

  • This is a vast distortion of fact and truth. The Urantia Book contains many theological and philosophical positions which are harmonious with insights in many of the world religions. Although it most closely parallels the insights of progressive mainline Christian theology, historical analysis may show that the Mormon movement, Seventh-day Adventism, and other contemporary religious movements were instrumental in preparing for the advent of the Fifth Epochal Revelation. The Urantia Book at the same time differs,

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