The World Church of the Creator - a Religion Based on White Supremacy

It is very likely that hatred has existed since man has existed. It is a powerful emotion and can result in acts of violence from one person to another. When many people share similar hate for an entire group, the violence often multiplies in severity and in numbers. Such groups are often labeled as terrorists. That is, they illicit terror in not only their targets but also other members of society. Some groups have a hatred for religious sects, others for perceived immoral activities, and many others for different races. White supremacist groups are probably best known for such extreme hatred. Although much attention is given to the Klu Klux Klan and the Aryan Brotherhood, they are not the only group with this agenda. The World Church of the Creator, also referred to as the Creativity Movement, seeks to bring all white supremacy groups together to engage in RAHOWA, or the racial holy war in order to preserve the purity of the white race (Klassen, 1981).

The Beginning

The Creativity Movement officially began in 1973. That year was designated by the leader of the church, Ben Klassen. Klassen was born in 1918 to a Mennonite family in Ukraine. He was a man of above average intelligence who exposed himself to Nazi-oriented organizations and identified with the German Reich in the late 1930s. After years of associating with radical parties to feed his anti-Semitism and racist views, he found that what the white race needed was a comprehensive structure to guide them into salvation. He believed that Christianity was responsible for many conflicts in Europe and offered little to the white race because he felt that the religion was derived from Jewish theology. It was time for a new creed for the white race and not one that taught them to love their enemies as Christianity implies. Klassen published Nature's Eternal Religion in which he outlined his new religion, the Church of the Creator (Michael, 2006).

Beliefs of the Creativity Movement

Perhaps the most second most comprehensive literature that outlines the beliefs of the Creativity Movement is The White Man's Bible written by Ben Klassen himself. A sequel to Nature's Eternal Religion, this book spells out the most important details of the movement. First of all a "creator" believes that Creativity is the one and only White Racial Religion. All other races are inferior and threaten the white race's success and survival. The movement is said to be based on science, history, logic, and common sense. Rather than believing in an afterlife and a supreme being, Creators believe that their race is their religion (Klassen, 1981).

Individual and Family Values of the Creativity Movement

Not all components of the World Church of the Creator appear to be rooted in hate, racism, and anti-Semitism. Creator's are also expected to follow values to better themselves as individuals and family units. These values are outlined in the Fourteen Principles of Salubrious Living. Creators believe in living in harmony with the laws of nature by eating fresh, uncooked, unprocessed, and organically grown foods. Specifically recommended by Creativity literature, is to only eat raw foods in their natural state. This includes fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. Strenuous physical exercise, getting sound sleep, abstaining from the usage of drugs and narcotics, and living in a clean and wholesome environment are a few of the principles creators are expected to live by. Ultimately, these principles are intended to promote a superior white society in which each generation is better and stronger than the one before (Klassen, 1981). Klassen felt that such practices were crucial in fighting the RAHOWA so that Creators can successfully battle their enemies.

Perceived Enemies of Creators

The ultimate enemies of the World Church of the Creator are the Jewish people. They reject so-called Jewish ideas. These ideas include; liberty, equality, democracy, race mixing, separation of church and state, promotion of other races in society. Furthermore, Creators believe that the Jewish people have waged a war against the entire white race on their own accord. Ben Klassen drew this conclusion from his assessment that Jewish society destroyed white ancestors including the white Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Creators feel that the white race is the victim of Jewish tyranny and must engage in warfare to stop it (Klassen, 1981).

Secondary enemies are what they describe as the "mud races." This includes all other races other than white, as they are all considered inferior. The belief behind this threat is that racial mixing threatens the existence and well-being of the white race. Creators feel that whites should not provide charity to lesser peoples such as Blacks, Hispanics and Asians. These people are considered to be basically less than human to those belonging to the World Church of the Creator (Klassen, 1981). The threat of these races is also blamed on the Jewish people because they are seen as facilitators of undesirable people. They are accused of providing the "mud races" with resources and therefore draining the economy for the white race (Michael, 2006).

Terrorism in the Creativity Movement

Ben Klassen viewed the religious movement he created as a non-violent one. The chief purpose was to defend or overcome the violence experienced by the white race from its enemies, primarily being Jews. He believed that Creators should assert themselves in a non-violent matter and utilize their rights given to them by the First Amendment to the Constitution to succeed (Klassen, 1981). However, even with this non-violent view, the recruitment of extremely violent prisoners in the early 1990s brought the Creativity Movement beyond assertiveness and into a more offensive and violent movement (Kaplan, Oleson, & Weinberg, 2003).

On May 17, 1991 a Creator shot and killed a Black veteran of the Gulf War in an altercation in a parking lot in Florida. He fled with his wife but was apprehended later and was convicted of first degree murder. Perhaps the most ambitious plot involving members of the Creativity Movement occurred in July of 1993. Members of the World Church of the Creator teamed with other white supremacy groups to plot a bombing at an African church and kill its pastor. They also were targeting influential African Americans such as Rodney King and Al Sharpton. The FBI made arrests in this case after intensive investigation before this terror could occur. In August 1997, a father and son leaving a rock concert in near Fort Lauderdale, were accosted by a group of Creators who brutally beat them, kicking the pair in the back, chest, and face and smashing beer bottles over their heads. Other members of the movement were indicted on hate crime conspiracy charges stemming from a March 29, 1998, armed robbery of a Hollywood, Florida, adult video store and assault of the store's owner (Michael, 2006).

Perhaps most notable violence by Creators occurred when leader, Matt Hale was refused his law license in July of 1999. A close friend, Benjamin Smith, retaliated by murdering a black basketball coach and a Korean graduate student. Smith refused to be taken into police custody alive and committed suicide by shooting himself four times. In that very same summer two brothers murdered a gay couple in California. Creativity Movement literature were found among their belongings. More recent incidents include the stabbing of a man by the leader of the World Church of the Creator in Australia in August of 2002 (Michael, 2006).

The Creative Movement on the Internet

The World Wide Web is a useful tool that can be used to reach a large audience for a cheap price. Naturally, groups such as the World Church of the Creator have utilized the internet to spread their messages of hatred and gain membership (Kaplan et al., 2003). The website devoted to the Creative Movement includes links to all of Klassen's literary works and links to contacts with in the church. Also present is a forum so that Creators from all around the world can convene and post messages promoting anti-Semitism and racism. The web site contains all the literature necessary to educate a prospective creator. In addition the site provides a disclaimer saying that they are a non-violent, pro-white religion that does not tolerate or incite illegal activity (www.creativitymovement.net, 2007). The website for the Creative Movement seems to be oriented towards a more internal audience, although it is apparent that they intend to recruit also. In January of 2002 the site actually offered a weekly online chat with the group's leader Matt Hale. Although they no longer provide a weekly chat, the forum and the contacts provide prospective members with enough information about the movement for recruiting purposes.

The World Church of the Creator is unique from other white supremacy groups especially in that it is not based on a strong belief in Christianity. Instead, it rejects Christianity as a religion holding the white race back in the RAHOWA. It is also different from others because it is self-titled as a religious movement although it may be more accurately pegged as a movement absent of religion. Creators view their race and their dedication to the white race as their actual religion. Defending what they think is tyranny and war against them; they feel that they must be militant to take their rightful place in society, at the very top.

*(see citations of sources in the "Resources" section to the left)