|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
 Posted - 07/28/2001 : 09:44:12
|
At the advice of an acquaintance, I purchased *The Urantia Book*. I am attempting to read it, but it is just so much pseudoscientific religious baloney that I can hardly read a single sentence without falling over laughing at its pompous (and scientifically incorrect) assertions.
I bought another (and better) book, *Urantia The Great Cult Mystery* by Martin Gardner. Great reading! One gets a good glimpse of the plagiarizers (who purloined whole paragraphs and pages without attribution) involved in this deception.
I think the Urantia movement has a good mixture of baloney religion and baloney science -- just down my alley! Science has changed since the writing of *The Urantia Book*. Poor, poor dears...
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth...
|
|
|
comradebillyboy
Skeptic Friend
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 12:53:48 [Permalink]
|
what is "uranita"?
comrade billyboy |
 |
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 15:35:15 [Permalink]
|
quote:
what is "uranita"?
comrade billyboy
comrade billyboy:
The following might answer some of your questions about *The Urantia Book*:
In order to be fair, I have copied a URL for a Urantia site and two (related) URLs by a skeptics' site:
Written by the URANTIA organization itself:
http://www.ubfellowship.org/archive/history/h_timlin_4.htm
Written by SKEPTICS:
http://skepdic.com/urantia.html
AND
http://skepdic.com/comments/urantcom.html
I also have copied an amazon.com site where one can purchase *Urantia The Great Cult Mystery* by Martin Gardner (online):
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0879759550/
Hope this helps. Martin Gardner is very thorough. There is so much detail, that his book is difficult to read. But it could give some insight into the background of the whole thing.
Realize that I have ALWAYS been a SKEPTIC and cannot easily be bamboozled.
I feel immensely sorry for my acquaintance who is very much into this whole thing.
I just thought this topic might be interesting to fellow skeptics here who have yet to encounter this thinking. Incidentally, the Urantia movement began with members of the Seventh Day Adventists religion and there are many similarities between the two religions.
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth...
Edited by - ljbrs on 07/28/2001 15:44:11 |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 15:48:05 [Permalink]
|
I understand that ELVIS was into the URANTIA thing. If ELVIS liked it, it must be good!
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
|
|
|
@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 16:05:46 [Permalink]
|
He was really into doing barbituates......DITTO! 
@tomic
Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law! |
|
|
|
comradebillyboy
Skeptic Friend
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 17:00:16 [Permalink]
|
quote:
The following might answer some of your questions about *The Urantia Book*:
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth...
Edited by - ljbrs on 07/28/2001 15:44:11
thanks for the info
comrade billyboy |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 19:39:25 [Permalink]
|
comradebillyboy:
You are welcome.
I believe that religions are created by people who are afraid of dying. I got over that fear very, very early in life. I look at death as the price we all pay for living. Without life, there would not be death. But, who would want to live forever?
Boredom! Same old, same old, ad infinitum...
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 19:46:35 [Permalink]
|
comradebillyboy:
I believe that reading what is offered on the web on the subject of Urantia sure beats having to pay for books such as *The Urantia Book* which are (1) excessively expensive, (2) full of unmitigated baloney, and (3) DULL!
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
|
|
|
comradebillyboy
Skeptic Friend
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 19:49:30 [Permalink]
|
quote:
I believe that religions are created by people who are afraid of dying. ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth...
if i may be so bold as to offer a sweeping generalization, religion originated with primitive man's fear of the unknown. i think that people have always wanted security and safety, and the idea that things happen for no particular reason is very scary. the invention of powerful gods that act like unreasonable powerful people is one result.
i read enough of the links you provided to get the idea. the skeptic dictionary ref was the most informative. the other stuff was almost unreadable.
comrade billyboy
Edited by - comradebillyboy on 07/28/2001 19:52:38 |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 19:55:23 [Permalink]
|
@tomic:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was really into doing barbituates......DITTO!
@tomic
Right! Elvis did not need The Urantia Book as a barbituate substitute.
Now, on the subject of barbituates, do not forget to get some real rest (a substitute for barbiturates). You work so very hard. At least, it seems so. This is a great site. It has taken a lot of care to make it so.
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
|
|
|
James
SFN Regular
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 19:58:00 [Permalink]
|
quote:
...which are (1) excessively expensive, (2) full of unmitigated baloney, and (3) DULL!
ljbrs, you can always donate to your public library -you can use the book as a foot for an uneven table -you can burn the book. 
"When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not." -Master Yoda |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2001 : 15:15:17 [Permalink]
|
quote:
if i may be so bold as to offer a sweeping generalization, religion originated with primitive man's fear of the unknown. i think that people have always wanted security and safety, and the idea that things happen for no particular reason is very scary. the invention of powerful gods that act like unreasonable powerful people is one result.
i read enough of the links you provided to get the idea. the skeptic dictionary ref was the most informative. the other stuff was almost unreadable.
comrade billyboy
comrade billyboy:
I felt the same way, but for the purposes of truthfulness, I felt the need to post both sides of the discussion and let those who felt one way or the other decide for themselves. Actually, I will never permit myself to hurt the feelings of my friend, the true believer. As long as he is not in the business of harming others, it is fine with me. The religion involved is a very benign one, next to so many of the others. Besides, if Elvis believed, he must have been right, since he lead such a life!
quote:
ljbrs, you can always donate to your public library -you can use the book as a foot for an uneven table -you can burn the book.
JamesL:
There are crossouts which did not show up when I copied them. However, I would not want to burn it. It is my evidence for the stupidity of the cult membership. Besides, I need to take it to my wonderful skeptics society to let them have a look at it (and a good laugh). I simply need to get my money's worth!
However, Martin Gardner's *URANTIA The Great Cult Mystery* refers to a lot of sites in the book and I shall need the book to locate those sites. So I shall get good use out of the book.
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
|
|
|
James
SFN Regular
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2001 : 21:06:50 [Permalink]
|
quote:
JamesL:
I don't have an L up in my name, do I? If so, I'll correct it.  
quote:
It is my evidence for the stupidity of the cult membership.
Only evidence you'll have is that you bought the book and they'll be like: "Thank you for supporting our ideas with your money...." ...or something like that.
quote:
So I shall get good use out of the book.
Good. Maybe, once you are done using the book, you could use it under a foot for an uneven table. Might get a few more years out of it, yet.  
"When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not." -Master Yoda |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2001 : 21:56:18 [Permalink]
|
I have been reading further in Martin Gardner's book, *Urantia The Great Cult Mystery* and it seems that THE URANTIA BOOK has racism at its very heart and there is much plagiarism throughout of previous articles of various kinds. Out and out plagiarism! Of course, I will check it out carefully. It seemed to be just another silly cult. Now, a shadow has come over it of deeper troubles, such as eugenics -- and much, much worse. There are a lot of intrigue and nastiness (both in the Seventh Day Adventist organization and, later, in the Urantia organization. It seems that, with religion, there always seems to be intrigue and nastiness (and much gossip).
Of course, all of this makes it much more interesting and it will be a great topic to relate to my wonderful skeptics' group at subsequent meetings. [To me, all of my groups are *wonderful*. I would not remain a member of any of them otherwise.]
When I finish Martin Gardner's book, I will check the citations out carefully wherever I can. It is getting to be a lot more interesting than when I first bought *The Urantia Book*.
ljbrs
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
|
|
|
Mespo_man
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2001 : 08:39:11 [Permalink]
|
quote:
I understand that ELVIS was into the URANTIA thing. If ELVIS liked it, it must be good
... and John Travolta is into Scientology. But if he preaches as good as he acts, we have nothing to worry about.
(:raig |
|
|
|
Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2001 : 09:34:53 [Permalink]
|
quote:
... and John Travolta is into Scientology. But if he preaches as good as he acts, we have nothing to worry about.
Yet, to my understanding, he still wants to produce Battlefield Earth II, a sequel to what many regard as the new "Worst Film Ever Made", supplanting Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Now that's loyalty! 
(L. Ron Hubbard wrote Battlefield Earth, for those who don't know.)
------------
Ma gavte la nata! |
|
|
 |
|
Topic Locked
