EVALUATING THE URANTIA BOOK 

                          by Stephen F. Cannon 

  The recent media attention given to "trance channeling" (See, Shirley 
MacLaine's two best-selling books, Out On A Limb and Dancing in The 
Light) has also led to a resurgence of interest in trance revelations. 
Among these "New Age" revelations is a weighty volume called The Urantia 
Book. 

  This four-pound, 2097-page tome (with 7-inch by 10-inch pages), 
purports to be a history, cosmology and theology of the central and 
superuniverse, the local universe and the history of our own planet, 
which is properly named "Urantia." The last -- and most important for 
Christians -- section of the book is a purported revelation of the true 
life and teachings of Jesus. 

  According to the Urantia Brotherhood, which is "a voluntary and 
fraternal association of believers in the teachings of The Urantia 
Book," (Letter from Urantia Brotherhood dated Sept. 1977.), "The account 
of the life and teachings of Jesus in The Urantia Book is much more 
complete than that of the New Testament, but not contradictory." (Basic 
Concepts of The Urantia Book, Urantia Brotherhood, Sept. 1975, pg. 2) 

  An analysis of that section, however, shows not only contradiction of 
the New Testament, but a systematic denial of all the basic tenets of 
Orthodox Christianity. That Urantia doctrine and Christian doctrine are 
contradictory can best be demonstrated by analyzing the book's origin 
and its claims about Christ and His teachings. 

  The Urantia Foundation filed as a tax-exempt common law educational 
foundation in 1950 in Cook County, Illinois. This group holds the 
copyright to The Urantia Book and is committed to "perpetually preserve 
inviolate the text of The Urantia Book and to disseminate the 
principles, teachings and doctrines of (that book)." (Letter dated May 
1978) The book was first published in 1955. Its beginnings, however, go 
back to the early 20th century. 

  Dr. William Samuel Sadler (1875-1969), psychiatrist, surgeon, 
theologian and author, appears to be the primary force behind the 
compilation and publication of what was then known as the Urantia 
Papers. 

  Sadler was baptized into the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in 1888. He 
rose to a position of prominence in that church and held various 
appointments in church hospitals and sanitariums. There is ample 
evidence that Sadler enjoyed a personal relationship with SDA prophetess 
Ellen G. White, and was called on to write articles for and speak to SDA 
groups. 

  As a result of the strong teachings of Adventism against Spiritualism, 
Sadler spent a great deal of time debunking spiritistic phenomena. He 
chronicled his findings in two books: The Truth about Spiritualism 
(1923) and the more comprehensive The Mind at Mischief: Tricks of the 
Subconscious Mind (1929). 

  In these two volumes, Sadler recounts his work with numerous psychics, 
mediums, trance talkers, and automatic writers. He concludes that with 
"... one or two exceptions ... all cases of psychic phenomena which have 
come under my observation have turned out to be those of auto-psychis" 
(i.e. tricks of the subconscious mind or outright fraud). (Mind at 
Mischief, pg. 382) It is to one of these exceptions that our attention 
is drawn. 

  In the appendix of The Mind at Mischief Sadler recounts a story of one 
investigation into the psychic realm that he could not debunk. From the 
summer of 1911 until the time of his writing in 1929 he had a subject 
under observation who would go into a deep sleep out of which he could 
not be awakened. Sadler wrote: "This man is utterly unconscious, wholly 
oblivious to what takes place, and, unless told about it subsequently, 
never knows that he has been used as a sort of clearing house for the 
coming and going of alleged extra-planetary personalities" (Mind at 
Mischief, pg. 383). Of the communications themselves "I can only say 
that I have found in these years of observation that all the information 
imparted through this source has proved to be consistent within itself. 
... Its philosophy is consistent. It is essentially Christian and is, on 
the whole, entirely harmonious with the known scientific facts and 
truths of this age." (Mind at Mischief, pg. 384.) Sadler wanted to say 
more on the subject, but the person under investigation would not give 
his permission to do so. 

                          Enter Harold Sherman. 

  Harold Sherman, author, screenwriter, and psychic investigator, came 
into contact with Sadler and the original Urantia Forum in 1942. In his 
book How to Know What to Believe (Fawcett Publishing House, Greenwich, 
Conn. 1976) Sherman gives an account of his years as a Forum member and 
recounts some details of the origin of the papers as told to him by 
Sadler. Sherman recalls that "It was an evening appointment, and we 
found the doctor to be in an unusually amiable, talkative mood, disposed 
to give us a more complete version of the origin of the papers than we 
had ever heard of before or since. As soon as the long session was over, 
Martha (Sherman's wife) and I crossed the street to our apartment in the 
Rutledge Hotel and worked into the early hours to make a detailed 
written record of the information that the doctor had imparted." (How to 
Know, pg. 62) The details of Sherman's account essentially fit within 
the framework established by Sadler's account above and has the ring of 
authenticity. 

  After recounting the details of how Sadler and his wife came into 
contact with the "subject," and after observing on several occasions the 
subject's apparent desire to talk while in a trance, Sadler began asking 
him questions. It was then that they learned that the subject was being 
used by extra-terrestrial entities. (How to Know, pg. 64) Apparently, 
this question-and-answer format accelerated with the appearance of newer 
and higher entities. As these events were happening with the sleeping 
subject, the Sadlers began having a few friends over for Sunday 
afternoon tea to discuss topics of religion and other mutual interests. 
The year was 1923 and the Forum was born. 

  The subject of Sadler's encounter with extra-terrestrial entities 
became the focus of the group meetings. Eventually, Forum members were 
called upon to submit questions for the intelligences to answer. In 
November 1923 the members put together a list of 4,000 questions. These 
questions were submitted to the "higher intelligences." After several 
weeks Sadler called to the home of the subject and there he found a 
manuscript of 472 hand-written pages. According to the wife of the 
subject, the entire manuscript had been written in one night. Sadler 
wrote: "I took a look at the manuscript and saw to my great astonishment 
that it was the answer to all of the questions that had been formulated 
by ourselves in our forum group!" (How to Know, pp. 65-67) 

  Of course these questions led to further questions and more papers 
came through. The first stage of the revelation came to a close late in 
1934. It was several years later when the last group of papers were 
revealed. Sherman recalls Sadler's words: "It was finally decided by 
those controlling transmission of The New Revelation Book (The Urantia 
Book) to permit seventy-five papers giving a detailed and comprehensive 
account of Jesus' life on earth, from His birth to His death, to be 
added." (How to Know, pg. 68) 

  Sadler supposedly summed up by saying "The book is eventually to be 
published without any human personalities to be identified with it in 
any way and no authorship to be ascribed to it. These higher beings have 
refused to use their own names and have only specified their type of 
being in the universe. 

  "There are only a few of us still living who were in touch with this 
phenomenon in the beginning, and when we die, the knowledge of it will 
die with us. Then the book will exist as a great mystery, and no human 
will know the manner in which it came about," Sadler said. (How to Know, 
pg. 68-69) 

  This position of trying to divorce the book from all human origin has 
been taken by the Urantia Foundation to this day. Any inquiry as to the 
origination of The Urantia Book brings a copyrighted form letter titled, 
The Urantia Book: The Question of Origin. While the above accounts of 
the transmission of the book are alluded to, the main thrust of the form 
letter is: "Don't be concerned with the mechanics of how the revelation 
came to us, only judge the revelation on the basis of experiencing its 
internal truths." 

  "First of all, let us acknowledge that no human being knows many of 
the details and specifics regarding the origin of the Urantia Papers." 
(The Urantia Book: The Question of Origin, Urantia Brotherhood Corp., 
1978, pg. 1) 

  "Only a first-hand experience of the superlative message of the book 
can confirm the spiritual source of its origin. In reality, information 
about its origin has nothing to do with the truth or spiritual quality 
of the book." (The Urantia Book: The Question of Origin, pg. 2) 

  Subtle psychological pressure is brought to bear to try to make the 
investigator guilty for even raising the question of origin. "Upon 
reflection, you will recognize the persistent questions about the 
unrevealed details concerning the origin of the book as a psychological 
parallel to the recurring demand put to Jesus: 'Show us a sign.'" (The 
Urantia Book: The Question of Origin, pg. 3) 

  Repeated attempts on my part to have the Foundation either confirm or 
deny Sherman's account of The Urantia Book's genesis have met with 
silence. In a letter to me from the foundation I was essentially told 
the same thing that the Question of Origin paper advised, "...we hold 
the issue of the authenticity or validity of the teachings of the book 
to be a matter determined on the basis of personal faith and belief. 
Only the individual, by reading the book and contemplating its 
teachings, can determine for him/herself whether the teachings are 
valuable. The wise person does not question, but they determine truth 
for themselves and do not ask an authority to validate truth for them. 
(Letter from Urantia Foundation to author dated Dec. 11, 1980) 

  Despite the foundation's position, the question of origin is 
important. With so many purported divine revelations available, it is 
necessary to examine the origin of each. 

  The Bible is clear in stating that any "revelation" is to be examined 
in light of what has been already given in the Bible and the Person of 
Jesus Christ. (Acts 17:11) We are cautioned to test supposed spirit 
communication (1 John 4:1). If these communications do not square with 
the already established Good News, we are to have nothing to do with 
them, even if they come from angels. (Galatians 1:8) 

  By their desire to keep the origin of The Urantia Book a "mystery", 
the foundation tries to make it more difficult to properly evaluate this 
revelation and surround the book with an aura of mystical spirituality. 
Once the facts are known about how the original papers came to be, 
however, we can see that their origin is really no different than any 
number of other communications from "extra-terrestrial" sources,i.e., 
channeling information, while in a trance, from alleged extra-
terrestrial beings who have possessed a subject. From Shirley MacLaine 
to L. Ron Hubbard, bookshelves are loaded with knowledge and wisdom from 
our supposed brothers from the stars, most of which is contradictory, 
confusing and often downright silly. 

  In all such communications this author has examined, The Urantia Book 
included, religion is brought up and Christianity is dismantled. 

                        The Urantia Book on Jesus 

  The Urantia Book's section on the life of Jesus and his religion is 
claimed to be much more complete than the New Testament but not 
contradictory to it. A brief examination of the book proves that claim 
to be false. 

  To say that The Urantia Book takes a dim view of the Bible is an 
understatement. On page 1767, The Urantia Book quotes Jesus saying to 
Nathaniel: "Nathaniel, you have rightly judged; I do not regard the 
Scriptures as do the rabbis. ... These writings are the work of men, 
some of them holy men, others not so holy. ... The Scriptures are faulty 
and altogether human in origin, but mistake not, they do constitute the 
best collection of religious wisdom and spiritual truth to be found in 
all the world at this time." 

            There goes the authenticity of the Old Testament. 

  The New Testament is dismissed on page 2091 as "a discussion of Paul's 
religious experience and a portrayal of his personal religious 
convictions." 

  With the Judeo-Christian Scriptures out of the way, the stage is set 
for denial of orthodox Christianity. 

  Saying at one point that it was deliberate, at another that it was 
unintentional, The Urantia Book maintains that early Christianity was 
transformed from the religion of Jesus to a religion about Jesus. (The 
Urantia Book, pg. 2075)  First, Jesus taught the "true" gospel of the 
Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. This message was corrupted 
by the Apostles Paul and Peter (The Urantia Book, pg. 2091) and then 
further changed by other apostles. (The Urantia Book, pg. 1825) The 
Christian churches are the chief obstacles to the true teachings of 
Jesus (The Urantia Book, pg. 2085) and Christianity is an obstacle to 
the spiritual advancement of human civilization. (The Urantia Book, pg. 
2084) The two greatest mistakes of Christianity are: 1) The organization 
of Christian teachings so completely around the person of Jesus and 2) 
"...to connect the gospel teaching directly onto Jewish theology, as 
illustrated by the Christian doctrine of the atonement." (The Urantia 
Book, pg. 1670) 

  The blood atonement of Jesus Christ appears to be the doctrine most 
rigorously attacked by The Urantia Book. Paul and Greek philosopher 
Philo were the chief misinterpreters of the significance of the 
atonement, The Urantia Book says, and it was these two who blended in 
the pagan ideas of atonement with the religion of Jesus. (The Urantia 
Book, pg. 1339)  The Urantia Book maintains that the very idea of blood 
atonement is barbarous, puerile, primitive, and pagan. "It is an affront 
to God to believe, hold, or teach that innocent blood must be shed in 
order to win his favor or to divert the fictitious divine wrath." (The 
Urantia Book, pg. 60) 

  Despite clear biblical passages to the contrary, (Romans 5:8-9; 
Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22) The Urantia Book tells us that Jesus did 
not die to atone for man's sin (for there is no real sin, The Urantia 
Book, pp. 984, 1739, 2093). The Urantia Book also says that man does not 
obtain salvation through Christ's sacrifice. (The Urantia Book, pg. 
2016) "All this concept of atonement and sacrificial salvation is rooted 
and grounded in selfishness ... Salvation should be taken for granted by 
those who believe in the fatherhood of God." (The Urantia Book, pg. 
2017) 

  The rejection of this key doctrine of blood atonement leads the 
authors of The Urantia Book to denials of other key doctrines. If there 
is no real sin (as noted above), then there is no need for any 
atonement. No atonement is needed because there was no fall of man. (The 
Urantia Book, pg. 846) Man is ever evolving to higher and higher planes. 
Also, since Christianity teaches blood atonement, then Christianity must 
be denied. (The Urantia Book, pg. 1011) If no real blood atonement 
(physical) was needed, then no physical resurrection was needed. (The 
Urantia Book, pp. 2020-2021) And, if there was no need for the purity of 
the Messiah's bloodline, then there was no need for the virgin birth of 
Jesus. (The Urantia Book, pg. 1327) 

  How one can read the above and draw the conclusion that this does not 
contradict the New Testament defies both reason and logic. Moreover, how 
one can say that despite the systematic denials of The Urantia Book that 
this volume is "essentially Christian" stretches the imagination to the 
breaking point. 

  It is apparent that one can either accept the teachings of The Urantia 
Book or one can accept the Bible. One can't accept both. Their teachings 
are opposed. 

  On the one hand is the Bible, which has been substantiated as to its 
historicity, authenticity, and authority by internal bibliographical, 
archaeological and philological tests. On the other hand is The Urantia 
Book, which was given to us by trance channeling through an unknown 
subject supposedly possessed by extra-terrestrial spirits named 
Manovandet Melchizedek and Vorondadek Son. 

  One can choose the real Jesus Christ, the only manifestation of God in 
human flesh who was miraculously born of a virgin, who suffered the 
shedding of his blood to cleanse us all from real original sin, and who 
rose bodily, physically from the grave to give a sign to everyone that 
he was who he said he was -- God Incarnate. Or you can choose the Jesus 
of The Urantia Book: Michael of Nebadon; a son of the Eternal Son of the 
Paradise Trinity, "grandson" of God the Father, one of over 700,000 
creator Sons. This Jesus was born naturally into the world to show us 
that "We must earn every inch of progress by study and training under 
the guidance of angels and other competent teachers, and chiefly by 
service which we give to those following us." (Basic Concepts, pg. 2) 

  It can either be justification by the grace of God through faith in 
the finished work of Jesus the Christ, or a constant striving to earn 
inches of progress by trying to pull oneself up by one's spiritual 
bootstraps. It can either be the eternal rest in that grace as explained 
in the Bible or it can be the constant struggle of works righteousness 
enumerated in The Urantia Book. 

            It cannot be both; the time for choosing is now. 



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