The Cosmic Citizen

“Let all mankind benefit from the overflow of your loving spiritual ministry, enlightening intellectual communion, and uplifting social service; but none of these humanitarian labors, nor all of them, should be permitted to take the place of proclaiming the gospel.” (Jesus, The Urantia Book, 178:1.11) This week on the Cosmic Citizen we'll explore the Gospel of Jesus with our guests Tom Choquette and Susan Cook. For 2,000 years men and women have proclaimed the gospel, and yet, if you ask 10 different people what the gospel is you will get 10 different answers. Simply put, sharing the gospel is sharing the good news. That sounds simple enough, but what is the good news and how can we be more effective in sharing it? Certainly the world could use more good news. Perhaps, the most important realization is that "proclaiming the gospel" is not difficult. It requires very little of us and the rewards are immense, even eternal.  We don't have to be ordained to share the gospel or to live it and it's not hard to teach friendship with God. Actually, in seven of the appearances Jesus made to believers after his death, his primary request of them remained the same, to go and "Proclaim the Gospel!" Did Jesus expect that only his apostle’s would or could spread the gospel or is it erroneous to think that? We'll explore the idea that we all get to share in our Master’s request, which in fact, is really the primary task that Jesus gives to ALL his believers. In addition, we'll explore these questions: What is the gospel according to Jesus? How important is this gospel? Can anyone spread the gospel? What does proclaiming the gospel require of us? Is there help for us to become powerful in proclaiming the gospel? What are some different ways of spreading the gospel? Please tune in!

Merry Christmas from The Cosmic Citizen! Join us, as we celebrate Jesus with the world while exploring historic research and new discoveries on his birth. Although the Christian world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th, many historians, theologians and biblical scholars agree that Jesus most likely wasn't' born on that date in the year AD 1. So when was Jesus born and why was that date chosen? The date of December 25th ties to the winter solstice and Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to the Roman deity Saturn. There were also other popular pagan celebrations near that time of year, such as the birth of the pagan god Mithras. The actual birthday of Jesus was forgotten by the early Christian movement and various dates were celebrated in conjunction with his birth but eventually the church agreed that aligning with the winter solstice would suffice. Theologians have also suggested that Jesus was born when the weather was warm. This is based on the biblical narrative that shepherds were watching over their flocks in the fields on the night of Jesus' birth. This is something they would have done in warm weather, not in winter. Researchers have also found clues to the real birth of Jesus around the "Star of Bethlehem" and what astronomers know about celestial happenings in that time frame. Some have claimed that a conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter occurred around October of 7 B.C. This was written in the 1930s in the Urantia Book, which claims Jesus was born on August the 21st, 7 BC. This week, our resident researcher, Derek Samaras, will share with us important recent discoveries and fantastic new data that has surfaced about the birth of Jesus. We will also read the story of Jesus birth from The Urantia Book. It will be fascinating to compare the revealed information in The Urantia Book with modern scientific discoveries. We hope you can tune in!

Last week, we continued our study of Paper 70, The Evolution of Human Government. As we have stated before, Paper 70 is a remarkable disclosure of the evolution of human government from universal teachers who have observed worlds and governments evolving since the beginning of time Paper 70 provides us with a keen understanding of how basic human systems of social coordination evolve from basic social units like families, clans, tribes, kingdoms, states and finally nations. Last week, we covered the following great sections of Paper 70: Section 10. Evolution of Justice and Section 11. Laws and Courts. This week we will continue with the final section of this amazing paper, 12. Allocation of Civil Authority. Here is the opening of that section: "The great struggle in the evolution of government has concerned the concentration of power. The universe administrators have learned from experience that the evolutionary peoples on the inhabited worlds are best regulated by the representative type of civil government when there is maintained proper balance of power between the well-co-ordinated executive, legislative, and judicial branches." We got some feedback last week that the show was too political. It's hard to talk about government and not be political, but we've taken this feedback to heart and will do our best to stay objective. We appreciate your patience with us. What's more, we'd love for you to call and share your insights and understandings of this paper. We should have plenty of time to discuss it with each other and with our callers, since there is just one section remaining. This week we'll have everyone back and on board so it should be a lively and interesting study to finish up our study of another terrific paper from The Urantia Book. We hope you will join us or call in with your insights and comments on another great edition of The Cosmic Citizen.

Last week, we continued our study of Paper 70, The Evolution of Human Government. Paper 70 is a remarkable disclosure that offers humankind a holistic view of the evolution of human government. It's hard for us to see the entire picture, as systems like government evolve over thousands of years. Paper 70 provides us a rare glimpse at the nature of evolution. How something like government evolves from basic social units like families, to clans, to tribes, to kingdoms, to states and finally to nations. We've discussed the value of war as well as the role of secret clubs and societies in this grand evolutionary process. This paper describes, in astonishing detail, the way government evolves. It helps us to keep the perspective of where we are, how we got here, and where we are going. The Urantia Book is about the long, long process, "Evolution may be slow, but it is terribly effective." Last week, we covered the following great sections of Paper 70: Section 8 - Social Classes and Section 9 - Human Rights. The section on Social Classes is based on the premise that the obvious mental and physical inequality of human beings insures the appearance of social classes. The section on Human Rights reveals that society's prime gift to man is security, the establishment of human rights. It states, "Nature does not even confer the right to live, as might be deduced by considering what would likely happen if an unarmed man met a hungry tiger face to face in the primitive forest." This week we will continue with these great sections: Evolution of Justice, Laws and Courts and Allocation of Civil Authority. We'll try to get through the rest of this paper. Evolution is slow and we are too! But really, you can't rush the Urantia Book. We hope you can join us or call in with your insights and comments on another great edition of The Cosmic Citizen.

Last week, we continued our study of Paper 70, The Evolution of Human Government. This paper is one of those remarkable disclosures that gives humankind a top down view of something that, because we are circumscribed to a minuscule moment in time on this world, is rarely observed by us.  Paper 70 provides an overview of how systems of human government evolve on a material world inhabited by human beings who possess, what the Urantia Books calls, "mind of will dignity."  Since the beginning of human life on earth, we have been evolving. The Urantia Book has so much to say about evolution. It says that, "Evolution may be slow, but it is terribly effective."  This paper describes the way human government evolved and is evolving. It's incredibly insightful and really helps us to understand where we are in a long and slow planetary process. It reveals what to expect going forward.  In that past two weeks we covered the following great sections: The Genesis of War, The Social Value of War, Early Human Associations, Clans and Tribes, The Beginnings of Government, Monarchical Government and finally, Primitive Clubs and Secret Societies. This week we will continue with these Social Classes, Human Rights, Evolution of Justice, Laws and Courts and Allocation of Civil Authority. We'll get through what we can. Evolution is slow so we can hardly rush through this great paper. Please join us and call in with your insights and comments on another great edition of Cosmic Citizen.

Last week, we began our study of Paper 70, The Evolution of Human Government. This paper is one of those remarkable disclosures that gives humankind a top down view of something that, because we are circumscribed to a miniscule moment in time on this world, is rarely observed by us. That being, the way that systems of human government actually evolve. The fact that there are higher intelligences in the universe that have observed human types of government evolve on material worlds for trillions of years is, in itself, a profound revelation. Since the beginning of human life on earth, we have looked into the heavens and have pondered uniquely human questions. We seem to have been reaching for higher intelligence forever, feeling innately that it is there. Perhaps we have felt isolated and alone in our existence and wondered what is the purpose and meaning of the strife and struggle of our lives. What is going on this world? If these higher intelligences exist, why do they not contact us and help us? The short answer is, they do! The Urantia Book is a prime example of this, perhaps the best example of it, and it comes at a time in our evolution when we are finally more able to fathom their answers. So the "view from above" factor that Paper 70 gives us is invaluable because it allows us to understand that trillions of worlds, and countless material beings like us, have evolved over ions of time throughout the cosmos. And, that this evolution has been observed and is characterized in well-defined stages of evolution. When you see the view from above, suddenly systems more sense. Intelligent life in the universe may be a mystery to us but The Urantia Book reveals that we are not a mystery to it. Part 2 of this series resumes on Page 788.3, Paper 70:4.1 Clans and Tribes. Please tune in for another great glimpse from above and we continue our study of Paper 70 from The Urantia Book.

This Saturday, André and Derek will kick off a study of Urantia Paper 70, The Evolution of Human Government.   To say that this paper is absolutely fascinating would be an under statement! It's extraordinary to learn exactly how systems of government evolve and that most human government on most inhabited worlds evolves in similar and well-defined ways. The preamble to this paper says this:  "On an evolutionary world, antagonisms are natural; peace is secured only by some sort of social regulative system. Social regulation is inseparable from social organization; association implies some controlling authority. Government compels the co-ordination of the antagonisms of the tribes, clans, families, and individuals." This amazing papers talks at lenght about war. It describes war as "the natural state and heritage of evolving man." And peace as "the social yardstick measuring civilization's advancement."  It describes the social values of war, such as, discipline, enforced co-operation, fortitude and courage, solidified nationalism and the elimination of the illusion of primitive equality and selectively stratified society. Please tune in or call in for this thought provoking and insightful study of Paper 70, from The Urantia Book.

This Saturday, we will conclude our exploration of life on a "not far-distant planet" in our local system of inhabited worlds. Last week, in Part 5 of our study, we continued to marvel at this amazing and unprecedented presentation in the Urantia Revelation. We have enjoyed scrutinizing the similarities and differences between our world and theirs. So far we've covered many of the fascinating features concerning life on another world and this week we will finish with these remarkable sections: Section 10.Dealing with Crime, Section 11.Military Preparedness and finally Section 12.The Other Nations. This paper, Government of a Neighboring Planet contains 12 sections that are deeply relevant and timely! For instance, consider these tidbits to come: 72:11.3.Military service during peacetime is purely voluntary, and the enlistments in all branches of the service are for four years, during which every man pursues some special line of study in addition to the mastery of military tactics. Training in music is one of the chief pursuits of the central military schools and of the twenty-five training camps distributed about the periphery of the continent. During periods of industrial slackness many thousands of unemployed are automatically utilized in upbuilding the military defenses of the continent on land and sea and in the air. 72:12.2.Just now this superior government is planning to establish ambassadorial relations with the inferior peoples, and for the first time a great religious leader has arisen who advocates the sending of missionaries to these surrounding nations. We fear they are about to make the mistake that so many others have made when they have endeavored to force a superior culture and religion upon other races. Please join again this week for Government on a Neighboring Planet.

This Saturday, we continue to explore life on a "not far-distant planet" in our local system of inhabited worlds. Last week, in Part 4 of our study, we marveled at this amazing and unprecedented presentation in the Urantia Revelation. Scrutinizing the similarities and differences between our world and theirs. So far we've covered the following fascinating features concerning life on this other world: 1.The Continental Nation, 2.Political Organization, 3.The Home Life, 4.The Educational System, 5.Industrial Organization, 6.Old-Age Insurance and 7.Taxation. This week we hope to cover, at least sections 8.The Special Colleges, 9.The Plan of Universal Suffrage and 10.Dealing with Crime.  Then perhaps one more week for 11.Military Preparedness and finally 12.The Other Nations. This is one of the longest of the Urantia Papers. It contains 12 sections that are deeply relevant and timely for us during this election cycle! For instance, consider these tidbits to come: On universal suffrage: Every man and woman of twenty years and over has one vote. Upon attaining this age, all citizens must accept membership in two voting groups: They will join the first in accordance with their economic function—industrial, professional, agricultural, or trade; they will enter the second group according to their political, philosophic, and social inclinations. All workers thus belong to some economic franchise group, and these guilds, like the noneconomic associations, are regulated much as is the national government with its threefold division of powers. On dealing with crime: The methods of this people in dealing with crime, insanity, and degeneracy, while in some ways pleasing, will, no doubt, in others prove shocking to most Urantians. Please join again this week for Government on a Neighboring Planet.

This Saturday, we continue our exploration of a continental nation on a "not far-distant planet" in our local system of inhabited worlds. Last week, in Part 3 of our study, we again marveled at this extraordinary and unusual presentation in the Urantia Revelation, being eager to explore the nuances, similarities and differences between this sister sphere. We recapped their educational system and then dove into their Industrial Organization. This section is beyond amazing! For instance, consider these tidbits from Section 5, concerning how industry is managed on this cosmic neighbor of ours: The industrial courts are only thirty years old but are functioning very satisfactorily. The most recent development provides that hereafter the industrial courts shall recognize legal compensation as falling in three divisions: 1. Legal rates of interest on invested capital. 2. Reasonable salary for skill employed in industrial operations. 3. Fair and equitable wages for labor. Two hundred years ago the profit motive was wholly dominant in industry, but today it is being rapidly displaced by other and higher driving forces. Competition is keen on this continent, but much of it has been transferred from industry to play, skill, scientific achievement, and intellectual attainment. Labor is becoming more honorable on this continent, and all able-bodied citizens over eighteen work either at home and on farms, at some recognized industry, on the public works where the temporarily unemployed are absorbed, or else in the corps of compulsory laborers in the mines. Well, needless to say, the discussion was bold and lively. Please join this week for Government on a Neighboring Planet.