Ben Klassen

Bernhardt "Ben" Klassen ((1918-02-20)February 20, 1918 (O.S. February 7, 1918) (1993-08-06)August 6, 1993) was an American politician and white supremacist 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.

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.
35.0600921°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

Klassen was a Republican Florida state legislator, 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. 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.

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