The main message of the Church of Euthanasia was pretty clear: "Save the Planet, Kill Yourself." The church was formed by Chris Korda in the 1990s, and managed to ruffle a lot of feathers before eventually disbanding.
Some people might be wondering - is the Church of Euthanasia a joke, or did they actually believe that all people should die? They were legitimately recognized as a church, and actually had an "eco-friendly" platform for the basis of their beliefs. They strongly believed that the world was overpopulated, and if people wanted to live sustainably and not destroy the environment they needed to stop reproducing. Basically the opposite of being Catholic.
The '90s were a time when euthanasia was beginning to be publicly discussed for the first time, and environmental concerns like global warming were being debated. The church could have easily engaged and had meaningful conversations with people and the media about these issues, but instead they decided to go radical and make themselves look pretty insane.
The following are policies from the now disbanded Church of Euthanasia - and it's possible you're already a member.
They Have One Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Procreate
The Church of Euthanasia has one very simple commandment: Thou shalt not procreate. It's really much easier to keep track of, as opposed to the ten commandments from the Christian faith. The church has one steadfast belief, which is that no more humans need to be made.
The Four Pillars Of The Church Are Suicide, Abortion, Cannibalism, and Sodomy
The four pillars of the Church of Euthanasia are pretty self-explanatory for most of us; or at least, suicide and abortion are (if not somewhat uncomfortable). Cannibalism and sodomy are a bit more tricky, but the church was kind enough to spell it out for anyone who is confused.
"Note that cannibalism is only required for those who insist on eating flesh, and is strictly limited to consumption of the already dead. Also note that sodomy is defined as any sexual act not intended for procreation: fellatio, cunnilingus, and anal sex are all forms of sodomy and are still illegal in some parts of the United States."
They Believe That Global Population Reduction Must Be Voluntary
The Church of Euthanasia strongly believes in restoring the balance between mankind and other animal species that inhabit the earth. They believe that this can only be done by reducing the population of humans; however, they are kind enough to insist that it be done voluntarily. The church acknowledges that epidemics and modern wars don't have much of an effect on population growth anyway, and can be very physically damaging to the planet.
Many religions begin with a central figure or leader being approached by an otherworldly figure. This figure gives them a message, which they must then spread to the world via a new faith.
In the case of the Church of Euthanasia, the leader was Chris Korda and she was confronted by an alien in a dream. This alien asked her some questions about global warming, and specifically why humans weren't doing anything about it. Korda went on to found the COE as a solution to the problem of overpopulation.
Becoming a member of the COE is easy; staying a member is much harder. According to their official website, "If you choose to not procreate, you're a member already."
However, once you procreate you are "kicked out" forever. You either get an abortion, or leave the church. It seems like a huge thing to ask of anyone, but church advisors recommend preventing the need for an abortion in the first place by following the fourth pillar - sodomy.
The COE website is very clear that once you become a member, killing yourself is strictly optional. After all, who would spread the word about the church if all the members were dead?
However, there is a brief but disturbing line on the church FAQs page regarding suicide: "If you really want to, though, wait until after you've joined the Church. That way, you automatically become a saint, without any additional paperwork." They don't really elaborate on that, but automatic sainthood without the paperwork does sound great.
