Church of Euthanasia

Church of Euthanasia
The official symbol of the Church of Euthanasia is a representation of a Greek temple with four pillars
Abbreviation CoE
Headquarters Boston, Massachusetts. United States
Founder Chris Korda, Robert Kimberk
Origin 1992
Registered in the state of Delaware
Official website churchofeuthanasia.org

The Church of Euthanasia (also known as CoE) is a religious organization founded by Reverend Chris Korda and Pastor Kim (Robert Kimberk) in Boston, Massachusetts, United States in 1992.[1]

As stated in the Church's website, it is "a non-profit educational foundation devoted to restoring balance between Humans and the remaining species on Earth".[2] Members of this organization affirm this can only turn into a reality by a massive voluntary population reduction, which will depend on a leap in human consciousness to species-awareness.[3] According to Rev. Chris Korda it is likely that this Church is the world's only anti-human religion.[4]

Its most popular slogan is "Save the Planet, Kill Yourself"[5] and its founding ideology is set in one commandment "Thou Shalt not Procreate",[6] and four main pillars: suicide, abortion, cannibalism (of the already dead) and sodomy ("any sexual act not intended for procreation").[2] The Church stresses population reduction by voluntary means only.[7]

The Church promotes its environmental views mainly via their website and the web. They also utilize sermons, art performances, public demonstrations, culture jamming, music, publicity stunts and direct action to highlight Earth's unsustainable population. They consider their methodology similar to those of the Dadaist movement,[8] finding the modern world so absurd that the means needed to reach their message to the public must be absurd themselves.

The Church of Euthanasia is also notorious for its conflicts with pro-life Christian activists.[9]

Slogans employed by the group include "Save the Planet, Kill Yourself", "Six Billion Humans Can't Be Wrong", and "Eat a Queer Fetus for Jesus".[10]

History

The Church gained early attention in 1995 because of its affiliation with paranoia.com which hosted many sites that were controversial or skirted illegality. Members later appeared on an episode of The Jerry Springer Show titled "I Want to Join a Suicide Cult".[11]

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Church posted to its website a four-minute music video titled I Like to Watch, combining hardcore pornographic video with footage of the World Trade Center collapse. The montage featured an electronic soundtrack recorded by Korda and the lyrics, "People dive into the street/ While I play with my meat." It also showed a man masturbating and then cleaning himself with an American flag. Korda described the project as reflecting his "contempt for and frustration with the profound ugliness of the modern industrial world."[12][13]

The Church's website previously had instructions on "how to kill yourself" by asphyxiation using helium. These pages were removed in 2003 after a 52-year-old woman used them to commit suicide in St. Louis County, Missouri, resulting in legal threats against the church.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Potts, Grant. (2005) "Church of Euthanasia". In The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, ed. by Bron Taylor, pp. 384–85. London & New York: Continuum International
  2. 1 2 Church of Euthanasia FAQ.
  3. ↑ Harrison, Ann. (1995) The Boston Phoenix, Virtually childless.
  4. ↑ Wright, Chris. (2001) The Boston Phoenix, The Pornography of Terror.
  5. ↑ Grad, David. (1996) New York Press, Eat Me - Rev. Chris Korda Dines For Our Sins.
  6. ↑ Blount, Dave. (2015) Right Wing News , Satanists: Pro-Life Laws Violate Our Religious Beliefs.
  7. ↑ Dery, Mark. (1999) Getting It, Mark Dery Interviews Chris Korda.
  8. ↑ Broder, Von; M, Henryk. (1996) Der Spiegel, Macht Liebe, nicht Babies, English translation.
  9. ↑ Broder, Von; M, Henryk. (1996) Der Spiegel, Macht Liebe, nicht Babies, English translation.
  10. ↑ Prongo, Jark. (2013) Vanishing Point, Chris Korda y la Iglesia de la Eutanasia: save the planet, kill yourself.
  11. ↑ EnterTalkMent Archives, broadcast Aug 11, 1997.
  12. ↑ Wright, Chris. (2001) The Boston Phoenix, The Pornography of Terror.
  13. ↑ Spaink, Karin (November 12, 2002). "Chicken on the Cross "Kip aan het kruis"". spaink.com. Karin Spaink. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  14. ↑ Frankel, Todd C. (2003) St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Now even committing suicide has gone online.
  • Official website
  • Paley, Nina. (2006) Indecent Exposure. Stay Free Magazine. .
  • Dery, Mark. (2012) "Death to All Humans! The Church of Euthanasia’s Modest Proposal". In I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams, ed. by Mark Dery, pp. 240–244. University of Minnesota Press. .

Interviews with Chris Korda

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