RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3005, 16 February 1917, Page 6

RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER

~ A plea for'special treatment in regard to compulsory military sen-ice was made by a deputation representing the New Zealand! Conference of the Seventh Day-Adventists which waited •upon the Hon. Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence) yesterday. The first speaker was Pastor W. H. Pascoe, president of the conference. He said that it was by no means the desire of_ his people to add. to perplexities of . Ministers,-but-as. things were at present they- .were compelled to seeic i.is protection and help. The attitude of the sect had been defined in the following resolution, unanimously agreed to by tlie Union Conference of Australasia on September 11, 1916:—"That we. hereby define is and has ever been our denominational attitude towards v military service. That as loyal citizens we will conform to all the requirements of the Government so long as., they do not conflict with the law of God; that is, we will perform at any time, except on tie Sabbath of the-Lord (from sunset Friday till sunset Saturday) non-com- ' batant service which may be imposed upon us by law." Mr. Pascoe declar«d that he believed their people would rather die than yield their faith, and he appealed to. the Minister to proteot them from the penalties of breaking . the law as it now stood. He stated that their' members in New Zealand numbered less than 2000, of whom not irore thau 160 would be eligible for military service. ' Paster C. K. Mayer summarised the '■ requests of the deputation as follows:— "1. To he classed! as non-combatants. "2. To have provision made, not hy ' any change in the Act, but by mutual agreement with the military authorities, for Sabbath-keeping. "3. That in view of our shortage of ministers the Minister of Defence appeal on their behalf as in the case of : "other religious bodies. '*■;' "4. That all members of the denomination he treated alike/ the Government allowing for .the normal growth of our cause." /- The speaker explained that the last clause was intended to refer to those , adherents of the faith who were not yet 20 years of age, and consequently not old enough to receive adult baptism. Sir James Allen, replying, said that the New Zeaknd Government had! to some extent recognised the question of conscientious objection in the Military Service Act passerl last year. There had been, a very strong feeling in the House that no concession should, be ■made to the conscientious objector, but eventually two clauses had been inserted in the Act. He did not intend to interpret the law of God, for. the interpretation of the- law of''God was purely for the individual concerned. There was no one to judge who was right alio 1 who was wrong. He added that, right or wrong, however, it had always been the practice of the British -community to respect conscience. The members of the faith could go before the Military Service Boards, and if the., boards were satisfied thoy'could become non-combatants. As to Sabhath•koeping, the Government as far as it was able to do was quite prepared to fall in with the views expressed. The operations-on the field, however, could not be controlled by him' or anyone else. Fighting went on there on Sundays and all days, and the services of •non-combatants and everybody else might be required. As to the training camps,'if this, particular. request was -■ complied with it would! mean the establishment of a special camp, and that ' seemed to he impossible. However, he would look into the matter, and see what could be done. Touching on the third point, the Minister stated that he could appeal for no one. It was true that, as Minister of Defence, he could' send- a certificate to the Military Service Board stating that a clergyman should bo exempted on the ground of public interest. This applied to ordained clergy— Catholics, Anglican, Presbyterian, and others—hut he did not know whether Seventh Day Adrentist pastors were ordained clergy. As to the fourth request, this would be purely a matter for the Military Service Board to decide each appeal on its merits.'