"LOVE YOUR ENEMIES."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14192, 9 January 1917, Page 8

"LOVE YOUR ENEMIES."

APPEAET BOARD CHAIRMAN RIDDLES' CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR. '''■ (Special^to Herald.) CJ*RISTCBURCH, this dayIn the 2ase of Charles I^ang, fruitgrowier, of Kaiapoi, who appealed belore the Rangiora.,;Militajry Appeal Board to-day on religious groimds; the chairman (Mr. . I. S. Evans, S.M.), said: What ..are. your . qbjectipns ,to bearing arms? you wolil^,, ho^d another down while aribther shot him. Can you quote any text from the Bible in support of your attitude? ,-_.- v . Appellant : The Bible .say^ ,lpve your enemies. . ' t M The Chairman :-]fVell, ,do_ you. love your enemies at the present tune? ' Appellant : That is a hard thing to say. The Chairman : Do you love th© Germans, and approy* of what they are doingi?'., ")'•? \i -^•'- J>~.i'S'ni . Appellant: No, I tfo not approve of them. '" ; The Chairman: Do you love- them? Appellant:. Well, I cannot take life. : 'Tlte Chairihan !j That i§ 'getting away from the question. You say you are basing^ydur appeal. tipon .Scripture., iDo you love your enemies? -.■ . Witness: No, I. cannot say I love tjhem at the present time. The Chairman :••■ You knipw you "p.eoplo when you take I ' tip a- literal interpretation of the Bible- you must follow it literally. You give itte fine "^x*? , and ,1 therefore ask you: Do -you love your enemies? "•■■.•-<■ Witness.: -Wjell, Sv^^re^oing good'.anyway if we love* them. The 'Chairman: What is your next ■ text?---- ■ . •'.., ,^, - . . .... Witness : Romans, xii., 17: "Recompense no man- -evil for evil." The Chairman : Yes, that is all right; any more? "Appellant: Romans ?i xii,; y 20.: "If thy enemy srinto. thee/ ■ i&t&Miri'." I '' ' The Chairman: It does not say that if the enemy^fights^ypCMiaye- got^ to run away. - *•.••'■:•,■ v ;.V.-;:>^-^ : ... ..: Appellant : Very well, but I could not fight. . ■ The Chairman: Do you^pray to; God for victory ? Appellant admitted this. •'• '\ T>h% 'Chairman-: -HoW ■ do you ..expect God to bring about a victory if "you do " r «ot take part' in it*, «;-' •'■ -,■ . •-' r • Appellant : Well, I will do my share. "'-* t'ThoChAirrnan: Do -you know that to secure victory means slaughter, and bloodshed? You p»ay to God for this, yet yon will not take part. Appellant: I cannot .do it. - The Cfeai^man^-. W-hat-v denomination do you 'belong to? Appellant : The ;Btethren. : , , ,Wq ■ ta/ke th© same stand. 1 ] The Chairman : My experience is that you don't all agree. Appellant : Well, we are not ashamed of the Gospel. ' The Chairman : It is not a case of being ashamed ofr-the Gospel ; it is the contortion you. make of it. Are. you not icld in the' Bible to render. unto_ Caesar that 'which* "is .Caesar's? Does ttjat no^ mean that you< ai % e to obtey'v thei ; p6wer's that he? ""■*•:.■•:"' " The Chairman quoted other texts to witnessy -and asked did not Christ tell ln's diseiples : to sell- r tKeir cloaks and buy swords? •'■' '.'-/■•;■') Appellant made an inaudible reply. The Chairman:- -Do you mean that Christ w'oiflH" sanction yojw.,s,tandjr}g i by and seeing brutalities going on now? «"■■• Appellant :.^Christ ca.me tp?ilat« and he said : "What Siall I and tKey said, . "Crucify him." )t .Jesus. i^..mv; protection, and' that* is the!'reason why^' I cannot take'_np .arms. . , . The Chairman' 'sfcitsa' that 'iii ' diristv church the Board had had the Brethren denomination before it, and he-, had asked for particulars of the creed, but matters -had not been * very far advanced. 'There , hdd JJeen , a great deal of difference >mopg,^m^bers. of : the Brethren. Several of them • had enlisted^ including sons.'of the gentlemen who had given evidence^' befor^-'tlfiij B6prd in ChristchurcWj-dhdi'W^hi&lmAha^^ commission. - ':':• .:'■■ Appellant : W«IU I cannot do iti The Cb^rman said that*" the personal view was "not "enough. Appellant said most, of them were ashamed 01, the truth.?/ He was not ashamed.' „- ' The Chairman stated .that' : ; under the section appellant, 'if "'^e'^tablished his appeal, would >liav j e- to undertake to perform lion-conibataht duties.--' •-.-■■■ Appellant said he would be prepared to perform these. This-mad« the Chairman, ask' hiJw I*hb:reconcile1 * hb : reconciled 1 .; 1 his. (beliefs. He" was ' lflfe Josiiua. ' ' > •' ' i : '" v ( y- .-: Appellant pointed out that as a noncombatant he* could comfort and succour the wouftded.,' , >r^, . „ ;'..,. The Chairman : You say" you follow th© Scrip'titfe'v You' haV« a very nice little farm here? Appellant: Yes. - , ? The 'Gtamim': .'Well, you don't follow the Scripture",*" Tbut you; must give all to the poor. • You : people ir ust be consistent, you'-know.^ What, you have you '^ar^ suppo^d* to gjiy.e , -to th^e- poor." You are.not even supposed to have two coats.l You have direct authority on , } that point. , ' '". '. •' : '■ '' ' _ ■'" ■'/ ' Appellant : flow can op© do it? Tlie Chairman : 'You Have not got to possess property, you have not got to hay© two coats,. ypu lnvve not got to see your neighbo^vwafii.'"-"- '9 ; f.-. v '.'i ■>.< Evfer^ap^etl waij^dwmissedy and^Lang was^aJldwid 'fSvo^rnonths J to arrange hi;; affairs. '■■' ,