Chapter One
In The Beginning
Ross Willford was sitting at his computer, looking over his notes for class. He was an engineering professor at the University of Southern California, who was in his early fifties and had tired of teaching, but had nothing else to do. One had to make a living and he was too old to try to start his own business or go to work for some established firm.
He was thinking about how he had never made any significant contribution to society, short of preparing others for a career in the field. There was not any great achievement, invention, or design. He felt he had failed in some sense. This feeling had been bothering him for months now, gnawing way at his mind. He had not ever come up with any great idea to pursue and he wondered why.
It was five thirty in the morning and he was drinking his coffee as usual, his mind wandering. He had always been an early riser, something that resulted from growing up on a farm. It was required for one to be up very early to be a farmer, and children of farmers learned that at an early age. There was always work to be done, from sunup to sunset. He often wished he could sleep later.
His wife Maggie had accepted it long ago. She would not rise until seven. She was a good wife, loyal and supportive. He had been lucky there. Thirty-one years of marriage had proven that. They still loved each other and he was comforted by that fact.
Today was Sunday and they would be going to church as usual. He was a devout Christian, as was Maggie. In fact, they had met at church all those years ago. He believed that their belief in God was part of the basis of their marriage and had contributed to it succeeding for all these years. They had of course had arguments and even a few fights over the years, but nothing had come between them and they had managed to work through the problems.
There was suppose to be a guest speaker today, he remembered. He wondered what it was going to be about. At the least, it would be something different than the usual sermon. Sometimes he tired of the same old stories and sermons, over and over. He felt he had heard them all, after all these years.
His thoughts returned to his class notes. He finished up with them and went for another cup, returning with a heavily creamed coffee. The sun would soon be peaking up over the horizon to the east. They lived outside of the city in a small town, up on a hill overlooking it, and could see the ocean in the distance. Their house was a standard ranch style with four bedrooms. They had three children, all of which were grown and had children of their own. All together they had ten grandchildren, ranging in age from four to twelve. He and Maggie loved children and always enjoyed it when they came over visiting.
He was still sitting at his desk when Maggie woke up and went directly to the shower as she always did on Sunday. Ross made another pot of coffee for her and went to turn on the morning news, sitting down on the couch to watch it. It was the usual stuff; reporters never varied in what they came up with to report. It bothered him that they didn’t report the facts anymore on the news. He missed Walter and the straight facts as he had always given them; not full of opinions and personal stuff like it was these days. It was barely worth watching in his opinion, but he preferred to at least try to stay abreast the events around the world.
The economy was still falling apart and the so-called President was not doing anything about it. The man was worthless. In seven years all he had done was a stupid tax break and a little stimulus check that did absolutely nothing to slow down the collapse of their country’s economy. The foreclosure rate had reached the levels that had been seen during the Great Depression of the twenties and still the idiot reporters and the government continued to call it a recession. Banks were closing their doors and businesses were filing bankruptcies by the dozens, daily. Layoffs continued at an alarming rate, and soon it would turn into a worldwide depression, as the American economy was the backbone of the world economy.
Ross was irritated with the government and its corrupted practices. The representatives, who were voted into office by the people, did not have any intention of representing them. All these lawyers and politicians, who ran for public office, did so with the sole intent of lining their own pockets. He doubted they even knew what the definition of the word ‘representative’ was.
It was a failed system of government without any doubt. The elite bar association was in complete control and Ross believed they had an agenda of their own.
Maggie joined him, setting her cup of coffee down on the coffee table and then kissing him good morning. “Is there anything exciting on the news this morning dear?” She asked.
Ross smiled at her and said, “No, there never is these days, it’s just the same depressing crap with the same depressing forecasts.”
“I know what you mean,” she agreed with him. “God help us all. I am glad we are able to help people at our church. I think many people would be starving without the food we distribute on Saturday nights.”
“Times are hard, especially for those in the labor market. With all the illegal aliens that have been allowed into the country, the wages are far below what they should be. Over eleven million illegal workers, means not enough jobs to go around for Americans, and a constant drain of the dollars going out of the country,” Ross replied. “Not to mention that the NAFTA agreement sent hundreds of thousands of labor jobs overseas. Anyone without a Bachelor degree in this day and age is just plain out of luck, when it comes to finding a job. All they will find is minimum wage or a few dollars over it.”
“Even a degree does not guarantee a job. I overheard at the church last night that people are working for less than they were twenty years ago. I don’t know how families can survive on such a low income. The cost of living is way up from what it was back then. Just look at the prices!”
“What really irks me is that they did this on purpose, to offset the predicted labor shortage, from the baby boomers retiring. They broke the law,” Ross stated irritably. “And of course, as usual, the stupid bureaucrats went way overboard and glutted the labor market. Instead of trying to slowly integrate a new labor source into the existing one, they replaced it with one that worked cheaper.
“I think you’re right Ross,” Maggie again agreed. “I think it is one of the major reasons for our current economic woes.”
“I guess I am lucky I have job security.”
“We are lucky our house is paid off. It is the single largest problem that people are having,” she said. “The banks are more like the Mafia the way they raise the credit card interest rates to over thirty percent on people. It is also one of the major contributors to the failing economies all around the world. Nobody can afford rates like that. Those banks are ripping off everyone! The government should never have allowed it.”
“I’m sure somebody’s pocket was lined. Speaking of Mafia, the insurance companies profits have almost doubled in the last twenty years.”
“The worst part is the government has forced everyone to carry it and have refused to put limits on what they can charge. I read that they are making the highest profits of any corporation in the country.” Maggie imparted her agreement in his assessment of insurance companies.
Ross nodded as he stood up and said, “I better take my shower and get ready.” He left Maggie alone and went to the bathroom.
She finished her coffee and went to the kitchen for more and to start breakfast. She was setting it on the dining room table when Ross came in, fully dressed for church, except for his suit coat. He sat down and waited for Maggie to sit down before saying prayer and beginning to eat.
“What have you heard about the guest speaker?” He asked after a few minutes.
“Nothing,” she answered. “It seems that even Pastor Williams isn’t very informed on the topic of this morning’s sermon. That or he is just being mysterious to get peoples interest up.”
Ross laughed. “That would be just like him.”
“That’s okay. I like surprises anyway.”
“Well, at the very least it will be a change of pace instead of the same old thing,” Ross replied.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, June and Mike are coming over this afternoon with the kids.”
“Great!” Ross exclaimed. “They haven’t been by in so long I have almost forgotten what my grandchildren look like.”
Maggie laughed knowing it wasn’t really true.
They finished eating and she went to the bedroom to change into her church clothes.
It was almost nine when they walked into the church for the early morning service. Finding a seat about midway, they sat down waiting for it to start.
Shortly Pastor Williams walked out to the podium. He began with a prayer as always before saying. “Welcome all. Today we have a guest speaker, as many of you may remember. The topic as he has described it to me is; ‘Where are we today in this world.’ Let me introduce you to Clark Gibson.
A tall man in his forties walked out to stand next to Williams, the two of them shaking hands. He was dark haired and had a California tan on his face. As he looked out over the crowd, he smiled before saying in a rich baritone voice, “Thank you Pastor Williams.”
“And thank you for coming today,” he said to the congregation, while Williams sat down behind him. “I have been traveling around the country speaking to those who follow Christ and I ask them these questions”.
“Is this the world that we want to live in and raise our children in? Are you happy with the way things are? Does our government do the job that it is suppose to do? Do the schools teach our children what they should be teaching them? Are we willing to let things continue on as they are? Could we do better?”
“Well, let’s consider each of these questions in turn. Is this the world that we want to live in and raise our children in? Our world today is one that is full of government corruption, crime, war, and terrorism. Our own country has declared war against another one without any provocation. They lied to us about the events and the facts, as we now know. We were told there were weapons of mass destruction, and there were none. We were told there were chemical bombs, and there were none. We were told they were behind the attack on New York and the Pentagon, but again it was a lie. Can we tolerate a government that will lie to us, for the purpose of starting a war? We are ultimately responsible for what our government does here in the United States of America. The commandments that Moses handed down to us from God very clearly state that we shall not kill! Yet we are at war and we are killing thousands of people every month.”
“Did not Jesus say we are to love our enemies? Did he not say that we are no longer to live by taking an eye for an eye? Did not he say that we are to forgive those who injure us or persecute us? Is this what we are doing? Are we turning the other cheek as he commanded us? Yes, I have many questions! You should be asking these questions too.”
“So I ask again. Is this the world that we want to live in and raise our children in? Are you aware that the words that have been the American motto since its inception, ‘In God We Trust’ are in danger of being removed from our currency? Does this mean that we no longer trust in God? I don’t know about everyone else, but I still trust in God. The bureaucrats, extremists by their very nature, have taken the concept of separation of church and state way past what it was intended for.”
“Are you happy with the way things are? I know that I am not. They are even considering rewriting the oath of allegiance to our flag and country, and eliminating the words; ‘One nation under God.’ Are we going to allow this? Can we stop those in government from destroying everything that our forefathers worked so hard for?”
“Have any of you considered the reason our economy is falling into total collapse? Maybe God is not happy with the direction our country is going. As a whole, America is turning its back on God! Can we sit here and do nothing? Are we going to participate in this rejection of God, as the basis of our existence?”
“I don’t know how many of you are aware of the events that brought down the Roman Empire, but it fell after four hundred years. It fell because of corruption and self interests in the government. I stand here today and tell you this is exactly what is happening here in America. Our government is completely corrupt and has no interest in representing us. All of those who are elected to run our country have forsaken us for their own pocketbook. You might even ask who these people are. But clearly many are the membership of the bar association, while the rest are fast talkers and con artists.”
“Money has become the God of America. Jesus very clearly stated that we cannot follow or serve two masters, for ultimately we would come to love one and hate the other. Or at the very least give one our attention and neglect the other. So I ask again. Is this the world that we want to live in and raise our children in? Is this what we want our children to learn and teach their children?”
“Do the schools teach our children what they should be teaching them? My children are not taught the things that I would approve of in the public schools today. The word of God has been banned from our schools. Prayer is illegal in our schools and creation is not taught. Is this the message that we wish to send to our children. Children learn things in school from books that prepare them for the world at large. But the lessons that actually guide them through their lives are learned from those around them, by example. What kind of example are you giving your children when you do not stand up and say, ‘This is wrong. We do trust in God.’ Or ‘This is wrong. We cannot start a war and kill.’ Or ‘This is wrong. We are one nation under God.’”
“I say Americans have lost all control over what their government is doing. And they are allowing the evil ones who have taken it over to change it, eliminating everything it once stood for! Are we going to stand by and allow it to happen, condoning it by our failure to act against it? Are we going to be willing participants? Yes, I have many questions. What questions are you asking?”
“Does our government do the job that it is supposed to do? Well this is a mighty big question. I guess first, we must evaluate what it is doing. It is at war. It is threatening other countries with war, in the middle-east and Korea. It is allowing corporations to pollute the atmosphere. It is taking away our Constitutional rights that our forefathers provided us within that great document. It is eliminating all reference to God that has been the basis of America since its conception and founding. It is now a corrupt regime that massacres innocent citizens, if you remember the Waco incident. It is a government that no longer serves the people, but only itself. It is a government that terrorizes its own citizens on a daily basis.”
“Do you fear your government? I know I do. They have given themselves more and more authority over the people, year after year. They have put themselves above the law with government immunity. If fact they have declared that we are all terrorists and have formed the so-called ‘Homeland Security’, an organization that is bent upon violating American’s Constitutional rights. It is an organization that under the Constitution is not even allowed, and is in direct violation of the basic principles of our Constitution.”
“So I say that indeed our government is not doing the job it is supposed to do. What do you say? Do you stand for these things they are doing? Do you uphold massacre of innocent people? Have you turned your back on God and no longer trust him? Are you serving money instead of God? Yes indeed, I have many questions. “
“Moving on... Are we willing to let things continue on as they are? I have to tell you that I am not willing to continue on in a country that is doing these things. The message it gives the world and our children is not the message I want to give. We should be giving the message that Jesus told us to give. That message is one of love and peace and helping the poor and healing the sick.”
“Healing the sick, now there is another interesting point. What kind of help do we offer the sick and diseased? Doctors charge extortionate prices to provide that service and the poor simply cannot afford it. So they go without help. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children die every year from starvation, around the planet. This is unacceptable. We have the food and the technology to feed every man, woman, and child on this planet. But once again it comes back to money. “
“Those that have the food refuse to feed the poor who have none. Instead they put their riches away where there are moths and rust. Jesus clearly told us that we cannot do this and we should invest our riches in his father’s kingdom, which do not have moths, rust, or thieves that would come in and steal it. Feeding the starving and providing medical care to the poor are how you invest in the riches of God’s kingdom.”
“Are we willing to let things continue on as they are? If things do continue on as they are going, soon you will not have the right of religious freedom. The rich always get richer and the poor always get poorer. Our country is getting much poorer by denying their God who made this country great. He will deny us if we continue with our denial of him and the commandments we have been given by Jesus. Are you willing to say that you align yourself with a country that wars and kills? Are you willing to say that you support a country that has made Gold and Silver its God? Are you willing to be a part of a regime that terrorizes its own citizens?”
“These are the questions you should all be asking yourselves. And yes I do have many questions. Questions about morality and ethics… Questions of right and wrong… Questions concerning oppression and justice… Questions of whether America is where you want to live.”
“So we come to the question. Could we do better? Is there any other country on the planet that is better? Well folks, I have to say that regrettably, there is not any better country out there.
Does that make America right to do what it does? No it does not. Does it relieve us of our responsibility to provide a better world for our children and our children’s children, and all the generations that may follow? No it does not. Does it mean that it will ‘have to do’ since it is the best we have? I say no, it does not.”
“Now you might ask. ‘What can we do? We have no control over it. It is out of our hands. We have done all we can. It is not our fault.’ But I say that simply voting for the lesser of the evils is not enough. I say we can do more. I say we must do more. It is our responsibility to do more.”
“What if there was something else you could do? Would you give up what you have here and take the step to do more? Would you leave your life behind and try to do more, to make a real difference? Are you willing to take responsibility for the actions of your government? Are you interested in setting the example for your children that you want them to have? Do you want them to attend a Christian based public school?”
“So, here we are; too many questions and no answers. What if there was a promise land; would you go there? What if you could make a difference, would you do it. What if you could help feed the poor, would you try? What sacrifices are you willing to make, to stand for the things that we have been commanded to stand for, like love, peace, and helping those who need help? Jesus commanded his disciples to heal the sick and take no money for it.”
“So, yes, I certainly do have a lot of questions. In fact, that is all I have anymore, how about you?” He paused for a moment and took a drink of water before continuing.
“I am here today to tell you that there can be a promise land. We can live in a country that we can be proud of; a country that stands with us, and portrays our beliefs. We can live in a promise land where we once again control the actions of the government. We can live in a land that is dedicated to helping the poor and healing the sick. We can have a government that is not driven by greed, corruption, power, and money. We can live in a country that upholds our belief that we trust in God and are a nation under God. We can live for peace instead of war.”
“You might be thinking that it cannot be done. You might be thinking that it is impossible. You might even be thinking I’m crazy! Maybe I am crazy.”
There was a rumble of laughter across the church. After a minute or two he continued on, “I propose that we start a new country and make it what a Christian country should be.”
It was completely silent as everyone waited for him to continue.
“Well, I see you have many more questions. Questions like where could we do this? How can we do this? What do I have to give up for this? Can we really make a difference? Can it be done? Can we control a government?”
“My question is, do you want to do this? If we want to do it, we can.”
“There is a place to do it. There is a way to do it. We can design a Constitution that will uphold our beliefs. We can help feed the poor. We can help heal the sick. And we can teach our children what we believe in, by example. We can change the world and make it a better place. We can uphold the commandments of our God and Savior.”
“Are you aware that seventy percent of the surface of this planet is water? It consists largely of oceans. Oceans that provide enormous amounts of food, naturally, and also provide water to drink. My concept is to build a floating country, a city on the water, a New World, in a matter of speaking. In fact, a promised land. I see some of you smiling. You do think I’m crazy now!”
He waited for the laughter to subside, taking another drink of water, before continuing on, “We have the technology to do this. Every year tons upon tons of plastics are disposed of in landfills. We could utilize this waste, contributing to a recycling effort that would change the world, as we know it. In doing so we would build our city and country on plastic platforms and floating spheres. We would use technology to desalinate the water for drinking and growing food in greenhouses. We would farm the ocean for food it is designed for, such as shrimp and fish of many kinds. We would no longer participate in polluting the atmosphere, but would use wind, solar, hydrogen, and wave power generators to give us the energy and power that would be needed. We could recycle our waste to produce gas for cooking. We could be completely self-sufficient and show the world what a difference we can make. We could send food to the starving in the world. We could teach our children the things we have been commanded to teach them. We could do all of these things!”
“I propose we build New Atlantis, a Christian city on the ocean. Yes it is an incredible undertaking. Yes it will require a lot of work. Yes it will take many years to complete. And yes we can do it. I have worked through the basic requirements and am sure it could be done. We will need engineers to design and produce the platforms and spheres and everything that would make up this city on the water. We will need farmers to grow our food, indeed to build a New World, we will need many people, including builders, fishermen, librarians, teachers, laborers, sailors, computer programmers, electricians, doctors, nurses, and many more. There is a place for almost everyone … except the lawyers.”
Again there was laughter. “I tell you it can be done. Just imagine … a country that completely believes in God; a place where everyone observes the Sabbath. We would build a home where all your neighbors can be trusted, and there is no crime or jails. New Atlantis will be a city where everyone helps each other. I propose we build a paradise on earth, as it has never before existed, the country of Atlantis!”
“We could live without corrupt government bureaucrats, without money and greed, and without war. Our children would grow up without the evil influences of today’s world where crime runs rampant and gangs are everywhere. It could be a country that teaches the word of God and the teachings of Jesus to children instead of the ways of man and killing. Our leaders would be spiritual leaders, not professional lawyers and politicians, who’s only belief is in their pocketbook. ”
Clark looked over the congregation slowly before continuing, “The real question is; are you up to it? Are you inspired? Do you believe that we could truly live what we believe? I believe that a country standing under God and doing his works would make our father in heaven proud. We could show the world what can be done!”
“As you leave here today, I ask that you take a copy of the information packet that I have put together on the feasibility of this project; that are on the table by the door. Read through it and think about the possibilities. Consider the opportunity that is waiting for all of you. God bless you all. Thank you,” he ended his talk and walked off the stage.
Pastor Williams who was sitting in the background stood up and walked up to the podium. “Well, let’s give Clark Gibson a hand,” he said, and started clapping. As it quieted down he continued, “Clark offers us a unique opportunity. We should all pray on this matter. Ask our father in heaven to guide us in our decision. Let us pray.” Williams bowed his head and prayed as he always did at the end of his sermons.
