Freethought & Rationalism Archive

ScuzzBuster · 07-08-2008, 10:38 PM

Not trying to rehash an old thread, but rather than start a new on an old topic...

I happened to come across a very nice bound copy of the Urantia Book that I purchased on a whim back in college. At the time, I only skimmed through some sections on it. If we're talking about discussions of reading it for any value from a theist standpoint, I really don't care about that, but is the book worth reading for any entertainment or philosophical value.

The Urantia Foundation website is pretty sterile. What's the status of the following of this these days? Doesn't seem like there's some major organized movement for it. Is there really any serious dogmatic Urantians (or whatever they might call themselves) out there?

I've even came across the audio book version available for download since it apparently is public domain. Sounds like a painful listen though since it's a digitized voice reading of it.

I'm always looking for something interesting to dig into from a theological standpoint...it seems like the Urantia book may contain at least as much entertainment value for me as the first time I really investigated Mormonism.

SkepticBoyLee · 07-18-2008, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamu

You can actually read the book on the site I provided; click on the tab "Read The Urantia Book" if you're interested.

No, I'm not interested. I'm sorry if I was not clear. There are endless books like this in existence, all of no value to anyone other than whoever is making money off them. The story told varies, depending on the audience being targetted, but it is invariably a dreary modern fabrication (Stephen Carlson explains why such things must smell of the age in which they are manufactured in his excellent book on the Secret Gospel of Mark -- "that which convinced the Victorians seems very Victorian to us"). A keynote of these is the pretence of a manuscript which is somehow only ever known to the person pretending to edit/publish it. Since the Urantia fits this genre-profile, it is thereby discredited without reading a line of it.

What is it that you want of us?

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Why must you apply good skepticism so selectively Roger?

How is Urantian any more silly than the Bible?

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07-08-2008, 10:38 PM	#31
ScuzzBuster Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The States Posts: 90	Not trying to rehash an old thread, but rather than start a new on an old topic... I happened to come across a very nice bound copy of the Urantia Book that I purchased on a whim back in college. At the time, I only skimmed through some sections on it. If we're talking about discussions of reading it for any value from a theist standpoint, I really don't care about that, but is the book worth reading for any entertainment or philosophical value. The Urantia Foundation website is pretty sterile. What's the status of the following of this these days? Doesn't seem like there's some major organized movement for it. Is there really any serious dogmatic Urantians (or whatever they might call themselves) out there? I've even came across the audio book version available for download since it apparently is public domain. Sounds like a painful listen though since it's a digitized voice reading of it. I'm always looking for something interesting to dig into from a theological standpoint...it seems like the Urantia book may contain at least as much entertainment value for me as the first time I really investigated Mormonism.

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