White Christian Soldiers

LEADER: John Richard Favorite

USUAL AREA OF OPERATION: United States

OVERVIEW

White Christian Soldiers (WCS) is a self-proclaimed, "nondenominational activist organization dedicated to the preventative maintenance of Christian society and culture in America and around the globe." Its national director, as well as founder, is John Richard Favorite. The group also has a political component, which calls itself the Theocratic Party of America. The Southern Poverty Law Center considers WCS an extremist hate group. WCS places a large emphasis on white supremacy and fundamentalist Christian rhetoric. The group seems to use its web site as a way to draw in potential members, and it is where its specific methodology is outlined.

HISTORY

WCS was founded, and is still headed, as of 2005, by John Richard Favorite. There is not much information provided on the web site, or elsewhere, about Favorite himself, besides a letter he has written to (potential) members. The group web site is a place where possible and current members can learn about the organization, read articles, and find other materials relevant to the group's goals. The group does not claim to be white supremacist or racist, or promoting of racial, religious, or cultural hatred. However, it can be contradictory in some cases, such as when the web site claims that white people should marry other white people and that possible candidates of the group should be able to trace their European ancestry to 75% accuracy, so that there will be strong bloodlines within the group. Although the group does not claim that its members should hate those that do not fit into this mold, their exclusion from the group certainly suggests that not everyone is eligible to be a part of the organization and that group members find these people flawed in some way.

PHILOSOPHY AND TACTICS

WCS hopes to bring American politics back to its roots, and focuses on Christianity as the foundation. It places much emphasis on keeping America contained, whether through cutting funding to other countries, not sending troops to aid countries in need of support, or not trading with countries with poor environmentally sound practices. It also seeks to protect those who are of European ancestry; one example is through ridding society of affirmative action programs. The group hopes to keep immigration into the United States open to all Christians, because "The entire reasoning behind the forming of America was to allow one place in the world where Christians could live together in harmony without any outside interference from those of other religions or races." However, the group is also opposed to illegal immigration and what they perceive to be an influx of non-Europeans.

The group also has a radical agenda for health care, stating that all of the population that is HIV positive should be placed in hospitals and should not come in contact with those that do not have the disease, and women should not be able to have an abortion, unless to save their lives, or in the case of rape or incest. The organization seeks to touch many different policies.

The WCS web site does not suggest much along the lines of tactical strategy, besides hinting at political change and suggesting that Favorite be added to political ballots. However, it does provide information regarding its prison ministries, and the organization is making an effort to recruit more followers through promoting membership of prisoners and their families. The reasons given for this program are to provide a support network for these prisoners and to help them overcome their positions, and "reenter society with a positive attitude, a spirit of evangelism and a new purpose of contribution, sharing and giving to the Christian American community in realizing their role as a Christian soldier in the Army of Christ." Its main tactical strategy of spreading the word of the organization seems to be to simply draw in members through the web site.

OTHER PERSPECTIVES

There is very little coverage of WCS from the perspective of others, as well as an extreme lack of information about the group, other than on its own web site. The group does have a listing on the Southern Poverty Law Center's web site as an active hate group in the United States, as of 2004. Although there is no further commentary about the group, the fact that it is listed as a hate group suggests that the Southern Poverty Law Center disagrees with the group's own interpretation of itself as not condoning hatred.

The only support that can be provided as of 2005 are those organizations listed on WCS's own web site, such as the International Network of Prison Ministries. This network is most likely in support of WCS because of WCS's own prison ministry.

SUMMARY

White Christian Soldiers is still operating as of 2005. Although not very well known, the group's web site provides an abundance of information, and this is most likely how it obtains new members. The web site also provides names of publications that the interested public can read, as well as a letter from John Richard Favorite, encouraging more people to get involved in the organization, including those in prison. It is still building its membership and is determined that the organization be successful.

SOURCES

Web sites

International Network of Prison Ministries. 〈http://prisonministry.net/〉 (accessed October 3, 2005).

Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Project. "Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2004." 〈http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/〉 (accessed October 3, 2005).