|
Beyond the Urantia Papers
"The religious challenge of this age is to those farseeing and forward-looking men and women of spiritual insight who will dare to construct a new and appealing philosophy of living out of the enlarged and exquisitely integrated modern concepts of cosmic truth, universe beauty, and divine goodness. Such a new and righteous vision of morality will attract all that is good in the mind of man and challenge that which is best in the human soul." (43)
"The teachers of the religion of Jesus should approach other religions with the recognition of the truths which are held in common while they refrain from placing so much emphasis on the differences." (1670)
Religion manifests itself in three main categories:
1. Primitive religion. The semi-natural and instinctive urge to fear mysterious energies and worship superior forces, chiefly a religion of the physical nature, the religion of fear.
2. The religion of civilization. The advancing religious concepts and practices of the civilizing races--the religion of the mind--the intellectual theology of the authority of established religious tradition.
3. True religion--the religion of revelation. The revelation of supernatural values, a partial insight into eternal realities, a glimpse of the goodness and beauty of the infinite character of the Father in heaven--the religion of the spirit as demonstrated in human experience.
In our present times, virtually all religion on our planet falls into the second category--religion of authority. True religion, religion of the spirit, is still only meagerly represented. However only a relatively small change is required to shift one of the major religions--Christianity--out from the authoritarian category to back where it belongs--a true religion of the spirit.
The early Christians were almost all Jews who, as children, learned to read and write in the synagogue schools. By the end of the first century the major works of the New Testament were available in written form and in those writings more than twenty verses contained the vital message that all believers are indwelt by the spirits of the Father and the son--the Spirit of Truth. Believers could make their own choice--to foster a personal relationship with indwelling deity, or to accept group authority.
The balance shifted as more and more new converts came from among the illiterate who were dependent upon others for what was taught them. There followed an almost complete displacement of a religion consisting in an individual personal relationship with the God-spirit within by a religion of priestly authority.
The Christian religion has been stagnant for many centuries. It will remain so until it reverts to being a personal religion of the spirit. A relatively simple change would restore Christianity to that state. It requires only a change of emphasis so as to awaken individuals to the truth of their indwelling by the Father-spirit and to encourage them to seek a sincere, personal relationship with, and guidance from, the spirit forces within--the Father-spirit and the spirit endowment of Jesus of Nazareth, the Spirit of Truth.
Those who already have the religion of the spirit need to be aware of several warnings provided in the Papers. Jesus instructed his apostles to refrain from all efforts to take something out (meaning to correct the errors) of those they attempted to teach. "Lead all men into the kingdom," he said, "and presently the great and living truths of the kingdom will drive out all serious error." On another occasion, he said, "you are commissioned to go forth preaching only the good news. You are not to attack the old ways; you are skillfully to put the leaven of new truth in the midst of the old beliefs. Let the Spirit of Truth do his own work."
A reforming zeal that sets its priorities in correcting the supposedly erroneous doctrines of other religions is predestined to fail. The positive preaching of spiritual truths is the only pathway sanctioned by Jesus, the recommended approach being through truths which are held in common. There are more than twenty New Testament verses that speak of the indwelling spirits of Father and Son, and many parables that illustrate God's nature as a loving, compassionate, forgiving, and merciful Father who actively seeks out the erring human child.
But even if our two billion nominal Christians were to embrace the religion of the spirit, it may have little or no effect upon the remaining billions of Urantians excepting that the fruits of that spirit living become visible as the direct consequence. "Christianity has indeed done a great service for this world, but what is now most needed is Jesus. The world needs to see Jesus living again on earth in the experience of spirit-born mortals who effectively reveal the Master to all men." (2084)
In seeking to bring religion of the spirit to non-Christian religions, we are specifically warned against placing emphasis upon the personality of Jesus (1670), the approach through seeking common grounds being preferred. Primarily this entails the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all mankind. As with Christianity, this concept is already a basic tenet of the religion of Islam but there also it fails to impact as it should.
Perhaps what is required is much more emphasis upon the realization of the indwelling of the Father-spirit and the enhancement of the religion of the spirit that accompanies the development
|
|
