The book consists of 196 papers and is divided into four major parts entitled. One or two individuals, people i know only too well, got all bent out of shape by not having the right to publish the ub. Martin gardner is also skeptical of the ubfs claims. Urantia book forum martin gardner author of the great mystery. Gardner traces the cults beginnings back to its bible, the urantia book. The great cult mystery by martin gardner goodreads. Publication date 1995 topics urantia foundation, urantia book publisher.
So, someone actually trying to learn whether or not the urantia book is a hoax will most likely see more positive than negative results in their search. The great cult mystery, he sets forth the full range of evidence to support this conclusion. The urantia book claims to have been revealed by superhuman personalities from higher universes. Skeptics like martin gardner see the science in the urantia book as clear reflections of the views that prevailed at the time the book is said to have originated. It may also help to guard against cult attitudes among those who have living faith in the enlarged spiritual truths of the fifth epochal revelation.
As reader services correspondent at fellowship headquarters, i. Gardner was one of the most high profile skeptics of the urantia book. Martin gardners books on skepticism modern skepticism has developed into a sciencebased movement, beginning with martin gardners 1952 classicmichael shermer in why people believe weird things. Martin gardner and ernest moyer point out that in the first printing of the urantia book, toward the end of the account of the last supper, jesus is said to have addressed the twelve apostles. For several years, ive tried to read every new book that martin gardner has written. Each coloured link within the article will lead you to a related topic on a different page of this site. The author of this article may or may not agree with the views expressed on those pages. In addition to providing an outline of the urantia cults worldview, gardner presents strong evidence to.
Published in 1955 under the direction of cult leader dr. In addition to providing an outline of the urantia cults worldview, gardner presents strong evidence to establish the identity of the man whose trancelike orations formed the basis of the book. Robert benchley once wrote that there are many mysteries which humans have not fathomed, and added. However while the text is part of the original article, the links are not. Gardner had made some superficial comparisons to the book of mormon. The urantia book s origins were shrouded in mystery before gardner pieced a lot of the puzzle together. Jun 10, 2009 the unnamed contactee was wilfred a nephew of w. We wanted to use those hits that promoted the urantia book as a hoax or a fraud and to develop a list of their specific complaints. Paper 33 administration of the local universe urantia book. Among other idiocies, one of them called upon martin gardner to do a hatchet job on the urantia foundation, and supplied him with most of the bizarrely slanted information that went into gardner s book. In addition to providing an outline of the urantia cults worldview, gardner presents strong evidence to establish the identity of the man whose trancelike orations formed the basis of the. The great cult mystery by martin gardner, paperback. See all books authored by martin gardner, including the portable atheist. Martin gardner was an american mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature especially the writings of lewis carroll, philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion.
Martin gardner, one of americas most acclaimed science writers, has here compiled the first complete history of a growing, modern religious cult. The urantia books origins were shrouded in mystery before gardner pieced a lot of the puzzle together. Libros en idiomas extranjeros saltar al contenido principal. However, as the context makes clear, only eleven of the apostles were currently present. Given that martin gardner is a skeptic, and that the urantia book is a socalled revealed biblelike text which mixes christianity, philosophy, history, and many strange, wild, and often nutty ideas, gardners book is primarily worth reading for the history and background of the urantia book and movement based upon it.
He was also a longtime, prominent opponent of israeli magicianpsychic uri geller. Here was the firstand to this dayonly detailed eyewitness account of. He does a good job of explaining where it came from. Urantia, the great cult mystery book king county library. Jul 12, 2005 page 1 of 16 urantia book who couldve hoaxed this. The urantia book is the largest and most sophisticated work of new age literature ever. Sadler, who taught at chicagos mccormick theological seminary. Martin gardner has made a strong case that the evidence points to wilfred custer kellogg, sadlers brother. Kellogg, the cornflake king, an identification gardner first made in 1991. But a purported epochal revelation like the urantia book should have no connection with the limited viewpoint of a human personalityeven one as great as an apostle john. First published in 1955, the urantia book, a 2097page tome hailed by its advocates as the channeled wisdom of celestial beings, posits one infinite god, the great i am, and billions of lesser gods. Ive been curious more on the origin story of the book and ive tried to find martin gardners urantia.
The great cult mystery by martin gardner 1995, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. It was also gratifying to learn that you met your first urantia book believers during your visit to our information center at the 1993 parliament of the. To accomplish this purpose gardner deals almost entirely with the human concept carriers of the spiritual truths, not the spiritual truths themselves. Gardner is a deist who believes that no scriptures come from god, that fundamentalists are ideologues, and that creationism is an unscientific, witless swindle. Martin gardner observes that this is exactly what southerners in the united states, including their minister, used to say about the african american slaves. For instance, on page 364 we read, we are all a part of an eternal project which the gods are supervising and outworking. Its been this major influence on my life since 1972. Freethought promoter and poopdetector martin gardner is intrigued by the groups main text, a wellwritten compendium of visionary stuff. Publication date 1995 topics urantia foundation, urantia book publisher amherst, n. Jul 25, 2011 martin gardner wrote a book about it called the urantia. Martin gardner states that an explanation concerning the origin of the book more plausible than celestial beings is that the contact commission, particularly. Martin gardner points out that the term gods a capitalized plural appears more than a hundred times in the urantia book. First published in 1955, the urantia book, a 2097page tome hailed by its advocates as the channeled wisdom of celestial beings, posits one infinite god, the great i. Martin gardner october 21, 1914 may 22, 2010 was an american popular mathematics and popular science writer, with interests also encompassing scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literatureespecially the writings of lewis carroll, l.
The incredibly weird story of the book known only as the urantia book supposedly begins back in 1911, when a married pair of doctors in chicago, william and lena sadler, were approached by a woman who had a strange tale to tell. By reading these two books, you will get two opposing points of view regarding the origins of the. Gardners conclusion is that a man named wilfred kellogg was the sleeping subject and authored the work from his. Skeptic martin gardner, in a book otherwise highly critical of the urantia book, writes that it is highly imaginative and that the cosmology outrivals in fantasy the cosmology of any sciencefiction work known to me. Martin gardner wrote an extensive study of the book, and of its quite human, and plagiarized, origin.
The father does not otherwise personally function in the administrative affairs of a local universe. Martin gardner wrote a book about it called the urantia. Jun 09, 2016 but a purported epochal revelation like the urantia book should have no connection with the limited viewpoint of a human personalityeven one as great as an apostle john. The urantia book paper 33 administration of the local universe 33. Several of them referred to martin gardners urantia, the great cult mystery. The great cult mystery 1 gardner, york and block matthew block chicago, il 60614 april 7, 1997 mr. May 27, 2004 first, both martin gardner and ernest moyer point out that in the first printing of the urantia book, toward the end of the account of the last supper, jesus is said to have addressed the twelve apostles. It is a worthwhile counterbalance to the book entitled a history of the urantia papers by larry mullins and dr. Given that martin gardner is a skeptic, and that the urantia book is a socalled revealed biblelike text which mixes christianity, philosophy, history, and many strange, wild, and often nutty ideas, gardner s book is primarily worth reading for the history and background of the urantia book and movement based upon it. The urantia book is noted for its high level of internal consistency and an advanced writing style.
Michael york, research fellow bath college of higher education faculty of education and human sciences newton st loe bath ba2 9bn u. Martin gardner books list of books by author martin gardner. She claimed that her husband would go into unusually deep trances from which he could not be woken from, and during which he would seem to become. Gardner wrote a great deal on the paranormal and was a harsh critic of the human potential movement. Wellknown skeptic and acclaimed popular science writer martin gardner presents a complete history of the urantia movement, from its beginnings in the early 20th century to the present day.
The great cult of mystery at the library but after putting the book on hold, the record no longer appears. He also wrote a skeptical study of the urantia book. About a year later, he decided to write a book on the same subject. The urantia book 3 had it under my observation more or less ever since, having been present at probably 250 of the night sessions, many of which have been attended by a stenographer who made voluminous notes.
Today i read to you from chapter one of martin gardners urantia. The claim by the authors that no unknown scientific discoveries could be imparted is seen as a ruse to allow mistakes to be dismissed later. According to the urantia book fellowship ubf, the urantia book ub is. Cosmic secrets and the bizarre tale of the book of urantia. The word urantia is simply the books name for earth. The great cult mystery by martin gardner 1995, hardcover at the best online prices at. The urantia book a biblical worldview perspective probe. The great cult mystery by martin gardner for several years, ive tried to read every new book that martin gardner has written. The great cult mystery, may help to shorten this period in the urantia movement. Among other idiocies, one of them called upon martin gardner to do a hatchet job on the urantia foundation, and supplied him with most of the bizarrely slanted information that went into gardners book. Martin gardner states that an explanation concerning the origin of the book more plausible than celestial beings is that the contact commission, particularly william sadler, was responsible.
Martin gardner also confessed that hed written his book without having read the. The great cult mystery christian research institute. First, both martin gardner and ernest moyer point out that in the first printing of the urantia book, toward the end of the account of the last supper, jesus is said. Oct 05, 2019 today i read to you from chapter one of martin gardner s urantia. In 1994 it was revealed in martin gardners book urantia, the great cult mystery, that the shermans had kept detailed diaries, which were to be released to the public in 2000. Pseudoscience, superstition, and other confusions of our time 1997. Gardner is a deist who believes that no scriptures come. The great cult mystery is a skeptics critique of the urantia book ub, a 2097page compilation of several papers allegedly authored by several divine revelators, each one claiming to be a representative of gods vast celestial hierarchy. Ive been curious more on the origin story of the book and ive tried to find martin gardner s urantia. The great cult mystery, is designed to undermine the credibility of the urantia book. This massive tome of more than two thousand pages is. Martin gardner, one of americas most acclaimed science writers, has here compiled. Several years ago, martin gardner, a columnist for a journal called.
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