The
Free Urantia News
"Let
the truth be known, though the heavens fall."
Number 2
December, 2000
Jesus and the Urantia Foundation
Are the trustees of Urantia Foundation and their supporters followers of Jesus?
The answer may surprise you.
On page 2089 of the Urantia Papers we read:Jesus most touchingly challenged his followers, not only to believe what he believed, but also to believe as he believed. This is the full significance of his one supreme requirement, "Follow me."
And on page 2090 we read:
To "follow Jesus" means to personally share his religious faith and to enter into the spirit of the Master's life of unselfish service for man. One of the most important things in human living is to find out what Jesus believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for the achievement of his exalted life purpose. Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it.
So how do those two quotes relate to the Urantia Foundation trustees and their supporters, and the question posed above? Here is the answer:
In 1955 the early trustees of Urantia Foundation obtained a copyright on the Urantia Revelation. Years passed. In 1983 new trustees obtained a renewal claiming "Urantia Foundation" as the author in "a work made for hire." Eventually someone decided to evangelize and spread the Revelation in a way which the trustees of Urantia Foundation did not think appropriate. The trustees then faced a momentous choice. They could either: (1) follow Jesus and his teachings (see below), or they could (2) defend the copyright. The trustees could not do both because choice #1, following Jesus and his teachings, naturally requires abiding by and keeping the teachings of Jesus, while choice #2 necessarily involves violating those teachings. At each and every choice point - every lawsuit to date - the trustees of Urantia Foundation have chosen choice #2. At each and every choice point, the trustees of Urantia Foundation have chosen not to follow Jesus and to violate his teachings. If someone does not follow Jesus' teachings, then that person is not a follower of Jesus. It's that simple. And with their lawsuits against believers - the very fact of the lawsuits - the trustees of Urantia Foundation have also chosen not to "represent [Jesus] before men" even as Jesus represented his Father to us. (P. 1571)Two teachings of the Master
These are Jesus' beliefs, his ideals, and they have been repeatedly violated by Urantia Foundation's trustees in lawsuit after lawsuit against Urantians:
"Be willing to suffer injustice rather than to go to law among yourselves." Page 1571
Could Jesus be any clearer? And in a strong rebuke to the apostle John for attempting to control the spread of the gospel, Jesus said:
"Forbid him not. ...How can you expect that all who will believe the gospel shall be subject to your direction?" Page 1764
To Nalda at the well, Jesus said:
"Better it would be if you would cease to trifle with my words and seek for the living water which I have this day offered you."
Such a mild and loving reproach for simply trifling with his words, but what will he say to those who have willfully and repeatedly refused his words altogether? What will he say to those who have disobeyed his direct injunction to "Forbid him not" as given in the lesson of The Strange Preacher? If the Master were here today I imagine he would ask, "What part of 'Forbid him not' don't you understand?"
Are you a follower of Jesus? Or do you support the lawsuits against believers, Kristen Maaherra, Harry McMullan, Robert Burton, C.U.B.S., and others? Those two choices are mutually exclusive. You cannot "follow Jesus" and support lawsuits against believers. Don't deceive yourself on this matter. When the time comes, what will you say to Michael? And what will he say to you? Who was the Master referring to when he said?:"In the great day of the kingdom judgment, many will say to me, `Did we not prophesy in your name and by your name do many wonderful works?' But I will be compelled to say to them, `I never knew you; depart from me you who are false teachers.' But every one who hears this charge and sincerely executes his commission to represent me before men even as I have represented my Father to you, shall find an abundant entrance into my service and into the kingdom of the heavenly Father." Page 1571
By their actions the trustees of Urantia Foundation and their supporters have shown Michael and all Nebadon that they are not followers of Jesus. And by their lawsuits they have misrepresented Jesus before men. In the face of this, will their "wonderful works" (translations, audio tapes, CDs, gift book programs, etc.) save them? Either Jesus' words have meaning for us or they don't.
If you have any doubts about this, if it seems unbelievable to you, take it to Jesus in honest prayer. Leave your biases behind and ask him if you can be his follower without following his teachings.
Rev. 11/23/2000