172-467: Creativity , historically known as the ( World ) Church of the Creator , is an atheistic ( nontheistic ) white supremacist new religious movement espousing white separatism , antitheism , antisemitism , anti-Christian sentiment , scientific racism , homophobia , and religious / philosophical naturalism . Creativity is an openly-racist religion urging for " White pride " and has been classified as
344-606: A Southern Poverty Law Center report, in 2015, the Creativity Alliance had groups in Georgia , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , Utah and Vermont . Creativity Alliance web pages and published books stress that they make no attempt to assume or supersede the registered trademark "Church of the Creator", owned by the TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation. Randolph Dilloway, former Hasta Primus (Secretary, or second in command) of
516-773: A hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League . It was founded in Lighthouse Point, Florida , United States, by Ben Klassen as the Church of the Creator in 1973. It now has a presence in several states of the U.S. as well as Australia , Eastern Europe , and the United Kingdom . Creativity is promoted by two organizations: the Creativity Alliance ( CA also known as
688-528: A spectrum of theistic probability —the likelihood that each assigns to the statement "God exists". Before the 18th century, the existence of God was so accepted in the Western world that even the possibility of true atheism was questioned. This is called theistic innatism —the notion that all people believe in God from birth; within this view was the connotation that atheists are in denial. Some atheists have challenged
860-476: A theistic naturalism . Nevertheless, Oppy argues that a strong naturalism favors atheism, though he finds the best direct arguments against theism to be the evidential problem of evil, and arguments concerning the contradictory nature of God were one to exist. Some atheists hold the view that the various conceptions of gods, such as the personal god of Christianity, are ascribed logically inconsistent qualities. Such atheists present deductive arguments against
1032-490: A " great imitator ". People may become anxious or depressed post-diagnosis. The risk of suicide in people with cancer is approximately double. Local symptoms may occur due to the mass of the tumor or its ulceration. For example, mass effects from lung cancer can block the bronchus resulting in cough or pneumonia ; esophageal cancer can cause narrowing of the esophagus , making it difficult or painful to swallow; and colorectal cancer may lead to narrowing or blockages in
1204-528: A "closer look" it is a "completely unworkable principle" replacing it with its own "Golden Rule": What is good for the white race is the highest virtue and what is bad for the white race is the ultimate sin; racial loyalty is the greatest of all honors and racial treason is the worst of all crimes. Klassen published an additional 11 books including Expanding Creativity , Building a Whiter and Brighter World and Rahowa! This Planet Is All Ours . April Harrington (Gaede), mother of Lynx and Lamb Lingelser (Gaede) of
1376-453: A "great pioneer" and Nazism as admirable in many contexts. He developed a rapport with National Alliance leader William Luther Pierce ; he met Pierce twice in 1975, and they maintained an "on and off" relationship for the next 18 years. According to Klassen, he "never did understand the logic of what [Pierce] called his Cosmotheism religion ... it has not been of any significance as far as our common goal of promoting White racial solidarity
1548-402: A Church of Creativity adherent in Georgia and a member of the Creativity Alliance, was arrested for possession of the biological toxin ricin . Gibbs went to a hospital after he accidentally got the ricin on his hands while experimenting with it. On September 21, 2018, a Federal judge ordered Gibbs' release from Federal custody because of a technicality: ricin had been inexplicably dropped from
1720-564: A March 1994 court ruling which fined the Church of the Creator $ 1,000,000. The court also ruled that Klassen's property sale to Pierce shortly before his suicide was collusion to deny payment to Mansfield's family, ordering Pierce to return his $ 85,000 profit from the resale of the property. With the church unable to pay the outstanding balance, the SPLC sued for its dissolution to settle the remaining damages and McCarty readily agreed. Matthew F. Hale founded
1892-561: A May 13, 1982 Franklin Press headline read: "Pro-Hitler, anti-Christ Leader Headquarters Here". In August 1993, Klassen committed suicide at the age of 75 on the grounds of the Creativity headquarters in Otto by taking an overdose of sleeping pills . His motives were not explained by him at the time but writers studying neo-Nazi groups have suggested that Klassen's reason for taking his own life involved
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#17328525416152064-474: A concern. This includes that studies have not found a consistent link between mobile phone radiation and cancer risk. The vast majority of cancers are non-hereditary (sporadic). Hereditary cancers are primarily caused by an inherited genetic defect. Less than 0.3% of the population are carriers of a genetic mutation that has a large effect on cancer risk and these cause less than 3–10% of cancer. Some of these syndromes include: certain inherited mutations in
2236-405: A divine mandate is not true ethical behavior but merely blind obedience. Baggini argues that atheism is a superior basis for ethics, claiming that a moral basis external to religious imperatives is necessary to evaluate the morality of the imperatives themselves—to be able to discern, for example, that "thou shalt steal" is immoral even if one's religion instructs it—and that atheists, therefore, have
2408-418: A god either leads to moral relativism and leaves one with no moral or ethical foundation, or renders life meaningless and miserable. Blaise Pascal argued this view in his Pensées . There is also a position claiming that atheists are quick to believe in God in times of crisis, that atheists make deathbed conversions , or that " there are no atheists in foxholes ". There have, however, been examples to
2580-500: A label of practical godlessness was used at least as early as 1577. The term atheism was derived from the French athéisme , and appears in English about 1587. Atheism was first used to describe a self-avowed belief in late 18th-century Europe, specifically denoting disbelief in the monotheistic Abrahamic god . In the 20th century, globalization contributed to the expansion of
2752-416: A lost Attic drama that featured Sisyphus , which has been attributed to both Critias and Euripides , claims that a clever man invented "the fear of the gods" in order to frighten people into behaving morally. Does then anyone say there are gods in heaven? There are not, there are not, if a man is willing not to give foolish credence to the ancient story. Consider for yourselves, don't form an opinion on
2924-564: A lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements . While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they can also have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans. Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths. Another 10% are due to obesity , poor diet , lack of physical activity or excessive alcohol consumption . Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation , and environmental pollutants. Infection with specific viruses, bacteria and parasites
3096-549: A means of explanation, and opposed arguments from religious authority . Other critics of religion and the Church during this time included Niccolò Machiavelli , Bonaventure des Périers , Michel de Montaigne , and François Rabelais . Historian Geoffrey Blainey wrote that the Reformation had paved the way for atheists by attacking the authority of the Catholic Church, which in turn "quietly inspired other thinkers to attack
3268-478: A number of openly atheistic followers, such as atheistic or humanistic Judaism and Christian atheists . Atheism is accepted as a valid philosophical position within some varieties of Hinduism , Jainism , and Buddhism . Ideas that would be recognized today as atheistic are documented from the Vedic period and the classical antiquity . Atheistic schools are found in early Indian thought and have existed from
3440-566: A persistent fever . Shortness of breath, called dyspnea , is a common symptom of cancer and its treatment. The causes of cancer-related dyspnea can include tumors in or around the lung, blocked airways, fluid in the lungs, pneumonia, or treatment reactions including an allergic response . Treatment for dyspnea in patients with advanced cancer can include fans , bilevel ventilation, acupressure / reflexology and multicomponent nonpharmacological interventions . Some systemic symptoms of cancer are caused by hormones or other molecules produced by
3612-467: A persistent feature of political if not so much philosophical debate. Moral precepts such as "murder is wrong" are seen as divine laws , requiring a divine lawmaker and judge. However, many atheists argue that treating morality legalistically involves a false analogy , and that morality does not depend on a lawmaker in the same way that laws do. Philosophers Susan Neiman and Julian Baggini among others assert that behaving ethically only because of
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#17328525416153784-617: A probation violation connected to a 2010 conviction for burglary. In 1992, faced with financial and legal problems (including a civil lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center) and the death of his wife, the aging Klassen looked for a successor. Although Rudolph G. ("Butch") Stanko was favored for the position, he was imprisoned at the time. Klassen selected Charles Edward Altvater, but replaced him before he could assume leadership (possibly due to recurrent criminal charges); then chose Milwaukee neo-Nazi Mark Wilson, who ran
3956-424: A proposition; they instead place noncognitivism in its own category. Most atheists lean toward ontological monism : the belief that there is only one kind of fundamental substance. The philosophical materialism is a view that matter is the fundamental substance in nature. This omits the possibility of a non-material divine being. According to physicalism , only physical entities exist. Philosophies opposed to
4128-586: A punishable offense. During the Early Middle Ages , the Islamic world experienced a Golden Age . Along with advances in science and philosophy, Arab and Persian lands produced rationalists who were skeptical about revealed religion, such as Muhammad al Warraq (fl. 9th century), Ibn al-Rawandi (827–911), and Abu Bakr al-Razi ( c. 865 –925), as well as outspoken atheists such as al-Maʿarri (973–1058). Al-Ma'arri wrote and taught that religion itself
4300-507: A reasonable expectation of public punishment. Although Voltaire is widely considered to have strongly contributed to atheistic thinking during the Revolution, he also considered fear of God to have discouraged further disorder, having said "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." The philosopher David Hume developed a skeptical epistemology grounded in empiricism , and Immanuel Kant 's philosophy has strongly questioned
4472-539: A role. Oncoviruses (viruses that can cause human cancer) include: Bacterial infection may also increase the risk of cancer, as seen in Parasitic infections associated with cancer include: Radiation exposure such as ultraviolet radiation and radioactive material is a risk factor for cancer. Many non-melanoma skin cancers are due to ultraviolet radiation, mostly from sunlight. Sources of ionizing radiation include medical imaging and radon gas. Ionizing radiation
4644-455: A survivalist compound in Namibia . They were stopped by police, who were suspicious that their vehicle had been stolen. According to the report, while being escorted to a nearby police station they detonated a smoke bomb and attempted to escape. Police discovered their abandoned vehicle five miles away; Grobbelaar and White ambushed them. Two officers were shot, one fatally. Ron McVan, co-founder of
4816-575: A term derived from Hitler 's autobiographical manifesto Mein Kampf , wherein his classification of "races" falls into three categories, with the "white race", deemed the " Master race ", termed the "creators". Klassen attempted to recruit neo-Nazis into the church because, apart from disagreements over Nazism's embrace of Positive Christianity , its insistence on nationalism (rather than racialism), anti-Slavic and other sentiments against non-Germanic European ethnic groups, Klassen highly revered Adolf Hitler as
4988-482: Is a justified and rational true belief, but offers no extended epistemological justification because current theories are in a state of controversy. Martin instead argues for "mid-level principles of justification that are in accord with our ordinary and scientific rational practice." Other arguments for atheism that can be classified as epistemological or ontological , assert the meaninglessness or unintelligibility of basic terms such as "God" and statements such as "God
5160-669: Is a type of incandescent stone", an affirmation with which he tried to deny the divinity of the celestial bodies. In the late fifth century BCE, the Greek lyric poet Diagoras of Melos was sentenced to death in Athens under the charge of being a "godless person" (ἄθεος) after he made fun of the Eleusinian Mysteries , but he fled the city to escape punishment. In post-classical antiquity, philosophers such as Cicero and Sextus Empiricus described Diagoras as an "atheist" who categorically denied
5332-604: Is a violent religion which has killed 1,000 fellow Christians for every Christian killed by the Romans . Adherents reject Christian teachings such as the Sermon on the Mount and Christian pacifism as leading to "racial suicide" and Christianity as having been formulated by Jews to destroy the Roman Empire with Islam being a "militant religion" having been formed as a Jewish plot to "mobilize
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5504-416: Is about 2. The corresponding relative risk is 1.5 for lung cancer, and 1.9 for prostate cancer . For breast cancer, the relative risk is 1.8 with a first-degree relative having developed it at 50 years of age or older, and 3.3 when the relative developed it when being younger than 50 years of age. Taller people have an increased risk of cancer because they have more cells than shorter people. Since height
5676-405: Is all-powerful." Theological noncognitivism holds that the statement "God exists" does not express a proposition, but is nonsensical or cognitively meaningless. It has been argued both ways as to whether such individuals can be classified into some form of atheism or agnosticism. Philosophers A. J. Ayer and Theodore M. Drange reject both categories, stating that both camps accept "God exists" as
5848-446: Is an environmental factor causing approximately 16–18% of cancers worldwide. These infectious agents include Helicobacter pylori , hepatitis B , hepatitis C , human papillomavirus infection , Epstein–Barr virus , Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 , Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Merkel cell polyomavirus . Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does not directly cause cancer but it causes immune deficiency that can magnify
6020-438: Is attained through reproduction and legacy , with a cessation of consciousness of the individual at death. Creativity upholds collectivism over individualism and teaches that life and death on Earth should be viewed in a "rational, fearless manner". Members believe that the purpose of life is "the survival , expansion and advancement" of the white race with "continuance of the individual" attained through heredity and
6192-457: Is beneficial to white people is good and their belief that anything which is detrimental to white people is bad, and their belief that white people should avoid business dealings with Jews and refuse to "employ niggers or other coloreds ". Klassen's Little White Book declares that Creativity is the "one and only, true and revolutionary White racial religion", repudiating other racist religions such as Christian Identity and Wotanism . Klassen
6364-639: Is fragmentary, based largely on criticism of the ideas by other schools: "Though materialism in some form or other has always been present in India, and occasional references are found in the Vedas, the Buddhistic literature, the Epics, as well as in the later philosophical works we do not find any systematic work on materialism, nor any organized school of followers as the other philosophical schools possess. But almost every work of
6536-537: Is generally not a transmissible disease . Exceptions include rare transmissions that occur with pregnancies and occasional organ donors . However, transmissible infectious diseases such as hepatitis B , Epstein-Barr virus , Human Papilloma Virus and HIV , can contribute to the development of cancer. Exposure to particular substances have been linked to specific types of cancer. These substances are called carcinogens . Tobacco smoke , for example, causes 90% of lung cancer. Tobacco use can cause cancer throughout
6708-413: Is genetically determined to a large extent, taller people have a heritable increase of cancer risk. Some substances cause cancer primarily through their physical, rather than chemical, effects. A prominent example of this is prolonged exposure to asbestos , naturally occurring mineral fibers that are a major cause of mesothelioma (cancer of the serous membrane ) usually the serous membrane surrounding
6880-575: Is ideally conducted within two weeks after a child's birth, with both parents pledging to raise their child as a "loyal member of the White Race and faithful to the church." The confirmation ceremony is to ideally performed on the child's 13th birthday. The eulogy ceremony is up to the kin of the deceased with cremation an accepted method of disposition of the body. Klassen strove for every member to engage in recruitment and as such, granted "Ministerial Certificates" to "any legitimate White Man or Woman over
7052-445: Is inconsistent with theism. For example, Oppy says arguing for naturalism is an argument for atheism since naturalism and theism "cannot both be true". Fiona Ellis describes the "expansive naturalism" of John McDowell , James Griffin , and David Wiggins while also asserting there are things in human experience which cannot be explained in such terms, such as the concept of value, leaving room for theism. Christopher C. Knight asserts
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7224-579: Is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" Similar arguments have been made in Buddhist philosophy . Vasubandhu (4th/5th century) outlined numerous Buddhist arguments against God . Philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud have argued that God and other religious beliefs are human inventions, created to fulfill various psychological and emotional wants or needs. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels , influenced by
7396-637: Is more common in Japan due to its high-salt diet while colon cancer is more common in the United States. Immigrant cancer profiles mirror those of their new country, often within one generation. Worldwide, approximately 18% of cancer deaths are related to infectious diseases . This proportion ranges from a high of 25% in Africa to less than 10% in the developed world. Viruses are the usual infectious agents that cause cancer but bacteria and parasites may also play
7568-403: Is not inherited , such as lifestyle, economic, and behavioral factors and not merely pollution. Common environmental factors that contribute to cancer death include tobacco use (25–30%), diet and obesity (30–35%), infections (15–20%), radiation (both ionizing and non-ionizing, up to 10%), lack of physical activity , and pollution. Psychological stress does not appear to be a risk factor for
7740-474: Is not a particularly strong mutagen . Residential exposure to radon gas, for example, has similar cancer risks as passive smoking . Radiation is a more potent source of cancer when combined with other cancer-causing agents, such as radon plus tobacco smoke. Radiation can cause cancer in most parts of the body, in all animals and at any age. Children are twice as likely to develop radiation-induced leukemia as adults; radiation exposure before birth has ten times
7912-430: Is not compatible with a world where there is evil and suffering , and where divine love is hidden from many people. Epicurus is credited with first expounding the problem of evil. David Hume in his Dialogues concerning Natural Religion (1779) cited Epicurus in stating the argument as a series of questions: "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he
8084-445: Is not possible by legal means, then we must resort to the same means as our forefathers used two hundred years ago to defend their liberty, their property, their homes and their families." Creativity engages in proselytism with the stated goal of placing 10 million copies of two books, Nature's Eternal Religion and The White Man's Bible , into the hands of white people as part of its belief in "gird[ing] up for total war". It teaches
8256-403: Is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs. In early ancient Greek , the adjective átheos ( ἄθεος , from the privative ἀ- + θεός "god") meant "godless". It was first used as a term of censure roughly meaning "ungodly" or "impious". In the 5th century BCE, the word began to indicate more deliberate and active godlessness in
8428-573: Is positively correlated with irreligion. He found that there are much lower concentrations of atheism and secularity in poorer, less developed nations (particularly in Africa and South America) than in the richer industrialized democracies. His findings relating specifically to atheism in the US were that compared to religious people in the US, "atheists and secular people" are less nationalistic , prejudiced , antisemitic , racist , dogmatic , ethnocentric , closed-minded, and authoritarian, and in US states with
8600-427: Is predominantly used in the production of Teflon , is known to cause two kinds of cancer. Chemotherapy drugs such as platinum-based compounds are carcinogens that increase the risk of secondary cancers Azathioprine , an immunosuppressive medication , is a carcinogen that can cause primary tumors to develop. Diet, physical inactivity , and obesity are related to up to 30–35% of cancer deaths. In
8772-445: Is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism , which is the belief that at least one deity exists. Historically, evidence of atheistic viewpoints can be traced back to classical antiquity and early Indian philosophy. In the Western world, atheism declined after Christianity gained prominence. The 16th century and the Age of Enlightenment marked
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#17328525416158944-597: Is the conscious rejection of belief. It is usual to define atheism in terms of an explicit stance against theism. For the purposes of his paper on "philosophical atheism", Ernest Nagel contested including the mere absence of theistic belief as a type of atheism. Graham Oppy classifies as innocents those who never considered the question because they lack any understanding of what a god is, for example one-month-old babies. Philosophers such as Antony Flew and Michael Martin have contrasted positive (strong/hard) atheism with negative (weak/soft) atheism. Positive atheism
9116-602: Is the explicit affirmation that gods do not exist. Negative atheism includes all other forms of non-theism. According to this categorization, anyone who is not a theist is either a negative or a positive atheist. Michael Martin, for example, asserts that agnosticism entails negative atheism. Agnostic atheism encompasses both atheism and agnosticism. However, many agnostics see their view as distinct from atheism. According to atheists' arguments, unproven religious propositions deserve as much disbelief as all other unproven propositions. Atheist criticism of agnosticism says that
9288-517: Is the signing of an oath . The two main texts behind Creativity are Nature's Eternal Religion and The White Man's Bible , written by Klassen in 1973. The books teach that the white race is the "pinnacle of Nature's creation", "nature's finest" and outlined a foundation for a "white racial religion". Section one of the first book critiques Christianity , black people as a "plague" and Jewish people as "parasitical masters of deceit". Many biblical stories, including those of Adam and Eve , Jonah and
9460-457: Is then typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy . The risk of developing certain cancers can be reduced by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol intake, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains , vaccination against certain infectious diseases, limiting consumption of processed meat and red meat , and limiting exposure to direct sunlight. Early detection through screening
9632-418: Is unacquainted with theism is an atheist because he does not believe in a god. This category would also include the child with the conceptual capacity to grasp the issues involved, but who is still unaware of those issues. The fact that this child does not believe in god qualifies him as an atheist." Implicit atheism is "the absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it" and explicit atheism
9804-409: Is useful for cervical and colorectal cancer . The benefits of screening for breast cancer are controversial. Cancer is often treated with some combination of radiation therapy , surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy . Pain and symptom management are an important part of care. Palliative care is particularly important in people with advanced disease. The chance of survival depends on
9976-543: The Church of Creativity ), and the Creativity Movement . The two groups have common origins, both being created in 2003 after Klassen's successor Matthew F. Hale (who had renamed the organisation New Church of the Creator ) was arrested and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Creativity claims a naturalistic and racialistic worldview, based on the "survival, expansion and advancement of the White race ", according to what
10148-528: The Roman Empire , Christians were executed for their rejection of the Roman gods in general and the Imperial cult of ancient Rome in particular. There was, however, a heavy struggle between Christians and pagans, in which each group accused the other of atheism, for not practicing the religion which they considered correct. When Christianity became the state religion of Rome under Theodosius I in 381, heresy became
10320-463: The Wotansvolk racialist pagan group, was once affiliated with the Church of the Creator for two years as its second-in-command; McVan contributed articles and artwork to its periodical, Racial Loyalty , and was a martial-arts instructor for the church. Although Klassen and McVan shared anti-Christian beliefs, McVan sought a more spiritual approach and felt that Creativity needed spirituality. He moved to
10492-402: The bowel , affecting bowel habits. Masses in breasts or testicles may produce observable lumps. Ulceration can cause bleeding that can lead to symptoms such as coughing up blood (lung cancer), anemia or rectal bleeding (colon cancer), blood in the urine (bladder cancer), or abnormal vaginal bleeding (endometrial or cervical cancer). Although localized pain may occur in advanced cancer,
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#173285254161510664-584: The immune system and endocrine system . More than half of the effect from the diet is due to overnutrition (eating too much), rather than from eating too few vegetables or other healthful foods. Some specific foods are linked to specific cancers. A high-salt diet is linked to gastric cancer . Aflatoxin B1 , a frequent food contaminant, causes liver cancer. Betel nut chewing can cause oral cancer. National differences in dietary practices may partly explain differences in cancer incidence. For example, gastric cancer
10836-452: The lungs , liver , brain, and the bones . While some cancers can be cured if detected early, metastatic cancer is more difficult to treat and control. Nevertheless, some recent treatments are demonstrating encouraging results. The majority of cancers, some 90–95% of cases, are due to genetic mutations from environmental and lifestyle factors. The remaining 5–10% are due to inherited genetics . Environmental refers to any cause that
11008-576: The six hallmarks of cancer . These characteristics are required to produce a malignant tumor. They include: The progression from normal cells to cells that can form a detectable mass to cancer involves multiple steps known as malignant progression. When cancer begins, it produces no symptoms. Signs and symptoms appear as the mass grows or ulcerates . The findings that result depend on cancer's type and location. Few symptoms are specific . Many frequently occur in individuals who have other conditions. Cancer can be difficult to diagnose and can be considered
11180-460: The tumor microenvironment . Oncogenes build up an inflammatory pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. Hormones also play a role in the development of cancer by promoting cell proliferation . Insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins play a key role in cancer cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis , suggesting possible involvement in carcinogenesis. Hormones are important agents in sex-related cancers, such as cancer of
11352-562: The white genocide conspiracy theory in support of its perception that shifting population demographics is leading to miscegenation . According to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance , the Creativity Movement opposes illegal activity and violence, believing it to be counterproductive. The group's member handbook threatens expulsion from the group for members who commit crimes or encourage others to do so. Despite this,
11524-399: The "salubrious living" regimen, because he often ate red meat and ice cream ." (Klassen believed in the full-implementation of Salubrious Living as part of the "advancement-stage" goals of Creativity with the diet being a personal choice for adherents and not as a prerequisite for membership in his group.) Creativity Alliance continues to advocate Klassen's raw vegan diet and argues against
11696-423: The Creativity Alliance and founder of the defunct Smoky Mountains Church of Creativity, was an accountant for the revived National Alliance (an unaffiliated neo-Nazi group which was formerly led by William Luther Pierce , the author of The Turner Diaries ) who assessed the financial damage which was done to that organization by its past leadership. Claiming to fear for his life after he discovered (and discussed)
11868-401: The Creativity Movement is restricted to persons whose genetic heritage is "wholly or predominantly" from Europe, or members of the white race, regardless of where they reside. The leader of the entire Creativity religion is called the " Pontifex Maximus ", Latin for "Greatest Priest" and a title derived from its usage from Ancient Rome . The first Pontifex Maximus in the Creativity religion
12040-569: The Creator after Hale's arrest in 2003, there formed two distinct groups, known as "The Creativity Movement" and the "Creativity Alliance" or "Church of Creativity". An Australian man, Colin Campbell, co-founded Creativity Alliance. White separatism is fundamental to Creativity, and as such, adherents of it are taught to hate non-whites and avoid social interactions with them. Adherents of the religion are also expected to refute homosexuality , miscegenation , complaining and superstition . Membership in
12212-518: The Creator" in the United States was lost to the Church of the Creator , an unaffiliated religious organization based in Ashland, Oregon , in a trademark infringement case. In January 2003, Hale was arrested and charged with attempting to direct security chief Anthony Evola to murder judge Joan Lefkow ; he was convicted and sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment. Following the demise of the World Church of
12384-632: The Creator. Headquartered in Zion, Illinois , with a heavy concentration of Creators in Montana , and 24 regional branches, it also claims to have local branches and members "all over the world". In 2000 the Oregon-based TE-TA-MA Truth Foundation filed a lawsuit against the World Church of the Creator for using the name "Church of the Creator", since the Oregon group had trademarked and registered
12556-482: The Epicureans was to attain ataraxia ("peace of mind") and one important way of doing this was by exposing fear of divine wrath as irrational. The Epicureans also denied the existence of an afterlife and the need to fear divine punishment after death. Euhemerus ( c. 300 BCE ) published his view that the gods were only the deified rulers and founders of the past. Although not strictly an atheist, Euhemerus
12728-562: The Greek Cyrenaic school . This branch of Indian philosophy is classified as heterodox due to its rejection of the authority of Vedas and hence is not considered part of the six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy . It is noteworthy as evidence of a materialistic movement in ancient India. Satischandra Chatterjee and Dhirendramohan Datta explain in An Introduction to Indian Philosophy that our understanding of Chārvāka philosophy
12900-527: The Greek word into the Latin átheos . The term found frequent use in the debate between early Christians and Hellenists , with each side attributing it, in the pejorative sense, to the other. The term atheist (from the French athée ), in the sense of "one who ... denies the existence of God or gods", predates atheism in English, being first found as early as 1566, and again in 1571. Atheist as
13072-612: The Illinois Supreme Court refused to further consider the denial of Hale's law license, continuing "a decision by its Committee on Character and Fitness that said Hale lacked the moral character to practice law." According to Hale, the committee's denial of his law license may have provoked Benjamin Nathaniel Smith's drive-by shooting spree . On January 9, 2003, Hale was arrested and charged with attempting to direct security chief Anthony Evola to murder judge Joan Lefkow . Hale
13244-513: The New Church of the Creator in 1996, later renamed the World Church of the Creator. Hale's World Church of the Creator was a new and separate group rather than a direct successor to Ben Klassen's Church of the Creator. Until his arrest in 2003, Hale was the only Pontifex Maximus of the now-defunct World Church of the Creator. The current group known as The Creativity Movement is a white power skinhead -oriented direct successor to Hale's World Church of
13416-550: The Pacific Northwest and founded Wotan's Kindred in Portland, Oregon in 1992, saying that the group was rooted in the "genetic character and collective identity" of the white race. David Lane , McVan's associate and co-founder of Wotansvolk, drew inspiration from Creativity, particularly ideas of a "racial religion", but did not agree with Creativity's "atheistic" stance and considered himself deist . William Christopher Gibbs,
13588-745: The United States have mirrored smoking patterns, with increases in smoking followed by dramatic increases in lung cancer death rates and, more recently, decreases in smoking rates since the 1950s followed by decreases in lung cancer death rates in men since 1990. In Western Europe, 10% of cancers in males and 3% of cancers in females are attributed to alcohol exposure, especially liver and digestive tract cancers. Cancer from work-related substance exposures may cause between 2 and 20% of cases, causing at least 200,000 deaths. Cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma can come from inhaling tobacco smoke or asbestos fibers, or leukemia from exposure to benzene . Exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which
13760-479: The United States, excess body weight is associated with the development of many types of cancer and is a factor in 14–20% of cancer deaths. A UK study including data on over 5 million people showed higher body mass index to be related to at least 10 types of cancer and responsible for around 12,000 cases each year in that country. Physical inactivity is believed to contribute to cancer risk, not only through its effect on body weight but also through negative effects on
13932-488: The advantage of being more inclined to make such evaluations. Some prominent atheists—most recently Christopher Hitchens , Daniel Dennett , Sam Harris , and Richard Dawkins , and following such thinkers as Bertrand Russell , Robert G. Ingersoll , Voltaire , and novelist José Saramago —have criticized religions, citing harmful aspects of religious practices and doctrines. The 19th-century German political theorist and sociologist Karl Marx called religion "the sigh of
14104-416: The age of 16" who convinced church leadership that they were "dedicated to the noble cause of the White Race". Prospective ministers must demonstrate worthiness and pass written and oral examinations. The written exams consist of 150 questions (requiring a one-paragraph response to each) and an essay. Applicants are encouraged to request recommendations from three established ministers, and the final requirement
14276-456: The ambiguity involved in defining atheism arises from the definitions of words like deity and god . The variety of wildly different conceptions of God and deities lead to differing ideas regarding atheism's applicability. The ancient Romans accused Christians of being atheists for not worshiping the pagan deities. Gradually, this view fell into disfavor as theism came to be understood as encompassing belief in any divinity. With respect to
14448-455: The authority of the new Protestant churches". Deism gained influence in France, Prussia, and England. In 1546, French scholar Etienne Dolet was executed upon accusation of being an atheist. The philosopher Baruch Spinoza was "probably the first well known 'semi-atheist' to announce himself in a Christian land in the modern era", according to Blainey. Spinoza believed that natural laws explained
14620-542: The band Prussian Blue , was a longtime supporter of Creativity and a member of the World Church of the Creator, naming her third daughter Dresden Hale after its leader Matthew F. Hale before joining the National Alliance and then the splinter National Vanguard . Prussian Blue's song "Stand Up", written for David Lane (author of the Fourteen Words ), was part of the unreleased Free Matt Hale CD intended to support
14792-415: The basis of my words! Protagoras has sometimes been taken to be an atheist, but rather espoused agnostic views, commenting that "Concerning the gods I am unable to discover whether they exist or not, or what they are like in form; for there are many hindrances to knowledge, the obscurity of the subject and the brevity of human life." The Athenian public associated Socrates ( c. 470–399 BCE ) with
14964-400: The belief that American culture is becoming "more decadent", citing an increase in the number of " black crimes , the growing acceptance of homosexuality , interracial marriage , increasing drug use , and the lack of racial identity among white people" as evidence of its increasing decadence. According to the Anti-Defamation League , members believe that Jewish people are working towards
15136-414: The body (such as through inhalation) and require years of exposure to produce cancer. Physical trauma resulting in cancer is relatively rare. Claims that breaking bones resulted in bone cancer, for example, have not been proven. Similarly, physical trauma is not accepted as a cause for cervical cancer, breast cancer or brain cancer. One accepted source is frequent, long-term application of hot objects to
15308-404: The body including in the mouth and throat, larynx , esophagus , stomach, bladder, kidney, cervix, colon/rectum, liver and pancreas . Tobacco smoke contains over fifty known carcinogens, including nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons . Tobacco is responsible for about one in five cancer deaths worldwide and about one in three in the developed world. Lung cancer death rates in
15480-401: The body. It is possible that repeated burns on the same part of the body, such as those produced by kanger and kairo heaters (charcoal hand warmers ), may produce skin cancer, especially if carcinogenic chemicals are also present. Frequent consumption of scalding hot tea may produce esophageal cancer. Generally, it is believed that cancer arises, or a pre-existing cancer is encouraged, during
15652-527: The breast, endometrium , prostate, ovary and testis and also of thyroid cancer and bone cancer . For example, the daughters of women who have breast cancer have significantly higher levels of estrogen and progesterone than the daughters of women without breast cancer. These higher hormone levels may explain their higher risk of breast cancer, even in the absence of a breast-cancer gene. Similarly, men of African ancestry have significantly higher levels of testosterone than men of European ancestry and have
15824-461: The charges of atheism at his trial. From a survey of these 5th-century BCE philosophers, David Sedley has concluded that none of them openly defended radical atheism, but since Classical sources clearly attest to radical atheist ideas Athens probably had an "atheist underground". Religious skepticism continued into the Hellenistic period , and from this period the most important Greek thinker in
15996-402: The church from July 1992 to January 1993. Klassen abruptly replaced Wilson with Richard McCarty, working to establish McCarty in the Creativity community, before selling most of the church's property to the National Alliance's William Luther Pierce for $ 100,000. Pierce quickly sold the property to an unaffiliated third party for $ 185,000. Shortly before and during McCarty's leadership, Creativity
16168-484: The consequent prejudice that warps his mind, that prevents its expansion, that renders him the slave of fiction, appears to doom him to continual error." In Great Britain, William Hammon and physician Mathew Turner authored a pamphlet in response to Joseph Priestley 's Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever . Theirs was the first work in English to openly defend atheism, and implied that established sentiment of Christianity made speaking up in defense of atheism an act with
16340-412: The contrary, among them examples of literal "atheists in foxholes". There exist normative ethical systems that do not require principles and rules to be given by a deity. According to Plato's Euthyphro dilemma , the role of the gods in determining right from wrong is either unnecessary or arbitrary. The argument that morality must be derived from God , and cannot exist without a wise creator, has been
16512-509: The criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo." Sam Harris criticizes Western religion's reliance on divine authority as lending itself to authoritarianism and dogmatism . Multiple studies have discovered there to be a correlation between religious fundamentalism and extrinsic religion (when religion is held because it serves ulterior interests) and authoritarianism, dogmatism, and prejudice. These arguments—combined with historical events that are argued to demonstrate
16684-682: The dangers of religion, such as the Crusades , inquisitions , witch trials , and terrorist attacks —have been used in response to claims of beneficial effects of belief in religion. Believers counter-argue that some regimes that espouse atheism , such as the Soviet Union , have also been guilty of mass murder. In response to those claims, atheists such as Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have stated that Stalin's atrocities were influenced not by atheism but by dogmatic ideology, and that while Stalin and Mao happened to be atheists, they did not do their deeds in
16856-587: The death of Ben Klassen. In 2017, Burdi returned to the White nationalist scene, though not to the Creativity religion itself. Several years after Klassen's 1993 death, white supremacist Matthew Hale founded the New Church of the Creator (later the World Church of the Creator). Hale made national news when he was denied admission to the Illinois State Bar on three occasions due to his racist beliefs. On November 12, 1999,
17028-457: The developing world. The global total economic costs of cancer were estimated at US$ 1.16 trillion (equivalent to $ 1.62 trillion in 2023) per year as of 2010 . The word comes from the ancient Greek [καρκίνος] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) , meaning 'crab' and 'tumor'. Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen , among others, noted the similarity of crabs to some tumors with swollen veins. The word
17200-499: The development of atheism was the philosopher Epicurus ( c. 300 BCE ). Drawing on the ideas of Democritus and the Atomists, he espoused a materialistic philosophy according to which the universe was governed by the laws of chance without the need for divine intervention (see scientific determinism ). Although Epicurus still maintained that the gods existed, he believed that they were uninterested in human affairs. The aim of
17372-489: The divine essence could not be intuitively or rationally apprehended by human intellect. Sects deemed heretical such as the Waldensians were also accused of being atheistic. The resulting division between faith and reason influenced later radical and reformist theologians. The Renaissance did much to expand the scope of free thought and skeptical inquiry. Individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci sought experimentation as
17544-416: The early 1990s, is considered a suitable way to die. Klassen was buried on his Creativity headquarters at Otto with his grave in an area that he had already previously designated as "Ben Klassen Memorial Park". In 1996, Matthew F. Hale , along with other ministers of the original Church of the Creator, formed a successor group known as the "World Church of the Creator". Hale's right to use the name "Church of
17716-455: The effect. Medical use of ionizing radiation is a small but growing source of radiation-induced cancers. Ionizing radiation may be used to treat other cancers, but this may, in some cases, induce a second form of cancer. It is also used in some kinds of medical imaging . Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can lead to melanoma and other skin malignancies. Clear evidence establishes ultraviolet radiation, especially
17888-730: The enslavement of all races, and in particular, they believe that the Jews are working towards the "mongrelization of the white race". During the early 2000s, the group was encouraged to move to Central Illinois in order to establish a "Creativity bastion" (i.e., a place where Creators are the majority demographic). Klassen was a natural hygienist who recommended a strict fruitarian and raw vegan diet known as "Salubrious Living" which consisted of organically grown fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables. He commented that food should be "uncooked, unprocessed, unpreserved and not tampered with in any other way. This further means it must be organically grown without
18060-411: The errors, Dilloway contacted police and the SPLC and he also furnished them with documents in which he alleged that members of the National Alliance committed fraud and embezzlement . Atheism Atheism , in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities . Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism
18232-516: The existence of God, which assert the incompatibility between certain traits, such as perfection, creator-status, immutability , omniscience , omnipresence , omnipotence , omnibenevolence , transcendence , personhood (a personal being), non-physicality, justice , and mercy . Theodicean atheists believe that the world as they experience it cannot be reconciled with the qualities commonly ascribed to God and gods by theologians. They argue that an omniscient , omnipotent , and omnibenevolent God
18404-535: The existence of gods but on the theist to provide a rationale for theism. Writers disagree on how best to define and classify atheism , contesting what supernatural entities are considered gods, whether atheism is a philosophical position or merely the absence of one, and whether it requires a conscious, explicit rejection; however, the norm is to define atheism in terms of an explicit stance against theism. Atheism has been regarded as compatible with agnosticism , but has also been contrasted with it. Some of
18576-458: The existence of gods, recommending that one should suspend judgment regarding the matter. His relatively large volume of surviving works had a lasting influence on later philosophers. The meaning of "atheist" changed over the course of classical antiquity. Early Christians were widely reviled as "atheists" because they did not believe in the existence of the Graeco-Roman deities. During
18748-500: The existence of the gods, but in modern scholarship Marek Winiarczyk has defended the view that Diagoras was not an atheist in the modern sense, in a view that has proved influential. On the other hand, the verdict has been challenged by Tim Whitmarsh , who argues that Diagoras rejected the gods on the basis of the problem of evil , and this argument was in turn alluded to in Euripides' fragmentary play Bellerophon . A fragment from
18920-654: The expulsion of many clerics from France, lasting until the Thermidorian Reaction . The radical Jacobins seized power in 1793. The Jacobins were deists and introduced the Cult of the Supreme Being as a new French state religion. Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors , which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include
19092-445: The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 with a more than 75% risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer , and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC or Lynch syndrome), which is present in about 3% of people with colorectal cancer , among others. Statistically for cancers causing most mortality, the relative risk of developing colorectal cancer when a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) has been diagnosed with it
19264-461: The group classifies as the "eternal laws of nature, the experience of history, on logic and common sense". Members of the group believe in a " racial holy war " between "white and non-white races", such as Jews , black people , and mixed-race people . The religion was originally founded as the "Church of the Creator" by Ben Klassen in 1973, when he self-published Nature's Eternal Religion . Adherents of Creativity refer to themselves as Creators ,
19436-442: The group has been connected to multiple religiously- and racially-motivated violent crimes. Members of the group view "racial holy war" (Rahowa) as a religious war of racial self-defense. The White Man's Bible states the belief that a Zionist Occupational Government will prevent Creativity from being promoted legally, and tells its readers that "when that stage arrives (and we can well expect that our Jewish tyrants will push us to
19608-411: The highest percentages of atheists, the murder rate is lower than average. In the most religious states, the murder rate is higher than average. Joseph Baker and Buster Smith assert that one of the common themes of atheism is that most atheists "typically construe atheism as more moral than religion". One of the most common criticisms of atheism has been to the contrary: that denying the existence of
19780-584: The incarcerated Hale. Lamb and Lynx Gaede have denounced the movement, saying that they never chose it and were controlled by their mother. Craig Cobb, who operated the video-sharing website Podblanc, has attempted to take over small towns in the Midwestern United States . He tried to establish an enclave in North Dakota and rename it "Trump Creativity" or "Creativity Trump" for Donald Trump . A church building purchased by Cobb to establish an enclave
19952-479: The initial tumor is usually painless. Some cancers can cause a buildup of fluid within the chest or abdomen . Systemic symptoms may occur due to the body's response to the cancer. This may include fatigue, unintentional weight loss, or skin changes. Some cancers can cause a systemic inflammatory state that leads to ongoing muscle loss and weakness, known as cachexia . Some cancers, such as Hodgkin's disease , leukemias , and liver or kidney cancers , can cause
20124-405: The lack of evidence , the problem of evil , the argument from inconsistent revelations , the rejection of concepts that cannot be falsified , and the argument from nonbelief . Nonbelievers contend that atheism is a more parsimonious position than theism and that everyone is born without beliefs in deities; therefore, they argue that the burden of proof lies not on the atheist to disprove
20296-426: The legacy left to future generations . Whereas Klassen was classified as an atheist , and Creativity has been labelled atheistic by the press, he objected to the usage of the term considering it a derogatory smear word without meaning employed by believers in what he termed "non-existent spooks in the sky" while stating that the "organized atheist movements" lacked any "positive creed and program of its own to replace
20468-403: The limit), then we must again plan our actions accordingly—and deliberately, carefully and ruthlessly", calling for readers to, "use any means, legal or otherwise, available to us for our own survival," leading to the hunting down and eliminating of the group's "tormentors". The religion has several holidays. Creators are encouraged to observe them, spending time with their families and friends of
20640-462: The list of illegal biological toxins which are known as "select agents" due to changes in the 2004 law and edits to regulations in 2005. The judge did not rule out the possibility that Gibbs could be potentially convicted under another Federal law. Gibbs continued to be incarcerated in the Fannin County, Georgia jail under a misdemeanor charge of reckless conduct which stemmed from his 2017 arrest and
20812-441: The lungs. Other substances in this category, including both naturally occurring and synthetic asbestos-like fibers, such as wollastonite , attapulgite , glass wool and rock wool , are believed to have similar effects. Non-fibrous particulate materials that cause cancer include powdered metallic cobalt and nickel and crystalline silica ( quartz , cristobalite and tridymite ). Usually, physical carcinogens must get inside
20984-708: The materialism or physicalism include idealism , dualism and other forms of monism. Naturalism is also used to describe the view that everything that exists is fundamentally natural, and that there are no supernatural phenomena. According to naturalist view, science can explain the world with physical laws and through natural phenomena. Philosopher Graham Oppy references a PhilPapers survey that says 56.5% of philosophers in academics lean toward physicalism; 49.8% lean toward naturalism. According to Graham Oppy, direct arguments for atheism aim at showing theism fails on its own terms, while indirect arguments are those inferred from direct arguments in favor of something else that
21156-400: The modern sense was extremely rare in ancient Greece. Pre-Socratic Atomists such as Democritus attempted to explain the world in a purely materialistic way and interpreted religion as a human reaction to natural phenomena, but did not explicitly deny the gods' existence. Anaxagoras , whom Irenaeus calls "the atheist", was accused of impiety and condemned for stating that "the sun
21328-545: The mud races" to invade and conquer Europe. They reject the exhortation in the Bible's Matthew 5:44 to "love one's enemies", believing that enemies should be hated, if not destroyed. In section two of the first text, Klassen went about laying the foundation for a "racial religion" to "replace Christ-Insanity" (as he referred to Christianity). In it, members are to reject the Golden Rule , saying that it does not make "good sense" and at
21500-432: The name in 1982. U.S. District Court Judge Joan Lefkow ruled for the World Church of the Creator. In December 2002, the World Church of the Creator was fined $ 1,000 for each day it continued using the old name. Further appeals were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. Hale was charged with contempt of court and soliciting the murder of judge Joan Lefkow, and sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment on April 6, 2005. Bill White
21672-417: The name of atheism. People who self-identify as atheists are often assumed to be irreligious , but some sects within major religions reject the existence of a personal, creator deity . It has been said that atheism is not mutually exclusive with respect to some religious and spiritual belief systems, including modern Neopagan movements. In recent years, certain religious denominations have accumulated
21844-402: The need for the term "atheism". In his book Letter to a Christian Nation , Sam Harris wrote: In fact, "atheism" is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a "non- astrologer " or a "non- alchemist ". We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattle. Atheism
22016-496: The non-ionizing medium wave UVB , as the cause of most non-melanoma skin cancers , which are the most common forms of cancer in the world. Non-ionizing radio frequency radiation from mobile phones, electric power transmission and other similar sources has been described as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization 's International Agency for Research on Cancer . Evidence, however, has not supported
22188-462: The onset of cancer, though it may worsen outcomes in those who already have cancer. Environmental or lifestyle factors that caused cancer to develop in an individual can be identified by analyzing mutational signatures from genomic sequencing of tumor DNA. For example, this can reveal if lung cancer was caused by tobacco smoke, if skin cancer was caused by UV radiation, or if secondary cancers were caused by previous chemotherapy treatment. Cancer
22360-436: The oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people ". He goes on to say, "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo,
22532-425: The original is called the primary tumor. Almost all cancers can metastasize. Most cancer deaths are due to cancer that has metastasized. Metastasis is common in the late stages of cancer and it can occur via the blood or the lymphatic system or both. The typical steps in metastasis are: Different types of cancers tend to metastasize to particular organs. Overall, the most common places for metastases to occur are
22704-467: The other schools states, for refutation, the materialistic views. Our knowledge of Indian materialism is chiefly based on these." Other Indian philosophies generally regarded as atheistic include Classical Samkhya and Purva Mimamsa . The rejection of a personal creator "God" is also seen in Jainism and Buddhism in India. Western atheism has its roots in pre-Socratic Greek philosophy , but atheism in
22876-401: The possible depression caused by the death of his wife, the legal and financial issues his church endured during the years 1992 and 1993 leading up to his death and the fact he was diagnosed with cancer . Unlike other religions such as Judaism or Christianity , Klassen's Creativity religion does not believe that suicide is a sin and in circumstances such as that faced by its founder Klassen in
23048-869: The previous decade increases of 26% and 21%, respectively. The most common types of cancer in males are lung cancer , prostate cancer , colorectal cancer , and stomach cancer . In females, the most common types are breast cancer , colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer . If skin cancer other than melanoma were included in total new cancer cases each year, it would account for around 40% of cases. In children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors are most common, except in Africa, where non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurs more often. In 2012, about 165,000 children under 15 years of age were diagnosed with cancer. The risk of cancer increases significantly with age, and many cancers occur more commonly in developed countries. Rates are increasing as more people live to an old age and as lifestyle changes occur in
23220-403: The process of healing, rather than directly by the trauma. However, repeated injuries to the same tissues might promote excessive cell proliferation, which could then increase the odds of a cancerous mutation. Chronic inflammation has been hypothesized to directly cause mutation. Inflammation can contribute to proliferation, survival, angiogenesis and migration of cancer cells by influencing
23392-446: The purpose of controlling their minds and worldly affairs and extracting the utmost financial gain from them." The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies Creativity as a neo-Nazi ideology . According to Klassen, Creativity is not a rehash of Nazism ; as evidence of this fact, he listed eight differences which exist between the two political ideologies. He adopted the phrase "racial socialism" to describe his political ideology. Klassen
23564-662: The range of phenomena being rejected, atheism may counter anything from the existence of a deity, to the existence of any spiritual , supernatural , or transcendental concepts. Definitions of atheism also vary in the degree of consideration a person must put to the idea of gods to be considered an atheist. Atheism has been defined as the absence of belief that any deities exist. This broad definition would include newborns and other people who have not been exposed to theistic ideas. As far back as 1772, Baron d'Holbach said that "All children are born Atheists; they have no idea of God." Similarly, George H. Smith suggested that: "The man who
23736-527: The religion: Creativity has four life cycle ceremonies : The Creator Wedding Ceremony , the Creator Child Pledging Ceremony , the Ceremony of Confirmation of Loyalty to the White Race , and The Saying of Goodbyes to our Departed Brethren . Ceremonies are performed by church ministers. At a wedding , the bride and groom exchange vows before "Nature" and the congregation. The pledging ceremony
23908-511: The resurgence of atheistic thought in Europe. Atheism achieved a significant position worldwide in the 20th century. Estimates of those who have an absence of belief in a god range from 500 million to 1.1 billion people . Atheist organizations have defended the autonomy of science , freedom of thought , secular ethics and secularism . Arguments for atheism range from philosophical to social approaches. Rationales for not believing in deities include
24080-618: The risk due to other infections, sometimes up to several thousand fold (in the case of Kaposi's sarcoma ). Importantly, vaccination against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus have been shown to nearly eliminate risk of cancers caused by these viruses in persons successfully vaccinated prior to infection. These environmental factors act, at least partly, by changing the genes of a cell. Typically, many genetic changes are required before cancer develops. Approximately 5–10% of cancers are due to inherited genetic defects. Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or screening tests. It
24252-418: The sense of "severing relations with the gods" or "denying the gods". The term ἀσεβής ( asebēs ) then came to be applied against those who impiously denied or disrespected the local gods, even if they believed in other gods. Modern translations of classical texts sometimes render átheos as "atheistic". As an abstract noun, there was also ἀθεότης ( atheotēs ), "atheism". Cicero transliterated
24424-499: The supernatural... [not giving] credence to, or playing silly games with imaginary spooks, spirits, gods and demons." Members do not believe that Nature is a conscious entity, but hold to a naturalistic pantheist view of "everything [is] in Nature "—"the whole cosmos, the total universe, including its millions of natural laws through space and time". Members reject the concept of an afterlife believing that individual genetic "immortality"
24596-503: The superstitions it seeks to destroy" while stating that most of the atheist movements in existence at the time did not take any pro-white racial stance and that many of them were under "heavy Jewish influence" . Citing commonality, Klassen stated that both "atheism and Creativity deplore and denounce any and all supernatural beliefs, claims and superstitions. We do not believe in gods, devils, spooks, spirits, heaven or hell. We denounce all such hocus-pocus as being invented by men, largely for
24768-450: The term to refer to disbelief in all deities, though it remains common in Western society to describe atheism as "disbelief in God". Skepticism , based on the ideas of David Hume , asserts that certainty about anything is impossible, so one can never know for sure whether or not a god exists. Hume, however, held that such unobservable metaphysical concepts should be rejected as "sophistry and illusion". Michael Martin argues that atheism
24940-516: The times of the historical Vedic religion . Among the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, Samkhya , the oldest philosophical school of thought, does not accept God, and the early Mimamsa also rejected the notion of God. The thoroughly materialistic and anti-theistic philosophical Chārvāka (or Lokāyata ) school that originated in India around the 6th century BCE is probably the most explicitly atheistic school of philosophy in India, similar to
25112-452: The trends in pre-Socratic philosophy towards naturalistic inquiry and the rejection of divine explanations for phenomena. Aristophanes ' comic play The Clouds (performed 423 BCE) portrays Socrates as teaching his students that the traditional Greek deities do not exist. Socrates was later tried and executed under the charge of not believing in the gods of the state and instead worshipping foreign gods. Socrates himself vehemently denied
25284-400: The tumor, known as paraneoplastic syndromes . Common paraneoplastic syndromes include hypercalcemia , which can cause altered mental state , constipation and dehydration, or hyponatremia , which can also cause altered mental status, vomiting, headaches, or seizures. Metastasis is the spread of cancer to other locations in the body. The dispersed tumors are called metastatic tumors, while
25456-461: The type of cancer and extent of disease at the start of treatment. In children under 15 at diagnosis, the five-year survival rate in the developed world is on average 80%. For cancer in the United States, the average five-year survival rate is 66% for all ages. In 2015, about 90.5 million people worldwide had cancer. In 2019, annual cancer cases grew by 23.6 million people, and there were 10 million deaths worldwide, representing over
25628-572: The unprovability of a god's existence does not imply an equal probability of either possibility. Australian philosopher J.J.C. Smart argues that "sometimes a person who is really an atheist may describe herself, even passionately, as an agnostic because of unreasonable generalized philosophical skepticism which would preclude us from saying that we know anything whatever, except perhaps the truths of mathematics and formal logic." Consequently, some atheist authors, such as Richard Dawkins , prefer distinguishing theist, agnostic, and atheist positions along
25800-432: The use of all drugs , including "artificial medications", in favor of "natural remedies". Creativity members are purported to follow their own anti-Semitic version of "kosher" dietary laws in which pork, shellfish and catfish are strictly forbidden. Creativity rejects supernaturalism , affirming a metaphysical naturalist worldview. According to its founder Ben Klassen, a member is "not superstitious and disdains belief in
25972-540: The use of chemicals." Klassen argued that humans are frugivores and distinguished his fruitarian diet to vegetarianism . In his book The White Man's Bible , he stated that "we are not recommending a vegetarian diet but a frugitarian diet", which included nuts and seeds as a supply of protein. However, Klassen himself did not follow all the rules of his health regime. Historian George Michael has noted that "despite his advocacy of healthy nutrition, some of his associates claimed that in practice Klassen did not actually follow
26144-575: The very possibility of metaphysical knowledge. Both philosophers undermined the metaphysical basis of natural theology and criticized classical arguments for the existence of God . One goal of the French Revolution was a restructuring and subordination of the clergy with respect to the state through the Civil Constitution of the Clergy . Attempts to enforce it led to anti-clerical violence and
26316-453: The whale and the resurrection of Jesus , are critiqued extensively in successive books penned by Klassen. The historicity of Jesus is denied, with Klassen affirming his belief in the Christ myth theory , a fringe ideology which claims that Jesus , the founder and central figure of Christianity was not a historical figure but was instead a fictional character. According to Creativity, Christianity
26488-425: The white working class: "All [white] members of the national or racial community ... had an important role to play." Klassen urged members of Creativity to "work feverishly and aggressively to organize politically, to distribute literature on behalf of the White Race, to promote and foster White solidarity, and to get control of the government and the political machinery of the state by legal means if possible. If this
26660-479: The word in Webster's dictionary I found the term 'nigger' very descriptive: 'a vulgar, offensive term of hostility and contempt for the black man'. I can't think of anything that defines better and more accurately what our position... should be... If we are going to be for racial integrity and racial purity... we must take a hostile position toward the nigger. We must give him nothing but contempt." The religion advocates
26832-690: The work of Feuerbach, argued that belief in God and religion are social functions, used by those in power to oppress the working class. According to Mikhail Bakunin , "the idea of God implies the abdication of human reason and justice; it is the most decisive negation of human liberty, and necessarily ends in the enslavement of mankind, in theory, and practice." He reversed Voltaire 's aphorism that if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him, writing instead that "if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him." Sociologist Phil Zuckerman analyzed previous social science research on secularity and non-belief and concluded that societal well-being
27004-450: The workings of the universe. In 1661, he published his Short Treatise on God . Criticism of Christianity became increasingly frequent in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in France and England. Some Protestant thinkers, such as Thomas Hobbes , espoused a materialist philosophy and skepticism toward supernatural occurrences. By the late 17th century, deism came to be openly espoused by intellectuals. The first known explicit atheist
27176-554: Was "burned to the ground" in Nome, North Dakota . George Burdi, also known as George Eric Hawthorne, was lead singer of the Canadian metal band RaHoWa, leader of the Toronto branch of the Church of the Creator, and founder of Resistance Records. He was convicted of assault, and claimed he renounced racism after serving time in prison. Burdi has been credited with a role in Creativity's survival after
27348-420: Was Klassen himself. Creativity has "Sixteen Commandments" and "Five Fundamental Beliefs", which adherents are supposed to recite five times a day, including the belief that "their race is their religion", their belief that the white race is "nature's finest creation", their belief that racial loyalty is the "greatest honor" and their belief that racial treason is the "worst crime", their belief that anything which
27520-420: Was a "fable invented by the ancients" and that humans were "of two sorts: those with brains, but no religion, and those with religion, but no brains". Despite the fact that these authors were relatively prolific writers, little of their work survives, mainly being preserved through quotations and excerpts in later works by Muslim apologists attempting to refute them. In Europe, the espousal of atheistic views
27692-484: Was a prominent figure in the French Enlightenment who is best known for his atheism and for his voluminous writings against religion, the most famous of them being The System of Nature (1770) but also Christianity Unveiled . "The source of man's unhappiness is his ignorance of Nature. The pertinacity with which he clings to blind opinions imbibed in his infancy, which interweave themselves with his existence,
27864-507: Was a racist who hated all black people and was very open about his contempt for blacks. In public discourse as well as in his writings, Klassen consistently referred to black people with the racial slur " nigger " and required that all followers of his religion use that word to refer to blacks rather than non-derogatory terms such as "black" or " African American ". Klassen also condemned other racists who used less offensive terms such as " negro ", stating in print that "Furthermore, in looking up
28036-466: Was concerned." In Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs , Klassen called Pierce "a great man and an outstanding intellectual thinker, and ... one of us." In 1982, Klassen established a Creativity headquarters in Otto, North Carolina . Although his family expected resistance from local residents, Klassen wrote: "We were not quite prepared for the viciousness of the onslaught by the local paper." Opposition grew, and
28208-634: Was convicted of threatening a juror in the Matthew Hale case and sentenced to 42 months in prison. In early 2017, a group which referred to itself as the "Guardians of the Faith Committee" of the Creativity Movement elected James Costello of England as its "Pontifex Maximus". Costello was convicted of inciting racial hatred in November 2023, and he was sentenced to serve a 5 year prison term. Australian man Cailen Cambeul, formerly known as Colin Campbell,
28380-507: Was critical of democracy and advocated meritocracy , believing that effective leaders should rule. Under racial socialism, "whites would work together toward common goals but without the massive economic planning in the style of the Soviet Gosplan ". He supported a limited market economy , believing that social and economic activities should be in the best interests of white people. Klassen criticized "leftist proclivities" to recruit from
28552-707: Was found guilty of four of five counts (one count of solicitation of murder and three counts of obstruction of justice) on April 26, 2004; in April 2005, he was sentenced to 40 years in a Federal penitentiary. Johannes Grobbelaar and Jurgen White, Afrikaner Creators and members of the National Socialist Partisans (the paramilitary branch of the Blanke Bevrydingsbeweging ), were killed in a November 1991 gun battle with South African police near Upington while attempting to smuggle weapons and explosives into
28724-427: Was introduced in English in the modern medical sense around 1600. Cancers comprise a large family of diseases that involve abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. They form a subset of neoplasms . A neoplasm or tumor is a group of cells that have undergone unregulated growth and will often form a mass or lump, but may be distributed diffusely. All tumor cells show
28896-406: Was later criticized by Plutarch for having "spread atheism over the whole inhabited earth by obliterating the gods". In the 3rd century BCE, the Hellenistic philosophers Theodorus Cyrenaicus and Strato of Lampsacus were also reputed to deny the existence of the gods. The Pyrrhonist philosopher Sextus Empiricus ( c. 200 CE ) compiled a large number of ancient arguments against
29068-628: Was plagued with legal problems; members were arrested for conspiracy, unlawful firearms possession and their association with the July 1993 firebombing of an NAACP building in Tacoma, Washington . McCarty struggled to keep the group unified. The lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), seeking damages related to the May 1991 murder of Harold Mansfield, Jr. by Creator George Loeb, finally led to
29240-537: Was rare during the Early Middle Ages and Middle Ages (see Medieval Inquisition ). There were, however, movements within this period that furthered heterodox conceptions of the Christian god, including differing views of the nature, transcendence, and knowability of God. William of Ockham inspired anti-metaphysical tendencies with his nominalist limitation of human knowledge to singular objects, and asserted that
29412-614: Was the German critic of religion Matthias Knutzen in his three writings of 1674. He was followed by two other explicit atheist writers, the Polish ex-Jesuit philosopher Kazimierz Łyszczyński (who most likely authored the world's first treatise on the non-existence of God ) and in the 1720s by the French priest Jean Meslier . In the course of the 18th century, other openly atheistic thinkers followed, such as Baron d'Holbach , Jacques-André Naigeon , and other French materialists . Baron d'Holbach
29584-825: Was the co-founder of the Creativity Alliance in 2003. In 2017 Joseph Esposito was appointed the Pontifex Maximus (Elect) of the Creativity Alliance (Church of Creativity Oregon ). For a short period of time, the Creativity Alliance was known as the White Crusaders of the Rahowa (WCOTR), which was founded by former World Church of the Creator Members after Hale's arrest in 2003. Esposito in Oregon (but formerly of Florida), and another former Klassen supporter, George Loeb in Florida, are each serving extended prison sentences. According to
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