True Crime-Paranormal-Conspiracy Theories Stories Part V #Wattys2023

Ben Klassen

Bernhardt "Ben"Klassen (February 20, 1918 (O.S. February 7, 1918) –August 6, 1993) was an American politician and white supremacistreligious leader. He founded the Church of the Creator with thepublication of his book Nature's Eternal Religion in 1973. Klassenwas openly racist, antisemitic and anti-Christian and firstpopularized the term "Racial Holy War" within theWhite Power movement.

At one point, Klassen was a RepublicanFlorida state legislator, as well as a supporter of George Wallace'spresidential campaign. In addition to his religious and politicalwork, Klassen was an electrical engineer and he was also the inventorof a wall-mounted electric can-opener. Klassen held unorthodox viewsabout dieting and health. He was a natural hygienist who opposed thegerm theory of disease as well as conventional medicine and promoteda fruitarian, raw food diet.

Early life

Klassen was born on February 20, 1918,in Rudnerweide (now Rozivka in Chernihivka Raion in ZaporizhzhiaOblast), Ukraine, to Bernhard and Susanna Klassen (née Friesen) aUkrainian Mennonite Christian couple. He had two sisters and twobrothers. When Klassen was nine months old, he caught typhoid feverand nearly died. Due to the Russian Civil War, circumstances duringhis early childhood were quite difficult. When he was five, thefamily moved to Mexico, where they lived for one year. In 1925, atage six, he moved with his family to Herschel, Saskatchewan, Canada.He attended the German-English Academy (now Rosthern Junior College).

Entrepreneurship

Klassen established a real estate firmin Los Angeles in partnership with Ben Burke. Believing that hispartner was prone to drinking and gambling, Klassen eventually boughthim out and became sole proprietor. He hired several salesmen,including Merle Peek, who convinced him to buy large land developmentprojects in Nevada. Klassen and Peek started a partnership called theSilver Springs Land Company, through which they founded the town ofSilver Springs, Nevada. In 1952, Klassen sold his share of thecompany to Phillip Hess for $150,000 and retired.

On March 26, 1956, Klassen filed anapplication with the U.S. Patent Office to patent a wall-mounted,electric can opener which he marketed as Canolectric. In partnershipwith the marketing firm Robbins & Myers, Klassen created KlassenEnterprises, Inc. In the face of competition from largermanufacturers that could provide similar products more cheaply,Klassen and his partners dissolved the company in 1962.

Political career

Klassen served Broward County in theFlorida House of Representatives from November 1966 – March 1967,running on an anti-busing, anti-government platform. He campaignedfor election to the Florida Senate in 1967, but was defeated. Thatsame year, he was vice chairman of an organization in Florida whichsupported George Wallace's presidential bid.

Klassen was a member of the John BirchSociety, at one point operating an American Opinion bookstore, butbecame disillusioned with the Society because of what he viewed asits tolerant position towards Jews. In November 1970, Klassen, alongwith Austin Davis, created the Nationalist White Party. The party'splatform was directed at White Christians and it was explicitlyreligious and racial in nature; the first sentence of the party'sfourteen-point program is "We believe that the White Race wascreated in the Image of the Lord." The logo of theNationalist White Party was a "W" with a crown and ahalo over it, and it would be used three years later as the logo ofthe Church of the Creator.