Sacramento, USA - It was an idea born in the sleepy rolling hills of Valley Springs, in Calaveras County.
There, lives a man with a plan. The man - an Evangelical Christian named Cory Burnell. He's the founder and leader of a group called Christian Exodus. His plan and mission, move thousands of evangelicals to the state of South Carolina over the next 10 years. His vision is a new nation, a Christian nation.
“Our mission is simply to reestablish constitutionally limited government founded upon Christian principles,” he says.
Those principles, he says, are standard Christian articles of faith. He claims Christian Exodus is a simple voter mobilization project.
“We established a multi phase strategy that goes county by county. Back in 2004 we set that up,” he says.
The soft spoken Burnell acknowledges that even if he's able to take control of the state, the Federal Government might not make the changes he wants. In that case he has a backup plan. And it’s a big one.
“Secession is such a bad word these days. Of course 1776 the colonies seceded from Britain and we call that independence. A much more positive term," he says.
Secession - creating a separate country from the United States. Burnell believes the federal Government is operating outside its powers set forth in the constitution, preventing states, and their people, from openly embracing Christian beliefs.
But a close look at the group's business card and you understand the type of government he's looking to create.
It reads: "United we murder babies. Celebrate sodomy. Evolve from monkeys. It's time we separate!"
“We see a number of the problems and ills in our country coming from the Federal Government on the state and local level,” says Burnell.
Although Christian exodus is presented as a political project, concern with morality and moral decay are the driving forces behind Christian Exodus' plans.
UC Davis professor of psychology Stanislaus Dundon understands the motivation behind Christian Exodus, and the desire to escape a world of sex, violence and mayhem.
“Parents don't want their kids to fall into that pigsty. And if they've been in there as parents themselves that makes it all the worse!” says Dundon.
What's more, Professor Dundon believes that Cory Burnell has the vision and leadership that could make his dream a reality.
“I think he could. I think if he could get control of 1 or 2 counties and become a significant force there,” he says.
And there are faithful, Christian Exodus claims over 1300 members across the country. Some of whom have already put Cory's plan into action.
“In moving people we have about 27 adults and children who have moved to South Carolina, we have about 150 members in South Carolina,” says Burnell.
Bonnie and Dan Frodge are two of those true believers. They permanently moved to South Carolina earlier this year.
“We are looking at this as a possibility, perhaps as a solution to some of the problems that plague our society,” says Dan Frodge.
However, Professor Dundon believes starting a religious based government would be easier than maintaining it, that when it comes to banning homosexuality and abortion, other more sinister methods would have to be employed.
“So how would he expect to achieve permanency in that regard - the answer is obviously a police state,” he says.
Burnell disagrees with that idea, stressing that any separate Christian Government would be a democratic one.
“There's no reason in today's world, when we're supposedly on the march internationally to spread democracy and freedom that we ought to deny the vote of anyone anywhere,” says Burnell.
Sacramento political analyst Tony Quinn, finds Burnell's vision, clouded.
“Well, it borders on impractical to just plane nuts,” says Quinn.
Quinn believes that Christian Exodus would need, not thousands, but millions of followers to the state to be successful, and even then, the plan is doomed to fail.
“Even if they we're to succeed in taking a small rural county, what would it mean? They're not going to convince a state that's full of military retirees to succeed from the union. These people live on their federal military pensions,” he says.
And there are the concerns. That Christian Exodus is more than just a movement. Something sinister...
“There's a cult aspect to this kind of thing. It seems really innocent right now. But everyone has to abide by the law. And if he doesn't like the laws of the United States, he probably shouldn't be moving to the state of South Carolina. He should move someplace, someplace else. Some other country,” says Quinn.
“To suggest our political project was a cult you'd have to call every denomination a cult because they get even more specific about whether you can dance or drink or things like that,” argues Burnell.
Something Burnell insists Christian Exodus would never do.
Regardless of what anyone says, there is no doubting this, true believers have already picked up their lives and done what Cory Burnell has asked. They believe to their soul in his mission. The exodus has begun.
"It simply comes down to if you want constitutionally limited government, don't stop short of getting that. Get it peacefully. But get it," says Burnell.