-Caveat Lector- from: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ts/book- reviews/0879759550/rileygenterpriseA/002-3013855-6230800 <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ts/book- reviews/0879759550/rileygenterpriseA/002-3013855-6230800">Amazon.com: Reviews: Urantia : The Great Cult M </A> ----- One point of view, with a couple of others thrown in for good measure. Om K ----- Urantia : The Great Cult Mystery by Martin Gardner Try express shopping with 1-ClickSM and Gift Click Our Price: $19.57 You Save: $8.38 (30%) Usually ships in 2-3 days Hardcover - (April 1995) 445 pages ------------------------------------------------------------------------ at a glance reviews customer comments if you like this book... table of contents Keyword Search Full search: Books, Music, or Video Urantia : The Great Cult Mystery by Martin Gardner Try express shopping with 1-ClickSM and Gift Click Our Price: $19.57 You Save: $8.38 (30%) Usually ships in 2-3 days Hardcover - (April 1995) 445 pages ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents 1. The Urantia Book 2. Dr. William Sadler 3. Dr. John Kellogg 4. Ellen White's Plagiarisms 5. The Living Temple 6. Wilfred Custer Kellogg 7. The Revelation Begins 8. Harold Sherman and Harry Loose 9. OAHSPE 10. Science in The Urantia Book, Part I 11. Science in The Urantia Book, Part II 12. Adventist Influence on The Urantia Book 13. Sadler and Sister White 14. Did Sadler Contribute to the Papers? Part I 15. Did Sadler Contribute to the Papers? Part II 16. Plagiarisms in The Urantia Book 17. Bitter Schisms 18. Joe Pope and the New Teachers 19. The Great Rebellion App. A. Books by William Sadler, Sr. App. B. Books by Harold Sherman App. C. Sherman's Letter to Sadler App. D. The Story of Joseph of Arimathaea App. E. Unusual Words and Phrases that Sadler and The Urantia Book Have in Common App. F. Acknowledgments Name Index ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reviews Amazon.com The media has temporarily turned its large but constantly blinking eye away from cult-of-the-day reportage after the Waco conflagration, but such organizations continue to collect adherents. Martin Gardner, best known as mathematical-games-meister for Scientific American, turns his refreshingly unblinking gaze on the origin and continuing growth of the Urantian cult, whose members believe they are receiving corrigenda to the Bible from celestial beings. A marvellous study of the ways in which the zaniest ideas can be propagated through society. >From Booklist , April 1, 1995 The Urantia Book is at the center of one of the more interesting esoteric American sects in a century full to bursting with them. As such, it was bound to attract premier debunker Gardner's attention. Gardner begins by regrettably briefly recapitulating the book itself and summarizing the history of the Urantians' connections with Sister Ellen White and the Seventh-Day Adventists and other fin de sie{…}cle religionists, and he closes with a panorama of the present state of the Urantia movement and its reforms and schisms. But Gardner uses the core of his text to establish, by textual analysis and other tools, Dr. William Sadler as The Urantia Book's main, if not sole, author. Whether he succeeds in this endeavor each reader will decide individually; his case is certainly remarkably compelling. There are a few flaws, for the sheer weight of facts unearthed by his research sometimes overpowers the thread of his argument. And sometimes Gardner allows himself to wax sarcastic at an especially egregious example of inanity. But then, who wouldn't? Dennis Winters Copyright© 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved Martin Gardner, one of America's most acclaimed science writers, has here compiled the first complete history of a growing, modern religious cult. Gardner traces the cult's beginnings back to its "bible," The Urantia Book, a book supposedly revealed solely by celestial beings to correct the flaws in the traditional Bible. Published in 1955 under the direction of cult leader Dr. William Sadler, The Urantia Book (Urantia is the cult's name for the earth) is the largest work ever said to have been channeled by unseen higher beings through human contacts. It differs from earlier channeled "bibles" in that it contains a vast amount of modern science as well as a detailed biography of Jesus Christ, complete with facts not found in the Gospels. As a result, many scientists and scholars are dedicated Urantians. In addition to discussing the beliefs of the Urantia cult, Gardner reveals two major developments that threaten to splinter the movement. The first is a sectarian rift that has split the movement into two major competing factions. The second is the growing belief of hundreds of Urantians that they, too, are receiving their own messages from the celestials, who they claim are preparing Urantia for a new revelation intended to usher in a utopia of "light and life." Such secondary revelations are seen as jeopardizing the authority of The Urantia Book. Among the other topics addressed are the extent to which Seventh-day Adventist beliefs influenced the writing of The Urantia Book, the flaws in Urantian science, and allegations of plagiarism on the part of the authors of The Urantia Book. Midwest Book Review Martin Gardner, one of the best science writers publishing today, has compiled the first complete history of a modern religious cult. Gardner traces the cult's beginnings back to its "bible", The Urantia Book, a book supposedly revealed solely by celestial beings to correct the flaws of the traditional Bible. Published in 1955 under the direction of cult leader Dr. William Sadler, The Urantia Book is the largest work ever claimed to have been channeled by superbeings through human contactees. It differs from earlier channeled "bibles" (such as A Course in Miracles) in that it contains a vast amount of modern science as well as a detailed biography of Jesus Christ, complete with facts not found in the gospels. For these reasons, many scientists and scholars are attracted to the Urantian movement. In addition to discussing the beliefs of the Urantia cult, Gardner reveals two major developments that threaten to splinter the movement. He outlines how hundreds of Urantians now believe that they, too, are receiving their own messages from the celestials who are preparing Urantia (the cult's name for Earth) for a new revelation intended to usher in a utopia of "light and life". Such secondary revelations are seen as jeopardizing the authority of The Urantia Book. Gardner also addresses the extent to which Seventh-Day Adventist beliefs have penetrated the Urantia movement. He analyzes the flaws in Urantian science and discusses allegations of plagiarism on the part of the authors of The Urantia Book. Gardner's skill and insight will reveal how modern cults arise and the extent to which believers develop a mind-set that becomes impossible to alter regardless of how strong the opposing evidence is. ===== Urantia : The Great Cult Mystery by Martin Gardner Try express shopping with 1-ClickSM and Gift Click Our Price: $19.57 You Save: $8.38 (30%) Usually ships in 2-3 days Hardcover - (April 1995) 445 pages ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Customer Comments Write an online review and share your thoughts with other readers! Avg. Customer Review: ; Number of Reviews: 4 Bill Murphy ([EMAIL PROTECTED] from U.S. , August 23, 1998 Misnamed Gardner attempts to discredit the Urantia book immediately with his title "Cult". Believe the revelations or not, Urantia is a book that wrote the book on cults and their danger. The Urantia book even warns readers not to "cultify" the book. Gardner apparently hasn't read it. Scepticism is healthy and welcomed by this reader, and I look forward to more skeptics debunking Urantia. However, honesty about the content is necessary in order to trust the skeptic. [EMAIL PROTECTED] from Boulder, CO , June 9, 1998 Poor Martin... While it's certainly unintentional, Gardner has done something valuable with this book: it will stand as a useful illustration of one of the more delusionary intellectual sophistries of those who choose to live life without living faith. What's more, anyone interested enough in The Urantia Book to bother with his efforts to debunk it, may actually become intrigued enough to read the UB for themselves; and that's the ultimate redeeming value of Gardner's psuedo-scholarship. I look forward to a Mansion world reunion of the several Urantians Martin inadvertently turns on to The Urantia Book! It could give rise to one of the more memorable crow-eating sessions of Urantian history... <G> (subject matter rates a 10; Gardner's conclusions a sketchy 2.) [EMAIL PROTECTED] from Arizona U.S.A. , November 19, 1997 An eye opening expose' of gross religous manipulations Martin Gardner has clearly done extensive and scholarly research in preparing this book. It was fairly easy to read and quite to the point. I found it very interesting that the Urantia book found it's origin with a group of dis-gruntled ex Seventh Day Adventists. As Martin Gardner points out so clearly E.G. White who founded the S.D.A. church is well known for her blatant plagerisms and her hypocrisy. What a foundation to build another elaborate religious manipulation upon. And this is just what Dr. William Sadler did, he master minded the creation of a compromised Bible filled with outright lies and fiction mixed with stolen truths for those who are unwilling to accept the God of the Holy Bible. I believe that Martin Gardner showed beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Urantia book and the entire Urantia movement which has followed is built on a foundation of shifting sand. The Urantia book is quite clearly not the product of pure divine inspiriation but rather a clever and intricate web of fantasy and deception mixed with faulty S.D.A. doctrines and plagerized truths. I would highly recommend this book especially to those who have believed the lie that the Urantia book was inspired by 'higher beings'. No The Urantia book was inspired and compiled by dishonest, arrogant and power hungry indivduals. [EMAIL PROTECTED] from Molalla, OR , October 29, 1997 Matin's research is at less than high school level acuracy I have read this book and the Urantia book, and I can testify that Martin did not do much in the way of acurate research. I have found misquotes and quotes taken out of context in "GCM" that were clearly designed to create sensationalism and support his title. (I don't have his book here, so I can't give page numbers, but a good example is found in his section on human races and the Urantia Book: look up the page he supposedly quotes for yourself.) Another questionable tactic is in his chapter on relatives of the people involved with the origins of the Urantia Book. Why does he spend so much time discussing their antics and beliefs? I know that MY siblings don't match me in my beliefs, and my husband is a leader in our community and much respected, but he has two brothers who have been involved in unsavory lifestyles: nothing like him! So how does this kind of research get Martin reveiws that include the words "refreshing?" I have never found untruths and slander to be so. Another issue that I find questionable is the amount of numerology that Martin focuses on in his book. How scientific is that, and what does it have to do with the Urantia Book, which quite frankly debunks this sort of study as superstitious. There is one more point that I must make. Having read the Urantia Book for over 20 years, I have come to know a number of U-Book readers, and our study groups. There is no way that being involved with the Urantia Movement could be near what our society defines as "cult." I have had to stand on my own with only my personal relation with my Heavenly Father as guide, to try to live a way that will help make this world a better place. The last third of the Urantia Book is dedicated to the life and teachings of Jesus, which has truly inspired me to live a life more like Jesus. Over the years I have become more patient and loving as a result of the inspiration from reading the Urantia Book. I am truly puzzled why Martin displays such a strongly negative posture against it, almost as if he were scared of it. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! 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