Urantia Foundation's Response to C.U.B.S. Counterclaim

THE URANTIA BOOK SYNERGIST - SPECIAL ISSUE SUMMER 1989
URANTIA Foundation's Response to the COUNTERCLAIM filed by Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc.:
AN ANALYSIS

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies the Principal Object of its Declaration of Trust.

Paragraph 7 of the counterclaim of Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. contains a verbatim statement of the "Principal Object" of URANTIA Foundation as set forth in the Declaration of Trust which established the Foundation in 1950 (Art. 2.1). The Foundation now denies it has one principle object even though the Declaration of Trust clearly states only one.

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
7. "On information and belief, the principal object of Plaintiff is the promotion, improvement, and expansion among the peoples of the world of the comprehension and understanding of Cosmology and the relation of the planet on which we live to the Universe, of the genesis and destiny of Man and his relation to God, and of the true teachings of Jesus Christ; and for the inculcation and encouragement of the realization and appreciation of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man - in order to increase and enhance the comfort, happiness, and well being of Man, as an individual and as a member of society, through the fostering of a religion, a philosophy, and a cosmology which are commensurate with Man's intellectual and cultural development."

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
7. "Plaintiff [Urantia Foundation] denies that it has one principal object and therefore denies the allegations of paragraph 7 of defendant's [C.U.B.S.] counterclaim ..."

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies it is fostering a religion and denies knowledge of the objectives of the Brotherhood.

The first portion of paragraph 8 of the counterclaim of Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. refers to the statement in the "Principal Object" of URANTIA Foundation as set forth in the Foundation's Declaration of Trust (Art. 2. l) -"through the fostering of a religion." The Foundation again denies its principle object The second portion regarding the activities of the members of the Brotherhood is taken verbatim from the brochure which the Foundation includes with every copy of The Urantia Book it sells. Nevertheless, the Foundation says it has no "knowledge or information" about what it-publishes with every book it sells and therefore denies it!

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
8. "On information and belief, Plaintiff is fostering a religion and Members of Plaintiff's affiliate, the Urantia Brotherhood, attempt to achieve progressive mastery of the Urantia teachings through lifelong study and application - living the teachings according to the highest levels of individual comprehension, practicing the presence of God in daily life."

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
8. "Plaintiff is without knowledge or information sufficient to admit or deny the allegations of paragraph 8 of defendant's counterclaim regarding the activities of the Members of Urantia Brotherhood and therefore denies the allegations of paragraph 8 of defendant's counterclaim relating thereto, and denies all remaining allegations of paragraph 8 of defendant's counterclaim."

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies The Urantia Book is the Fifth Epochal Revelation and that Urantia is our planet's name.

Here the foundation denies the Revelation in spite of the fact that it is referred to as an "epochal revelation" in the aforementioned brochure included with every copy of The Urantia Book, and even though the Foundation has repeatedly referred to it as such in its fundraising appeals over the years. They also deny any knowledge or information about the name of our planet!

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
10. "The Urantia Book is the Fifth Epochal Revelation to the planet Urantia, also known as the planet Earth."

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
10. "Plaintiff is without knowledge or information sufficient to admit or deny the allegations of paragraph 10 of defendant's counterclaim and therefore denies same, except plaintiff admits that the planet known as Earth is referred to as "Urantia" in The Urantia Book and The Urantia Book describes the Urantia Papers as the fifth revelation of epochal significance."

[This is the same as saying The Urantia Book says so, but we don't have sufficient information to affirm it.]

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies the true origin of The Urantia Book.

Paragraph 12 of the C.U.B.S. counterclaim refers to the origin of The Urantia Book. Specifically, the Foundation denies that it was revealed by various divine beings, in spite of the fact that the official publication entitled "The Urantia Book: The Question of origin" contains the following statements: "The actual composition of the Urantia Papers was assigned to three special commissions of Universe personalities ... Part I was formulated by a high commission of twenty-four Orvonton (superuniverse) administrators headed by a Divine Counselor and was presented in 1934. Parts II and III were authorized by a Nebadon (local universe) commission of twelve, acting under the direction of Mantutia Melchizedek and were indited in 1934 and 1935. Part IV was sponsored by a commission of twelve Urantia midwayers acting under the supervision of a Melchizedek revelatory director."

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
12. "On information and belief, The Urantia Book was revealed to Urantia by various divine beings, as specified and identified in The Urantia Book, and was not original with nor written by plaintiff.

[Exhibit "A", filed with the counterclaim filed by Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. includes the complete listing of "The Titles of the Papers" from The Urantia Book which identifies the "various divine beings" which revealed the Book to Urantia; and also includes the "Contents of the Book" and the "Foreword".]

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
12. "Plaintiff denies that The Urantia Book contains the specifications and identifications alleged in paragraph 12 of defendant's counterclaim and is without knowledge or information sufficient to admit or deny the remaining allegations of that paragraph and therefore denies same, except that plaintiff admits that The Urantia Book is not original to or written by plaintiff and affirmatively alleges that it owns all copyrights in The Urantia Book as a result of a transfer of same to plaintiff."

[Please note that the Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. has not challenged the copyright of The Urantia Book and the copyright is not an issue in this case.]

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies knowledge of the banner of Christ Michael - the three concentric circles.

Paragraphs 13 and 21 of the counterclaim of Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. refer to the material emblem of the Trinity [606: top/53.5.4] which the Foundation has claimed as its private property through a trademark registration.

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
13. "On information and belief, the banner of Christ Michael, who is also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the material emblem of the Trinity government of all creation, the three azure blue concentric circles on a white background."

21. "Plaintiff's registered concentric circles design marks are generic since it is the material emblem of a religion, religious revelation and/or movement."

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
13. "Plaintiff is without knowledge or information sufficient to admit or deny the allegations of paragraph 13 of defendant's counterclaim and therefore denies same ..."

21. "Plaintiff denies the allegations of paragraph 21 of defendant's counterclaim."

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies the true meaning of the term "Urantian".

Here the URANTIA Foundation denies that multitudes of followers and readers of The Urantia Book frequently refer to themselves as Urantians, except to admit that "there have been instances when some people have referred to themselves as Urantians." This in spite of the fact that the Foundation has used the term precisely as defined in the counterclaim of Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. in several published papers including URANTIA Foundation fundraising letters.

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
14. "Followers and readers of The Urantia Book refer to themselves as Urantians."

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
14. "Plaintiff denies the allegations of paragraph 14 of defendant's counterclaim except that plaintiff admits there have been instances when some people have referred to themselves as Urantians."

EXPLANATORY NOTES

URANTIA Foundation denies that "Urantia" refers to or relates to a religion, religious revelation or movement!

In answer to paragraphs 15 and 20 of the counterclaim of Center for URANTIA Book Synergy, Inc. the Foundation flatly denies that the term Urantia relates to a religion, religious revelation or movement. What do you suppose the custodians of the Fifth Epochal Revelation think it does relate to if not to a religious Revelation or movement? What does "Urantia" refer to if not a religious revelation and/or movement?

C.U.B.S. COUNTERCLAIM
15. "On information and belief, Urantia refers to or relates to a religion, religious revelation and/or movement."

20. "Plaintiff's registered Urantia Marks are generic terms and/or common descriptive terms since the word Urantia signifies a particular religion, religious revelation and/or movement and the word Urantian signifies a follower of the religion, religious revelation and/or movement. Hence the marks are unregisterable under 15 USC 1064 (c)."

URANTIA FOUNDATION ANSWER
15. "Plaintiff denies the allegations of paragraph 15 of defendant's counterclaim."

20. "Plaintiff denies the allegations of paragraph 20 of defendant's counterclaim."

[It is interesting to note that Martin Myers, current president of the Foundation, delivered a public speech and published a paper in which he personally refers to "Urantians," the "Urantia Movement," and "The Official Organizations of the Urantia Movement" Now the Foundation claims the Movement and we Urantians don't exist!)