The nihilistic pseudo-religion and art movement of the 1990s.
If there’s one thing that unites the various groups who think that humanity is a disease, that we face over-population chaos and that we need to reduce the number of people on the planet dramatically and rapidly, it is a marked unwillingness to put their money – or, more accurately, their shotgun – where their mouth is. Like celebrities who believe that the rest of us should stop flying but that their international jet setting to attend parties at Cannes, or who fret over the oppressed people of the world while snorting unethically-sourced lines of coke, the hypocrisy is staggering. There’s nothing quite like being told by David Attenborough to like like mediaeval serfs while he flies across the world with a production crew to film meerkats. Lead by example, people.
In a sense, the Church of Euthanasia, formed in 1992 by (as a nervously excited piece in Frieze describes him) “anti humanist activist, software developer, vegan and musician” Chris Korda is a prime example – Korda is still very much alive at the time of writing. But we should point out that (a) the church seems as much performance art and satirical provocation as a sincere attempt to “restore the balance between humans and the remaining species on Earth” (though we’ve no doubt that the beliefs are sincere enough before anyone gets worked up) and despite some first-rate sloganeering, is perhaps more about not breeding that mass extermination. In any case, they seem a lot more fun than the humourless middle-class Luddites of Extinction Rebellion.
Back to the sloganeering – and we do like a good catchphrase and streamline. While the official slogan of the Church would seem to be “Save the Planet, Kill Yourself”, there are less challenging catchphrases available (or not, as the site currently informs us that the merch is ‘not for sale’) like “Thank You for Not Breeding” (you’re welcome!) and “Teach Masturbation” (as the safest form of non-reproductive sex). You can/could also get badges and bumper stickers with slogans like “Eat a Queer Fetus for Jesus” and “Prevent AIDS – Aim for the Chin”, which would no doubt be first-rate conversation starters.
The Church – which lists imprisoned suicide-assister Dr Jack Kevorkian and birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger as ‘Saints’, offers lifetime membership (which expired either on death or when you reproduced) and also produced videos – including the provocative 9/11/porn hybrid I Like to Watch – and music (of course). Although seemingly inactive for a long time, the Church has issued the fifth edition of fanzine Snuff It in digital format – well worth a read for nihilists everywhere – and was recently the subject of a retrospective exhibition in Paris – which was the last chance that anyone had to buy the merchandise.
For all our mocking – and as irredeemable cynics, that’s what we do, after all – we are very entertained by the Church of Euthanasia and broadly sympathetic with its contempt for the unwashed masses who clog up the world. Should Korda or other Church organisers wish to breathe new life into the CoE (blasphemy, perhaps) have a new outlet for selling their wares, we’re up for chatting.
Meanwhile, visit their site for a thorough history of this eccentric anti-human organisation.
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