Reader Ad Slot
Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
American Friends Service Committee — Part 1
Page 67
67 / 122
for the individual who cannot accept compulsory
service of any kind under the state. Something of
the spirit of Dritish liberalism toward the conscien-
tious objector appears in the Afanchester Guardian
of August 23, 1940 (page 118), published in Lon-
don in the midst of the life and death struggle
going on there. ~
“The Archbishop of York (Dr. Temple) writcs
in the York Diocesan Ieafict:
Several public hodies have lately passed
resolutions terminating the emp'oyment of
arfy persons working for them who have
pleaded conscientious objection to mili-
tary service.
I regard this a3 utterly deplorable and in
. the decpest sense unpatriotic, We are
fighting for freedom, including freedom
of conscience as its most vital and sensi-
tive element. The State has recognized the
reality of conscientious objection to mili-
tary service, and it is part of our glory
+ thag it does this,
There is excellent reason for saying that
if a man is called up and refuses to serve
he shall be put at once in the same finan-
cial position as if he were serving in the
forces. He ought not to gain financially
by his refusal to serve. But to deprive him
of employment is to frustrate the action
of the State and destroy our most effective
witness to our own cause.”
Under the Sclective Service Training Act signed
by the President of the United States on September
16, 1940, provision has been made for the conscicn-
The existence of American citizens who canr
participate in any form of war is recognized by t
Selective Service Training Act. A wide-spre
understanding of why such individuals
knowledge of their background is esscntial to t
successful carrying out of this legislation.
Far back through the centuries there have be
those who have found themselves unable to ta
the lives of their fellow men cither in order to fe
ward their own advantage or at the command
any external authority. Prominent among th
motives have been religious concepts, based an
awareness of God and an acceptance of the broth:
hood of man. To Christians, Jesus Christ has
terpreted a way of life based on love of God a
man, and the idea of overcoming evil with go
In the light of his awareness of God and his hi
sense of loyalty to Jesus, the Christian paci
forms a judgment as to whether war is a prot
and effective instrument for man to use in gaini
his ends. His judgment is that it is not. This jur
ment is shared by tnost of mankind up to the
when, gripped by fear or hatred or grecd, they c
brace the war method, The pacifist maintains th
beliefs even in the face of war, threatencd agr
sion or other evils.
Nor is the pacifist unwilling to pay for his c:
victions. Although in the past they have been ci
demned to prison and some to death, like the Ic
line of religious martyrs, they have willingly
dared punishment for their deep belici.* Til
“In the United States, during the last World War. 17 5
condenined to death. 142 to Lfe imprisonment and exany ot
to terms from 5 to 25 years. These sentences were wil corm
after the war, .
Community corrections
No user corrections yet.
Comments
No comments on this document yet.
Bottom Reader Ad Slot
Bottom Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
Continue Exploring
Agency Collection
Explore This Archive Cluster
Broad Topic Hub
Topic Hub
federal bureau
fbi
investigation
two fbi agents
letter
Related subtopics
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic