Ben Klassen

Ben Klassen
TitlePontifex Maximus
(of the Church of the Creator)
Personal
Born
Bernhardt Klassen

(1918-02-20)February 20, 1918
Rudnerweide (Molotschna), Ukrainian People's Republic (present-day Ukraine)
DiedAugust 6, 1993(1993-08-06) (aged 75)
Otto, North Carolina, U.S.
Resting placeOtto, North Carolina, U.S.
35°03′36″N 83°23′16″W / 35.0600921°N 83.3876547°W / 35.0600921; -83.3876547
ReligionCreativity
NationalityAmerican
Senior posting
Period in office1973–93
PredecessorNone (founded religion)
SuccessorRichard McCarty
Ben Klassen
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the Broward County district
In office
November 1966 – March 1967
OccupationReligious leader, writer
LanguageEnglish, German, Plautdietsch
NationalityAmerican
EducationSaskatoon Normal School, Superior First Class Teacher's Certificate;
University of Saskatchewan, B.A., 1943;
University of Manitoba, B.Sc.E.E., 1943, Canada ROTC;
Rosthern Junior College
SubjectRacism, religion
SpouseHenrie Etta Klassen (née McWilliams)
ChildrenKim Anita Klassen

Bernhardt "Ben" Klassen[1] ((1918-02-20)February 20, 1918 (O.S. February 7, 1918) – (1993-08-06)August 6, 1993) was an American white supremacist politician and religious leader. He founded the Church of the Creator with the publication of his book Nature's Eternal Religion in 1973. Klassen was openly racist, antisemitic and anti-Christian and first popularized the term "Racial Holy War" within the White Power movement.[2]

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Klassen was a Republican Florida state legislator for several months, as well as a supporter of George Wallace's presidential campaign. In addition to his religious and political work, Klassen was an electrical engineer and he was also the inventor of a wall-mounted electric can-opener.[3][4][5] Klassen held unorthodox views about dieting and health. He was a natural hygienist who opposed the germ theory of disease as well as conventional medicine and promoted a fruitarian, raw food diet.[6]

  1. ^ Michael, George (2009). Theology of Hate. Gainesville: University of Florida. doi:10.5744/florida/9780813033501.001.0001. ISBN 9780813033501.
  2. ^ Fletcher, Michael A. (6 July 1999). "Behind the Hate: A Racist 'Church'". Washington Post (Archives). Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  3. ^ Ward, Robert L (27 Oct 2011), Membership by County 1845–2012 (PDF), FL, US: House of Representatives, archived from the original on 24 September 2018, retrieved 27 October 2011.
  4. ^ Hesser, Charles F (7 Dec 1967), "Wallace Men Feud in Florida", The Miami News, p. 6–A.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Patent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Love was invoked but never defined (see the help page).