[Turtle]

___The Urantia Book -- Part III. The History Of Urantia
PAPER 58: Section 5.
The Continental Drift
___I believe I made no mistake; there is only here a wishy-washy description of continents slowly rising & falling. There is no mention of subduction or sub-ocean spreading centers or any of the hallmarks of plate techtonics. The text takes the best data of the day (as early as the 1920's/1930's) & then squishes it around with a bunch of mumbo jumbo so as to make it near indeciperable by the ignorant & unchallengable by the experts; until new data came along anyway.
___As to Helper's question "Perhaps, another way of looking at this could be the asking of the question, "Why?" Was it such a sinister plot to claim that there much truth in all religions and that we as humans might consider that finding common ground could lead to better understanding of us all?" Here is a ubiquitous sinister aim wadded up in this book; eugenics. Just read the sections on the origins of races.

[Helper]

[quote] The text takes the best data of the day (as early as the 1920's/1930's) & then squishes it around with a bunch of mumbo jumbo so as to make it near indeciperable by the ignorant & unchallengable by the experts; until new data came along anyway.
Does this mean that you do not understand it or disagree with it? When the book was written, circa 1934, the scientific community agreed that continental drift was not a viable or accepted theory. The Urantia Book stated that it was a fact, which was later proven true by the 1960s technology you mentioned. I understand that you choose not to accept certain parts of the book because they conflict with your view of the universe, and sane people often disagree on many fields, but you will find that the Urantia book is on very sound scientific footing at this time

[ab|de]

Originally Posted by Turtle

I believe I made no mistake; there is only here a wishy-washy description of continents slowly rising & falling.

And "sliding".

Originally Posted by Turtle

Here is a ubiquitous sinister aim wadded up in this book; eugenics. Just read the sections on the origins of races.

I don't recall reading about rounding anyone up and killing them. Eugenics is now a dirty word like communism, terrorism, socialism, democrat, ect. We have been selective breeding every other species on the planet for thousands of years. No one is suggesting building camps and enforcing a government sponsored Hitler-era breeding program. What it is suggesting is awareness, you still have free will to do as you please. Every website espousing this ridiculous "eugenics" angle against the UB is just copying the ideas of Martin Gardner.. I could use the same argument against the Bible just as I could easily discredit every other book I've ever read based on some statement within that I held a bias towards. These are semantic arguments that unforunately serve to block curious inquiry from the truth, which is found in fragments all over the place.

[Turtle]

___The devil is in the details; I read the book; sliding is strike slip/San Andrea, or locked/Himalayas, or subduction. For all the little things they jumbled together that is right, the whole is still a jumble.
___I arrived at the eugenics conclusion on my own, thank you very much. I agree Urantia is no better than any written work purporting to come from angels/gods/spirits what have you.
___Yes of course I have a bias; a scientific bias. I read the work, I anylized the work, the work is good science fiction.

[ab|de]

No one is questioning "scientific bias", but one should take into account the book recognizes its own inferiority by warning the reader against worshipping it - especially on scientific grounds. I'm less apt to denounce personalities who recognize and forewarn me of the imperfections of their enterprise. Science fiction? Maybe so, but we can still learn quite abit from such literary works.

[Turtle]

___I agree. This book is a literary work worthy of reading. Then re-reading critically, then double/triple checking in order to better decide on which shelf it resides.
___I note one of the writers' contrivences comes into play in regard to numbers. Sometimes they right numerals "10,000,000" planetary orbs or such, & other times they write it out longhnad "seven hundred twenty thousand" such & such cherubic administrators.
___Someone opened the door to Germany, & indeed the Urantia book smacks of teutonic knights' lore & secret societies migrating from continental europe to the US since the mid to late 1800's. Before you say secret societies is bunk, try & get a tour of the tomb at yale or into bohemia grove in california.
___I recommend everyone read it. Very stimulating & the mystery of its authors unsolved.

[ab|de]

I refuse to read that crap. j/k.

I really don't think they give public tours to the good ole boys club although I hear trespassing is still in vogue.

[Helper]

[___I recommend everyone read it. Very stimulating & the mystery of its authors unsolved.[/quote]
What a wonderful suggestion. If education is the business of life, then as we become aware, then try to understand, and then take action in our lives, we can appreciate our lives in doing the best that we can.

[Turtle]

___I once wrote a paper justifying agriculture as an inspired theme in Anna Karenana, & similarly The Urantia book includes such a section on woodworking. The last third of the book covers the life & times of Jesus & therin expounds that his carpentry lay in boatbuilding. At the time I first read it, I was mastering carpentry as a journeyman so I found it interesting. The claim is made that improved boat designs made by Jesus continue to this day in the region.
___

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Turtle

___I note one of the writers' contrivences comes into play in regard to numbers. Sometimes they right numerals "10,000,000" planetary orbs or such, & other times they write it out longhnad "seven hundred twenty thousand" such & such cherubic administrators.

___A point of error in what I said above; the number written in long-hand is "one thousand seven hundred twenty eight". Why write it out long? Well, I beleive it is an esoteric reference for members only; a reference to base twelve math. Writing "one thousand seven hundred twenty eight" in base twelve numerals looks like this - 1,000 -. Someone recently told me Tolkien has base twelve references in the Lord of the Rings series; anyone else hear that?
___I haven't heard anyone say yet, but the descriptions of human development, while they invoke gods & angels as the movers, present a view we now call puncuated equilibrium. The book is forward thinking in many regards, as good science fiction always is.