An atheistic white supremacist religion advocating racial separation and naturalistic pantheism.
Origins and Founding
Creativity, initially known as The Church of the Creator, is a white supremacist new religious movement founded in 1973 by Ben Klassen in Lighthouse Point, Florida. Klassen, a former Florida state legislator born in Ukraine in 1918, established the movement with the publication of “Nature’s Eternal Religion,” which became the foundational text for Creativity.
The movement’s name is derived from Adolf Hitler’s classification of races in “Mein Kampf,” where the “white race” is termed as “creators.” However, Klassen’s ideology, while heavily influenced by Nazi philosophy, differed in certain aspects, such as its atheistic stance and emphasis on a pan-racial white identity over nationalistic principles.
Klassen described the ideology as a replacement for what he perceived as the detrimental “Judeo-democratic-Marxist” values, focusing instead on a racial and naturalistic worldview. The movement was designed to promote what Klassen viewed as the “survival, expansion, and advancement” of the white race.
Core Beliefs and Tenets
Creativity is grounded in a belief system that combines racial and religious elements. The movement espouses a unique blend of racial separatism, antitheism, and naturalistic philosophies. It is characterized by its rejection of supernatural beliefs, promotion of scientific racism, and advocacy for the survival, expansion, and advancement of the white race.
Racial Separatism and Supremacy: The core belief of Creativity is the superiority and necessity of preserving the white race. This includes advocating for racial separation and viewing race as a fundamental aspect of religious identity. Adherents of Creativity, known as Creators, are encouraged to follow the “eternal laws of nature” to ensure the genetic and cultural purity of the white race.
Naturalistic Worldview: Creativity adherents reject supernaturalism, embracing a form of metaphysical naturalism. They believe in the laws of nature as revealed through science, history, and logic, viewing nature as the highest authority. This naturalistic approach extends to their view of life and death, promoting a rational and fearless attitude towards mortality.
Antitheism and Rejection of Supernatural: The movement is strongly antitheistic, rejecting all forms of supernatural beliefs, including gods, spirits, and an afterlife. It promotes a naturalistic pantheist view, where the cosmos and its natural laws are paramount. Creativity dismisses the concept of an afterlife, advocating instead for genetic “immortality” through reproduction and legacy.
Racial Socialism: While Creativity is classified as a neo-Nazi ideology by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center, it differentiates itself by advocating “racial socialism,” a form of meritocracy and limited market economy aimed at benefiting the white race.
Organizational Structure and Development
In 1982, Klassen established the Church of the Creator (COTC) to further promote his ideas. The organization was headquartered in Otto, North Carolina, where Klassen built a personal residence and a school for boys. The COTC attracted a small but dedicated following throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Following Klassen’s suicide in 1993, the movement underwent significant organizational changes. Leadership of the movement passed to Rick McCarty, who renamed the organization the World Church of the Creator (WCOTC). Under McCarty’s leadership, the group experienced a period of growth and increased visibility, particularly through its use of the internet to spread its message.
In 2002, the WCOTC faced legal challenges when the TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation filed a trademark infringement lawsuit over the use of the name “Church of the Creator.” The court ruled in favor of the TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation, forcing the WCOTC to change its name. The organization subsequently adopted the name “Creativity Movement.”
Currently, the Creativity Alliance (formerly known as the Church of Creativity) and The Creativity Movement exist as the primary groups promoting Klassen’s ideology. These groups, while sharing a common origin, differ slightly in their practices and leadership structures.
Symbolism and Rhetoric
Creativity’s symbol is a white triangle with a red “W” inside, representing the white race. The organization’s slogan is “RaHoWa,” an abbreviation for “Racial Holy War.” Members of the group refer to themselves as “Creators” and use the greeting “RAHOWA” in their communications.
The movement’s teachings are primarily based on Klassen’s writings, including “Nature’s Eternal Religion” and “The White Man’s Bible.” These texts promote a pseudoscientific view of race and advocate for the separation and eventual elimination of non-white races. Creativity also incorporates elements of eugenics and social Darwinism into its ideology.
Activism and Proselytism
The movement actively engages in spreading its beliefs, aiming to distribute its foundational texts to a broad audience. It subscribes to the white genocide conspiracy theory and promotes a “racial holy war” as a means of self-defense and preservation of the white race.
Despite its advocacy for racial holy war, the Creativity Movement claims to oppose illegal activity and violence, viewing them as counterproductive. However, this stance has been called into question due to the movement’s association with various acts of violence and criminal activity.
Controversies and Legal Issues
Throughout its history, the Creativity Movement has been associated with various acts of violence and criminal activity. Several members have been convicted of hate crimes, including murders and assaults targeting minorities. These incidents have led to increased scrutiny from law enforcement agencies and anti-hate organizations.
Creativity has been classified as a hate group by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. Its promotion of white supremacy, racial hatred, and its links to various violent incidents have led to widespread criticism and legal challenges.
The organization’s teachings have been widely criticized by scholars, religious leaders, and human rights organizations for promoting hate and racial supremacy. Critics argue that Creativity’s pseudo-religious framework is merely a thin veneer for white nationalist and neo-Nazi ideologies.
Current Status and Challenges
The Creativity Movement has faced numerous setbacks in recent years, including leadership disputes, legal challenges, and declining membership. Despite these obstacles, small groups of adherents continue to promote the movement’s ideology through online platforms and occasional public demonstrations.
The movement’s presence has expanded beyond the United States, with reported activity in Australia, Eastern Europe, and the UK. However, its influence remains limited, and it continues to face opposition from various quarters.
Creativity represents a controversial and widely condemned ideological movement that combines elements of white supremacy, antitheism, and pseudoscientific racial theories. While it claims to be a nature-based religion, its core tenets of racial separatism and supremacy have led to its classification as a hate group by numerous organizations. Despite facing legal challenges and declining membership, the movement continues to persist through various splinter groups and online platforms, remaining a subject of concern for those monitoring extremist ideologies and hate groups.
image via Southern Poverty Law Center
