Q: WHY in the world would my soul even consider incarnating into a place called “Satania?” WHY is the terminology in discribing Urantia info so far-fetched instead of simply using everyday common wording? WHY do you, in the discribing of Christ, switch between the name Michael, Joshua Ben Joseph, and Jesus and not just clarify from the beginning that his name was (fill in the blank) and stick with it?

A: Thanks so much for your note to us at Truthbook. On the one hand, I am glad that you appear to have been looking into The Urantia Book, but I am sorry to hear that you find so much disturbing. I am sure that when we take your points one at a time, you’ll find that there is really nothing to be disturbed about.

I agree that the name “Satania” sounds pretty ominous…after all, Satan is not someone that we want to be associated with. In The Urantia Book, we are not specifically told why our local system is called Satania; however, I suspect that the system of Satania was in existence long before the personality we know as Satan came into being. It could be that Satan’s name was coined from the system name. I am sure it was not the other way around. Knowing this, the name Satania loses some of its power to put us off. HERE and HERE are a couple of links to the text regarding Satania. You could also go to our search feature HERE to find even more.

The Urantia Book was authored by a group of celestial beings—it was delivered by them, in their words. There was no attempt to edit or change their wording simply because it is not immediately familiar to us. Also, you have to remember that The Urantia Book is a revelatory work—there are terms in it that have to do with facts and events of which we had no knowledge before its delivery…names of universes, of many and varied personalities, of other planets and systems…these are all part of the revelation. If it was written in “everyday common wording, ” what would that mean? Personally, I prefer knowing this different terminology, and learning it, rather than the authors trying to accommodate my limited understanding by keeping the reality of these things from me. I consider it an honor that they thought enough of our capabilities to tell us the facts as they are. Don’t sell yourself short. You sound like an intelligent person, and I am sure you are quite capable of becoming familiar with these new terms. After awhile, they will become second-nature to you. You don’t mention how you came across The Urantia Book, but since you have found it I hope you’ll try to suspend your disbelief just for awhile until you read a little more deeply and go beyond the immediate issue of far-fetched terminology and strange words to find the real meaning of The Urantia Book.

As for your third point: The different names of the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth are used interchangeably because all of them are his names. His universe name and order is that of Michael of Nebadon. Joshua ben Joseph was his family name, and Jesus was the name that all his family and friends called him by—and the name that most people are most familiar with. Again, those names are part of the revelation of The Urantia Book. Knowing who Michael is helps us understand who Jesus really was, and is.

I have highlighted a few terms in this reply. I hope you’ll click on them and take the time to read a little more about these topics. Some of the links go to topical studies, some to the text. I hope you’ll keep looking into The Urantia Book. Once you settle down and take the time to try and understand the scope of The Urantia Book, these disturbing issues will make much better sense. You have found a pearl of great price in The Urantia Book. I hope you won’t throw it away on a technicality…

I want to thank you for this honest question. Please feel free to write back anytime with other questions that may come up for you.