Nicholas Knight - Sharing The Revelation

0:00 His name is Nicholas Knight and he has published a wonderful book which I've had the pleasure of reading. It's a delightful introduction of the Urantia book concepts and in general, spiritual, common sense spiritual concepts that are presented in his book, Carl's Theodicy. It's a great book. We'll talk about it. Nicholas Knight, It's called Carl's Theodicy and it's a great book because it it basically essentially teaches the Urantia book without mentioning the Urantia book. And we're going to find out how Nicholas did it and why on the Urantia Radio podcast. So hang on for just a few more seconds. I ran across this gentleman.

1:04 He reads, he listened to the podcast, his name is Nicholas Knight, and he's written a great book, which I absolutely love for reasons I'll explain in a minute. It's called Carl's Theodicy, A hopeful skeptic guide to finding God in the world of teeth and thorns, and it is a fantastic book. The and the author with me today to talk about his journey with the Urantia book. Nicholas, tell me about your journey. Hey, Jim, it's an honor to be here. Thanks for inviting me. And like you said, the, the decision to not mention Urantia book in, in the book overtly was a design decision. You know, I, I was really going after, after the crowd of people who are not already familiar with, with the UB. I kind of loosely defined them as, you know, hopeful skeptics, you know, agnostics or maybe they were hurt by religion or maybe they're too smart for traditional religion. And and I think it's a good chunk of audience that is kind of looking, I don't know if they're like super duper mythical audience, you know, searching for for, you know, truth.

2:18 But they're definitely more open minded than, you know, folks from traditional religions. So yeah, this book is is really for them. And my goal is not really about introducing them to the Urantia book, as in them becoming a reader, but winning souls for the Kingdom, you know? I feel the same way. In fact, as I've learned in reading other secondary books, a lot of people, including myself, when we attempt to try to explain the book, we get into this world word salad where if you're not familiar with the terms that it doesn't make any sense. I've had people who, who know me well, they say, you know, I, I like your podcast, but sometimes I got to be tell you, I got to tell you, I don't understand what the Arante book says and I don't know what it means. And I think that in today's world, people are more, they just want to know that there's, there's some meaning behind everything.

3:14 And it's not just. And if that leads them on a spiritual journey of truth discovery, great. But I think a lot of people right now are feeling lonely and they feel like the system is telling them that it's, there's nothing else. It's all this is all there is. And this is, do you feel like that? Is that what motivated you to? What motivated you to want to put pen to paper and come up with this theodicy? Well, to be honest, it was, it was first an, an escape from a day job. You know, I got some days when, when I'm just like it's, you know, it's grinding corporate cheese grater, you know, and I just wanted an escape to do something meaningful, purposeful, something I, I feel like I want to dedicate my, my life to.

4:01 So it kind of started as just like bunch of ideas and journaling and all that. And then, well, it's actually a funny story about the title I Are you familiar with the Odyssey as a like a scholarly activity? I. Am I talked? There's a great interview with Byron Blitzer, who's explained to me about about the Odyssey. It's very intriguing, but tell us more. Yeah, it's basically intellectual, you know, intellectually proving the goodness of God. And despite the evidence we have in the world of, you know, the problem of evil, the suffering, the injustice, you know, it certainly seems that God is either hiding and caring or incapable of, you know, running things differently. So there's a apparently it's a whole scholarly field in Christian and, and and and other, you know, religions of vindicating God.

4:58 But the but I thought that it's spelled theodicy like like Homer's Odyssey. So I'm like, Hey, how cool would it be if the journey of grappling with these big questions that prevent people from believing in God was an actual journey, a person moving through a symbolic landscape where monsters and obstacles are trying to like, snuff out their their flame of, of faith. And then I learned it's spelled differently. I'm like, holy crap, that was a mistake. But it was a really nice mistake. I'm glad. It's funny how this creative stuff happens, you know, sometimes unexpected. Yeah, the, so it's also a very plain language. It's it's a real language.

5:39 You're just kind of talking the way that you explain it. You're the, the, the very, I always hate to do this, but at the very end you have kind of an unusual epilogue, more of a call to action. And I want to find it so that I can kind of read it. But give me the essence of this book. What do you want people to get out of it? The ultimate goal is to bring people to God and that ultimate place we hear and in you be where their their will becomes the will of God. Essentially the alignment with the spirit within right and I know it sounds esoteric, but in in reality, it's actually not that complex, right. All the things of the spirit, truth, beauty and goodness, they're not of this world.

6:34 They're they're not they cannot be arrived through pure sort of evolution right. It needs it needs this connection with the spirit. And this is, I'm sure you, you know this well, this is the beginning of a long, long journey of travelling God word, right? We're, we're evolving on this physical world, you know, beyond our, our, our physicality to something luminous and, and internal. So ultimately I want people to connect with God, right? It sounds very simple, but it's, it's actually not. It's simple to understand but complex to achieve, especially when you start talking about indwelling spirit and all the limitations of their gesture and how it speaks to the mind, you know?

7:18 Yeah, there's sorry, go ahead. Now, I wanted to sort of on that note from from your book on paper 126, you write on a cleric confusion. I love your little cleric confusions that you put into the book that little like excerpts and you talk about the religion of the spirit. You say it's a deeply personal living experience based on a direct relationship with God rather than on rituals, sacred books, or religious values. It transforms an individual's life from the inside out, naturally expressing itself through sincere kindness, moral courage, and unselfish service to others. That's pretty good, plain speak and it doesn't delve too deep, but at the same time, there's there's such a ring of truth to these kinds of things that you you put in the book. I think that's why I like the book. It makes you take the complex and and kind of make it sort of simple.

8:15 Was it was that? That yeah, that was, that was my whole goal. And you know, the, the analogy I like to use is inside the tent teaching and, and outside the tent teaching, kind of referencing what Jesus taught to the public versus what he taught his, you know, disciples and apostles inside the tent. It was very advanced truths, right? And I think they, they've missed a lot of them because of that, right? But he, when Jesus went out in the public, it was symbolism, it was metaphor. It was very plain kind of language, you know, you know, father, sonship, kinship, right family. He saved the deep cosmological philosophical stuff for inside the tent.

8:59 When the person is secure, you know, secured in the Kingdom, and then they come to you with deeper questions, that's when you can unload the sea of glass and, you know, purple morontia trees and just go all out. But don't open with that. You know, it's like it's like blasting people with a fire hose. You're going to blow their, you know, inklings of curiosity away with all that stuff. You know, celestial stuff. Somebody said the other day that we have the emotion of the caveman, the intellect of a 17th century intellectual and the in the technology of God. That's a dangerous that's a dangerous combination there.

9:41 But it is true because you do and, and Jesus taught this to his disciples and apostles talk to people in their own language. Don't try to don't try to beat him over the head with, you know, this bright concept. It it's, it's blinding. It can be blinding. I want to find your epilogue because there was a part of it that kind of jumped out at me. But the, again, the name of the book is Carl's Theodicy and it is out now. And how will people be able to get it once it's, well, how can we get a copy? It's. Going to be on Amazon. That you buy a copy of this book and give it to your friends. That you want to know about the Urantia book, and if they like this book, they'll probably dig on the Urantia book.

10:26 Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I was going to share that in in in my notes but I forgot. This is also the reason why I wrote it is because there isn't like something I can give to a friend or Co worker that may be interested that I'm comfortable with. I can't send them to the truthbook.org or to the Urantia Foundation. I can't give them the book. I've tried that several times and I get just crickets and silence because, you know, it's, it's overwhelming it. Is overwhelming. What it, what is, what can they give them either website or something or book that I'm comfortable with that's going to nudge them a little bit forward. So. So yeah, what was your other question?

11:06 I forgot. Oh, just how do we get a copy of your book? Oh yeah, so Amazon is my only distribution channel right now. I'm working on audiobook as well, and I have a website, carlfindsgod.com. There's a mailing list if if you want to join and see when the next thing is out. I'd love to kind of build a group of my people, but yeah, it's going to be available on Amazon primarily. You write in your book the epilogue. It says before you lies the greatest of all opportunities, a chance to contribute to the spiritual evolution of this planet, to live in a way that, multiplied across enough lives, quietly builds a little more heaven on earth. By choosing to wrestle with God, by courageously following the leadings of your spirit, you've joined something. Not an organization, not a movement with a name and a membership role, but a kinship, A scattered unofficial fellowship of man and women in every nation and every tradition.

12:08 And in no tradition at all, all who have heard the same quiet call and turn to answer it. You may not even have known they were there. They are, and you're now one of them. I just think that's so simple. And the truth is simple. And for you, Nicholas, I appreciate you taking a few minutes to talk about it. It's a great book. So you going to write another one? Oh yeah, Carl finds Jesus and something for the kids, kids books as well. That's not sure what, but Jesus might might be next. But it's a it's a whole different ball game of of complexity. We'll see. We'll see what happens all. Right. Well, we'll have you on as a frequent guess if you're up for it and you know, we appreciate you too.

12:53 So again, if you want to go to his website and you're, what is it? Carl finds God or Carls, the odyssey dot dot com. OK, All right. Well, thank you, my friend and I. Look, it's good to meet you. I hope we can talk again soon. And with that, you know how to reach me. We are always available to you if you have a comment or question you ranchoradio.org. Until next time, be of good cheer. We'll talk to you again soon.