Re: The benefits of reading the Urantia Book
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2023 1:26 am
Quotes that highlight the UB's unity/uniformity ...
with 195:10.11 in particular ("Jesus brotherhood - invisible, spiritual") indicating that the UB's unity/uniformity is not meant as guidance for how humans should conduct their personal and group relations. In contrast, the UB does not suggest that nations' military groups (or schools or businesses or sports teams) have unity with uniformity unnecessary. Even 182:1.8 ("Jesus prayed ...") does not claim "Jesus taught ...".
This ongoing unity/uniformity deliberation is the proper business of an organization but not directly guided
by the seemingly associated UB text which refers only to spiritual matters:
"All these religions have arisen as a result of man’s variable intellectual response to his identical spiritual leading. They can never hope to attain a uniformity of creeds, dogmas, and rituals - these are intellectual; but they can, and some day will, realize a unity in true worship of the Father of all, for this is spiritual, and it is forever true, in the spirit all men are equal."
(92:7.4 https://www.theub.org/part-iii.html#P092_7_4 )
"But since personality is unique - no two mortals being alike - it inevitably follows that no two human beings can similarly interpret the leadings and urges of the spirit of divinity which lives within their minds. A group of mortals can experience spiritual unity, but they can never attain philosophic uniformity."
(103:1.1 https://www.theub.org/part-iii.html#P103_1_1 )
"When a member of a social religious group has complied with the requirements of such a group, he should be encouraged to enjoy religious liberty in the full expression of his own personal interpretation of the truths of religious belief and the facts of religious experience. The security of a religious group depends on spiritual unity, not on theological uniformity."
(103:5.12 https://www.theub.org/part-iii.html#P103_5_12 )
"The kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men will create religious unity (not necessarily uniformity) because any and all religious groups composed of such religious believers will be free from all notions of ecclesiastical authority - religious sovereignty."
(134:4.6 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P134_4_6 )
"the religion of the spirit will progressively draw men together and cause them to become understandingly sympathetic with one another. The religions of authority require of men uniformity in belief, but this is impossible of realization in the present state of the world. The religion of the spirit requires only unity of experience - uniformity of destiny - making full allowance for diversity of belief. The religion of the spirit requires only uniformity of insight, not uniformity of viewpoint and outlook. The religion of the spirit does not demand uniformity of intellectual views, only unity of spirit feeling."
(155:6.9 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P155_6_9 )
"Jesus prayed for unity among his followers, but he did not desire uniformity."
(182:1.8 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P182_1_8 )
"The true church - the Jesus brotherhood - is invisible, spiritual, and is characterized by unity, not necessarily by uniformity. Uniformity is the earmark of the physical world of mechanistic nature. Spiritual unity is the fruit of faith union with the living Jesus." (195:10.11 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P195_10_11 )
Rod
with 195:10.11 in particular ("Jesus brotherhood - invisible, spiritual") indicating that the UB's unity/uniformity is not meant as guidance for how humans should conduct their personal and group relations. In contrast, the UB does not suggest that nations' military groups (or schools or businesses or sports teams) have unity with uniformity unnecessary. Even 182:1.8 ("Jesus prayed ...") does not claim "Jesus taught ...".
This ongoing unity/uniformity deliberation is the proper business of an organization but not directly guided
by the seemingly associated UB text which refers only to spiritual matters:
"All these religions have arisen as a result of man’s variable intellectual response to his identical spiritual leading. They can never hope to attain a uniformity of creeds, dogmas, and rituals - these are intellectual; but they can, and some day will, realize a unity in true worship of the Father of all, for this is spiritual, and it is forever true, in the spirit all men are equal."
(92:7.4 https://www.theub.org/part-iii.html#P092_7_4 )
"But since personality is unique - no two mortals being alike - it inevitably follows that no two human beings can similarly interpret the leadings and urges of the spirit of divinity which lives within their minds. A group of mortals can experience spiritual unity, but they can never attain philosophic uniformity."
(103:1.1 https://www.theub.org/part-iii.html#P103_1_1 )
"When a member of a social religious group has complied with the requirements of such a group, he should be encouraged to enjoy religious liberty in the full expression of his own personal interpretation of the truths of religious belief and the facts of religious experience. The security of a religious group depends on spiritual unity, not on theological uniformity."
(103:5.12 https://www.theub.org/part-iii.html#P103_5_12 )
"The kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men will create religious unity (not necessarily uniformity) because any and all religious groups composed of such religious believers will be free from all notions of ecclesiastical authority - religious sovereignty."
(134:4.6 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P134_4_6 )
"the religion of the spirit will progressively draw men together and cause them to become understandingly sympathetic with one another. The religions of authority require of men uniformity in belief, but this is impossible of realization in the present state of the world. The religion of the spirit requires only unity of experience - uniformity of destiny - making full allowance for diversity of belief. The religion of the spirit requires only uniformity of insight, not uniformity of viewpoint and outlook. The religion of the spirit does not demand uniformity of intellectual views, only unity of spirit feeling."
(155:6.9 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P155_6_9 )
"Jesus prayed for unity among his followers, but he did not desire uniformity."
(182:1.8 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P182_1_8 )
"The true church - the Jesus brotherhood - is invisible, spiritual, and is characterized by unity, not necessarily by uniformity. Uniformity is the earmark of the physical world of mechanistic nature. Spiritual unity is the fruit of faith union with the living Jesus." (195:10.11 https://www.theub.org/part-iv.html#P195_10_11 )
Rod