Pacifists’ Case Against Conscription

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1949, Page 5

Pacifists’ Case Against Conscription

"We urge that the majority in the churches who do not accept the complete repudiation of war should at least refuse to compel 18-year-old boys to engage in, what all churches agree, is a sin against God,” says an official statement issued by the New Zealand Christian Pacifist Society on the coming referendum. “Christian pacifists are opposed to conscription, or compulsory military training, for four principal reasons," the society says. “These are: (a) war itself is contrary to the spirit and teaching of Christ; (b) conscription is a pagan act of aggression against divinely-de-signed human personalitty; (c) in the context of the world situation it is an act of incitement ant} of war; (d) as a means of protection it is completely futile and the opposite of what is required. “As to the first, the World Council of Churches at Amsterdam last year agreed in principle that ‘war is contrary to the will of God'. “In such an issue as the taking of human life, and training for that purpose, the abolition of responsibility by every .nan is a denial of man’s essential nature. It makes man a slave of the state, utterly surrendered to its will. INCREASE TENSION “Conscription would increase the tension and fear in the world and so make war more likely. If. would give our rulers an increased sense of power and reinforce the desire to play, at power poli.ics, thus increasing “It is claimed that conscription ensures protection. Yet all the nations defeated in the war, including France, had accepted conscription for generations.

“We say that the best defence against possible aggression and the greatest contribution we could make to world peace are: (a) to show clearly that we are determined to remain at peace with all nations; (b) to maintain and increase production of food and clothing so urgently needed throughout the world.

“Compulsory military training or conscription would greatly reduce the nation’s capacity for such constructive peacemaking and for helping, to avert the complete collapse of civilisation.”