Urantia Book Forum : Discussion Board : Study Group

I hope this is the correct place for shameless self promotion -


Hello everyone

I've spent the last six years writing a book on and off.

Its now finished and available to order from lulu.com as either a paperback book or pdf
download.

To summarise the book in question:


"‘Being like water’ is essentially six years worth of thoughts, dreams, considerations,
realisations and points of discussion which eventually developed and cohesed into
something more holistic and directed.

The overriding theme of this book is that following the gospel of Christ is the most
effective way of adapting to the world and events in your life. It is an attempt to
explain WHY this works and why it changes people’s lives for the better every day. Also to
place the belief system into a wider contemporary spiritual context."

Here's the link

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-b ... er/7597328

You "shameless self promoting" son, thank you. Would you care to risk posting the Forward?

Nice cover. Intriguing but not quite motivational. Still need a reason to put down cash.

Some element of concentric circles perhaps?

I'm not sure we've met, urantiafox. I'm Bill. I use the handle Uncle Bill as a faith experiment in all possible cases. Friends, neighbors and aquaintances couldn't tell you my last name. Just, Uncle Bill.
Why? To test the idea that: Brother is Christ are uncles to the world.

I might not have found that testimony necessary had you not been so "shameless". LOL. Thx.

Bill

Hello Bill

No circles Im afraid, I think symbology and labelling has put Christ's message back a very long way and I think that should come to a halt if the urantia movement is to become as effective as it can be - that is through service and disseminating into the wider Christian community rather than drawing distinct boundaries in faith difference.

One of the purposes of my book is to achieve a synchronisation of contemporary Christianity and more advanced concepts along with explaining to the secular mind why the Gospel of Jesus works from a philosophical standpoint.

The forward I have already posted, apart from one last bit, but yes Ill post the whole thing:

I pray your efforts be mightily blessed.

Bringing things together in harmony is a good thing. Something Jesus managed to do only in his person. Everything external he habitually subjected to spirit consideration and while submitting his thinking to the will of our Father. His reward was unification of personality.

Perhaps revealing a common heritage of thought as traditional will lead to the revelation of liberty that comes with sonship and free the thinking of sincere truthseekers.

While the message of Jesus has been perverted thru the generations, I find hope to believe that the revelation of who Jesus was and how he lived his life, as presented in the UB, will invite students to find relationship with Father.

Ultimately, I pray this is the goal of all our efforts.

Thank you for your service,

Bill

see below...

Thanks Bill, your prayers are most welcome my friend,

Its not an easy job addressing contemporary Christianity and its inherent problems, I think it may indeed be easier in my country than the US as faith is not so deeply entrenched in politics which creates manifold problems and ultimately horrible division.

The only thing Id say is what Jesus said - emphasising the good will eventually crowd out the bad. We are all on the ascension journey in one form or another, and we are all capable of recognising truth when we experience it.

Above all, I hope you buy my book so I can go down the pub a bit more.

Thanks mate

Charlie

Hey, Administration!!!!

Since when is this site a legitimate place to advertise and promote books other than the Urantia Book?

Is this not against your policies???

Is it not always good to have a hand to reach out?

When a fella starts out with an apology, you can bet there is something to be learned.

I would hope the policy referred to finds an exclusion for original authors. This forum is for discussion and knowing, in depth, the views of others (other brothers) by their works makes this an ideal place to grow. A book, a letter or a symbol can convey much but a brotherly jesture is forever(?).

ADMIN?

Bill

i haven't read Charlie's book, yet, but do know him to be a wonderful UBrother for many, many years

perhaps the best place on this forum is the "In the Media" category (A forum for reviews and discussion of current events, TV, books & movies from a UB or spiritual perspective.) and CFox did ask . . . why such a kneejerk reaction, sister Kreneep?

thanks for sharing, Charlie

susan

It would seem to me that to promote one's book on a site such as this and then say "above all, I hope you buy my book so I can go down to the pub a bit more" is really pretty self-exposing and seems to have nothing to do with any kind of spiritual growth.

Why wouldn't anyone have a reaction to such a statement?

Im sorry you took offence Kreneep at what, to me, was an obvious joke.
It WAS a joke and not to be taken as a serious comment. Thats why it had a ':wink:'
at the end. That meant I was not being serious.

''thanks for sharing, Charlie''

I Second that emotion , as Susan said .

HI Charlie

I Dont know you per say , but i know a lil about you .
That you are a sincere UB Brother , a sincere student teacher
and i know your intent is one of shareing and loveing service
of truth .

And i liked your humor .

I Wish you and yours well in all you do .
GOD BLESS Brother
I will buy your book and look forward to reading it .
Maybe Santa will put it in my stocking .

I wonder if i could order it from Barns an noble bookstore ?

Faith son
Coop

CHEERS MATE

Hi Coop, thanks for the support mate, and you Susan,

It wont be available through any bookstores quite yet, just from Lulu.com.
Id love to hear what you both think of it, and anyone else who buys.

Cheers to you also, like the pic, now where's that beer....

Charlie

Hi there, if someone would like to review this book on this thread please pm me and Ill send someone a pdf version for free

Charlie

Here is a review which a member of UBRON posted:


Being Like Water - A Review



Being Like Water, by Charlie Fox.

Available at Lulu.com, 137 pages.

Suggested Retail Price $11.15.


__________________________________________


A Review by Alex Wall


Charlie Fox has written a book of “...thoughts, dreams, considerations, [and] improvisational points of discussion.” As he warns in the Foreword, he has “...divided this document into chapters, but there may be repetition and intersection from one chapter into another,” and “It jumps about slightly and some subjects come in from left field, especially in ‘The rest’ section. I have chosen to leave these in for character and due to the spirit in which the book was written.”

And indeed, there is both a cross-fertilization between chapters and an (intentional) feeling of random thinking in the last chapter. In fact, the whole book is much like a list. And so in this review, I have chosen to be less prose-like, and to very briefly address sections that stood out as particularly interesting to me, personally.

Mr. Fox wrote this work over a period of six years. One gets the impression of a man writing down thoughts each time one occurred. Maybe it was on restaurant napkins or note paper; maybe on his computer or in the smooth sands of a beach somewhere, but somehow he was able to compile these and arrange them as they came to him into certain emerging categories.

As a Urantia Book reader, one gets the impression that Fox is introducing some tenets of the big blue book, yet in a way that a traditional Christian might be interested. Often we call our “new religion” of Jesus, “Jesusonian.” Yet, many Urantia Book readers come from a background of Christianity AND they still consider themselves Christians. Many others abhor the word or at least believe it to be antiquated, in light of the Fifth Epochal Revelation and the clouded history of “the Church.” What makes Fox's book different is the reliance he places upon using the traditional name for the religion of/about Jesus, while also seeking to eliminate the philosophical need for any religious institution.

In this transcending of “church” I found that he and I see things quite similarly.

He later focuses on the idea that your deeds and even yourself is reflected back to you in many different ways, if you would only look. This may be a good piece of advice (looking) for folks who constantly misjudge their own behaviors.

I was impressed with his criticism of our thing-based culture.

I also found it particularly interesting that he has included a section on Martial Arts and their relation to the personal life of the individual, the social life of the culture and the integration of the philosophical lifestyle from the standpoint of a religion of Jesus. His suggestion that we seek a personal version of Christianity seems to ring true and is right in line with Urantia Book theory.

I've tried to be fair-handed in my review of this work. There is much that I found novel about Fox's thoughts. Honestly, I also was occasionally confused as to why certain things weren't better grouped or more closely integrated. But the fact that Fox admits this right off the top makes it easier to digest.

Overall, though, I greatly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to Urantians who are struggling to find what it truly means to be Christian - beyond the Bible and beyond the church. It shows insights about how we might have a real religion for all humankind someday, instead of our current cultural method breaking our beliefs up into isolated groups, divisions and denominations. It is clear to me that Charlie Fox is very effectively offering his two cents about his life's journey, so that we can make more sense about our own.

The following is a run-down of each section or chapter of the book (in bold) along with what I found to be some of its interesting highlights (in quotes), interspersed with my occasional commentary (no quotes) and outside-source references (in block quotes)...

Actual Christianity

What should “Christianity” be?

“Christianity is not the church. Christianity is nothing more than a personal relationship with God manifested through your actions, choices, prayers and through relationships with other people. It is both internal and external in nature, as God is both internal and external in nature. This means that answers to prayer can come either externally or internally.” [Page 12]

Let people learn from your own experience...

“Give them an option, demonstrate the benefits through your own actions and let them CHOOSE. You cannot convict someone of their own sins, they must do that themselves.” [Pages 12-13]

Unique suggestions...

“Envision Jesus as a perfected version of you and not as a remote historical figure.” [Page 15]

“...take the risk of living as he did for a time.” [Page 16]

I like this...

“The church is not REPRESENTATIVE of Christ; instead it is a grouping of people who wish to EMULATE Christ surrounded by a HUMAN power structure which like all power structures is open to abuse. Conversely Christ taught love and adaptation whereas all too often the church in Christ’s name has taught fear and control. Therefore the church should not be confused with Christ and the church should not be confused with the fallible people within it. The church is therefore the faceless organisation of individuals wishing to emulate Christ.” [Page 22]

The above reveals a similar view to my own antiestablishmentarianist persuasion.

“Antiestablishmentarians adhere to the doctrine of opposition to the social and political [religious, in our case] establishment. Their purpose is to subvert from within. This doctrine holds that establishments lose connection with the people and have their own agendas which frequently destroy the things they blindly don't address.” [Wikipedia]
In contrast to relying on church, we are encouraged to...

“Be a church.” [Page 23]

Views on the crucifixion

Urantia reference to the coming of the Thought Adjuster...

“Although children are innocent and exploratory during the first stages of life there does come a time of their first MORAL decision when they are fully capable of recognizing right and wrong.” [Page 29]

Grace

I like this...

“When you have the grace to ask for blessings for someone else this detaches you from the desires of your own ego.” [Page 31]

What the world needs...

“Appreciation of values, not things – people (personalities), not power.” [Page 32]

'Karma'

“...there is no learning from making a mistake you cannot remember from a previous life.” [Page 35]

Short term/Long term

“Violence is short term and destructive. Forgiveness is long term and creative.” [Page 36]

Morality

“It must (the mind) battle only with the stimulations of the world, and the electro chemical urges of the body to attain discernment of the small still voice of the eternal spirit within.” [Page 42]

Prayer

“...we should talk to god in private.” [Page 47]

Reflectivity/Adaptation

Being with others and the challenge of cooperation...

“‘Can a stone become smooth on its own?' Characterful association with like and unlike minds causes increased personality capacity for adaptation, compromise and love through understanding. Like the stone made smooth through constant erosion against other stones (of various hardnesses and sizes) in the ocean which reaches its optimal shape to operate within the group without suffering more damage.” [Page 50]

Regarding marriage...

“Through getting to know someone else on such an intimate level, you get to know yourself.” [Page 52]

Emphasis

“Emphasise the good in others and the good in oneself.”

Politics and spirituality

“Be conservative in attitude to [your] own relationships, liberal (non judgmental) towards other peoples.” [Page 56]

There is also mention of “Dawkins” with no citation or description of who he is...

“Dawkins must remember his intention. He cannot disprove god by disproving the biblical interpretation of creation.” [Page 59]

I am assuming that it is Richard Dawkins the famous atheist and skeptic...

“[Richard] Dawkins is one of the most widely publicized atheists. He is a prominent critic of religion, creationism and a wide variety of pseudoscience.” [Wikipedia]
Atheism

Atheism in science...

“Nor has life been CREATED, only copied, CLONED using the existing laws of nature, never ORIGINATED by science. Science cannot CREATE these laws, it can only ABIDE by and try and MEASURE them.” [Page 64]

The occult

“There is no scientific system, spell, process of thinking or manipulation of energies which has not been designed by God as part of his creation. Therefore there is only one shortcut to achieve maximum personal power in the universe and that is to engage with the will of God and live out your life to his plan. He is the source of all.” [Pages 69-70]

The nature of truth

“...it is easy to adapt to good times, but hardships forge strong wills and keener perceptions.” [Page 77]

Martial arts as relationship

“You cannot effectively defeat an opponent with hate. As we all feel truth, righteous anger is a far more effective force as it carries with it a sense of divine judgment and love.” [Page 79]

“True Christianity empowers & concentrates your power through discipline. Your character becomes powerful & focused, not weak & disparate. In life you become like the advanced martial artist breaking rocks with his hands.” [Page 85]

The rest

“True power does not make you feel POWERFUL, it makes you feel FREE.” [Page 93]

This seems a bit out of place, and I personally disagree with it...

“Islam’s great strength is a strict structure and male empowerment.” [Page 95]

I tend to think that strict structure and male empowerment are actually Islam's greatest weaknesses.

Also, it would be easier to understand certain things if they were defined (i.e. NLP)...

“NLP as a tool for self escape against issues only has limited uses; all problems must be dealt with in their entirety sooner or later.”

It can't be assumed that people know what this is. I had to look it up...

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "a model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behaviour and the subjective experiences (esp. patterns of thought) underlying them" and "a system of alternative therapy based on this which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication, and to change their patterns of mental and emotional behaviour". [Wikipedia]
I like the many ways this sentiment has been stated in this book...

“When you have more adversity in your life than most, you cannot help but look for higher and deeper truths to answer your questions.” [Page 101]

This is interesting...

“The reasons why you think that people like you may not be the same as the reasons why they do.” [Page 106]

I agree strongly with this...

“People bend themselves for social acceptance at the expense of an inner path. It’s an attempt to individualise, isolate and standardise. Arrogance and lack of humility rule in this kind of created, marketed world. People consume more in order to maintain themselves in the eyes of their peers as some advertised status quo. They only live externally in regards to their self image and internally through lack of real emotional contact with others.” [Pages 110-111]

This is a good thing to remember for both Christians AND Urantia Book readers...

“No sacred scripture is infallible. You cannot fit God in a book. Only an approach to him. God must be experienced.” [Page 134]