"OK, just try to tell them that," said Tony.

      "We could tell them that our project is designed to roll back the fruits of the tree of knowledge that caused mankind to become separated from their God. We could tell them that we want to reverse what Adam had told Eve, that they were naked," I said.

      "Yes, there can be a lot of 'poverty' in knowledge that is like nakedness, that makes you feel small," said Jason. "But the church won't understand this." He laughed again. "Well, maybe they shouldn't fault a project that aims to close the rift between God and man," he added. "That's what every church aims for. However, they won't see it that way."

      "We can also carry this thing into all kinds of other areas," said Tony, "including the military. This might be the first peace camp ever that respects the military in their efforts to provide security for the nations. This view might net the armed services more PR points than all the air shows put together."

      "What was this thing you were saying about artists and writers?" asked Jason. "You mentioned a workshop?"

      "Oh, that's simple." I explained to him that autonomy is an artist's everyday way of life. "Artists are scientists," I told him. "They produce from out of the depth of their intelligence, not just from thinking, but from the bottom of a keen awareness where discoveries are made, original discoveries of fundamental principles, which are then expressed."

      "And the public?" asked Jason.

      "It's like Lora has put it," I said to Jason. "I'm not responsible for what the public thinks?"

      "Good!" Lora approved. "I try not to coerce anyone. The rest is outside my realm of responsibility."

      I applauded.

      Lora smiled. "If you ever need a social director, get in touch with me," she said grinning. "Your project sounds like something I would love to be involved in."

      I said we would keep her in mind and wrote her address and phone number on a beer mug coaster.

      Jason stopped laughing and told Lora not to put her hopes up, because this project won't work. "It can't possibly work," he said, "and not for any of the reasons that were discussed tonight."

      "I thought you liked the project," I replied. "I thought you approved of the idea."

      "Of course I approve, but I also know that it won't work," he said. "I played along with you guys, because I thought you were all joking and dreaming wonderful dreams. Seriously now, it won't get off the ground. I admire you devotion to humanity. It appears that you are throwing everything you have into this project. My first reaction had been that you are insane. That's why I hoped you were joking. What you are doing is not only insane, it is also immoral."

      "What's immoral about a project to enhance the unity of mankind?" I asked. "We hope to create the same thing that you have here in Vancouver. What is immoral about that?"

      "The way you propose to implement it is immoral. You said you would be funding the whole project yourself. This is immoral," said Jason.

      "What then would you have me to do, Jason? Would you want me to form a public corporation and sell shares? That would never work for sure," I replied.

      "That would be even more immoral," said Jason. "If you had proposed that, I wouldn't be talking to you at all, because of the gross immorality involved. If you were to do that, you'd playing on people's greed. You would be enticing them to give you their money that you will never have to give back. You would promise them a few dividends that you are not obliged to pay either. You would tell them instead that the golden egg that you have laid is of great value, hoping that the public will chase after this egg at ridiculous prices in a bidding war orgy of stealing from one-another. That's how the stock market works, doesn't it? This whole system stinks, Peter. It develops a mentality in people that is as far removed from their humanity as is New York from Vancouver."

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Stories about  Love from novels by Rolf A. F. Witzsche