It would be nice if that were the case but I don't think so. In its 75 year history perhaps a bit more than a million books have been distributed world-wide to this date. I believe that most go unread... disinterest, too big, too complex, too mysterious, doesn't appear to support one's present religious beliefs... and that for those who have been open minded enough to read this unusual book even cursorily most misunderstand its message; certainly the Urantia revelation has not become the guiding principle for those who know of its existence. There are few serious students of the text.
I base my belief in the low number, 10,000, on the fact that in the 15 years that Truthbook.com has been available on the internet the membership for the Quote of the Day has not grown and has remained a steady 5,000. Because there has been no growth there I conclude that there has also been no real growth in the base of Urantia adherents. The times for spiritual seeking have been on a world-wide ebb for quite some time. That could quickly change of course but seems unlikely.
Other clues for low readership numbers is that international conference attendance has declined for decades and that the number of study groups and societies remains consistently low.
Regarding the eclipse, most of the few who actually have read the book will still be unaware of the significance of August 21st. The superstition for a date being significant would be stronger if the eclipse occurred on Christmas day.
Larry
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