A radical art project advocating for population control with a stark message: “Save the Planet, Kill Yourself.”
The Church of Euthanasia, founded by Chris Korda and Robert Kimberk in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1992, stands out as one of the most provocative antinatalist and environmental activist organizations. It is built on a foundation of shock value, performance art, and a deep-seated concern for the environment, with a singular commandment, “Thou Shalt not Procreate,” and four pillars: suicide, abortion, cannibalism, and sodomy, emphasizing these as means for voluntary population decrease.
Despite its controversial stances, the Church insists on the voluntary nature of its principles, strictly opposing murder and eugenics. Its activities, which include sermons, art performances, public demonstrations, and culture jamming, aim to promote a message of urgent environmental conservation and population control. They draw inspiration from Dadaism, employing absurdity as a tool to reflect the modern world’s absurdity and capture public attention.
The Church of Euthanasia’s history is marked by both activism and controversy. Notably, it gained early attention in the mid-1990s through affiliations with provocative websites and a controversial appearance on “The Jerry Springer Show.” Following the September 11 attacks, the Church faced criticism for a music video that juxtaposed pornography with footage of the World Trade Center collapse, reflecting Korda’s critique of industrial society’s ugliness. The organization also removed instructions for committing suicide from its website following a related suicide, highlighting the real-world impact of its advocacy.
Despite its extremist rhetoric, the Church of Euthanasia is more accurately described as an activist project using performance art to convey its message. Its approach to religion is one of skepticism, dismissing conventional religious beliefs as evidence of human folly. This stance underscores the organization’s use of shock value as a means to promote environmental and antinatalist messages, rather than genuine cultish beliefs.
In recent years, the Church has remained a topic of interest, with its founder Chris Korda continuing to inspire both controversy and dialogue about environmentalism and population control. The Church’s message of voluntary population reduction has found resonance in various forms of antinatalism, reflecting a growing concern about the sustainability of human life on Earth amidst worsening climate conditions.
image via Church of Euthanasia
