by Barry Culligan

It is curious that Lucifer was designated as number 37 of his order 53:0.1 (601.1), and that in the rebellion 37 Planetary Princes joined him (53:7.1 (607.2)). We are taught that his rebellion was the most widespread of all those instigated by the Primary Lanonandeks, of which there were three. If we were to apply the Pareto Principle and presume that the planets lost to the Lucifer rebellion were 80% of all those lost, that would suggest that the other three comprised 20% of the total. We could round these numbers up to an even fifty. So, that means, out of ten million inhabited planets only 50 are rebellion tested. This would suggest that of all the planets in a Local System only 0.000005% produce Agondonters.

It is believed that our universe has had so much trouble with Lanonandeks because our Michael has endowed them with “such a large degree of personal liberty.” 35:9.8 (393.8) This would suggest that other local universes probably have considerably less than 0.000005%. This would place our planet in an exceptionally unique position in universe affairs: not only has it suffered rebellion compounded by Adamic defaults, but our Creator Son chose this sphere as his nativity sphere. It’s hard to appreciate the significance of this from within.

There’s another thing worth considering: rebellion planets offer incredibly unique opportunities for testing divine values. One thing I’ve noticed in reading the text is (what seemed to me at least) remarkable naivety. For the angelic orders, used to countless eons of stability and order, rebellion must be profoundly unsettling–unimaginably so. You detect their naivety in barely concealed elitism, and turns of phrase that indicate beings of high and delicate culture–which ignorant grunts like us could little appreciate which is undoubtedly true but, I’ll admit, fairly riles me up!

In contrast, for us (and our brethren on the fallen worlds) rebellion is all we have ever known. Indeed, the writers never grow weary of telling us that rebellion so distorts reality that we couldn’t imagine life on a normal planet. We learn that the angelic orders are subject to an incredibly long testing: age upon age, world upon world, system upon system; on and on and on it goes with no let up, while our destinies are settled in a relatively short amount of time. In reading The Urantia Book one can imagine how there might be some substance to the myths of angels being jealous of mortals. Not only is our fate sealed fairly quickly, our post-Paradise careers range the universe of universes and even on into the exploration of the master universe (though this comes with its own cost), while such a destiny is open to relatively few of the angelic orders. One can see how Lucifer might be able to curry resentment and foment rebellion from such seemingly unfair structural arrangements.

I am often asked about the level of sin on this world and how difficult it is to believe in God under such circumstances. The Urantia Book talks about the testing of the virtues and how this necessitates confronting realities that are less than ideal. It would seem on most worlds these challenges are never too extreme but on rebellion planets the deities are really asked to put their money where their mouths are. People are not risking merely their lives but their very souls. Jesus didn’t just talk about love; he loved imperfect creatures. He didn’t just talk about forgiveness; he forgave those who literally crucified him. He was beaten and spat upon, had his beard pulled, endured every indignity heaped upon his blessed head, and in the midst of all this foul treatment displayed the unsettling majesty of a man consecrated to doing the will of the Father.

The hosts of heaven stared agog at this mystical and bewildering spectacle of commingled human wickedness and divine triumph. We can never appreciate the true impact this life had upon the celestial hosts, at least not this side of the grave.

Lucifer challenged the gods to show themselves and the response of Jesus was a display of divine love such as had never been seen in this universe before. That display ended the rebellion in all the sincere-of-heart who witnessed it. And today, even throughout all future time, this divine human spectacle will bring peace and salvation to all who by faith witness this tremendous work and consecrate themselves to carrying it on.

by Barry Culligan

The rebellion papers have long fascinated me. When I think of the carnage on my world, the pain, the horror, the abuse, I want to lay the bill for all this suffering at the feet of Lucifer. I have often wondered if we’d be allowed to visit the world of the Father and gaze upon the rebels, as one might observe animals in a zoo. I’d be very interested in seeing the face of the one who “led the worlds astray,” and who “drew down a third of the stars of Heaven.” There are a great many lessons to be drawn from this episode, and it is far from over yet.

One thing we are taught is that rebellion planets are very special, and give birth to a unique class: the Agondonters. It is easy to believe in God when everything is going well and things seem to fall almost effortlessly into your lap, but it is an altogether different thing to maintain faith when the spiritual order on a planet seems to be in reverse: a world in which the wicked prosper and the righteous are crushed. It is easy to get confused and lose one’s way, to entertain, and even get lost in spiritual doubt.

Even the authors admit that looking upon Havona it is easy to conclude that it was created and is maintained by perfect beings. However, when confronted by the endless calamities and sufferings on a world such as ours, it would be equally reasonable to conclude that our world was not created and managed by all wise, all powerful, and loving beings–and that is putting it kindly.

We are taught that there is more rejoicing among the angels over one sinner that repents than of ninety nine that have no need of repentance, and the “righteous” might be understandably aggrieved that their obedience and faithfulness is not greeted with similar delight, much as was the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. The return and redemption of the wayward son is reflected somewhat in the return and redemption of the wayward planets.

No doubt, there might be cosmic resentment among some that such lengths have been undertaken to save the fallen planets. Satania’s isolation from universe circuits is said to be a source of embarrassment. Quarantine creates a stigma. In a sense, the fallen worlds represent the wrong side of the cosmic tracks. Things are loose and dangerous there. The values that prosper on such worlds are not such as would be acceptable among the more polite societies in the more illumined worlds.

Their (the Agondonters) love for the Father is forged in darkness and cruelty, with a minimum of guidance and support. When they speak of the Father and salvation it is with a force and eloquence seldom heard even among the angelic orders. Their love is fierce, their faith invincible, their courage sublime, their loyalty beyond question, their service inspiring. It is that way because it had to be. Nothing less would have enabled them to survive and thrive on isolated and sin-darkened spheres. The spiritual fruit borne on such worlds is sweet, but carries undertones of bitterness.

When such worlds are finally returned to the Father’s fold there is an understandable, sublime and divine ecstasy among the heavenly hosts that have for countless eons been consecrated to its redemption and restoration. Against the odds, a lost one has been found and returned safely, there to recommence its destiny of divinity attainment. It could have died but it didn’t. Thus saved, that world will become a font of everlasting glory to the Father.

The Rebellion and the Creator Son

by Barry Culligan

The rebellion worlds present a real challenge to a Creator Son, in almost every conceivable way. We are taught that Creator Sons must earn their universe, must earn sovereignty, and one of the ways they do this is by living in the universe of their own creation and as a creature of their own devising. One has to admire this policy. A creator that creates a universe and expects all of his created beings to prosper in it might, technically, have unrealistic notions about the reality that he has created. Had he not personally experienced such things he could well have been exposed to the angsty teenager’s cry: “You don’t know my life!” But, through the life of Jesus, we know our creator most definitely has had such an experience.

It is not a coincidence that Michael chose a rebellion planet for his final bestowal. Almost every other planet in his universe is running as it should be. We’re talking approximately 9,999,950 planets, all behaving pretty much as they should (not that all these worlds have been created yet, but I’m pretty sure that Michael's performance has ended the appetite for such intoxicating delusions in the future). Given the normal sequence of events Michael could have opted for a world progressing along more ideal lines. However, if he did he might have been exposed to an accusation that he was a coward who was afraid of attempting life on worlds that were in chaos. After all, if he is going to allow worlds to be turned upside down by sin then shouldn’t he know what it feels like to try to live on such worlds? Shouldn’t he know firsthand how difficult it is to believe under such circumstances?

Technically, he’d be free to incarnate on any world of his choosing and, undoubtedly, it would be just as perfect, but in the back of peoples’ minds, especially the minds of those that hail from rebellion planets, would be: those worlds are easy. Show us what you’ve really got. Incarnate in a cosmic war zone, where the wicked appear to prosper and the poor of the world are victims of endless injustice. Let’s see you be sweet when you’re on the receiving end of cruelty and injustice. Instead of incarnating on a world where you are welcomed as a God-King, on which whole nations bend their knees eager and honored to carry out your bidding, let’s see you endure poverty and turn the other cheek when the ignorant, powerful, and cruel spit in your face. It is easy to spit out righteous edicts from your ivory tower in Salvington, but try to live by them on “real” worlds; then we’ll see what you’re really made of.

Many readers may not have realized but when Michael incarnated on our world as Jesus he became an Agondonter. No doubt, after  his sublime portrayal of God and Man, not only did he forever silence any secret doubters and scoffers, every Mansonia Agondonter bent the knee and voluntarily worshiped him and glorified God that his Son had the courage to become one of them. Jesus is the God and brother of Agondonters and that is one cool accolade.

The writers tell us that there is a strong salvation element to a Creator Son’s bestowal incarnations. Wherever chaos erupts they dare to rush in and endeavor to retrieve wayward systems and sons. I suspect that all Creator Sons volunteer to incarnate on the most backward of spheres for a wide variety of reasons. The darkness of a sin-tossed world is profound but this offers an excellent backdrop against which to contrast the light of divine love. Indeed, it makes it all the more startling to witness it; the living light of love is the ultimate act of defiance in a world engulfed in spiritual darkness. Selfless loving devotion to one’s fellows, family, and country is one of the truest expressions of worship and gratitude and is undoubtedly why the forces of darkness seek to extinguish this light.

However, we should take heart; there is no depth of darkness so great that the Father would not plunge into head first, that he might save a child lost in it. The God of Light is not afraid of the dark, nor should the children of light be discouraged and fearful because the night has descended for a time. Fear not; believe only; the dawn of a new and better day will soon be breaking. Indeed, the light revealed in the life of Jesus can never be extinguished and he will tend to this flame until the whole world is ablaze with it; even now he is building tinder.

            Your best days are ahead, they always were and they always will be. The endless seas of time are encompassed by the Almighty. In the finding of the Limitless One, the WHY upon which eternity is built and to which all temporal realities strive, the holy urge to everlasting service is also born which is everlasting consecration to the realisation and manifestation of ever expanding revelations of the Limitless God. Every epoch of destiny opens with new revelations each greater than the last, as the Limitless One entices His children from time into the supernal realisations of eternity, for He is the Dancer and we are the Danced.

Even as the more enduring substance and precious stones are forged using tremendous forces and pressure, so too is the everlasting soul subjected to equally tremendous spiritual testing. How many times are we destroyed and resurrected? How many times must we watch our dreams and hopes and loved ones smashed into a million pieces? As many as it takes! As many as it takes, to free us from bondage to temporal forms and ideas.

Our celestial guardians are not concerned with things temporal. They are concerned with releasing us from things temporal. As the finite children of time we are spiritually bewildered by the fact that our eternal nature is infused into and expressed through a temporal identity. We tend to view our temporal selves as our actual selves, we struggle to distinguish cause from effect [if we ever even try] – to discern the animated from the animator. The animator is the quickening spirit spark that inhabits the temples of clay that are our bodies, and literally brings them to life. Our challenge is to identify less with the temple, all the while maintaining it as a serviceable instrument of God, and more with the indwelling spirit. God lives in us, almost as one trapped – albeit trapped by hope, love, and selfless service, and so depends on our voluntary co-operation if His light is to be released into the world and his goodness made manifest.

The Great Father himself sends a spark of his Limitlessness to accompany and guide you in this life, and even throughout eternity, if you so will it. You are never truly alone. You have never been abandoned, not by him at least. Nor are you ever so lost that he does not know where you are. You may flail about in seemingly endless darkness but you are never so lost that he cannot, if you have faith enough to trust his guidance, lead you back into his realms of everlasting light.

In him we have everlasting hope. In him, through him and with him, we find true liberty, salvation, redemption, and sanctification and when the hurricanes of life batter the soul in him is found respite, consolation, inspiration and the strength to go on, to hold on to him even as you learn to let go of everything else. For even though we may lose everything else, if we gain him we have secured all that is of true value.

Life has its suffering but it also has its ecstasies, it has hidden depths and undiscovered heights, it is marred by ignorance and healed with wisdom, it is enslaved by selfishness and discovers liberty and joy through selflessness. As the sage of old taught: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  Psalm 30:5 Sorrows might be our lot for a time but they are not our whole lot. For, declares the Lord, “ I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. '” — Jeremiah 29:11

Brethren, fear not believe only. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, Luke 12:32-34. Let the eyes of the spirit pierce the darkness of uncertainty to find the spiritually nourishing light of the goodness of God.

The citadel of the spirit. When the flood tides of human adversity...

beat about the mortal soul, you may rest in the assurance that there is one inner bastion,

the citadel of the spirit, which is absolutely unassailable... 100:2.7

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The rebellion worlds present a real challenge to a Creator Son, in almost every conceivable way. We are taught that Creator Sons must earn their universe, must earn sovereignty, and one of the ways they do this by living in the universe of their own creation and as a creature of their own devising. One has to admire this policy. A Creator that creates a universe and expects all these beings to prosper in it might, technically, have unrealistic notions about the reality that he has created. Had he not personally experienced such things he could well have been exposed to the angsty teenager’s cry: you don’t know my life! But, through the life of Jesus, we know our Creator is most definitely intimately acquainted with our various struggles and the hardships we face.

It is not a coincidence that Michael chose a rebellion planet for his final bestowal. Almost every other planet in his universe is running as it should be. We’re talking approximately 9,999,950 planets, all behaving pretty much as they should [not that all these worlds have been created yet, but we can be pretty confident that the Michael’s performance has ended the appetite for such intoxicating delusions in the future]. Given the normal sequence of events Michael could have opted for a world progressing along more ideal lines. However, if he did he might have been exposed to an accusation that he was a coward who was afraid of attempting life on the worlds that were in chaos. After all, if he is going to allow worlds to be turned upside down by sin then shouldn’t he know what it feels like to try to live on such worlds? Shouldn’t he know firsthand how difficult it is to believe under such circumstances? Indeed, one thinks of the story of Job and how Satan scoffed: “It’s easy believe when everything is going well. But let’s see how much of a believer he is when all joy turns to dust?”

Technically, Michaels are free to incarnate on any world of their choosing and – undoubtedly – it would be just as perfect, but in the back of peoples’ minds, especially the minds of those that hail from rebellion planets, would be: those worlds are easy. Show us what you’ve really got. Try incarnating in a cosmic war zone! One in which the wicked appear to prosper and the poor of the world are victims of endless injustice. Let’s see you be sweet when you’re on the receiving end of cruelty and injustice. Instead of incarnating on a world where you are welcomed as a God-King, on which whole nations bend their knee eager and honored to carry out your bidding, let’s see you endure poverty and turn the other cheek when the ignorant, powerful, and cruel spit in your face. It easy dole out righteous edicts from your Ivory Tower in Salvington, but try to live by them on “real” worlds – then we’ll see what you’re really made of – then we’ll see if those ideals are genuinely capable of creating a better world.

Many readers may not have realized but when Michael incarnated on our world as Jesus he became an Agondonter. No doubt, after his sublime portrayal of God and Man not only did he forever silence any secret doubters and scoffers, every Mansonia Agondonter bent the knee and voluntarily worshipped him and glorified God that His Son had the courage to become one of them. That he did not flinch from suffering for righteousness sake. Jesus is the God and brother of Agondonters and that is one cool accolade.

The writers tell us that there is a strong salvation element to a Creator Son’s bestowal incarnations. Wherever chaos erupts they dare to rush in and endeavor to retrieve wayward systems and sons. I suspect that all Creator Sons volunteer to incarnate on the most backward of spheres for a wide variety of reasons. The darkness of a sin tossed world is profound but this offers an excellent backdrop against which to contrast the light of divine love. Indeed, it makes it all the more startling to witness it – the living light of love is the ultimate act of defiance in a world engulfed in spiritual darkness. Selfless loving devotion to one’s fellows, family, and country is one of the truest expressions of sincere worship and gratitude and is undoubtedly why the forces of darkness seek to extinguish this light.

However, we should take heart, there is no depth of darkness so great that the Father would not plunge in head first that he might save a child lost in it. The God of Light is not afraid of the dark, nor should the children of light be discouraged and fearful because the night has descended for a time. Fear not, believe only, the dawn of a new and better day will soon be breaking. Indeed, the light revealed in the life of Jesus can never be extinguished and he will tend to this flame until the whole world is ablaze with it, even now he is building tinder.

It is a rather peculiar that Lucifer was designated as number 37 of his order, 53:0.1, and that in the rebellion he instituted 37 Planetary Princes joined him, 53:7.1. We are taught that his rebellion was the most widespread of all those instigated by the Primary Lanonandeks, of which there were three. If we were to apply the Pareto Principle and presume that the planets lost to the Lucifer rebellion were 80% of all those lost, that would suggest that the other three comprised 20% of the total. We could round these numbers up to an even fifty. So, that means, out of [a potential] ten million inhabited planets only 50 are rebellion tested. This would suggest that of all the planets in a Local System only 0.000005% produce Agondonters.

It is believed that our universe has had so much trouble with Lanonandek’s because our Michael has endowed them with ‘such a large degree of personal liberty.’ 35:9:8 (393.8) This would suggest that other Local Universes probably have considerably less than 0.000005%. This would place our planet in an exceptionally unique position in universe affairs: not only has it suffered rebellion worse compounded by Adamic defaults, but our Creator Son chose this sphere as his Nativity Sphere. It’s hard to appreciate the significance of all these things from within.

A close reading of the text divulges the apparent profound innocence of the celestial orders. For the angelic orders, used to countless eons of evolving stability and order, rebellion is profoundly unsettling – unimaginably so. 99.999% would never have encountered anything like this. They would never have been called upon to go against a superior 53:3.1. Never have experienced desertion by celestial brethren and absolutely never could have even dreamed a scenario so horrific as their own celestial brethren contriving to actually murder them 53:6.3! The vast majority of celestials would never have been tested like this. Nor would there be many tales to fall back on. Indeed, with so much good to contemplate and accomplish one imagines that few of the angelic orders would give serious thought to the root causes and consequent ravages of rebellion; terrible events taking place in faraway places with strange sounding names.

This specialness is worth considering: rebellion planets offer incredibly unique opportunities for genuinely testing divine values, for proving the many claims made by divine and superior beings. For example, it is claimed [118:1.2] that the fusion experience and its correlated mansion world ascension experience signals that the indwelt personality has made the final and irrevocable choice to do the Father’s will and so has forged its everlasting destiny. This is all well, but, given the relative uniformity of the morontia career there is certainly room for speculation as to whether that claim would hold true in less than ideal situations, like say during times of rebellion. However, when the test came it was proven to be true 53:7.12.

There is profound consolation in this assertion. The divines may have claimed this to be true but the universes have tested this claim and validated it. This testing gives the universe even greater stability and ascenders greater confidence. In a sense, such experiences rid a young universe of its ‘puppy fat’. One imagines that allowing rebellion is an essential part of the process of making universes stronger; much as certain childhood illnesses appear to play a role in the permanent elimination of hidden toxins.

The teachings tell us that the angelic orders, unlike mortals, are subject to an incredibly long testing: age upon age, world upon world, system upon system – on and on and on it goes with no let up, while our destinies are settled in a relatively short amount of time. Reading the Urantia Book you can see how there might be some substance to the myths of angels being jealous of mortals. Not only is our fate sealed fairly quickly, our post-Paradise careers range the universe of universes and even on into the exploration of the Master Universe [though this comes with its own cost], while such a destiny is open to apparently few of the angelic orders. One can see how Lucifer might be able to curry resentment and foment rebellion from such seemingly unfair structural arrangements.

I am often asked about the level of sin on this world and how difficult it is to believe under such circumstances. The UB talks about the testing of the virtues and how this necessitates confronting realities that are less than ideal. It would seem on most worlds these challenges are never too extreme, or at least the native beings are blessed with material natures more equal to the challenges, but on rebellion planets the divines are really asked to put their money where their mouth is. People are not risking merely their lives but their very souls. On this world Jesus didn’t just talk about love, he loved imperfect creatures. He didn’t just talk about forgiveness, he forgave those that literally crucified him. He was beaten, and spat upon, had his beard pulled, and every sort of indignity heaped upon his blessed and unresisting head and in the midst of all this foul treatment he displayed the unsettling majesty of a man consecrated to doing the will of the Father.

The Hosts of Heaven stared agog at this mystical and bewildering spectacle of co-mingled human wickedness and divine triumph. We can never appreciate the true impact this life had upon the celestial hosts, at least not this side of the grave.

Lucifer challenged the gods to show themselves and the response of Jesus was a display of divine love such as had never been seen in this universe before. That display ended the rebellion in all the sincere of heart who witnessed it. And today, even throughout all future time, this divine human spectacle will bring peace, hope, strength and salvation to all whom by faith witness this tremendous work and consecrate themselves to carrying it on.

The rebellion papers have long fascinated me. When I think of the carnage on my world, the pain, the horror, the abuse I want to lay the bill for all this suffering at the feet of Lucifer. I have often wondered if we’d be allow to visit the world of the Father and gaze upon the rebels, as one might caged animals. I’d be very interested in seeing the face of the one who “led the worlds astray,” and who “drew down a third of the stars of Heaven.” There are a great many lessons to be drawn from this episode, and it is far from over yet.

One thing we are taught is that rebellion planets are very special, and give birth to a unique class: the Agondonters. It is easy believe in God when everything is going well and things seems to fall almost effortlessly into your lap, but it is an altogether different thing to maintain faith when the spiritual order on a planet seems to be in reverse: a world in which the wicked prosper and the righteous are crushed. In such spiritual darkness it is easy get confused and lose one’s way, to entertain, and even get lost in, spiritual doubt.

Even the authors admit that when looking upon the universe of Havona it would be reasonable to conclude that it was created and is maintained by infinitely perfect beings. However, when confronted by the endless calamities and sufferings on worlds such as ours, it might be equally reasonable to conclude that our universe was not created and managed by all wise, all powerful, and all loving beings. Under these circumstances, it is a supreme challenge to pierce the veil of delusion generated by the apparent endless suffering, confusion, and chaos and, by faith, perceive the sustaining life giving light of the Eternal God of Everlasting Perfection who is its ultimate source and who is the architect of its final destiny – the recognition of whom compels the soul to cry: “My vindicator lives!”

We are taught that there is more rejoicing among the angels over one sinner that repents than of ninety nine that have no need of repentance, and the ‘righteous’ might be understandably aggrieved that their obedience and faithfulness is not greeted with similar delight, much as the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. But the return and redemption of the wayward son undoubtedly reflects the return and redemption of the wayward planets.

No doubt, there might be some cosmic resentment that such lengths have been undertaken to save the fallen planets – hard to believe though. Satania’s isolation from universe circuits is apparently a source of embarrassment. Quarantine creates a stigma, even among the heavens. In a sense, the Fallen Worlds represent the Wrong Side of the Cosmic Tracks. Things are loose and dangerous there. The values that prosper on such worlds are not such as would be acceptable among the politer society of the more illumined spheres. The survivors of those worlds have tattoos, smoke cigars, and drive motorcycles. Their accent of mind is not like the others and there is a rawness to the way they speak of God and relate to things divine that is a tad unsettling for the decent folk of the Universe.

Their love for the Father was forged in darkness and cruelty, with a minimum of guidance and support. When they speak of the Father and salvation it is with a force and eloquence seldom heard even among the angelic orders. Their love is fierce, their faith invincible, their courage sublime, their loyalty beyond question, their service inspiring. It is that way because it had to be. Nothing less would have enabled them to survive and thrive on isolated and sin darkened spheres. The spiritual fruit borne on such worlds is sweet but carries dark undertones of bitterness, and it is a rare vintage.

When such worlds are finally returned to the Father’s fold there is an understandable, sublime and divine ecstasy among the heavenly hosts that have for countless eons been consecrated to its redemption and restoration. Against the odds, a lost one has been found and returned safely, there to recommence its destiny of divinity attainment. It could have perished but it didn’t. It’s hard to imagine anything more worthy of celebration.

Among the brotherhood of divine worlds, the redemption of a wayward planet may well be viewed like the redemption of captured brethren. Our unseen celestial overseers fight for our glory. They know our divine heritage. They are jealous for us. They undoubtedly weep for our sufferings. Their hands wring with frustration for all we’ve been deprived of. They yearn without ceasing to bring us home, to establish us in peace, to nurture in us the habits of the life divine which are righteousness and joy in the truth.

We find ourselves in the Information Age, in which there is a preponderance of data but a veritable famine of wisdom. Each age has its various modalities, often marked off by weaponry and/or technology. In the Information Age the weapon of choice is information. Noam Chomsky once said that: “what violence is to a dictatorship, propaganda is to a democracy” - it is a means used by the few to achieve specific desires, goals, and ambitions. It is a weapon used to control perception, construct narratives, to frame discourse with the aim being to persuade, to convince.

The Urantia Book gives an interesting analysis of the evolution of prayer and magic, of white magic and black magic. They point out that “There was both a public and a private phase to magic. That performed by the medicine man, shaman, or priest was supposed to be for the good of the whole tribe. Witches, sorcerers, and wizards dispensed private magic, personal and selfish magic which was employed as a coercive method of bringing evil on one's enemies.”[88:6.2]

This distinction between the Public and Private Sphere is key.

Once evil plans are made public they are quickly destroyed. Once information about the unsavory machinations, nefarious designs, and the intentions of the wicked make it to the Public Square their cards are marked and their plans are soon brought to naught. The Common Man has a sense of fairness, and when it becomes apparent that a small minority are working to the detriment of the whole tribe that wicked minority become the focal point of the vengeance of the whole tribe. Consequently, the wicked have always had a vested interest in perception management. They cannot allow their plans to see the ‘light of day’ because they know if Joe Public becomes aware of them the jig would be up.

The sanitizing nature of the public square is akin to a sort of immune system, and teaches us that the longer issues remain hidden and undetected the greater the damage they can do. It struck me about how the divines manage the Public Square, for them the sooner issues are exposed the quicker they can be dealt with. Jesus has no fear of truth. Indeed, he taught that the recognition of truth would make us free and admonished his followers to: "be patient; the truth never suffers from honest examination.”153:2.11

These reflections illuminate the spiritual wisdom of this passage: “The Divine Minister of Salvington issued as her third independent proclamation a mandate directing that nothing be done to half cure, cowardly suppress, or otherwise hide the hideous visage of rebels and rebellion. The angelic hosts were directed to work for full disclosure and unlimited opportunity for sin-expression as the quickest technique of achieving the perfect and final cure of the plague of evil and sin.”54:5.11

We are taught that: “Lucifer was permitted fully to establish and thoroughly to organize his rebel government before Gabriel made any effort to contest the right of secession or to counterwork the rebel propaganda” 53:4.7 and that “He was given a free hand to prosecute his seductive plan without let or hindrance.” 53:4.4

Thinking about all this, I reflected on the present drive to get Hate Speech Legislation installed in every country all over the worlds as quickly as is humanly possible. Such legislation is no more about protecting people than Lucifer’s Manifesto was about liberating men and angels. This attempt to install a top down control of the ‘market of ideas’ is no less insane than the attempt to run an economy from the top down. It is the decentralized nature of the market that is the source of its power and success. Lucifer’s attempt to inflict his vision of reality on a universe brought neither freedom nor happiness, only bondage and misery – exactly as Communists throughout the ages have inflicted utopian delusions on their delusion hungry followers.

Isn’t it interesting that these visionaries always present themselves as saviors, liberators, and defenders of the vulnerable when the truth is the exact opposite: they are the destroyers, enslavers, and predators of the vulnerable? What I find bizarre is that so few appear to recognize this truth.

Hate Speech legislation savors not of the ways of the Kingdom. If the divine administrators of a universe are willing to suffer even the blasphemous utterances of the Iniquitous One, how can we be upset over jokes and tweets? Hate Speech Legislation savors more of the spirit of the Adversary than of the Kingdom.

Jesus dared speak truth to power, to shine a light on the truth that would ultimately dethrone the corrupt. Jesus didn’t ask to be spared being exposed to wicked sophistries of the Dragon. He met them head on and defeated every one of them through humble submission to the will of the Paradise Father. Isn’t it peculiar that the Communists want to silence his followers? Imprison, torture, and destroy the lives of those that would dare to highlight the practices of the corrupt and exalt the world to righteousness? Jesus felt no need to control the narrative. He knew the truth could not be extinguished by lies and deception, no more than the greater can be destroyed by the lesser, the substance undone by its own shadow.

In the beginning was the Word, the perfect expression of God without restraint. There was nobody waiting in the wings to come in a say: “No, sorry. That’s not acceptable.” Nor is the Father inclined to restrain the voices of his children, not even the voice of Lucifer. Indeed, I fondly recall the story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem being hailed uproariously by the Passover crowds and the Jewish leaders exhorting him that he should silence the tumult. To which he responded, “It would be useless to stop them lest in their stead these stones by the roadside cry out.” 172:3.13.

Freedom of speech is a sacred value of the kingdom. It is the light through which the virtues of the better way can be revealed and established. Better worlds are worlds in which justice more abundantly abounds. Every step forwards towards the establishment of greater and greater justice means an equal diminishing and elimination of injustice. However, the current status quo benefits certain corrupt ones. Consequently, the corrupt have an interest in keeping things as they are or making them worse. They are highly motivated to silence those who would dare to throw light on their nefarious schemes. They literally persecute the righteous. They silence them, castigate them, imprison and torture them. And because they are cowards who know that no decent person would countenance such evil [and the majority of people are decent] they have to carry out their actions in secret. They must resort to the machinations of the “witches, wizards, and sorcerers” because their designs are harmful to the public interests.

And so, there it is, the Public Square is where free speech matters most and is the one place that nefarious forces of darkness are most eager to get control of. Isn’t it fascinating that rebellion was made possible because of free speech and that, in the end, free speech coupled with truth recognition will be instrumental to ending it, and establishing us fully and finally on the Better Way?

STRANGE PREACHER SUBSTACK INDEX ON SFN

It required a great power, a mighty influence, to free the thinking and living of the Western peoples from the withering grasp of a totalitarian ecclesiastical domination. Secularism did break the bonds of church control, and now in turn it threatens to establish a new and godless type of mastery over the hearts and minds of modern man. The tyrannical and dictatorial political state is the direct offspring of scientific materialism and philosophic secularism. Secularism no sooner frees man from the domination of the institutionalized church than it sells him into slavish bondage to the totalitarian state. Secularism frees man from ecclesiastical slavery only to betray him into the tyranny of political and economic slavery. [195:8.4]

We know that Machiventa was the ‘mighty influence’ referred to above and one has to wonder given that we now face GLOBAL political tyranny and economic slavery if it might be necessary for him to return to help us overcome this challenge?

The Revelators continue:

Materialism denies God, secularism simply ignores him; at least that was the earlier attitude. More recently, secularism has assumed a more militant attitude, assuming to take the place of the religion whose totalitarian bondage it onetime resisted. Twentieth-century secularism tends to affirm that man does not need God. But beware! This godless philosophy of human society will lead only to unrest, animosity, unhappiness, war, and world-wide disaster. [195:8.5]

One could say that Secularism is something of a jealous god. It has long craved and even now demands complete allegiance. It has a growing resentment towards traditional religious devotion and is lining up to make such devotions illegal. Indeed, anywhere godless secularism has acquired the balance of power one of its first goals is the eradication of the faithful, a rather peculiar proclivity.

...Jesus referred one phase of the kingdom to the future and did, on numerous occasions, intimate that such an event might appear as a part of a world crisis. [170:4.15]

I think that it is fair to say that we are witnessing the beginnings of the first man-made disaster of truly global proportions. The Melchizedeks are the Emergency Sons, always first on the scene to help salvage wayward planets from catastrophe. There certainly is room for speculation that such a global disaster, as we now face, could be sufficient to merit the attention of the Melchizedeks, and if they were to send any then why not the vice-gerent himself?

The Master told us: “And when the kingdom shall have come to its full fruition, be assured that the Father in heaven will not fail to visit you with an enlarged revelation of truth and an enhanced demonstration of righteousness.” [176:2.3]

I think we can all agree that the first part of the excerpt above as being the FER itself but the second element has not yet manifested and it would not be a stretch to imagine that this could be a response to the growing global crisis. The revelators teach that, “Times of great testing and threatened defeat are always times of great revelation,” [195:9.3] and, Heaven knows, this is true. I have been frankly astounded by the revelations of the last three years.

For all the pomp and ceremony, for all the apparent decorum and delicacies, we have only the thinnest veneer of civilisation. Scratch the surface and you find a ferocious brutality and chaos bristling to be free. Truth is not loved by the majority. Presently, the majority are motivated by convenience and ease. It is the twenty first century and many are so peasant minded that they subconsciously believe that “the power to feed carries with it the right to rule,” and they unflinchingly bend the knee to those that provide the bread. They resist, with almost murderous rage, having to think their way through a proposition. What’s more ugly, is that they consider their blind acquiescence to this power a virtue, regardless of the fact that by bending the knee they are selling their children [and ours] into slavery. In this age of endless irony, the Virtue Signallers are, in fact, signalling the absence of virtue.

It is worth noting that the next age, the so-called spiritual age, will be a time in which people will strive for a quality of thought. The implication is that we are currently passing through an age during which quality thinking is not prevalent, the sufferings of the age being an indirect consequence of the lack of this. Given the recent turn of events this seems quite prophetic. It certainly seems hard to argue against.

It seems clear that western civilisations are crumbling as a result of ideological and moral subversion. This subversion, whether brought about through Machiavellian design or spiritual ambivalence, is giving birth to a global tyranny that is being spearheaded by a powerful but corrupt elite. The teachings warn that we need to protect ourselves “against the unfair and enslaving practices of unjust minorities who may be able to entrench themselves behind political, financial, or ecclesiastical power.” The cleansing of the Temple by the Master teaches that “Shrewd, wicked, and designing men” should not “be permitted to organize themselves for the exploitation and oppression...” Interestingly, “This episode also demonstrates that Jesus did not look with approval upon the refusal to employ force to protect the majority of any given human group.” [173:1.11]

It certainly seems like economics, information, and institutions are being weaponised against the public in order to reduce the general population to “economic & political slavery”. We are warned: “… an ideal society cannot be realized when either the weak or the wicked lie in wait to take unfair and unholy advantage of those who are chiefly actuated by devotion to the service of truth, beauty, and goodness. In such a situation only one course is practical: The "golden rulers" may establish a progressive society in which they live according to their ideals while maintaining an adequate defence against their benighted fellows who might seek either to exploit their pacific predilections or to destroy their advancing civilization.” [71:4.16]

Nor need we fear such a move, if it is God’s will, for we know that: “All the forces of evil and the hosts of sin shall not prevail against this human fraternity of the divine spirit.” [157:4:5]  (1747.3)]

So, we are faced with one of two choices: we either fight to retrieve our world from the growing gloom of tyranny and the despair and tragedy that ever follow in its wake or we find some way strike out on our own. Undoubtedly, if we do nothing we, along with our children, will be consumed by the growing darkness. But should we, or could we, withdraw and endeavour to establish a more progressive society on the fringes of the collapsing civilisation? Or should we stand our ground and fight for the establishment of a better world? That’s a tough call. Both have their merits.

We are taught that “The spiritual impetus of nominally accepting Hellenized Christianity came to Rome too late to prevent the well-started moral decline or to compensate for the already well-established and increasing racial deterioration. This new religion was a cultural necessity for imperial Rome, and it is exceedingly unfortunate that it did not become a means of spiritual salvation in a larger sense. ” [195:3.8]

Many of our current prophets assert that our current cultural pathology is distressingly similar to the final days of Rome [even Egypt]. We have allowed corrupt and venal men to occupy the seats of power in our countries, and they are – literally and figuratively – selling us out before our very eyes. Without question, this ascendancy of the corrupt is in part a response to the failing spiritual immunity of an aging religious structure whose spiritual power, allure, and influence is waning to socially dangerous levels. Consequently, “paganized and socialized Christianity stands in need of new contact with the uncompromised teachings of Jesus; it languishes for lack of a new vision of the Master's life on earth. A new and fuller revelation of the religion of Jesus is destined to conquer an empire of materialistic secularism and to overthrow a world sway of mechanistic naturalism. Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment

.” [195:9.2]

Perhaps I am making too much of this. Perhaps the phase of the kingdom we are passing through refers to the grave danger that occurs “when most men will speak well of kingdom believers and many in high places nominally accept the gospel of the heavenly kingdom. Learn to be faithful to the kingdom even in times of peace and prosperity. Tempt not the angels of your supervision to lead you in troublous ways as a loving discipline designed to save your ease-drifting souls .” [178:1.10]

Our current trials might simply be a lesson to teach us the importance of not abandoning or the dangers inherent in neglecting our spirituality and faith, as opposed to a dramatic global crisis that might merit divine intervention.

We are offered avenues wherewith to challenge the current trend: cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization. This would imply not only that we should ‘cease to sponsor’ but that we should actively seek to sponsor that which is better. This presents multiple challenges in the interregnum, between abandoning the old and not yet having established the new. However, there is inspiration to be found in the Cross. The Cross reveals a tremendous light to those that have the faith to see. It is the ultimate symbol of loving service, of the bestowing of one’s life for the enhancement of all life, of an all consuming and fearless love for both the Great Father and the brotherhood of His divine children - the worship of the One expressed in service for the many, it is the great symbol of that unflinching courage which recognises its duty and dares to do it regardless of the consequences. Above all the Cross reveals the courageous abandonment of what was and the daring faith required to establish what could and should be.

The Revelators teach us that: If the Christian church would only dare to espouse the Master's program, thousands of apparently indifferent youths would rush forward to enlist in such a spiritual undertaking, and they would not hesitate to go all the way through with this great adventure. [195:10.10]

How many times have the brethren asked “but what is the Master’s Program”? What does he prescribe?

The answer is there: cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization. Reform the social contract - exalt the Great Father, Family, and Fatherland, promote justice and eschew corruption, foster and protect freedom of thought and expression, honour service, condemn and punish treason and treachery, exalt trustworthiness and reward faithfulness.

We need a community of spiritual people who: “delight in bearing one another's burdens; [who] actually desire to practice the golden rule.” Who know how and who will abundantly and knowing fully the cost willingly bear the fruits of the spirit.

We are warned that “The overstressed and isolated morality of modern religion, which fails to hold the devotion and loyalty of many twentieth-century men, would rehabilitate itself if, in addition to its moral mandates, it would give equal consideration to the truths of science, philosophy, and spiritual experience, and to the beauties of the physical creation, the charm of intellectual art, and the grandeur of genuine character achievement.” [2:7.9]

The hope of modern Christianity is that it should cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization while it humbly bows itself before the cross it so valiantly extols, there to learn anew from Jesus of Nazareth the greatest truths mortal man can ever hear - the living gospel of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. [195:10.21]

STRANGE PREACHER SUBSTACK INDEX ON SFN

It required a great power, a mighty influence, to free the thinking and living of the Western peoples from the withering grasp of a totalitarian ecclesiastical domination. Secularism did break the bonds of church control, and now in turn it threatens to establish a new and godless type of mastery over the hearts and minds of modern man. The tyrannical and dictatorial political state is the direct offspring of scientific materialism and philosophic secularism. Secularism no sooner frees man from the domination of the institutionalized church than it sells him into slavish bondage to the totalitarian state. Secularism frees man from ecclesiastical slavery only to betray him into the tyranny of political and economic slavery. [195:8.4]

We know that Machiventa was the ‘mighty influence’ referred to above and one has to wonder given that we now face GLOBAL political tyranny and economic slavery if it might be necessary for him to return to help us overcome this challenge?

The Revelators continue:

Materialism denies God, secularism simply ignores him; at least that was the earlier attitude. More recently, secularism has assumed a more militant attitude, assuming to take the place of the religion whose totalitarian bondage it onetime resisted. Twentieth-century secularism tends to affirm that man does not need God. But beware! This godless philosophy of human society will lead only to unrest, animosity, unhappiness, war, and world-wide disaster. [195:8.5]

One could say that Secularism is something of a jealous god. It has long craved and even now demands complete allegiance. It has a growing resentment towards traditional religious devotion and is lining up to make such devotions illegal. Indeed, anywhere godless secularism has acquired the balance of power one of its first goals is the eradication of the faithful, a rather peculiar proclivity.

...Jesus referred one phase of the kingdom to the future and did, on numerous occasions, intimate that such an event might appear as a part of a world crisis. [170:4.15]

I think that it is fair to say that we are witnessing the beginnings of the first man-made disaster of truly global proportions. The Melchizedeks are the Emergency Sons, always first on the scene to help salvage wayward planets from catastrophe. There certainly is room for speculation that such a global disaster, as we now face, could be sufficient to merit the attention of the Melchizedeks, and if they were to send any then why not the vice-gerent himself?

The Master told us: “And when the kingdom shall have come to its full fruition, be assured that the Father in heaven will not fail to visit you with an enlarged revelation of truth and an enhanced demonstration of righteousness.” [176:2.3]

I think we can all agree that the first part of the excerpt above as being the FER itself but the second element has not yet manifested and it would not be a stretch to imagine that this could be a response to the growing global crisis. The revelators teach that, “Times of great testing and threatened defeat are always times of great revelation,” [195:9.3] and, Heaven knows, this is true. I have been frankly astounded by the revelations of the last three years.

For all the pomp and ceremony, for all the apparent decorum and delicacies, we have only the thinnest veneer of civilisation. Scratch the surface and you find a ferocious brutality and chaos bristling to be free. Truth is not loved by the majority. Presently, the majority are motivated by convenience and ease. It is the twenty first century and many are so peasant minded that they subconsciously believe that “the power to feed carries with it the right to rule,” and they unflinchingly bend the knee to those that provide the bread. They resist, with almost murderous rage, having to think their way through a proposition. What’s more ugly, is that they consider their blind acquiescence to this power a virtue, regardless of the fact that by bending the knee they are selling their children [and ours] into slavery. In this age of endless irony, the Virtue Signallers are, in fact, signalling the absence of virtue.

It is worth noting that the next age, the so-called spiritual age, will be a time in which people will strive for a quality of thought. The implication is that we are currently passing through an age during which quality thinking is not prevalent, the sufferings of the age being an indirect consequence of the lack of this. Given the recent turn of events this seems quite prophetic. It certainly seems hard to argue against.

It seems clear that western civilisations are crumbling as a result of ideological and moral subversion. This subversion, whether brought about through Machiavellian design or spiritual ambivalence, is giving birth to a global tyranny that is being spearheaded by a powerful but corrupt elite. The teachings warn that we need to protect ourselves “against the unfair and enslaving practices of unjust minorities who may be able to entrench themselves behind political, financial, or ecclesiastical power.” The cleansing of the Temple by the Master teaches that “Shrewd, wicked, and designing men” should not “be permitted to organize themselves for the exploitation and oppression...” Interestingly, “This episode also demonstrates that Jesus did not look with approval upon the refusal to employ force to protect the majority of any given human group.” [173:1.11]

It certainly seems like economics, information, and institutions are being weaponised against the public in order to reduce the general population to “economic & political slavery”. We are warned: “… an ideal society cannot be realized when either the weak or the wicked lie in wait to take unfair and unholy advantage of those who are chiefly actuated by devotion to the service of truth, beauty, and goodness. In such a situation only one course is practical: The "golden rulers" may establish a progressive society in which they live according to their ideals while maintaining an adequate defence against their benighted fellows who might seek either to exploit their pacific predilections or to destroy their advancing civilization.” [71:4.16]

Nor need we fear such a move, if it is God’s will, for we know that: “All the forces of evil and the hosts of sin shall not prevail against this human fraternity of the divine spirit.” [157:4:5 (1747.3)]

So, we are faced with one of two choices: we either fight to retrieve our world from the growing gloom of tyranny and the despair and tragedy that ever follow in its wake or we find some way strike out on our own. Undoubtedly, if we do nothing we, along with our children, will be consumed by the growing darkness. But should we, or could we, withdraw and endeavour to establish a more progressive society on the fringes of the collapsing civilisation? Or should we stand our ground and fight for the establishment of a better world? That’s a tough call. Both have their merits.

We are taught that “The spiritual impetus of nominally accepting Hellenized Christianity came to Rome too late to prevent the well-started moral decline or to compensate for the already well-established and increasing racial deterioration. This new religion was a cultural necessity for imperial Rome, and it is exceedingly unfortunate that it did not become a means of spiritual salvation in a larger sense.

” [195:3.8] Many of our current prophets assert that our current cultural pathology is distressingly similar to the final days of Rome [even Egypt]. We have allowed corrupt and venal men to occupy the seats of power in our countries, and they are – literally and figuratively – selling us out before our very eyes. Without question, this ascendancy of the corrupt is in part a response to the failing spiritual immunity of an aging religious structure whose spiritual power, allure, and influence is waning to socially dangerous levels. Consequently, “paganized and socialized Christianity stands in need of new contact with the uncompromised teachings of Jesus; it languishes for lack of a new vision of the Master's life on earth. A new and fuller revelation of the religion of Jesus is destined to conquer an empire of materialistic secularism and to overthrow a world sway of mechanistic naturalism. Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment

.” [195:9.2]

Perhaps I am making too much of this. Perhaps the phase of the kingdom we are passing through refers to the grave danger that occurs “when most men will speak well of kingdom believers and many in high places nominally accept the gospel of the heavenly kingdom. Learn to be faithful to the kingdom even in times of peace and prosperity. Tempt not the angels of your supervision to lead you in troublous ways as a loving discipline designed to save your ease-drifting souls .” [178:1.10] Our current trials might simply be a lesson to teach us the importance of not abandoning or the dangers inherent in neglecting our spirituality and faith, as opposed to a dramatic global crisis that might merit divine intervention.

We are offered avenues wherewith to challenge the current trend: cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization. This would imply not only that we should ‘cease to sponsor’ but that we should actively seek to sponsor that which is better. This presents multiple challenges in the interregnum, between abandoning the old and not yet having established the new. However, there is inspiration to be found in the Cross. The Cross reveals a tremendous light to those that have the faith to see. It is the ultimate symbol of loving service, of the bestowing of one’s life for the enhancement of all life, of an all consuming and fearless love for both the Great Father and the brotherhood of His divine children - the worship of the One expressed in service for the many, it is the great symbol of that unflinching courage which recognises its duty and dares to do it regardless of the consequences. Above all the Cross reveals the courageous abandonment of what was and the daring faith required to establish what could and should be.

The Revelators teach us that: If the Christian church would only dare to espouse the Master's program, thousands of apparently indifferent youths would rush forward to enlist in such a spiritual undertaking, and they would not hesitate to go all the way through with this great adventure. [195:10.10]

How many times have the brethren asked “but what is the Master’s Program”? What does he prescribe?

The answer is there: cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization. Reform the social contract - exalt the Great Father, Family, and Fatherland, promote justice and eschew corruption, foster and protect freedom of thought and expression, honour service, condemn and punish treason and treachery, exalt trustworthiness and reward faithfulness.

We need a community of spiritual people who: “delight in bearing one another's burdens; [who] actually desire to practice the golden rule.” Who know how and who will abundantly and knowing fully the cost willingly bear the fruits of the spirit.

We are warned that “The overstressed and isolated morality of modern religion, which fails to hold the devotion and loyalty of many twentieth-century men, would rehabilitate itself if, in addition to its moral mandates, it would give equal consideration to the truths of science, philosophy, and spiritual experience, and to the beauties of the physical creation, the charm of intellectual art, and the grandeur of genuine character achievement.” [2:7.9]

The hope of modern Christianity is that it should cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization while it humbly bows itself before the cross it so valiantly extols, there to learn anew from Jesus of Nazareth the greatest truths mortal man can ever hear - the living gospel of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. [195:10.21]