“Organized religion has proved to be conservatively tardy. The prophets have usually led the people in religious development; the theologians have usually held them back.” [The Urantia Book, 102:8.6]

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
This quote made you pause as it nails down what impairs sound religious development. Prophets are visionaries who provide sneak previews into the future to assist their audience in forming better-informed decisions. These wise men selflessly dispense their enlightenment as a catalyst for the forward evolution of planetary spirituality. Due to the controversial nature of their predictions, many of these non-conformist oracles have been put to death by fear-driven religious fanatics.

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
How is it possible that at times some of you can think that the only possible solution to a problem is to terminate the life of one of your siblings on this world? War and murder are never solutions. Even when war has been the anvil where many civilizations in your history were forged, it has always been a very expensive endeavor, and it represents the worst way to achieve the objectives that could be better obtained with greater benefits for all by more creative and altruistic solutions.

“You do not have to see alike or feel alike or even think alike in order spiritually to be alike. Spiritual unity is derived from the consciousness that each of you is indwelt, and increasingly dominated, by the spirit gift of the heavenly Father. Your apostolic harmony must grow out of the fact that the spirit hope of each of you is identical in origin, nature, and destiny”. [The Urantia Book, 141:5.1]

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
Jesus warned his followers of the dangers of dogmatism and standardization—the formulation of creeds and establishment of traditions as means of controlling believers in the gospel of the kingdom.
Standardization is stifling, as it does not leave enough room for original and spontaneous self-expression.  Its generic one-size-fits-all mold impairs natural free-spiritedness. It often resorts to dictatorial intimidation, coercion, and emotional black-mailing to force independent thinkers into submission.

“You are destined to live a narrow and mean life if you learn to love only those who love you. Human love may indeed be reciprocal, but divine love is outgoing in all its satisfaction-seeking. [. . .] Love is never self-seeking, and it cannot be self-bestowed. Divine love cannot be self-contained; it must be unselfishly bestowed”. [The Urantia Book, 156:5.11]

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
To humankind, the nature of love is an enigma that gets solved in small increments. Because babies and toddlers co-depend on their caretakers for their livelihood, their initial contact with the love substance occurs at its receiving end. As they grow up in emotional selfhood, they progress toward the other end of the love spectrum.

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
Jesus was a genuine Teacher in Godlikeness—in words and demeanors. His life was devoid of the many conflicts that plague those who are all show but no substance—one significant reason for the rampant spiritual confusion on your world.

When undergoing challenging times, his steady Go-To was his ‘heavenly Father.’ Without relying 100% on His expert guidance, he would never have succeeded in laying a rock-solid foundation for the earthly kingdom of Heaven, something that no human being had ever achieved on their merit.

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
You heard of a little girl who, intent at pleasing her mother, doodled with a sharp stone on the body of her car. How does the parent respond to the startling consequences of such a pure intention? Will it backfire on the well-intended wannabee artist with the unforeseen boomerang effect of a puzzling harsh punishment? Will mom angrily acknowledge the scribbly token of her child’s affection, or will she be moved to her very core by such an innocent gesture?

Teacher: Thought Adjuster ―
A religious practice always requires an element of faith. It is always necessary to believe in what is yet to be reached. This faith should not be a new experience for a human being. Children are educated to be better prepared for adult life. However, growing up is not a guarantee, it is instead a hope. A little one could think, ‘why invest so much effort at school if I am not even sure I will grow up?’ Looking at the infant mortality rates all over this world would give some validity to this thought. However, this attitude would be unwise. If the child is not prepared for the demands of adult life, he or she will have a great disadvantage compared to others. And even if the child dies before growing up, her life would have certainly been enriched by the acquired knowledge. She would have enjoyed many pleasant experiences during her school life and experience the satisfaction of mastering new things. Educating a child for the future is an act of faith.