Christian Defense League

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The Christian Defense League was founded as a white supremacist activist organization in California, and later moved to Louisiana. According to the Anti-Defamation League, they also had a paramilitary function.[1][2]

The initial history of the organization is unclear due to contradictory accounts. According to and Richard Girnt Butler, they founded the organization, with Butler being the national director from 1962-1965.[3]: 153  With the death of Wesley Swift, Butler took over as the head of Church of Jesus Christ, Christian. However, William Potter Gale claims to have started the CDL along with San Jacinto Capt sometime between 1957 and 1962, bringing in Butler and Comparet later.[4]: 67 

An introductory mailing for the Christian Defense League lead with the following

The NAACP represents the negro, the ADL represents the Jews; who represents you--the white Christian? [5]: 66 [6]: 6 

When Richard Girnt Butler left California for Idaho in 1973, leadership of the CDL passed to . Warner had previous associations with the National Socialist White People's Party as well as Odinism. When he moved to Los Angeles, he initially associated with Neo-Nazi groups, but ultimately converted to Identity.[4]: 68  Under Warner, the CDL was moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where it merged with the New Christian Crusade Church.[7] This is where most of its paramilitary activity took place.[4]: 67 

References[]

  1. ^ "Christian Identity". adl.org. Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Boylan, David (2004). "A League of Their Own: A Look Inside the Christian Defense League". www.cuban-exile.com. Updated 2004. Cuban Information Archives. Archived from the original on 2002-12-19. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Quarles, Chester L. (2014). Christian Identity: The Aryan American Bloodline Religion. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-8148-4. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Barkun, Michael (1997). Religion and the Racist Right: the Origins of the Christian Identity Movement. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-2328-7. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Levitas, Daniel (2002). The Terrorist Next Door: The Militia Movement and the Radical Right. New York, NY: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-29105-1. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  6. ^ https://archive.org/details/ChristianDefenseLeagueWPGaleAndWesleySwiftHQ62105253428pp/mode/2up
  7. ^ Kaplan, Jeffrey, ed. (2000). Encyclopedia of White Power: a Sourcebook on the Radical Racist Right. AltaMira Press. ISBN 0-7425-0340-2. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
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