International Conscientious Objectors Day, May 15th by Steve Clemens
I am proud to say that I was a conscientious objector to the War on Vietnam when I registered for the military draft at age 18 in 1968. It was a time when to be recognized as a “CO” required one be opposed to all wars rather than to say that “Vietnam was an ‘unjust war’”. After prayerful consideration – and conversation with a fellow Mennonite, a Resident Assistant in my Wheaton College dorm, I wrote my essay on my beliefs and submitted my application to be classified as 1-O, a conscientious objector who would do alternative service if/when drafted by the Selective Service office. In 1968 one needed to claim to be opposed to war in any form on the basis of one’s religious training and belief. (Within a year or so the courts allowed a broader rationale so atheists and agnostics could also attempt to qualify.)
I qualified. After all, I had been baptized at age 12 in a “Mennonite church” whose traditional understanding was that followers of Jesus did not “take up the sword” by rather performed “voluntary service” as a response to the rigors of citizenship in one’s nation of residence. It was recognized by those who joined the church that our primary citizenship was in “the Kingdom of God” where the commands to love one’s enemy superseded the nation’s call to arms. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers” was a phrase from Biblical scripture which I used to justify my desire to “march to a different drummer”. The words of the powerful hymn by Harry Emerson Fosdick, God of Grace and God of Glory contained the verse:
Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.
Today I’d call myself an objector. Yes, I have reasons of conscience for refusing to take of arms but my objection to war is much broader – it is counterproductive, it doesn’t work, and it robs all of humanity of the resources, both human and natural, needed for the survival of our species and the rest of God’s creation. Anabaptists were known to quote scripture saying, “Resist not evil” and were often labeled “non-resisters”, but I agree with theologian Walter Wink and others who understand the text to mean “resist not evil with evil but rather overcome evil with good.” However, I don’t need Biblical proof-texts to convince me that war, like slavery, patriarchy, white nationalism, racism, and other ideologies needs to be obsolete for humanity to survive. One doesn’t need to claim such beliefs depend on one’s conscience anymore – it should suffice it to say common sense and a good course in World History should convince any of us. Alas, our politicians too often play on our fears and our greed to convince the masses that military might is the answer.
Maybe we can take the day to celebrate not just Conscientious Objectors but all those who “put down the sword” for any and all reasons. Overcome evil with good.
