Editing Nation of Yahweh

{{short description|Predominantly African American religious movement}}
{{Black Hebrews}}
'''The Nation of Yahweh''' is a [[Black Hebrew Israelites|Black Hebrew Israelite]] religious movement which was founded in 1979 in [[Miami]] by [[Hulon Mitchell Jr.]], who went by the name [[Yahweh ben Yahweh]]. ([[Yahweh]] is one of the proper names of the Abrahamic god, so Yahweh ben Yahweh essentially means "God, son of God".) Its goal is to move African Americans, who it believes are the original [[Israelites]], to [[Israel]]. The group accepts Yahweh ben Yahweh as the [[Son of God]]. In this way, its beliefs are unique and distinct from those of other [[Black Hebrew Israelite]] groups.<ref name="Gallagher">{{cite book |title= The New Religious Movements Experience in America |last=Gallagher |first=Eugene V. |author-link=Eugene Gallagher |year=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=0-313-32807-2 |page=149 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=811 |title=Rebirth of A Nation |access-date=2008-01-20 |publisher=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]] }}</ref>

Its founder, Hulon Mitchell, was indicted on federal [[racketeering]] and [[extortion]] charges and convicted of [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy to commit murder]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/us/09yahweh.html|title=Yahweh ben Yahweh, Leader of Separatist Sect, Dies at 71|first=Douglas|last=Martin|work=The New York Times |date=May 9, 2007|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
The group is classified as a [[black supremacist]] [[cult]] by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]<ref name=SPLCP&P>{{cite web |author=Mark Potok |title=Popularity and Populism |work=Intelligence Report |publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2001/popularity-and-populism |date=November 29, 2001 |access-date=July 9, 2016}}</ref> and as a cult by ''[[The Miami Herald]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/photos/4069358.htm|title=Staff's work has won 17 Pulitzer Prizes: 1991 |website=[[Miami.com]] |date =September 15, 2002 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040407113257/http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/photos/4069358.htm | archive-date=April 7, 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The organization describes itself as follows: "In 1979, Yahweh Ben Yahweh came to Miami and became the Spiritual Leader and Founder of The Nation of Yahweh. Although he took a vow of poverty, in seven years he guided The Nation to amass a $250,000,000 empire. Under his direction, The Nation has grown to encompass disciples, followers, and supporters in over 1,300 cities within the U.S. and 16 other countries."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yahwehbenyahweh.com|title=Yahweh Ben Yahweh|website=www.yahwehbenyahweh.com|access-date=12 September 2018}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=April 2023|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).}}

==Criticism==
The [[Southern Poverty Law Center|SPLC]] has criticized the beliefs of the Nation of Yahweh as [[Racism|racist]], stating that the group believes that [[Black people]] are the true [[Israelites]] and [[White people|whites]] hold "wicked powers". The Nation of Yahweh has ceased to openly condemn white people as "white devils" as it once did.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2007/nation-yahweh-mourns-loss-leader-shows-signs-new-life |title=NATION OF YAHWEH MOURNS LOSS OF LEADER, SHOWS SIGNS OF NEW LIFE |publisher=[[SPLC]] |accessdate=2023-03-01}}</ref> The SPLC also claims that the group believes that Yahweh ben Yahweh had a Messianic mission to vanquish whites and that it held views similar to those of the [[Christian Identity]] movement, which believes that "[[Aryan]]s" are the true Israelites and non-whites are devils. The SPLC quotes [[Tom Metzger (white supremacist)|Tom Metzger]] of [[White Aryan Resistance]] as saying, "[Groups like the Nation of Yahweh are] the Black counterpart of us." By 2007, the Nation of Yahweh had eliminated calls for violence and toned down its anti-white rhetoric, but remained Black supremacist and antisemitic in its ideology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2007/miami-based-nation-yahweh-leader-appeals-parole|title=Miami-Based Nation of Yahweh Leader Appeals Parole|publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=12 September 2018}}</ref>

The [[Anti-Defamation League]] has criticized the Nation of Yahweh and some other Black Hebrew sects, stating, "In 1987, ADL reported on Black sects holding these views [arguing that today's Jews are not the "[[Jews as the chosen people|chosen people]]" described in the [[Bible]], ... instead that the label applies to people of African descent], such as the Yahwehs and the [[African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem|Original African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adl.org/poisoning_web/black_bigots.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020921123758/http://www.adl.org/poisoning_web/black_bigots.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-09-21 |title=African-American Anti-Semitism |access-date=2007-10-18 |publisher=[[Anti-Defamation League]] }}</ref>

Yahweh ben Yahweh was known to control the clothing, food, and sex lives of group members and became intimately involved with many female followers. "We may be [[rabbi]]s and [[nun]]s here," he told ''[[The New York Times]]'', "but we don't believe in [[celibacy]]."<ref>{{Cite news|title = Yahweh Ben Yahweh; Led Violent Cult|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902629.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2007-05-10|access-date = 2016-02-22|issn = 0190-8286|first = Matt|last = Schudel}}</ref>

Most followers were men; the main elders were men as well. Yahweh ben Yahweh's wife, Linda Gaines<ref>{{Cite web|title = Top Yahweh Follower Gets 16-year Term In Conspiracy|url = http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-08-21/news/9201160860_1_yahweh-trudy-novicki-linda-gaines|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001912/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-08-21/news/9201160860_1_yahweh-trudy-novicki-linda-gaines|url-status = dead|archive-date = March 4, 2016|website = tribunedigital-sunsentinel|access-date = 2016-02-22}}</ref> (Judith Israel) became a significant helper and leader. Gaines collected money, handled finances and the possessions of full-time workers. She had a bodyguard and was high up in the following.<ref>{{Cite web|title = FindLaw's United States Eleventh Circuit case and opinions |url = https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-11th-circuit/1344526.html|website = [[FindLaw]]|access-date = 2016-02-22}}</ref>

==Current activities==
The Yahweh ben Yahweh group appeared in the news again in 2012 after "[[Michael the Black Man]]" (real name Maurice Woodside), a former member of the group who is now a [[Conservatism|conservative]] activist, was invited to speak at a rally for [[Rick Santorum]]'s presidential campaign during which he said that [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] were akin to [[Nazi Party|Nazis]].<ref name="santorum">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2012/01/rick_santorum_invites_ex-yahwe.php|title=Rick Santorum Invites Ex-Yahweh Member Michael The Black Man To Open Rally}}</ref> Woodside has since become a vocal supporter of [[Donald Trump]], but continues to defend Yahweh ben Yahweh and the Nation's beliefs.<ref name="trump">{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-strange-story-of-that-%E2%80%98blacks-for-trump%E2%80%99-guy-standing-behind-potus-at-his-phoenix-rally/ar-AAqzQon?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp|title=The strange story of that 'Blacks for Trump' guy standing behind POTUS at his Phoenix rally|website=[[MSN]] }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Robert Rozier]], murderer associated with the Nation of Yahweh

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/n04.html Apologetics Index site]
*[http://www.yahwehbenyahweh.com/ Nation of Yahweh]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050427171547/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/yahweh_cult/ Crime Library Nation of Yahweh feature article]
{{Black supremacist organizations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nation Of Yahweh}}
[[Category:African and Black nationalism in North America]]
[[Category:Black supremacy]]
[[Category:Black Hebrew Israelites]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1979]]
[[Category:Christian new religious movements]]
[[Category:Anti-white racism in the United States]]