The benefits of reading the Urantia Book

[Sandy]

Wow! The Vatican holding a press conference on UFOs ...that's big.
My first thoughts were just like the article's..."What do they know that we don't."
xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Impressive, well-stated response, considering the question did not suggest the Bible was inferior.

Re: https://www.perplexity.ai/

Q: If the Urantia Book is modern epochal revelation, how does this reflect on the Bible?

"The Urantia Book presents itself as a modern revelation that expands upon and clarifies the teachings found in the Bible, while maintaining reverence for the Bible as a preceding revelation. Here are some key points on how The Urantia Book relates to the Bible:

It affirms the Bible contains inspired truths and upholds Jesus' life and teachings as the fourth epochal revelation to humanity, as recorded in the New Testament. However, it states the Bible is a partial revelation limited by the circumstances and comprehension levels of its human authors. The Urantia Book claims to provide a broader cosmological context and clarification of spiritual truths.

It retells and expands upon many Biblical stories and events, such as the lives of Adam and Eve, the Lucifer rebellion, and Jesus' life, filling in gaps and adding details not found in the Bible. While echoing some Bible passages, it diverges on certain doctrinal matters like the nature of God, the circumstances of Jesus' birth and death, and the concept of original sin.

Rather than contradicting or replacing the Bible outright, The Urantia Book presents itself as the 'fifth epochal revelation' to supplement and build upon the truth in earlier revelations like the Bible.

In essence, The Urantia Book upholds the Bible as an inspired sacred text containing truth, but views itself as a continuation of divine revelation that expands, elucidates and 'upsteps' the spiritual truths first introduced in the Bible for modern comprehension."


Testing Perplexity's knowledge of Jesus' divinity ...

Q: After Jesus' resurrection, what was most influential in creating belief in his divinity?

"According to the sources provided, the resurrection of Jesus itself was the most influential factor that led his disciples and early followers to believe in his divinity. Here are the key points:

Prior to the resurrection, the disciples believed Jesus was the Messiah, but likely understood that to mean he would become an earthly king of the Jews. His crucifixion seemed to contradict that belief.

However, when the disciples encountered the risen Jesus after his death, it radically transformed their understanding of who he was. They came to believe he was not just the human Messiah, but the divine Son of God who had been exalted to heaven.

The resurrection proved to them that Jesus had conquered death and was not just a human teacher, but a cosmic divine figure with power over life and death itself. This led to the beginning of Trinitarian beliefs about Jesus' divinity.

The resurrection served as undeniable proof to the disciples that Jesus was the Son of God, validating his claims and showing God's favor upon him in an unexpected way. It instilled in the disciples an unwavering conviction about Jesus' divinity, transforming them from fearful individuals to bold proclaimers of the Gospel message about Jesus being God's Son.

So in summary, while Jesus made claims about his identity during his life, it was the stunning event of his bodily resurrection that provided the definitive proof and catalyst for his followers to recognize and embrace his divine status as the Son of God."


Rod

[Sandy]

Yes, that is an impressive answer! I could have used that years ago when explaining the Urantia book to my parents.
xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Re: "A History of the Jews" by Paul Johnson, 1987, pp.124-32 and 144-5

Very good explanation why Jesus' divinity was not accepted by Judaism!
(but Perplexity doesn't say much about this information)


About the first revelation of Jesus' divinity ...

"... the greatest of all the revelations of his divinity, his resurrection ..." (UB, 182:3.5)

"He became a part of the personal experience of almost one thousand human beings before he finally took leave of Urantia." (182:2.9)

"Only one thing we are certain of, that is, when he does return, all the world will likely know about it, for he must come
as the supreme ruler of a universe and not as the obscure babe of Bethlehem." (176:4.5)

176:4.5 suggests that Jesus' ceremonial return will be delayed until most of the world knows of his divinity,
even as the once incarnated Son of God. If UB dissemination does not help promote this awareness, then what will


Perplexity's viewpoint of Jesus' divinity ...

Re: https://www.perplexity.ai/

Q: Who was the first human being to wholeheartedly believe in Jesus' divinity?

'The New Testament itself provides evidence that some of Jesus' earliest followers wholeheartedly believed in his divinity:

In John 20:28, Thomas declares to Jesus 'My Lord and my God!' after seeing his risen body. In Philippians 2:6, Paul states that Jesus 'being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.'

This affirms Jesus' divine nature.

The Gospel of John repeatedly has Jesus claiming divine titles and prerogatives, such as 'I am the bread of life' (6:35), 'I am the light of the world' (8:12), and the famous 'I am' statements linking him to the divine name revealed to Moses (8:58).

However, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who was the very first individual to believe in Jesus' divinity. The earliest Christians seemed to affirm both Jesus' humanity and divinity from the start, though their understanding deepened over time. The writings of the Apostolic Fathers in the late 1st/early 2nd century show an established belief in Christ's divinity:

Ignatius of Antioch repeatedly calls Jesus 'God' (e.g. To the Ephesians 7:2, 18:2). The Epistle of Barnabas refers to Jesus as 'the Son of God' and speaks of his pre-existence (5:5, 12:10).

So while the New Testament points to the earliest disciples like Peter, John, and Thomas as having this belief, the precise first individual is unclear. But the divinity of Christ was a core tenet of Christianity from its inception.' "

Q: What does the Urantia Book say about Simon Peter's belief in Jesus' divinity?

"The Urantia Book portrays Simon Peter as one of the first apostles to wholeheartedly believe in Jesus' divinity: In the account of Jesus' life, it states that after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Deliverer (the Christ), Jesus explains to the apostles that he is indeed the Son of God. This marks a turning point where the apostles, especially Peter, began to fully grasp Jesus' divine nature.

Later, after Jesus' resurrection, the book describes Peter's firm conviction of Jesus' divinity: 'Peter took the lead at the termination of the forty days of waiting and telegraphic watchcare. It was a difficult job for him to persuade his fellow apostles to quit talking so much about Jesus' advice concerning the forthcoming bestowal of the new teacher, and to begin their work of finding out what to believe and do directly themselves.'

The book portrays Peter as the first to fully embrace that Jesus was the incarnated Creator Son of their universe, and to dedicate himself to spreading that realization and Jesus' teachings. So while the earliest followers like John the Baptist and Nathaniel may have glimpsed Jesus' divinity, the Urantia Book depicts Simon Peter as the first to wholeheartedly and publicly profess belief that Jesus was the divine Son of God incarnate."


Rod

[Amigoo]

I was hoping for more commentary on Parts I-III, but this response
hints that Part IV is the more significant part of this revelation!

Re: https://www.perplexity.ai/

Q: Part IV of the Urantia Book ("The Life and Teachings of Jesus") is so different from Parts I-III !
What makes Part IV an important part of this book?

"Part IV of The Urantia Book, titled 'The Life and Teachings of Jesus,' stands out as a significant and unique part of the book for several reasons:

It provides an incredibly detailed and vivid narrative account of Jesus' entire life, from his birth to death and resurrection. This extensive biography fills in many gaps and expands greatly upon the limited accounts found in the New Testament gospels, offering new insights into Jesus' childhood, adolescence, family life, travels, relationships, teachings, and inner life.

While Parts I-III are written in a more expository and instructional style, Part IV is a rich narrative with well-developed characters, subplots, realistic dialogue, and high attention to detail. This makes it read more like historical fiction or a novel, allowing readers to vividly experience the life of Jesus as if they were there.

The narrative in Part IV portrays Jesus as an amazingly balanced, sincere, kind, reasonable, and relatable human personality in addition to his divinity. It provides an intimate look at his incomparable character traits and how he related to family, friends, followers, and even enemies.

Part IV aims to reveal the true teachings and spiritual significance of Jesus' life in a way that transcends doctrinal interpretations. It presents Jesus' life as the greatest possible revelation of the loving nature of God and the spiritual potential of human beings.

The extensive details about Jesus' life in Part IV are said to come from spiritual witnesses who carefully chronicled and preserved an accurate record of his bestowal mission on Earth. This gives Part IV a sense of authenticity and authority not found in other accounts.

In summary, the biographical narrative style, vivid human portrayal of Jesus, expanded life details, and purported spiritual origin make Part IV a unique, compelling, and highly important part of The Urantia Book's revelation."


That Perplexity identifies the important "one thing" about Jesus' bestowal mission teases that Perplexity is guided by the Spirit of Truth!
Of course, not directly through machine intelligence but perhaps through the minds of Perplexity's developers:

Perplexity: "It presents Jesus' life as the greatest possible revelation of the loving nature of God and the spiritual potential of human beings."

"Throughout your Urantia bestowal you need be concerned with but one thing, the unbroken communion between you and your Paradise Father; and it will be by the perfection of such a relationship that the world of your bestowal, even all the universe of your creation, will behold a new and more understandable revelation of your Father and my Father, the Universal Father of all." (120:1.4)

"Your great mission to be realized and experienced in the mortal incarnation is embraced in your decision to live a life wholeheartedly motivated to do the will of your Paradise Father, thus to reveal God, your Father, in the flesh and especially to the creatures of the flesh." (120:2.8 )


Rod

[Amigoo]

Location of the second Garden of Eden (started about 38,038 years ago;
first Garden about 37,938 years ago, now submerged Syrian peninsula)

"This site was known to Adam as one of the three original selections of the committee assigned to choose possible locations
for the Garden proposed by Van and Amadon. The two rivers themselves were a good natural defense in those days, and
a short way north of the second garden the Euphrates and Tigris came close together so that a defense wall extending
fifty-six miles could be built for the protection of the territory to the south and between the rivers." (76:1.3)

See also: https://www.britannica.com/place/Tigris ... ver-system

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.perplexity.ai/

Q: What does a T-shape symbolize in religions?

"The T-shape has held symbolic significance in various religions and cultures throughout history, particularly as a representation of the cross or crucifix in Christianity. Here are some key points about the symbolic meaning of the T-shape in religious contexts:

Christianity

In early Christianity, the T-shape was one of the earliest forms used to represent the cross or crucifix, before the more familiar cruciform shapes became widespread. Church fathers like Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian referred to the T-shape as the 'Lord's sign' (τὸ κυριακὸν σημεῖον) and rejected accusations that Christians were "cross-worshippers" (crucis religiosi).

Tertullian mentions it was already a tradition for Christians in the early 3rd century to repeatedly trace the sign of the cross (likely the T-shape) on their foreheads. The numerical value of 318 (ΤΙΗ in Greek) in Genesis 14:14 was seen as a foreshadowing of the cross (Τ=300) and Jesus (ΙΗ=18).

Ancient Religions

At the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe (c. 9500 BCE), the T-shaped pillars are among the most prominent features, likely representing anthropomorphic figures, deities, or ancestors in the belief system of that prehistoric society. The T-shape may have symbolized a complex of ideas in ancient Egyptian religion, including the solar orb, the sky god, humanity, and blood/life (as seen in the Tyet symbol).

In some ancient Near Eastern cultures, the pairing of pillars or objects represented a 'binary basis' and dualistic mythological perception of natural phenomena. So while the symbolic meaning evolved, the T-shape carried profound spiritual and cosmological significance for many ancient religions, eventually becoming strongly associated with the crucifix as one of the earliest representations of the cross in Christianity."

See also: https://ubannotated.com/main-menu/anima ... ekli-tepe/
Super informative "Gobekli Tepe Report" by Halbert Katzen

Note: Jesus' cross was closer to T-shape with portion of pole just above
the horizontal beam where his "Jesus of Nazareth" sign was nailed.


Re: https://www.perplexity.ai/

Q: When was Gobekli Tepe developed?

"Göbekli Tepe was developed and occupied during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, from around 9500 BCE to 8000 BCE. The earliest exposed structures at the site date back to around 9500-9000 BCE, making Göbekli Tepe one of the oldest known monumental structures built by humans. The key points regarding the development and occupation of Göbekli Tepe are:

The site was first occupied around 11,000 BCE, but the monumental circular structures were built later, between 9500-9000 BCE. Göbekli Tepe reached its peak of construction and occupation between around 9600-8200 BCE. The final building phases took place around 8000 BCE, after which the site was deliberately buried.

Radiocarbon dating indicates the site was occupied by hunter-gatherer societies, with no evidence of an agricultural-based civilization during its development and use. The large circular structures, containing massive carved T-shaped pillars, are considered the oldest known monumental religious/ritual structures built by humans.

So in summary, while hunter-gatherers first settled the region around 11,000 BCE, the iconic monumental structures of Göbekli Tepe were developed and constructed primarily during the period of 9500-8000 BCE.


Rod

[Amigoo]

Q: What usually happens when people flee religion?

(Perplexity) "Religion often provides a sense of meaning, purpose, and a framework for understanding life's challenges ... While leaving one's religion can be a difficult and complex process, many individuals also report feeling a sense of empowerment, self-acceptance, and authenticity as a result of living in alignment with their beliefs and values."

Considering indwelling God presence and surrounding spiritual forces, one's current religion may not reflect the greater authenticity. After all, this universe mandates free will to experience this mortal life while developing God-centered beliefs and values.

Rod