Building the Next Civilization

Great men such as Lincoln, Franklin, Madison, Washington and Jefferson contributed enormously to the making of the U.S.A. phase of the fifth greatest civilization in mankind's history. As related by Dr. White in The Ultimate Frontier, the Brotherhoods have retained written records of the factors leading to the rise and fall of every civilization since civilization first began on the Lemurian continent 78,000 years ago. "The purpose of the Brothers' correlation of these civilizations is to devise a sound basis for the government of the Kingdom of God. This final, great civilization must be flawless. No factors which can possibly lead to later dissension or karmic imbalance may be allowed to enter into the framework of the forming nation. The Brothers have done Their work well; and when the time comes for the physical formation of the civilization, it will proceed smoothly and efficiently because all contingencies and possibilities have been foreseen and prepared for." These factors listed below are from the article* in Observations IV entitled "Healthy Conditions for Civilization."

"Four basic conditions must exist for a civilization to be spawned, and these must be adhered to throughout the growth and maintenance of that civilization. If any one of these conditions is lacking, the civilization is doomed."

1. The foremost of these conditions is religious faith in Supreme Beings.

2. A second condition upon which civilizations must be founded is trusted money of intrinsic value that will not lose its purchasing power.

3. A third condition for the rise of civilizations is sexual integrity.

4. The fourth condition is the will to survive and a willingness to fight when necessary for the security of the group.

In the coming Nation of God, the citizens will strive to build a flawless civilization. Although die beneficial effects of our founding fathers' work lasted some two centuries, we must develop a system which will continue uncontaminated for mankind's remaining 7,000 years.

We asked Richard for further information in this vital area and what to expect in the Nation of God's infancy:

* Available as a reprint from The Adelphi Organization

Q: How is it that belief in a Supreme Being and personification of goodness through worship of a Greater Being, we tend to accept rules for our own conduct as exemplified in Those who are just, powerful, loving, generous and permanent?

Richard:  The higher the ideals that men ascribe to their view of God, the higher their civilization is capable of rising. From man's contemplation of the idealism of his Supreme Being has sprung his moral ideals and ethical standards. In the beginning, man's ideals were not very high. Gods were subject to the passions of men because men knew of nothing higher or better. As they persistently directed their minds and hearts toward the best that they knew, their comprehension and idealization of God grew, which in turn drew them to even higher ideals. And teachers could then come to instruct and uplift men even higher.

Q: Do you think people might at times barter among themselves with no record keeping?

Richard: Sure. I don't see any reason why people wouldn't trade things back and forth according to whatever they think an even trade would be.

Q: Okay. So there would be no need for record keeping for tithing purposes?

Richard: On barter? Presumably, barter is an equal trade.

Q: So tithing only happens on a gain?

Richard: Correct.

Q: Will the Nation of God use computers for accounting purposes?

Richard: I think everybody would. It's a great device for adding things up.

Q: So when you say "everybody," what do you mean?

Richard: Private individuals, companies, the government. When you go to the store to buy something, whatever it may be, there will be a three-part form to be filled out. One part would go to the Treasury, another to the buyer and another to the seller for keeping records, and all those have to match in order for the transaction to be honored.

Q: So every transaction will be recorded?

Richard: Every exchange of money. The three-part form is the same, essentially, as writing checks. The bank needs a voucher for the transfer of money so they would know from whose account to deduct it and to whom to credit it. The person receiving the money then has an identical record of it' and the person spending the money also has a record of it.

Q: How will tithe money be accounted for?

Richard: Each individual person and each business calculating the commerce tithe is responsible for figuring out what their profit is. Tithes, of course, are paid on profit or increase.

Q: And tithing will be voluntary?

Richard: Yes, but I think everybody will understand that karmically speaking, it benefits the individual to tithe, because we do have the obligation to compensate Higher Beings for the services that They render to us continually to make this planet livable and to protect us. But They, as Higher Beings, can't receive it directly since they have no way of dealing with money or using a tithe. Tithe receipts are to go to God's Work which, at our level, is the improving of mankind. But services supplied by government, such as utilities and trash collection, will be metered or billed.

Q: Is it true that to be a resident in the Nation of God, you will have to be an Initiate or higher degree?

Richard: Correct. However, children of Initiates can live there since they are very likely to achieve initiation themselves sometime later in life.

Q: So the fact that adults there will be educated to become voting citizens would seem to preclude having to keep track of whether everyone is tithing.

Richard: People have to know that they can be trusted to do that which they need to do in order to provide the wherewithal for the government of the Nation of God to provide its citizens with the services they want.

Q: To what uses will tithe money be put?

Richard: Primarily for education and to improve the environment and infrastructure.

Q: Will there be paper and coin money?

Richard: Yes, both will be available.

Q: How will the intrinsic value of the paper and coined money be determined?

Richard: Well, the intrinsic value of money or whatever materials are used for that money is determined by the agreement of everybody concerned. Not necessarily in writing, but just what people think that it's worth. Paper money should represent some commodity which is desirable in people's minds, if that's gold, silver, oil, salt, or whatever.

Q: It may not be gold?

Richard: It doesn't need to be.

Q: How can an inflationless economic system be guaranteed?

Richard: One of the ways it can be done is to be sure that there is never more money in circulation than there are goods to be purchased by it; nor should there be a shortage of money in comparison to commodities and services which are available. One of the means to govern that balance is for the government to spend money into circulation via laborers' wages when they produce materials and build houses, roads, factories and manufactured goods for the common good, and then that money can be used over time to be tithed to the agencies which are responsible for providing the services people want. There are some kinds of things which will be charged directly--rent on a factory or a home, for instance. Depending on the value of the property being leased, there would be a sliding scale of the rent.

Another method to control inflation is that as things become used up, as they are destroyed, or one thing is taken down to make room for something else to be built, they will be depreciated annually over their expected lifetime of usefulness, then the equivalent amount of money that represents the depreciated value of that structure or thing is removed from circulation so that the true value of the total sum of everything that's in the civilization is equal to the amount of currency which is in circulation, much of which will probably be stored up in savings accounts anyway. In the world today, inflation is directly equivalent to the rate of interest being charged in any government at any given time. Loans are often credits "created" by banks, whereby the principal is issued but the interest is not created. So money is cheapened by inflation in order to pay the interest along with paying back the principal.

Q: What are the details of the wage-credit-hour system?

Richard: Money represents the energy of human labor and, therefore, should be based on the labor hour rather than on a commodity like gold assigned as a store of that energy for future use. Even today, the value of most everything is determined by how much labor it takes to put it together and the labor to prepare all the necessary raw materials from the earth. Work is the energy that creates value, and, as such, labor is the ultimate commodity on which money should be based. Things built represent frozen human energy and can be the physical commodity to justify how much money is in circulation. As such "commodities" deteriorate or are destroyed, equivalent currency should be retired from circulation by the government. In effect, money actually represents a physical piece of a nation.

Q: What is the sequence of events leading to a twelve-hour work week in the Nation of God?

Richard: I presume the changeover will be determined by how much income is required for the average person to purchase all the things he needs plus putting away some savings. Without taxes and interest in the Lemurian system, a person does not have to work very long to meet his needs. if today he has to work 40 hours a week in order to make a living, it would probably work Out to be about twelve hours a week to make an equivalent living in the Lemurian system. Everything would be less expensive since there won't be taxes and interest being passed along by manufacturers.

Q: Can you recommend something that we can do now to get more used to the way things will be in the Nation of God as far as having and using money of intrinsic value?

Richard: I don't believe so. We have to follow the present laws of the land & Perhaps on the island of Philadelphia we can begin to use sound currency redeemable in a valued commodity.

Q: I suppose tithing would be important to get used to now.

Richard: Yes.

Q: And getting used to keeping accurate records?

Richard: Yes, I agree.

Q: Would learning how to barter with other people be helpful?

Richard: I don't know that people have to learn how to barter. If someone has a bicycle that you want and you have a sewing machine that he or she wants, you strike a bargain. If you think you're both coming out equally, then a deal is made.

Q: How is sexual integrity to be taught to children?

Richard: First of all, according to the Lemurian way of doing things, no couple will be permitted to declare they are married with official recognition by the state until they have lived together for at least three years as a test of their compatibility. Childbearing will be allowed only after an officially recognized marriage has been contracted. Unmarried couples will not be permitted to have children. Young adults will be highly educated as to child rearing long before children are brought into the world. When a couple does have children, every attempt will be made by them to maintain a balanced, happy marriage and home. if, after participating in counseling and personal reevaluation, a couple finds they can't do that, the couple should dissolve the union with great care to minimize the negative effects on the children.

A single or married parent who relates sexually with another adult outside of marriage should recognize the profound effects of that behavior on his/her children. Therefore, one should exercise great discretion in sexual relationships and involvements. Extramarital relationships usually create anxiety for any children involved and have a negative impact on others. Children will be reared so that they will be much more aware of their responsibility toward others and will be more considerate of the feelings of others and will be aware of the importance and positively and beauty of sexuality. Allowing children and young adults to express their sexuality in a natural, unforced manner will help them develop a healthy, clear-minded, joyful attitude toward sex. Th addition, they most likely will grow up to find that monogamy yields the most meaningful relationship.

Sex education will be part of every child's early training. Sex education and birth control will be taught in the schools. Any nudity in the home will be handled by the parents in the manner with which they feel most comfortable. Masturbation will be neither encouraged nor discouraged since it is neither physically nor spiritually harmful. Even while we work through our cultural misconceptions, negative programming, and unrealistic views on sexuality, we must be careful not to pass old, unnatural attitudes to our children. Our children will thus be clearer in their dealings with the manifestations of sexuality. They will come closer to achieving the ideal of balanced, happy, healthy Egos making up happy homes.

Q: Will the techniques your Teacher, John, taught you about rearing children be used in the Nation of God?

Richard: I certainly expect so. The most important thing is to stimulate the neurological system of the growing infant at appropriate times so as to bring about the highest level of intelligence and maturity. One of those aspects is teaching language skills early on and it is important to never strike children because it just terrorizes them. That, of course, requires a lot of imagination on the part of parents to come up with other alternatives rather than physically striking a child.

Q: What role will mothers and fathers play in childrearing? Will they both play equal parts in teaching the child or rearing the child?

Richard: Not totally equal. Men have things to offer children that women don't and vice versa. But both parties should be involved in actively rearing a child. A child needs extensive experience in relating with both genders.

Q: What about punishment? Will both parents be involved in punishing a child?

Richard: The Lemurian system does not hold with physical or emotional punishment at all. Disciplining is not the same as punishment. Disciplining is teaching. Hopefully, the child will eventually internalize the instruction to become self-disciplined.

Q: Is monogamy the way of the Nation of God?

Richard: Almost entirely. Other alternatives are permissible, but the relationship of one man to one woman is awfully hard to beat so far as mutual emotional and psychological growth is concerned.

Q: Will there be sex-role training?

Richard: Well, that's assuming that there will be distinct roles to be played by the two genders. While that's a strong distinction today, I don't know that it will continue for the next 7,000 years or so. Roles are something which are traditionally imposed by society; and as we move more towards a matriarchal society from our present patriarchal society, those roles are definitely going to change. Exactly how those will evolve is hard to predict.

Q: How are the citizens trained and prepared to defend themselves?

Richard: I think that any civilized group has to have a militia which can be brought together at short notice, and everybody needs to be trained how to have a cohesive, smoothly operating team in the event an enemy is encountered.

Q: So will every male, for instance, be trained for the military?

Richard: Yes. And not only the males who are physically fit, but also those who are unable to shoulder arms or engage in hand-to-hand combat. They could be cooks or clerks or those who bring supplies. All males would be trained unless they're crippled.

Q: So there will be mandatory military training?

Richard: Yes. But chances are, no one will ever go into battle.

Q: Will they be trained as young men for that type of activity?

Richard: Yes. I think from late in high school, men would have some level of training and eventually spend time together in camp, but one of the principal reasons to have a skilled force that works together is to handle weather disasters or other emergencies.

Q: So women would never be expected to fight?

Richard: They would not be allowed to fight.

Q: So there would be a difference in that gender role?

Richard: Yes. However sexist that may sound today, it just is not beneficial to any civilization to have the principal childrearers be involved in combat or training for combat.

Q: What kind of weapons will the Nation of God have?

Richard: Whatever the rest of the world has. Every man will keep his militia-issued rifle in his home just like in Switzerland. This not only discourages would-be invaders but also protects against domestic dictators taking over.

Q: Will there be nuclear weapons?

Richard: I hope not.

Q: Will there be food and water storage for lean times?

Richard: I would expect that any prudent group would have things in reserve, just as we have grain storage elevators in the United States that presumably have the ability to hold a year's worth or more of grain, and we have other food reserves that are canned or dried or frozen. We would do the same thing in the Nation of God.

Q: Will there be a police or military force in the Nation of God?

Richard: Well, not a military force to be used to keep the civilians of the Nation of God in line. I don't even think there would be a police force. I would foresee that there should be something like emergency squads to help in the event of accidents and fires and things of that sort, but I don't think that people need to be policed to obey laws. The Brotherhoods are dedicated to a system where there is an absolute minimum of laws. It is better to rely on customs to be the way by which people govern themselves rather than out of fear of going against some statute.

Q: You once said you went through a rite of passage of sorts when you were twelve, which helped prepare you as an adolescent for manhood in a way. I think there is a men's movement going on around this country now m which men are recognizing that our culture is delinquent in preparing them for manhood and that they didn't know what would be expected of them. So you had an advantage. Would training in the militia fit in with being a man who is willing to fight for his nation? Would starting as an adolescent maybe be part of an initiation into manhood?

Richard: Learning team cooperation seems a part of that, which is why athletics and sports contests are valuable. This serves well in later activities of life, whether in manufacturing or working together in an emergency. But I believe every young man needs a mentor of some sort, an older man, or a couple of men, who show them the ropes, spiritually, as well as socially, and for entering all areas of adulthood.

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