Creativity (religion)
Encyclopedia
Creativity is a nontheistic
, ethnocentric
religion founded in 1973 by Ben Klassen
with the publication of the book Nature's Eternal Religion and was later expounded upon in the books The White Man's Bible, and Salubrious Living. Creativity is known for being "antisemitic, racist and...anti-Christian."
infringement case against the World Church of the Creator. The names "Creativity" and "Creator" are derived from the foreword of the first edition of Nature's Eternal Religion, which states, "We call our religion Creativity, and members thereof, Creators, because, we believe these words, in essence, best describe the characteristic soul of the White Race." The term "creator" does not refer to any deity. The term "Church of the Creator" is more or less synonymous with the term "Church of the White Race."
Their Golden Rule
teaches that what is good for the White Race is the highest virtue, and what is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin. In the majority of one's actions, adherents are to ask themselves "how will this accrue to the benefit of the White Race?" If an action doesn't harm themselves and isn't harmful to their people, then it basically is alright, whereas if an action is harmful to either themselves or their people, it is a bad decision and they are therefore not encouraged to partake in it. The religion places a heavy emphasis on action, or as they term it "activism for the White Race." A Creator's primary mission is to convert others to Creativity.
, believing that strong, effective leaders should have the ability to rule. Under racial socialism, "whites would work together toward common goals but without the massive economic planning in the style of the Soviet GOSPLAN
". Klassen supported a limited version of a market economy
. His main concern was that social and economic activities be directed in the best interests of white people
. Criticizing the "leftist proclivities" of those who attempted to recruit solely from the white working class
, Klassen believed that "all members of the national or racial community...had an important role to play."
Klassen stated that many people were "confused" about what socialism really is or what collectivism
really entails. He believed that the term has been confused and abused by Jews, Christians and conservatives to the point that it "could mean anything." Klassen and the Church of the Creator's position on what they viewed socialism as is "Organized Society." Klassen's socialism does not "imply state ownership of the means of production," nor does it, in his definition, "imply confiscation of private property." The Church of the Creator is opposed to state ownership of the basic means of production, such as farms, factories, stores, etc. However they are for the ownership of private property by individuals. They believe that there is a category of functions that are best performed by organized society as a whole. In this category they place highways, airports, harbors, national defense, law enforcement and many others. However, being a religious movement, they don't talk about it much because they are "not particularly interested" in all the dogmatic political terms with which the White Race has been tearing itself apart in arguing the theoretical aspects of each.
Klassen viewed the essence of democracy (or republicanism) or the two (or more) party system as a system in which parties which are always in opposition to each other. He considered this a Jewish tool of divide and conquer. He believed that in practice that means that no matter how clear and urgent the problems, the approach is division and opposition. Then, after prolonged hassle, no matter what compromised decision is "voted" on, there is an opposing group, hampering, blocking and scuttling the course of action. The average participant in a democracy has no more understanding of the thousands of complex problems of the affairs of state that the average passenger has in the intricacies of flying the huge jumbo jet which is being piloted by a trained professional. Without a comprehensive knowledge of the problems he is voting on "his vote is less than useless, it is dangerous."
Racial Socialism, as postulated by Ben Klassen and promoted by the church, is simply teamwork elevated to its highest perfection for the welfare of the whole race, led by its ablest leaders. It combines the best elements of both teamwork and competition. Klassen argued that if "team spirit" and rooting for the "home team" are such noble attributes, then having a whole race united in a team effort for their common good is the highest goal that can be striven for. As such, Creators believe in a blending of church and state. They are for harmonizing the goals, objectives and the philosophy of the government with that of their (Creativity) religious thinking. Creators don't believe in the separation of church and state but instead aim for unity of the "White Racial Religion" with the "White Racial State."
, heliotherapy, exercise, and racial hygiene
.
and hell
, immortality or life after death, except genetically through one's offspring. Creators have "little concern" for eternity, and are concerned about "real problems." Their philosophy is life-oriented and they are interested in having the best life possible — productive, interesting and useful. They are also supportive of eugenics
and euthanasia
. Their religion is "four dimensional," based on the idea of "a sound mind in a sound body in a sound society in a sound environment."
is "governed by law." The laws of Nature are "unchanging, unbending and unyielding." They theorize that one of the inexorable of the "laws of Nature" is the survival of the fittest, or those who have the will to survive. They believe that Nature
is "continually striving" to upgrade each of the species by dividing them into sub-species and having each one of the sub-species compete against each other. Those who cannot compete supposedly fall by the wayside and forever fade into oblivion or in other words, extinction. They believe that Nature
is for the inner-segregation of the species
and for instance, point out that hummingbird
s have been segregated into some 320 different species, sparrows have been segregated into some 263 species, wrens into over 60 species, and so on. Whether we look at the species of mice or rabbits or cats in their natural habitat, they claim, we find that they have been segregated into dozens of different species, each following its own pattern for its survival, propagation and multiplication in competition within its own sub-species and the other creatures of the earth. Each has its "peculiar means of protection, of mating, of propagation." Each has its natural enemies.
being used in modern times as a form of communication between various white Europe
an peoples of the world. He saw the idea as a tool for unification for whereas language differences are divisive, a common language is unifying. He therefore postulated the idea of Latin being established as the second language among all the White peoples of the world until it becomes the primary language, then keeping the regional languages as secondary languages. By choosing Latin as the common ground, instead of,English, German, French or Spanish, it would "avoid the partisanship and opposition that would ensue should we try to settle upon one of the leading modem languages." Therefore he suggested that Creators promote the historic Latin language until one day it again becomes the "common bond and the universal language of a regenerated White Race."
. The pledging ceremony is conducted ideally within the first week after the birth of a child. Both parents pledge to raise their child as a "loyal member of the White Race and faithful to the church." The confirmation ceremony can be performed by a minister on or after a child's 13th birthday.
Twelve leading ministers form the Guardians of the Faith Committee. They either renew the term of the PM or select a new PM. In unusual situations, they have the power to remove a PM who is partway through a term, if three quarters of the ministers on the committee agree.
Within the U.S., a director will be appointed for each state. These directors will respond to a national director who reports directly to the P.M. Under the state directors come country directors and city directors.
A "Primary Group" is a cell which consists of a minimum of 2 members, and an optimum level of 5. Each group selects a leader and a unique name.
Experienced, committed members with strong leadership potential may be ordained as a minister. This requires that he pass a written test and sign an oath.
The church's Security Legions are the only uniformed members. They consist of two groups:
Other significant materials released by the church are "Facts that the Government and Media Don't Want You To Know", gathered by Matt Hale, which the group claimed to distribute 500,000 of between 1996 and 2003, as well as Hale's The Truth About 9-11: How Jewish Manipulation Killed Thousands. Some church-suggested reading material, that is recommended, while not necessarily being Creativity-oriented is: Robert Klark Graham
's book The Future of Man, ordained minister Christine M. John's booklet, Christianity Exposed, and the Cosmotheist Trilogy written by William L. Pierce. The works of Friedrich Nietzsche
are often read.
is "Nature's Finest." The first book goes on to critique Christianity
, including the Christian Bible
. A large number of biblical stories, including the story of Adam and Eve
, Jonah and the whale
and the Resurrection
, are ruled to be historically unlikely. The historicity of Jesus is also questioned, with the author concluding that he can find no independent evidence for the existence of the man.
The second book in Nature's Eternal Religion, Book II— The Salvation, explains the religion of Creativity. It has a chapter entitled "Sixteen Commandments" which includes the basic idea to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with White people, and that it is the duty of every species, and race to aid and abet their own kind. It looks at the concept of racial socialism and also has a chapter titled "Foundations of our White Society." Klassen also offers advice and guidance to White teens, teaching that self-employment is a something worth looking into. A goal of the Church of the Creator is stated to be to make a form of Classical Latin
the primary language between White people who speak different languages. The book ends with a chapter about their future which contains Klassen's view on the Whiter and brighter world that adherents wish to attain.
Its "Dedication" reads: "Dedicated towards developing the tremendous potential of Nature’s Finest – the WHITE RACE. May this book give our great race a religion of its own that will unit, organize and propel it forward towards a Whiter and Brighter World."
the book Nature's Eternal Religion. Initially, Klassen attempted to recruit Neo-Nazis into the church because, aside from disagreements over religion, there was no fundamental conflict between the church's doctrine and National Socialism
. Klassen eventually established a rapport
with National Alliance leader William Luther Pierce
. Klassen met Pierce twice in 1975 and they maintained a relationship "on and off" for at least 18 more years. Klassen noted that although he "never did understand the logic of what he called his Cosmotheism religion...it has not been of any significance as far as our common goal of promoting White racial solidarity was concerned." In Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs, Klassen describes Pierce as "a great man and an outstanding intellectual thinker, and as one of us." Although Pierce never became a Creator, he went on to create his own racial religion, Cosmotheism
.
In 1982, Klassen established the headquarters of his church at Otto, North Carolina
. Although the Klassen family expected resistance to their beliefs from the local people, Klassen states that "we were not quite prepared for the viciousness of the onslaught by the local paper..." The opposition grew to the point that in the Franklin Press on May 13, 1982, the headlines said "Pro-Hitler, anti-Christ Leader Headquarters Here".
The original curriculum consisted of a two-week summer program that included activities such as "hiking. camping, training in handling of firearms, archery, tennis, white water rafting and other healthy outdoor activities" as well as instruction on "the goals and doctrines of Creativity and how they could best serve their own race in various capacities of leadership."
by swallowing four bottles of sleeping pills
. Suicide is not considered dishonorable in the Creativity religion for one who has accomplished much and feels that they have lived their life.
, is a long time supporter of the doctrines of the Creativity religion and was once a member of the World Church of the Creator. Prussian Blue's song "Stand Up" was written and sung for the Free Matt Hale cd that is to be released, written for the currently incarcerated, former Pontifex Maximus
of the World Church of the Creator, Matt Hale.
was the lead singer of the Canadian metal band RaHoWa, leader of the Toronto branch of the Church of the Creator, and founder of Resistance Records
. He was convicted of assault
and renounced racism
after serving time in prison, yet appears to be supportive of the White Racialist movement. Burdi has been credited with playing a major role in ensuring the survival of Creativity after the death of Ben Klassen.
.
On January 9, 2003 Hale was arrested and charged with attempting to direct his security chief Anthony Evola to murder Judge Lefkow. Judge Lefkow's husband and mother were later murdered by Bart Ross who had no connections with Hale. Hale was found guilty of four of the five counts (one count of solicitation of murder and three counts of obstruction of justice) on April 26, 2004. In April 2005 he was sentenced to 40 years in a Federal penitentiary.
Creators who were killed in a gun battle with South African police, while they were allegedly attempting to smuggle weapons and explosives into a survivalist compound in Namibia
. The two Creators were stopped by police suspicious that their vehicle had been stolen. According to the report, while being escorted to a nearby police station, the two detonated a smoke bomb and attempted to escape. After coming across their abandoned vehicle five miles away, police came under fire from the two suspects, who lay in ambush. Two officers were shot, one fatally, before law enforcement agents returned fire. The two are said to have "died valiantly in the ensuing gun battle" by Creators. Some have suggested that the pair were murdered by South African Military Intelligence.
organization, founded in 1996 by Matthew F. Hale
, that promotes Creativity. As the chosen successor of Ben Klassen
and the final Pontifex Maximus of the original Church of the Creator, Dr. Rick McCarty, had filed for that organization's dissolution on February 22, 1994. They have 24 regional and local branches and members "all over the world."
In 2000, the Oregon
-based TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation filed a lawsuit against the World Church of the Creator for using the name Church of the Creator, which the Oregon group had recently registered as a trademark. U.S. District Court Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow ruled in favor of the World Church of the Creator. However, this decision was appealed by TE-TA-MA, and in November 2002, in a reversal of the previous ruling, a panel of three judges in the appeals court overturned the previous decision. District Judge Lefkow then enforced the appeals court injunction in favor of TE-TA-MA; barring the use of the name by Hale's organization. In December 2002, the World Church of the Creator announced it was moving its headquarters to Riverton, Wyoming
, in what the Anti-Defamation League
claimed was an effort to avoid the court injunction barring use of the name.
, the Creativity Alliance’s declaration of non-participation in the movement shows that more active Creators are showing definite signs of life. The SPLC
also lists the Creativity Alliance as a "spin off" from The Creativity Movement, which the group denies. The group is currently led by former World Church of the Creator member Cailen Cambeul, formerly known as Colin Campbell. The Creativity Alliance was formerly known as the White Crusaders of the Rahowa (WCOTR), which was founded by former Church Members after the breakdown of the World Church of the Creator following Hale's arrest in 2003. A number of older pre-established Church Primary Groups within the Creativity Alliance cite their origins on their regionally based web sites. An example is the Church of Creativity Queensland, which "was formerly known as the World Church of the Creator-WCOTC Rockhampton."
Two notable examples of membership in the Creativity Alliance are former Klassen stalwarts George Loeb and Joseph Esposito. Both members are currently serving extended prison sentences in Florida penal institutions. Although the Creativity Alliance maintains a web site known as the Reverend Matt Hale Archive, the Creativity Alliance claims that it does not support Hale.
The Creativity Alliance is known for creating disturbances by distributing fliers in Australia and New Zealand.
The South Australia
n Attorney General and Minister for Multicultural Affairs have made numerous attempts to close the website of the South Australian representative and current Pontifex Maximus for the Creativity Alliance and have Creativity declared an outlawed organization.
Creativity Alliance web pages and published books stress the fact that it makes no attempt to assume or supersede the US registered trademark
now owned by TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation.
in Peterson v. Wilmur Communications (205 F.Supp.2d 1014) (2002). The American Civil Liberties Union
intervened on behalf of the World Church of the Creator.
Nontheism
Nontheism is a term that covers a range of both religious and nonreligious attitudes characterized by the absence of — or the rejection of — theism or any belief in a personal god or gods...
, ethnocentric
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one's own. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with...
religion founded in 1973 by Ben Klassen
Ben Klassen
Bernhardt "Ben" Klassen was an American religious leader who founded the Church of the Creator with the publication of his book Nature's Eternal Religion in 1973...
with the publication of the book Nature's Eternal Religion and was later expounded upon in the books The White Man's Bible, and Salubrious Living. Creativity is known for being "antisemitic, racist and...anti-Christian."
Etymology
The adherents of this religion are individually known as Creators and as a group are known historically as the Church of the Creator, although this name was lost in a trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
infringement case against the World Church of the Creator. The names "Creativity" and "Creator" are derived from the foreword of the first edition of Nature's Eternal Religion, which states, "We call our religion Creativity, and members thereof, Creators, because, we believe these words, in essence, best describe the characteristic soul of the White Race." The term "creator" does not refer to any deity. The term "Church of the Creator" is more or less synonymous with the term "Church of the White Race."
Moral conduct
Creativity has sixteen commandments and five fundamental beliefs that deal primarily with adherents' conduct. Creators are encouraged to recite the five fundamental beliefs daily. There are also the 14 Points of Salubrious Living which deal with a Creator's diet. There is also a list of "What We Believe In" that essentially expounds about the basic Five Fundamental Beliefs of Creativity, and there is also two lists of what a Creator is and what a Creator is not, which serves as a basic guideline for certain behavior as a Creator.Their Golden Rule
Golden Rule
Golden Rule may refer to:*The Golden Rule in ethics, morality, history and religion, also known as the ethic of reciprocity*Golden Rule savings rate, in economics, the savings rate which maximizes consumption in the Solow growth model...
teaches that what is good for the White Race is the highest virtue, and what is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin. In the majority of one's actions, adherents are to ask themselves "how will this accrue to the benefit of the White Race?" If an action doesn't harm themselves and isn't harmful to their people, then it basically is alright, whereas if an action is harmful to either themselves or their people, it is a bad decision and they are therefore not encouraged to partake in it. The religion places a heavy emphasis on action, or as they term it "activism for the White Race." A Creator's primary mission is to convert others to Creativity.
Racial socialism
Ben Klassen adopted the phrase "racial socialism" to describe his political ideology based on Creativity's golden rule. He was highly critical of democracyDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, believing that strong, effective leaders should have the ability to rule. Under racial socialism, "whites would work together toward common goals but without the massive economic planning in the style of the Soviet GOSPLAN
Gosplan
Gosplan or State Planning Committee was the committee responsible for economic planning in the Soviet Union. The word "Gosplan" is an abbreviation for Gosudarstvenniy Komitet po Planirovaniyu...
". Klassen supported a limited version of a market economy
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
. His main concern was that social and economic activities be directed in the best interests of white people
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
. Criticizing the "leftist proclivities" of those who attempted to recruit solely from the white working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, Klassen believed that "all members of the national or racial community...had an important role to play."
Klassen stated that many people were "confused" about what socialism really is or what collectivism
Collectivism
Collectivism is any philosophic, political, economic, mystical or social outlook that emphasizes the interdependence of every human in some collective group and the priority of group goals over individual goals. Collectivists usually focus on community, society, or nation...
really entails. He believed that the term has been confused and abused by Jews, Christians and conservatives to the point that it "could mean anything." Klassen and the Church of the Creator's position on what they viewed socialism as is "Organized Society." Klassen's socialism does not "imply state ownership of the means of production," nor does it, in his definition, "imply confiscation of private property." The Church of the Creator is opposed to state ownership of the basic means of production, such as farms, factories, stores, etc. However they are for the ownership of private property by individuals. They believe that there is a category of functions that are best performed by organized society as a whole. In this category they place highways, airports, harbors, national defense, law enforcement and many others. However, being a religious movement, they don't talk about it much because they are "not particularly interested" in all the dogmatic political terms with which the White Race has been tearing itself apart in arguing the theoretical aspects of each.
Klassen viewed the essence of democracy (or republicanism) or the two (or more) party system as a system in which parties which are always in opposition to each other. He considered this a Jewish tool of divide and conquer. He believed that in practice that means that no matter how clear and urgent the problems, the approach is division and opposition. Then, after prolonged hassle, no matter what compromised decision is "voted" on, there is an opposing group, hampering, blocking and scuttling the course of action. The average participant in a democracy has no more understanding of the thousands of complex problems of the affairs of state that the average passenger has in the intricacies of flying the huge jumbo jet which is being piloted by a trained professional. Without a comprehensive knowledge of the problems he is voting on "his vote is less than useless, it is dangerous."
Racial Socialism, as postulated by Ben Klassen and promoted by the church, is simply teamwork elevated to its highest perfection for the welfare of the whole race, led by its ablest leaders. It combines the best elements of both teamwork and competition. Klassen argued that if "team spirit" and rooting for the "home team" are such noble attributes, then having a whole race united in a team effort for their common good is the highest goal that can be striven for. As such, Creators believe in a blending of church and state. They are for harmonizing the goals, objectives and the philosophy of the government with that of their (Creativity) religious thinking. Creators don't believe in the separation of church and state but instead aim for unity of the "White Racial Religion" with the "White Racial State."
Salubrious Living
Klassen, in the book Salubrious Living, expounded the facet of Creativity dealing with physical health on individual and group levels. The word "salubrious" comes from the Latin word "salubris" meaning "healthy; wholesome; sound; useful; vigorous." Salubrious Living encourages eating raw organic foods, fastingFasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
, heliotherapy, exercise, and racial hygiene
Racial hygiene
Racial hygiene was a set of early twentieth century state sanctioned policies by which certain groups of individuals were allowed to procreate and others not, with the expressed purpose of promoting certain characteristics deemed to be particularly desirable...
.
Life-centered philosophy
Creators believe in "living the good life" and take a "positive approach" on life. They believe that spending excessive money on space exploration is a waste and instead believe that the money should be used on improving the conditions on Earth. They are strongly anti-superstitious, and believe that the fear of death has been exploited by "religious charlatans." Creators do not believe in heavenHeaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, immortality or life after death, except genetically through one's offspring. Creators have "little concern" for eternity, and are concerned about "real problems." Their philosophy is life-oriented and they are interested in having the best life possible — productive, interesting and useful. They are also supportive of eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
and euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. Their religion is "four dimensional," based on the idea of "a sound mind in a sound body in a sound society in a sound environment."
Natural law
Creators believe that if there is one thing in this world worth "preserving, defending, and promoting, it is the White Race." They believe that NatureNature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
is "governed by law." The laws of Nature are "unchanging, unbending and unyielding." They theorize that one of the inexorable of the "laws of Nature" is the survival of the fittest, or those who have the will to survive. They believe that Nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
is "continually striving" to upgrade each of the species by dividing them into sub-species and having each one of the sub-species compete against each other. Those who cannot compete supposedly fall by the wayside and forever fade into oblivion or in other words, extinction. They believe that Nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
is for the inner-segregation of the species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and for instance, point out that hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s have been segregated into some 320 different species, sparrows have been segregated into some 263 species, wrens into over 60 species, and so on. Whether we look at the species of mice or rabbits or cats in their natural habitat, they claim, we find that they have been segregated into dozens of different species, each following its own pattern for its survival, propagation and multiplication in competition within its own sub-species and the other creatures of the earth. Each has its "peculiar means of protection, of mating, of propagation." Each has its natural enemies.
International auxiliary language
A common language is a unifying element among people. Ben Klassen proposed a revitalized form of Classical LatinClassical Latin
Classical Latin in simplest terms is the socio-linguistic register of the Latin language regarded by the enfranchised and empowered populations of the late Roman republic and the Roman empire as good Latin. Most writers during this time made use of it...
being used in modern times as a form of communication between various white Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an peoples of the world. He saw the idea as a tool for unification for whereas language differences are divisive, a common language is unifying. He therefore postulated the idea of Latin being established as the second language among all the White peoples of the world until it becomes the primary language, then keeping the regional languages as secondary languages. By choosing Latin as the common ground, instead of,English, German, French or Spanish, it would "avoid the partisanship and opposition that would ensue should we try to settle upon one of the leading modem languages." Therefore he suggested that Creators promote the historic Latin language until one day it again becomes the "common bond and the universal language of a regenerated White Race."
Calendar
1973 was the date of the first publishing of one of the main texts, Nature's Eternal Religion and the official year in which the Church of the Creator was founded by Ben Klassen. Several religions have their own calendars, and Creativity is one of them. Creativity doesn't follow the Gregorian calendar for religious purposes. 1973 is considered the Incepto de Creativitat (Inception of Creativity), or I.C. Years following are called Anno de Creativitat. Thus 1974 CE is called 1 AC. The years before PC are called Prius Creativitat (Before Creativity). Thus 1972 CE is called 1 PC, and 2011 would be 37 AC.Holidays
Creativity has numerous holy days that are celebrated and held sacred by Creators. Creators are encouraged to take the time to acknowledge these holidays, and to set them aside as a time to spend with their families and with friends of the religion.- South Victory Day, January 26: Commemorates the White conquest of the Australian continent in 185 PC.
- Klassen Day, February 20th: The anniversary of our Founder’s birth which occurred in 55 PC.
- Founding Day, February 21st: Anniversary of the publication of Nature’s Eternal Religion in IC.
- Foundation Day/Rahowa Day, March 20th: Anniversary of the foundation of the old World Center in 9 AC.
- Kozel Day (Martyrs Day), September 15: Remembrance day for Reverend Brian Kozel, Creator martyr murdered in 17 AC.
- Festum Album is a week-long celebration based on White Racial Pride that runs from December 26th to January 1st.
- West Victory Day, December 29th: Commemorates the White victory over the last organized Native American resistance in 1890 CE (83 PC).
Religious ceremonies
Creativity has four religious ceremonies, or sacraments, including a wedding ceremony, a pledging ceremony for children, a confirmation ceremony and a eulogy ceremony for the deceased. The names of these ceremonies in Latin, the language that Creativity promotes use of are Carimoni Nuptiae Creatora (Wedding Ceremony), Carimoni Fidem Obligari (Pledging Ceremony), Carimoni Confimationis (Confirmation Ceremony) and Memoria Celebritas (Sayings of Goodbye to Departed Brethren Ceremony). All ceremonies are performed by church ministers. For the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom exchange their vows before NatureNature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. The pledging ceremony is conducted ideally within the first week after the birth of a child. Both parents pledge to raise their child as a "loyal member of the White Race and faithful to the church." The confirmation ceremony can be performed by a minister on or after a child's 13th birthday.
Ordained ministers
While it was Klassen's intention that every worthy Creator be an ordained minister in the church, not everybody is a leader and some have more experience than others. Ordained ministers in Creativity are those who have proven themselves to be the right material, and have passed the Minister's Exam, written or vocally. The written Minister's Exam consists of 150 questions, in which a written paragraph response is written for each question. Follow up is done vocally, and potential Reverends are to write a several page essay as to why they wish to be ordained a minister in the religion. Having recommendations of three other already established Reverends is recommended as well. It is required that the person pass a written test and sign an oath. Both men and women can be ordained as ministers in Creativity.Internal organization
Their Pontifex Maximus (PM; supreme leader) holds almost complete power in the organization. He serves for a 10 year term.Twelve leading ministers form the Guardians of the Faith Committee. They either renew the term of the PM or select a new PM. In unusual situations, they have the power to remove a PM who is partway through a term, if three quarters of the ministers on the committee agree.
Within the U.S., a director will be appointed for each state. These directors will respond to a national director who reports directly to the P.M. Under the state directors come country directors and city directors.
A "Primary Group" is a cell which consists of a minimum of 2 members, and an optimum level of 5. Each group selects a leader and a unique name.
Experienced, committed members with strong leadership potential may be ordained as a minister. This requires that he pass a written test and sign an oath.
The church's Security Legions are the only uniformed members. They consist of two groups:
- White Rangers derive their symbolism from the "White conquerors of the North American continent" (pioneers, cowboys, Texas Rangers...) They wear a white cowboy hat and cowboy boots
- White Berets derive their symbolism from the military. They wear a military beret and paratrooper boots.
Religious texts
- Nature’s Eternal Religion
- The White Man’s Bible
- Salubrious Living
- A Revolution of Values Through Religion
- The Racial Loyalty Portfolio Vol. I
- Expanding Creativity
- Building a Whiter and Brighter World
- RAHOWA! This Planet is All Ours
- On the Brink of a Bloody Racial War
- The Klassen Letters Vol. One (1969-1976)
- The Klassen Letters Vol. Two (1976-1981)
- Against the Evil Tide (Klassen autobiography part 1)
- Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs (Klassen autobiography part 2)
- The Little White Book
Other significant materials released by the church are "Facts that the Government and Media Don't Want You To Know", gathered by Matt Hale, which the group claimed to distribute 500,000 of between 1996 and 2003, as well as Hale's The Truth About 9-11: How Jewish Manipulation Killed Thousands. Some church-suggested reading material, that is recommended, while not necessarily being Creativity-oriented is: Robert Klark Graham
Robert Klark Graham
Robert Klark Graham was born in Harbor Springs, Michigan, USA. He was a eugenicist and businessman who made millions by developing shatter-proof plastic eyeglass lenses, and who later founded the Repository for Germinal Choice, a sperm bank for geniuses in the hope of implementing a eugenics...
's book The Future of Man, ordained minister Christine M. John's booklet, Christianity Exposed, and the Cosmotheist Trilogy written by William L. Pierce. The works of Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
are often read.
Nature's Eternal Religion
Nature's Eternal Religion is the founding text of Creativity. It is divided into two sub-sections, which can be considered books in their own right: Book I — The Unavenged Outrage and Book II— The Salvation. The first chapter discusses nature, and what Klassen sees as nature's laws. The second chapter states the religious belief that the White raceWhite people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
is "Nature's Finest." The first book goes on to critique Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, including the Christian Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. A large number of biblical stories, including the story of Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, Jonah and the whale
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
and the Resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
, are ruled to be historically unlikely. The historicity of Jesus is also questioned, with the author concluding that he can find no independent evidence for the existence of the man.
The second book in Nature's Eternal Religion, Book II— The Salvation, explains the religion of Creativity. It has a chapter entitled "Sixteen Commandments" which includes the basic idea to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with White people, and that it is the duty of every species, and race to aid and abet their own kind. It looks at the concept of racial socialism and also has a chapter titled "Foundations of our White Society." Klassen also offers advice and guidance to White teens, teaching that self-employment is a something worth looking into. A goal of the Church of the Creator is stated to be to make a form of Classical Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
the primary language between White people who speak different languages. The book ends with a chapter about their future which contains Klassen's view on the Whiter and brighter world that adherents wish to attain.
White Man's Bible
The White Man's Bible was the second book to be published by Ben Klassen and the Church of the Creator. First printed in 1981, it consists of 73 chapters (referred to as "Credos") and elaborates on topics and adds and expounds on Nature's Eternal Religion.Its "Dedication" reads: "Dedicated towards developing the tremendous potential of Nature’s Finest – the WHITE RACE. May this book give our great race a religion of its own that will unit, organize and propel it forward towards a Whiter and Brighter World."
Early years
Creativity was officially formed in 1973 when Klassen self-publishedSelf-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
the book Nature's Eternal Religion. Initially, Klassen attempted to recruit Neo-Nazis into the church because, aside from disagreements over religion, there was no fundamental conflict between the church's doctrine and National Socialism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. Klassen eventually established a rapport
Rapport
Rapport is a term used to describe, in common terms, the relationship of two or more people who are in sync or on the same wavelength because they feel similar and/or relate well to each other....
with National Alliance leader William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce III was the leader of the white separatist National Alliance organization, and one of the most important ideologists of the white nationalist movement. Pierce originally worked as an assistant professor of physics at Oregon State University, before he became involved in...
. Klassen met Pierce twice in 1975 and they maintained a relationship "on and off" for at least 18 more years. Klassen noted that although he "never did understand the logic of what he called his Cosmotheism religion...it has not been of any significance as far as our common goal of promoting White racial solidarity was concerned." In Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs, Klassen describes Pierce as "a great man and an outstanding intellectual thinker, and as one of us." Although Pierce never became a Creator, he went on to create his own racial religion, Cosmotheism
Cosmotheism
"Cosmotheism" is a term associated with beliefs adhered to by:* Norman Lowell * Mordekhay Nesiyahu * William Luther Pierce...
.
In 1982, Klassen established the headquarters of his church at Otto, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Although the Klassen family expected resistance to their beliefs from the local people, Klassen states that "we were not quite prepared for the viciousness of the onslaught by the local paper..." The opposition grew to the point that in the Franklin Press on May 13, 1982, the headlines said "Pro-Hitler, anti-Christ Leader Headquarters Here".
School for Gifted Boys
On October 14, 1983, the bulldozers started clearing and leveling the site that would become the School for Gifted Boys, and on October 25, the foundations were poured for the building itself. The school measures 2,460 square feet. There is a 400 yard long foot path between the school and the church building. Klassen stated that the purpose of this school, and future such schools, would be "for orienting and educating our children...to start first with our gifted — the most precious — and finally all our children in our own White schools where they will be oriented first and foremost to respect and cherish the value of their own race."The original curriculum consisted of a two-week summer program that included activities such as "hiking. camping, training in handling of firearms, archery, tennis, white water rafting and other healthy outdoor activities" as well as instruction on "the goals and doctrines of Creativity and how they could best serve their own race in various capacities of leadership."
Klassen's death
On August 6, 1993, at the age of 75, Klassen committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by swallowing four bottles of sleeping pills
Hypnotic
Hypnotic drugs are a class of psychoactives whose primary function is to induce sleep and to be used in the treatment of insomnia and in surgical anesthesia...
. Suicide is not considered dishonorable in the Creativity religion for one who has accomplished much and feels that they have lived their life.
April Gaede
April Gaede, the mother of Lynx and Lamb Gaede who sang under the band name Prussian BluePrussian blue
Prussian blue is a dark blue pigment with the idealized formula Fe718. Another name for the color Prussian blue is Berlin blue or, in painting, Parisian blue. Turnbull's blue is the same substance but is made from different reagents....
, is a long time supporter of the doctrines of the Creativity religion and was once a member of the World Church of the Creator. Prussian Blue's song "Stand Up" was written and sung for the Free Matt Hale cd that is to be released, written for the currently incarcerated, former Pontifex Maximus
Pontifex Maximus
The Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome. This was the most important position in the ancient Roman religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post...
of the World Church of the Creator, Matt Hale.
Craig Cobb
Craig Cobb is a longtime Racialist activist who operated the now-defunct video sharing website named Podblanc.George Burdi
Also known as Reverend George Eric Hawthorne, BurdiGeorge Burdi
George Burdi, also known as George Eric Hawthorne , is a Canadian musician who initially became known for his role in White nationalist organizations. He led the Canadian branch of the World Church of the Creator, which formed an allegiance with the now-defunct nationalist organization Heritage Front...
was the lead singer of the Canadian metal band RaHoWa, leader of the Toronto branch of the Church of the Creator, and founder of Resistance Records
Resistance Records
Resistance Records is a record label owned by Resistance LLC, a society closely connected to the National Alliance. It produces and sells music by neo-Nazi and white separatist musicians, primarily through its website...
. He was convicted of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and renounced racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
after serving time in prison, yet appears to be supportive of the White Racialist movement. Burdi has been credited with playing a major role in ensuring the survival of Creativity after the death of Ben Klassen.
Matthew F. Hale
After Klassen's death in 1993, Hale founded the New Church of the Creator which, after Hale was appointed Pontifex Maximus, was changed to World Church of the Creator. Hale made national news when he was denied admission to the Illinois State bar three times due to his racist beliefs. On November 12, 1999, the Illinois Supreme Court refused to further consider the denial of Hale's law license. Instead, the court decided to "let stand a decision by its Committee on Character and Fitness that said Hale lacked the moral character to practice law." The committee's denial of Hale's law license may have provoked the actions of Benjamin Nathaniel SmithBenjamin Nathaniel Smith
Benjamin Nathaniel Smith was a spree killer who targeted members of racial and ethnic minorities in random drive-by shootings in Illinois and Indiana, USA during the weekend of July 4, 1999.- Early life :...
.
On January 9, 2003 Hale was arrested and charged with attempting to direct his security chief Anthony Evola to murder Judge Lefkow. Judge Lefkow's husband and mother were later murdered by Bart Ross who had no connections with Hale. Hale was found guilty of four of the five counts (one count of solicitation of murder and three counts of obstruction of justice) on April 26, 2004. In April 2005 he was sentenced to 40 years in a Federal penitentiary.
Johannes Jurgens Grobbelaar and Jurgen Matthews White
Two AfrikanerAfrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
Creators who were killed in a gun battle with South African police, while they were allegedly attempting to smuggle weapons and explosives into a survivalist compound in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. The two Creators were stopped by police suspicious that their vehicle had been stolen. According to the report, while being escorted to a nearby police station, the two detonated a smoke bomb and attempted to escape. After coming across their abandoned vehicle five miles away, police came under fire from the two suspects, who lay in ambush. Two officers were shot, one fatally, before law enforcement agents returned fire. The two are said to have "died valiantly in the ensuing gun battle" by Creators. Some have suggested that the pair were murdered by South African Military Intelligence.
Creativity Movement, former "World Church of the Creator"
The Creativity Movement, formerly known as the World Church Of The Creator and before that the New Church of the Creator, is an ethnoreligiousEthnoreligious
An ethnoreligious group is an ethnic group of people whose members are also unified by a common religious background...
organization, founded in 1996 by Matthew F. Hale
Matthew F. Hale
Matthew F. Hale , more commonly known as Matt Hale, was the third Pontifex Maximus of the white supremacist religion, Creativity, and the founder of the group formerly known as the World Church of the Creator and now known as The Creativity Movement. The organization's headquarters were based in...
, that promotes Creativity. As the chosen successor of Ben Klassen
Ben Klassen
Bernhardt "Ben" Klassen was an American religious leader who founded the Church of the Creator with the publication of his book Nature's Eternal Religion in 1973...
and the final Pontifex Maximus of the original Church of the Creator, Dr. Rick McCarty, had filed for that organization's dissolution on February 22, 1994. They have 24 regional and local branches and members "all over the world."
In 2000, the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
-based TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation filed a lawsuit against the World Church of the Creator for using the name Church of the Creator, which the Oregon group had recently registered as a trademark. U.S. District Court Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow ruled in favor of the World Church of the Creator. However, this decision was appealed by TE-TA-MA, and in November 2002, in a reversal of the previous ruling, a panel of three judges in the appeals court overturned the previous decision. District Judge Lefkow then enforced the appeals court injunction in favor of TE-TA-MA; barring the use of the name by Hale's organization. In December 2002, the World Church of the Creator announced it was moving its headquarters to Riverton, Wyoming
Riverton, Wyoming
Riverton is a city in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. It is both the largest city in the county and the largest within the historical boundaries of the Wind River Indian Reservation. The city's population was 9,310 at the 2000 census...
, in what the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
claimed was an effort to avoid the court injunction barring use of the name.
Creativity Alliance
The Creativity Alliance is an amalgam of many formerly independent Church of Creativity groups and individuals under the one umbrella. The regional groups of the Creativity Alliance are known as the Church of Creativity followed by their regional designation, such as the Church of Creativity Italy. The group has its own Guardians of the Faith Committee and an elected Pontifex Maximus. Members of the Creativity Alliance do not associate with those of the Creativity Movement. Unlike other White Supremacist groups, the Creativity Alliance claims a policy of "non-participation in the White Power social scene." According to the SPLCSouthern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
, the Creativity Alliance’s declaration of non-participation in the movement shows that more active Creators are showing definite signs of life. The SPLC
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
also lists the Creativity Alliance as a "spin off" from The Creativity Movement, which the group denies. The group is currently led by former World Church of the Creator member Cailen Cambeul, formerly known as Colin Campbell. The Creativity Alliance was formerly known as the White Crusaders of the Rahowa (WCOTR), which was founded by former Church Members after the breakdown of the World Church of the Creator following Hale's arrest in 2003. A number of older pre-established Church Primary Groups within the Creativity Alliance cite their origins on their regionally based web sites. An example is the Church of Creativity Queensland, which "was formerly known as the World Church of the Creator-WCOTC Rockhampton."
Two notable examples of membership in the Creativity Alliance are former Klassen stalwarts George Loeb and Joseph Esposito. Both members are currently serving extended prison sentences in Florida penal institutions. Although the Creativity Alliance maintains a web site known as the Reverend Matt Hale Archive, the Creativity Alliance claims that it does not support Hale.
The Creativity Alliance is known for creating disturbances by distributing fliers in Australia and New Zealand.
The South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n Attorney General and Minister for Multicultural Affairs have made numerous attempts to close the website of the South Australian representative and current Pontifex Maximus for the Creativity Alliance and have Creativity declared an outlawed organization.
Creativity Alliance web pages and published books stress the fact that it makes no attempt to assume or supersede the US registered trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
now owned by TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation.
Federal recognition
Creativity was recognized as a religion by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of WisconsinUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin serves the residents of twenty-eight counties from its two courthouses...
in Peterson v. Wilmur Communications (205 F.Supp.2d 1014) (2002). The American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
intervened on behalf of the World Church of the Creator.