That Which is of Greatest Value
(Presented at the 2025 ANZURA Conference in Brisbane)
In Paper 196:1.3, the author is very clear: “Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it.” 196:1.3 (2090.4). This sounds important. So what was, or is, the religious life of Jesus? As I understand it, this begins with… falling in love. Recall from Paper 102:1.1, “[…], but divine things must be loved in order to be known.” So step 1 is learning to fall in love with that fragment of divine love, that fragment of divine Presence, incarnate in our soul (see 107:0.2). But this is no small thing! From Paper 117:6.9, “Men all too often forget that God is the greatest experience in human existence.”
So faith in the Father’s Love – the “believing recognition…” (141:4.2) of this truth, that God IS our Father – this Faith becomes like a tiny magical sail for being moved by the divine breath, for catching the Father’s Love.
This discovery, of the Father’s Love incarnate in our soul, might lead one to be satisfied with a life of religious ecstasy, filled with loving service. But let’s not forget that the truly human life is responsive not only to that cosmic urge to worship, but also to the cosmic urge to wonder – curiosity. This second (of the three cosmic urges) becomes the ancestor of our “scientific method”, what The Urantia Book describes as [quote] “the mathematical form of the cosmic discrimination.” 16:6.6 (192.2). However, in our skeptical scientific age, infatuation with curiosity can lead some to get stuck in that “mathematical mode”, deaf to the still, small voice within.
But consider the motivation that both the religionist and the scientist share: a sincere belief that they are discovering TRUTH. Sadly, the extreme scientist may tend to dismiss personal religious truth as childish fantasy, while an extreme religionist may see scientific facts as irrelevant.
This issue is highlighted in Paper 16 section 6. From 16:6.10,
“These three basic factors in reflective thinking may be unified and co-ordinated in personality development, or they may become disproportionate and virtually unrelated in their respective functions. But when they become unified, they produce a strong character consisting in the correlation of a factual science, a moral philosophy, and a genuine religious experience.” 16:6.10 (192.6)
In other words, if we can coordinate these “three basic factors in reflective thinking”, our true colors can come shining through. But then that splash of cold water. From Paper 16:6.9,
But it is sad to record that so few persons on Urantia take delight in cultivating these qualities of courageous and independent cosmic thinking. 16:6.9 (192.5)
So here we are, with both our sciences and religions ripe for fifth epochal insight. It goes without saying that all of us here have faith in the value and veracity of the Papers of the fifth epochal revelation. Which implies we have faith in the Universal Father, which means we “qualify” as “religious”. So what are we to make of all those “statements regarding the physical sciences” (101:4.2)? Thinking about this over the years, three short quotes stick in my mind:
[Q1] Evolutionary religion makes no provision for change or revision; unlike science, it does not provide for its own progressive correction. […]; therefore must revision always be forced upon it. 92:3.4 (1006.1)
[Q2] …, it has appeared to be wise from time to time to provide instruction in cosmology. And always has this made trouble for the future. 101:4.1 (1109.2)
[Q3] …, within a few short years many of our statements regarding the physical sciences will stand in need of revision in consequence of additional scientific developments and new discoveries. 101:4.2 (1109.3)
Regarding that second quote (Q2), on revealed cosmology causing “trouble” for the future, pause to consider: As religionists, as we evolve new systems of faith, what if we build into our new (religious) worldview some of those “statements regarding the physical sciences” that (within a few short years) turn out to need some revision? Might we anticipate a little friction?
Universe Frames
As I understand it, the purpose of this 5th epochal revelation is to clarify some details about how we go to heaven, not so much about how the heavens go. But since our stairway to heaven involves our evolution within the domains of Creator Sons, and our progress through the superuniverses of that grand universe “wheel” (15:0.1), we really DID need “a universe frame” sufficient to coordinate those things which our scientific method would, “within a few short years”, inevitably reveal.
Regarding these inevitable discoveries, every three years Urantia Foundation holds a symposium in which students of The Urantia Book discuss the apparent convergence (or conflict) of these discoveries with statements the revelators decided to include. At this year’s symposium, I attempted to explore one of the most unorthodox: that the enormous redshifts revealed by our new telescopes are due NOT to a runaway expansion (from some “Big Bang”), but to rotation:
But the greatest of all such distortions arises because the vast universes of outer space, […], seem to be revolving… 12:4.15 (134.4)
For those interested in such things, an hour-long YouTube video (link below) explores how this simple statement implies solutions to the central mysteries and tensions of modern science. And opens a door though which a skeptical scientific age might glimpse a vastly larger universe frame in which to think.
PS: For easier reference, here’s a link to the illustrated script for the video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sBGmKwtcLBbGAQ–WBs5nOjUbz8AGhFL/view?usp=drive_link
Please send comments and critique!