Church of Euthanasia

{{Short description|Religious anti-natalist organization}}

{{use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Infobox religion

|name = Church of Euthanasia

|image = 180px

|imagewidth =

|caption = The official symbol of the Church of Euthanasia is a representation of a Greek temple with four pillars

|abbreviation = CoE

|founder = Chris Korda, Robert Kimberk

|founded_date = 1992

|founded_place = Registered in the state of Delaware

|headquarters = Boston, Massachusetts, United States

|website = {{URL|http://churchofeuthanasia.org}}

|footnotes =

}}

The Church of Euthanasia (CoE) is a religion and antinatalist activist organization founded by Chris Korda and Robert Kimberk (Pastor Kim) in Boston, Massachusetts in 1992.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{{cite journal |url=https://www.frieze.com/article/chris-korda-woman-of-future-2022-review|title=Can Chris Korda Save the Planet?|last=Simon |first=Vincent |date=July 7, 2022 |journal=Frieze|issue=230 |access-date=February 10, 2023 |quote=}} As stated on its website, it is "a non-profit educational foundation devoted to restoring balance between Humans and the remaining species on Earth."[http://churchofeuthanasia.org/coefaq.html Church of Euthanasia FAQ.] Its members affirm that 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.Harrison, Ann. (1995) The Boston Phoenix, [http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/press/phoenix2.html Virtually childless.] According to Korda, it is likely that this church is the world's only anti-human religion.Wright, Chris. (2001) The Boston Phoenix, [http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/02063812.htm The Pornography of Terror.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060402234916/http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/02063812.htm |date=2006-04-02 }}

Its most popular slogan is "Save the Planet, Kill Yourself",Grad, David. (1996) New York Press, [http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/press/david_grad.html Eat Me - Rev. Chris Korda Dines For Our Sins.] and its founding ideology is set in one commandment, "Thou Shalt not Procreate", and four main pillars: suicide ("optional but encouraged"), abortion ("may be required to avoid procreation"), cannibalism ("mandatory if you insist on eating flesh" but only if someone is already dead), and sodomy ("any sexual act not intended for procreation").{{cite news |last=Davis|first=Simon |date=October 23, 2015 |title='Save the Planet, Kill Yourself': The Contentious History of the Church of Euthanasia|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/bnppam/save-the-planet-kill-yourself-the-contentious-history-of-the-church-of-euthanasia-1022|work=Vice |location= |access-date=February 10, 2023}} The church stresses population reduction by voluntary means only,Dery, Mark. (1999) Getting It, [http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/press/dery.html Mark Dery Interviews Chris Korda.] and rejects murder and eugenics as a means of achieving it.{{cite book |last=MacCormack|first=Patricia |date=2020 |title=The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the End of the Anthropocene|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|page=144|isbn=978-1350081093|author-link=Patricia MacCormack}}

The church promotes its environmental views. They also utilize sermons, art performances, public demonstrations, culture jamming, music, publicity stunts, and direct action to promote their idea of Earth's unsustainable population. They consider their methods similar to those of the Dadaist movement,Broder, Von; M, Henryk. (1996) Der Spiegel, [http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-9123239.html Macht Liebe, nicht Babies], [http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/press/derspieg.html English translation.] finding the modern world so absurd that the means needed to spread their message to the public must be absurd themselves. The Church of Euthanasia is also notorious for its conflicts with anti-abortion Christian activists.Broder, Von; M, Henryk. (1996) Der Spiegel, [http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-9123239.html Macht Liebe, nicht Babies], [http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/press/derspieg.html English translation]. The group's slogans include "Save the Planet, Kill Yourself", "Six Billion Humans Can't Be Wrong", and "Eat a Queer Fetus for Jesus".Prongo, Jark. (2013) [http://vanishingpoint.es/ Vanishing Point], [http://vanishingpoint.es/especiales/chris-korda-y-la-iglesia-de-la-eutanasia-save-the-planet-kill-yourself Chris Korda y la Iglesia de la Eutanasia: save the planet, kill yourself.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529102040/http://vanishingpoint.es/especiales/chris-korda-y-la-iglesia-de-la-eutanasia-save-the-planet-kill-yourself/ |date=2016-05-29 }}

In its heyday the CoE claimed hundreds of official members and thousands of subscribers.{{cite book|chapter=Death to All Humans! The Church of Euthanasia’s Modest Proposal|last=Dery|first=Mark |author-link=Mark Dery|date=2012 |title=I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams|url= |location= |publisher=University of Minnesota Press|page= |isbn=978-0816677740|doi=10.5749/minnesota/9780816677733.003.0029}} Since 2015, the group has become idle but their website remains online as an archive.{{cite web |url=https://wrldrels.org/2018/09/15/14893/|title=Church of Euthanasia|last= |first= |date= |website=World Religions and Spirituality Project|publisher= |access-date= |quote=}} Some founders of the group, including Korda, continue their antinatalist activism.