Military service and Conscientious Objectors

"Soldiers of Conscience" will air on PBS on Thursday, October 16. Don't miss it.
[10-10-08]

This compelling, disquieting documentary profiles eight soldiers in the Iraq War as they face the moral decision to kill or not to kill. Four decide not to kill and become conscientious objectors; four believe it is their duty to kill if necessary.

Each wrestles with the morality of killing in the split-second combat decision that can never be forgotten or undone. All struggle with the aftermath of their decisions. In addition, the film interviews those who train soldiers for war, and we hear them discuss their moral reasoning process.

The film does not tell us what to think. It is not a simple anti-war film or a polemic against the military. Instead, it offers us a more morally complex story about human nature, conscience, war, and its aftermaths. As this film shows, every soldier is inescapably a "soldier of conscience."

The film begins with a little-known fact - after World War II, the Army's own studies revealed that as many as 75 percent of combat soldiers failed to fire on the enemy when given a chance to do so. Despite training, propaganda and social sanction, soldiers in combat retained a surprising inhibition about taking human life. The statistics surprised and alarmed military commanders, who developed training techniques to overcome the reluctance to kill, which raised the shooting percentage to 50% in Vietnam.

"Soldiers of Conscience" raises complex questions about war, hiding nothing. It allows us glimpses of the humanity of those who serve in the military and those who train them. It touches our common humanity while raising moral questions that ask us to keep talking about war and the demands it makes on those who serve in the military and their families.

Peace,

Rita

P.S. Buy a copy of "Soldiers of Conscience" and use it in discussion groups to explore the questions it raises about our common humanity, the cost of war, and what we must do for peace.

Act to protect our children from military recruiters
[8-31-05]

Buried deep within the No Child Left Behind Act is a provision that requires public high schools to hand over students' private contact information to military recruiters. If a school does not comply, it risks losing vital federal education funds. As if that weren't bad enough, the Pentagon has now built an illegal database of 30 million 16 to 25-year-olds as another recruitment tool.

Action 1: Protect our Children - "Opt Them Out!"

Sojourners is partnering with Working Assets and others in The Leave My Child Alone Coalition to make it easy to protect children from unwanted military recruiting by getting their names off both Pentagon and high school recruiting lists.

»Click here to opt out your child

Action 2: Host a Back-To-School Event

Because most high schools turn over their student lists to military recruiters in October, it's imperative that we get as many kids as possible "opted out" during the month of September. Parents, teachers, grandparents, and concerned citizens are planning Leave My Child Alone back-to-school events from September 7 to 30. It's easy to host an event at your home, church, or local coffee shop - we provide you with the forms and information you need, plus a FREE DVD (http://www.leavemychildalone.org/DVD) on opting out, featuring Cindy Sheehan and former recruiter Jim Massey.

»Click here to register an event now and help local families opt out! Consider making "Opt Out" the subject of a religious education class, youth group gathering, book club, or other community activity you already participate in.

Action 3: Pass it on

Most parents don't even know about the need to opt out. Please forward this e-mail to parents, grandparents, and teachers you know. Tell them to visit LeaveMyChildAlone.org for more information and all the forms needed to opt out.

Memorial Day is here again and America still occupies Iraq. U.S. Army generals last week admitted that the occupation is going badly, with no end in sight ^[1] . Many of us are angry and frustrated at our inability to end the quagmire. And every week brings new reports about Pentagon recruiters lying to our children to get them to join ^[2] .

Here are three things you can do:

1. FORWARD THE SONG

Art opens a path to people’s hearts. Five-time Grammy Award–winner Robert Cray has just released a powerful song called "Twenty," about a young man who joins the Army after 9/11 to protect his country. But he’s sent to Iraq and discovers what the occupation is really about before he’s killed in action ^[3] . Robert is giving the song to TrueMajority for us to share with our members. If the song moves you, share it with friends who need to hear this message too. Use one of the links in the box to the right to play the song, or RIGHT-click here to download it (and choose "save as").

2. PROTECT YOUR KIDS FROM PENTAGON RECRUITERS

The so-called No Child Left Behind Act has a little-known provision that mandates schools to provide our children’s personal information to the Pentagon so they can be recruited into the armed forces. The law also allows parents and guardians to stop their kids’ schools from providing this information to the Pentagon, but few know what is going on or how to stop it ^[4] . Our friends at Working Assets have built an online tool to make it easy. Just click here to keep the military’s hands off your kids: http://www.leavemychildalone.org.  And if you know other parents who could use this service, forward this e-mail to them.

3. MAKE THE PENTAGON ASK PERMISSION

If you don’t have children who are vulnerable to Pentagon recruiters, you can still help those of us who do. A bill in Congress would change this law and reverse the process, so parents would need to sign their kids up before their kids’ information could be turned over to the Pentagon. It’s an opt-in process, rather than the burden of opting out ^[5] . To urge your congressperson to support this family protection bill, just click "reply" and "send" if you are a TrueMajorityACTION member (text of the message below). If you'd like to edit the message we'll send to your congressperson, or if you aren't yet a TrueMajorityACTION member, go to http://www.truemajorityaction.org/LeaveMyChildAlone. And forward this to others so they too can help protect all our kids.

The war in Iraq will last longer unless more people demand its end. These tools provide easy ways for you to take action and to let friends and family know what they can do.

A mother of two children, trying to end the madness,

Darcy Scott Martin

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Here's the message we'll send to your Congressperson

Dear [we'll insert your representative's name here]:

Please support H.R.551, the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2005, which amends section 9528 of No Child Left Behind. H.R. 551 prohibits military recruiters from contacting students unless these minors and their parents specifically "Opt In" and consent to receive such communications.

Sincerely,

[We'll put your name here]

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NOTES:

1) "Generals Offer Sober Outlook on Iraqi War ," New York Times (5/19/05)

2) "Amid Scandal, Recruitment Halts" CBS News

3) Here’s a review of Robert Cray’s new song "Twenty",and the lyrics

4) Here's more on Leave My Child Alone!

5) Here’s the bill that will require parents to opt in to Pentagon recruitment for their kids

Also – CONSIDER AN OPT OUT EVENT

Working Assets, the MMOB (Mainstreet Moms), and ACORN are sponsoring an Opt Out event on Wednesday, June 1st, to encourage parents to refuse to let their schools provide information on their children to the military recruiters.

Find an event near you >>

Learn how to host your own event >>

A message from the Center on Conscience & War   [4-6-05]

Washington, DC April 1, 2005– People of conscience speak out to make their voices heard in the halls of Congress against the reinstatement of the military draft. On May 16th, 2005 the Center on Conscience & War (CCW), along with the National Campaign for Peace Tax Fund and other organizations, is holding a national lobby day against the military draft and to protect the rights of conscientious objectors to war. Participants will meet in the Methodist Building in Washington, and others will lobby locally at their Congress members' district office.

There are increasing signs for the return of the military draft. U.S. Troops are stretched thin across the globe with commitments in over two hundred countries. Many National Guard and Reserve units are being used for tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and with the continual rise in casualties; many are saying that they will not reenlist. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), who introduced a conscription bill in the last Congress, is likely to introduce it again. In the wake of another "national emergency" (i.e. an invasion of another country) there will be more serious calls for the draft. J.E. McNeil, Executive Director of CCW said, "Due to the lack of knowledge of many young congressional staffers, we need to educate Congress about conscientious objection and how a draft is never a viable option." May 16th will be a day for voters to speak up and educate Congress about issues of conscience and put forth a strong voice against the draft.

About the Center on Conscience & War: The Center on Conscience & War (CCW), formerly the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO), was formed in 1940 by an association of religious bodies. CCW works to defend and extend the rights of conscientious objectors. The Center is committed to supporting all those who question participation in war, whether they are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, documented or undocumented immigrants--or citizens in other countries.

CCW, located in Washington, DC, is governed by a Board of Directors and employs a staff to serve the Center's national constituency. Services are provided to the public at no charge. CCW participates in the G.I. Rights Hotline, a national referral and counseling service for military personnel. In the event of a military draft, CCW will assist in the placement of conscientious objectors in alternative service programs. The Center is opposed to all forms of conscription.

Contact: Theodore Sitther
Center on Conscience & War
1830 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009

Telephone Number: (202) 483-2220 or (800) 379-2679
Fax Number: (202) 483-1246

[3-13-02]

In line with actions of numerous General Assemblies, the Washington Office has prepared an excellent summary of current pressures for some kind of compulsory military service, challenges faced by anyone who feels compelled by conscience not to engage in such actions, and Presbyterian thinking on questions of military service.

Universal Military Training and Service Act Introduced

This is a Quarterly Bulletin distributed to the Civil Rights and Religious Liberties issue network of the Washington Office, Presbyterian Church (USA), written by Julie Binger of the Presbyterian Washington Office.

[Dated 3-11-02, posted here 3-13-02]

Young men who identify themselves as "conscientious objectors," and whose moral, ethical or philosophical bases for conscientious objection have been reviewed and approved by a local selective service board, would be required to participate in all but the combat portion of the compulsory military training. Following training completion, such individuals would be enrolled in a national public service program for the duration of their service. The young men involuntarily inducted into the military under this bill would receive only 35% of the pay given to enlisted service members of the lowest pay grade - approximately $340 per month.

Some men who characterize themselves as conscientious objectors (C.O.s) would agree to military training and service, as long as they are not trained to kill nor asked to use any of their training for the harm of another human being. These Non-combatant C.O.s could be satisfied with the provisions included in the bill for alternative national public service following basic training, or possibly even with non-combatant roles in the military as medics or cooks.

However, many other C.O.s would resist forcible induction - regarding any association with the military complex as tacit participation in the killing process. A universal draft policy would turn these otherwise upstanding and moral citizens into criminals.

Even under the current system, the penalties for conscientious objection are severe. The selective service board has the final say on whether or not an individual is a Conscientious Objector in the eyes of the government. If the board is not convinced, and the young man continues to resist registration, he could be penalized with up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As a non-registrant, he will continue to be punished throughout his life by his inability to obtain admission to many public colleges and universities, his ineligibility for federal financial aid, and his exclusion from federal and state government jobs.

Unlike traditional "peace churches" that avow strict pacifism such as the Quakers, the Mennonites, and the Brethren, the Presbyterian Church (USA) is generally characterized as a "just-war" church - one that condones wars waged for just cause and conducted in a just manner. Some just war guidelines include: 

1. Force can only be used as a last resort; 
2. The war must have as its goal the return to wholeness, health, and peace; 
3. Force must be used against soldiers only - the lives of civilians must be protected; 
4. The use of force must be applied with sadness of heart, not a vengeful spirit.

Some draft resisters in the Vietnam era cited "just war" theory as their principle for non-compliance, claiming that they would have fought in World War II because they felt that lethal force was necessary to stop the Nazis from committing further atrocities but that they could not abide the use of lethal force as a means of resisting communist advancement in Southeast Asia.

Unfortunately, the United States government does not recognize selective objection to war. In order to qualify as a conscientious objector and warrant selective service exemption, an individual must adhere to strict pacifism, categorically rejecting war. This often means that pacifist members of "just war" churches, such as the 233 Presbyterians who have registered with the Stated Clerk's office since 1970, have a harder time convincing selective service review boards that their individual consciences require them to disagree with the church on this issue.

In a period of militant patriotism, such as we have experienced over the past few months, a draft policy merely opens up the door to discrimination and persecution. Men and women who do not believe in killing another person for any cause, or those who only condone killing in certain just circumstances, are frequently misunderstood by society as being unpatriotic or un-American. A draft system would require these young people to publicly declare their sentiments and would thereby expose them to attack by those in society who view such civil disobedience as tacit support for the "enemy." This discrimination and persecution may be long lasting, as evidence of conscientious objection would follow an individual into every future job interview and onto every future loan application in the form of a conspicuous inability to provide the dates of military training and service or in the form of a "dishonorable" military record.

This type of universal draft policy has long been opposed by the Presbyterian Church (USA) because of its contradiction with the 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith statement that "God alone is Lord of the conscience," a tenet incorporated into the 1788 Principles of Church Order. This statement recognizes that individuals who believe that they have received God's true revelation are obligated by conscience to hold fast to that truth regardless of the opposition they may experience from authorities. For many Christians over the centuries, this obligation to conscience has taken the form of conscientious objection to war on the grounds that God has instructed believers not to kill and to turn the other cheek to their enemies. Recognizing the theological foundation for a position of pacifism, the Presbyterian church's 1952 statement in opposition to "universal military training" protects pacifists within the church by recognizing that their beliefs may prohibit not just military service but any involvement in the military complex. With technological advancements in warfare, the draft is no longer a helpful tool for waging war. Through the use of guided missiles, "smart bombs" and other forms of modern weaponry, fewer and fewer military personnel are needed to inflict greater and greater damage upon their foes.

It is important to note that this solution to flagging military enlistment did not come from the Pentagon. Military officials have found it more cost-effective to increase recruitment and improve their advertising strategies than to turn to a policy of universal military training. The standard 6 - 12 month regimen of basic military training that inductees would presumably be subject to currently costs the military more than $30000 per inductee. As it stands, H.R. 3598 does not require military service beyond the mandatory 6 - 12 months required, which means that the vast amounts of money that would be spent on the universal training would do nothing to improve military enrollment or effectiveness. Rather, such a policy could have the opposite effect of decreasing military enlistment, as those individuals who may have considered serving their country in the military for the minimum enlistment period of two years before the universal training requirement may see their 6 -12 months of training as adequate service. Also, a lack of interest in or commitment to training on behalf of unwilling recruits could negatively impact the learning environment of longer-term enlisted service members leading to decreased overall effectiveness of military training and, in the long-term, decreased overall effectiveness of the military in general.

Proposals to reinstitute the draft have been introduced in Congress in the past and have never received broad support. Most groups, even those that support freedom of conscience and oppose draft policies, are fairly confident that the bill will be defeated because of the futility of training such large numbers of individuals for such short periods of time. However, the political climate of the 107th Congress is at best unpredictable. Only one member of Congress out of 535 voted against military action in Afghanistan and only 66 Representatives and one Senator opposed the Anti-Terrorism bill's dramatic attack on civil liberties. With a Congress that is in favor of militarization and willing to compromise individual rights for the corporate security, the potential for significant support of universal military service is not so far fetched as it may have been in the past.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The General Assembly of the UPCUSA in 1981, affirmed the theological justification of conscientious objection by asserting "refusal to take up the sword has a solid biblical foundation." 

This statement gave credence to earlier statements, such as that by the 1960 PCUS General Assembly recognizing "the right of citizens to object conscientiously to combative participation . . . in a particular conflict as well as the right to object conscientiously to combative participation in all war." 

Though the Presbyterian Church is most often categorized as a just war church, the UPCUSA General Assembly in 1980 declared its "opposition to possible limitation of conscientious objector status only to members of 'peace churches,'" and further [declared] that "many members of our, and other churches interpret their faith to require conscientious objection." 

Since 1952, the Presbyterian Church has, even more broadly, affirmed its "historic opposition to Universal Military Training as a permanent peacetime program." 

By alerting readers to the introduction of H.R.3598, the Washington Office is responding to the urgings of the 191st General Assembly in 1979 for Presbyterians to "monitor attempts to reinstate a peacetime draft or establish compulsory national service and to work against such legislation should it be proposed."

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