INDIVIDUAL CHOICE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 21 November 1941, Page 2

INDIVIDUAL CHOICE

ELECTION TO SERVE EXCLUSIVE BRETHREN EVIDENCE ON APPEAL “I object to serving in a combatant unit, but am prepared to serve in a non-combatant type of service,” stated William Raymond Judd, a farm hand, who appealed to the No. 4A Armed Forces Appeal Board yesterday on conscientious grounds against his calling up for Territorial service. Judd was' ordered to perform noncombatant service. The appellant said that he had attended meetings of the Exclusive Brethren since childhood, and had been a member of that sect for the past six months. The sect gave the members full liberty of conscience in the matter of military service. To the Crown representative, Mr. J. S. Wauchop, the appellant said he had discussed the matter of military service with his father, and with other members of the brethren. He had heard it discussed in his meetinghouse, and he had heard it stated in the meeting-house that because of certain teachings'in the Bible young men should not take up military service. Having had that teaching, they were given liberty of conscience to decide for themselves. * None of the members of his sect in this district had gone overseas with combatant units, said the appellant. He had joined no ambulance class or other group of the kind, and was not trained for any rescue work in any capacity. He had felt that he was fulfilling the Gospel of love by helping to bring the Gospel to others. R. C. Piesse, a fellow-member of the appellant in the Exclusive Brethren, gave corroborative evidence of Judd’s membership. In reply to the chairman, Mr. H. B. Lusk, the witness said that military service might have been discussed privately in the meeting-house, but it was not taught there that a man should avoid military service. That was a matter for the individual conscience.

To Mr. Wauchop, the witness said it was not the practice to draw attention to passages in the Bible which established the doctrine that man should not kill. The sect took no step which was detrimental to authority, but if a question were asked, the passages would be expounded. The appeal was dismissed, and reservist was excused from combatant service.