,of ,holy ,disobedience ,a4 ,j4 ,,muste ,,number #fd ,,january1 #aieb ,,pendle ,,hill ,,wallingford ,,pennsylvania #ce ,,cents #aieb ,,by ,,pendle ,,hill ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,usa ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,propaganda ,,is ,,built ,,on ,,unanimity ,the quotation which follows is from ,ignazio ,silone's novel1 ,bread and ,wine1 which was a moving exposition of life under ,fascism in ,italy4 ,the conversation between a young woman and an anti-,fascist priest takes place in a small ,italian town at the end of the invasion of ,ethiopia by ,italy4 ,during the night1 anti-war and anti-,fascist slogans had been written on walls and steps in the town4 ,bianchina told ,don ,paolo she couldn't understand why there was such a lot of fuss about a few inscriptions on the wall4 ,don ,paolo was surprised1 too4 ,he tried to explain it4 8,the ,land of ,propaganda is built on unanimity10 he said4 8,if one man says1 #8,no1' the spell is broken and public order is endangered4 ,the rebel voice must be stifled40 8,even if the voice is that of a poor1 solitary sick man80 8,even then40 8,even if it belongs to a peaceful man who thinks in his own way1 but does nothing evil apart from that80 8,even then40 ,these thoughts served to sadden the girl1 but gave the man new heart4 ,he felt ashamed of his previous discouragement4 8,in the ,land of ,propaganda10 he said1 8a man1 any man1 any little man who goes on thinking with his own head1 imperils public order4 ,tons of printed paper repeat the government slogans2 thousands of loud-speakers1 hundreds of thousands of manifestoes and leaflets1 legions of orators in the squares and at the crossroads1 thousands of priests from the pulpit repeat these slogans ad nauseam1 to the point of collective stupefaction4 ,but it is enough for one little man to say #8,no6' in his neighbor's ear1 or write #8,no6' on the wall at night1 and public order is endangered40 ,the girl was terrified1 but the man was happy again4 8,and if they catch him and kill him80 the girl asked4 8,killing a man who says #8,no6' is a risky business10 the priest replied1 8because even a corpse can go on whispering #8,no6 ,no6 ,no6' with a persistence and obstinacy that only certain corpses are capable of4 ,and how can you silence a corpse80 99 99 99 99 99 ,a book which the ,french writer1 ,georges ,bernanos1 wrote in ,brazil--to which he had exiled himself because he would not remain in ,france under ,nazi occupation--has just been published in this country4 ,it is entitled ,tradition of ,freedom and is a hymn to freedom1 an impassioned warning against obedience and conformity1 especially obedience to the modern ,state engaged in mechanized1 total war4 ,in the closing pages of this work1 ,bernanos writes3 ,i have thought for a long time now that if1 some day1 the increasing efficiency of the technique of destruction finally causes our species to disappear from the earth1 it will not be cruelty that will be responsible for our extinction and still less1 of course1 the indignation that cruelty awakens and the reprisals and vengeance that it brings upon itself 444 but the docility1 the lack of responsibility of the modern man1 his base subservient acceptance of every common decree4 ,the horrors which we have seen1 the still greater horrors we shall presently see1 are not signs that rebels1 insubordinate1 untameable men1 are increasing in number throughout the world1 but rather that there is a constant increase1 a stupendously rapid increase1 in the number of obedient1 docile men4 ,it seems to me that this is a true and timely warning4 ,it might serve as a text for a general appeal to ,american youth to adopt and practice the great and urgent virtues of ,holy ,disobedience1 non-conformity1 resistance toward ,conscription1 ,regimentation and ,war4 ,for the present ,i want to use ,bernanos' words as an introduction to some observations on the discussion regarding the absolute and relative role of these 8virtues0 which goes on chiefly among pacifists1 members of the ,historic ,peace ,churches and other such groups4 ,i think it will be readily apparent1 however1 that the principles set forth have a wider bearing and merit consideration by all who are concerned about the maintenance of freedom in our time and the abolition of war4 ,most believers in democracy and all pacifists begin1 of course1 with an area of agreement as to the moral necessity1 the validity and the possible social value of ,no-saying or ,holy ,disobedience4 ,pacifists and_/or conscientious objectors all draw the line at engaging in military combat and most of us indeed at any kind of service in the armed forces4 ,but immediately thereupon questions arise as to whether we should not emphasize 8positive and constructive service0 rather than the 8negative0 of refusal to fight or to register2 or questions about the relative importance of 8resistance0 and 8reconciliation10 and so on4 ,it is to this discussion that ,i wish to attempt a contribution4 ,it may be that it will be most useful both to young men of draft age and to other readers if we concentrate largely on the quite concrete problem of whether the former should register1 conform to other requirements of the ,selective ,service ,act which apply to conscientious objectors and accept or submit to the alternative service required of them under the law as amended in ,june1 #aiea2 or whether they shall refuse to register1 or if they do register or are 8automatically0 registered by the authorities1 shall refuse to conform at the next stage2 and in any event refuse to render any alternative service under conscription4 ,we deal1 in other words1 with the question whether young men who are eligible for it shall accept the ,,iv-,e classification or take the more 8absolutist10 non-registrant position4 7,for present purposes1 consideration of the ,i-,a-,o position1 the designation used for draftees who are willing to accept service in the armed forces provided this is non-combatant in character1 may be omitted4 ,the ,,iv-,e classification is the designation used for persons who are on grounds of religious training and belief opposed to participation in any war4 ,those who are given this classification are required to render alternative service1 outside the armed forces and under civilian auspices1 and designed to serve 8the health1 safety and interest of the ,united ,states407 ,two preliminary observations are probably necessary in order to avoid misunderstanding4 ,in the first place1 in every social movement there are varied trends or emphases1 and methods of working4 ,those who hold to one approach are likely to be very critical of those who take another4 ,disagreements among those within the same movement may be more intense or even bitter than with those on the outside4 ,i suppose it can hardly be denied that every movement has in it individuals whose contribution is negative1 and that such individuals do not all come from within one wing of the movement4 ,objective evaluation also leads to the view that the cause is forwarded by various methods and through the agency of diverse individuals and groups4 ,but this does not mean that discussion within the movement of trends and methods of work is not useful and essential4 ,even if it were true that each of several strategies was equally valid and useful1 it would still be necessary that each be clearly and vigorously presented and implemented in order that the movement might develop its maximum impact4 ,secondly1 in what ,i shall have to say ,i am not passing moral judgment on individual draftees4 ,but from the fact that a pacifist minister should not pass moral condemnation on the young man in his congregation who in obedience to his conscience enlists or submits to conscription1 we do not deduce that this minister should abandon his pacifism or cease to witness to it4 ,similarly1 the fact that in the pacifist movement we support various types of ,c,os in following the lead of conscience does not rule out discussion as to the validity and usefulness of various strategies4 ,it is one thing for a young and immature draftee to follow a course which amounts to 8making the best of a bad business0 and for others to give him sympathetic understanding and help4 ,it is a very different thing for pacifist organizations or churches to advocate such a course or to rationalize it into something other than it really is4 ,as some of the readers of this statement are likely to be aware1 the writer has advocated the non-registrant position4 ,the majority in the pacifist movement probably believe that it is preferable for ,c,os to accept or submit to the alternative civilian service which was required under the ,world ,war ,,ii ,selective ,service ,act and is now again required under 8peacetime conscription40 ,the varied considerations and arguments which currently enter into the discussion of this choice confronting the youth of draft age tend1 as ,i see it1 to fall into three categories1 though there is a good deal of overlapping4 ,one set of considerations may be said to center largely around the idea of ,christian or human 8vocation02 a second set has to do with the problem of 8the immature #ah-year-old02 the third with the relation of the pacifist and citizens generally to military conscription and the modern ,power-,state4 ,the argument for accepting alternative service1 under the first category1 has been stated somewhat as follows3 ,god calls us to love and serve our fellowmen4 ,this is for ,christians and other pacifists a matter of vocation4 ,if1 then1 the government in war time1 or under peace time conscription1 requires some service of mercy or construction from us1 which is not obviously and directly a part of war-making1 we will raise no objection to undertaking such work4 ,we may even seek1 and shall certainly be grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate our desire to be good citizens and helpful members of society1 and to show a reconciling spirit4 ,this question of the meaning and implications of ,christian or human vocation in the context of military conscription clearly needs careful analysis4 ,conscription and ,vocation ,the question of his vocation does not or should not arise suddenly for the ,christian or any morally sensitive and responsible individual when ,congress enacts a conscription law4 ,the committed ,christian has presumably been engaged in an occupation and a way of living which he believes to be in accord with the will of ,god4 ,this need not be some unusual or spectacular occupation4 ,a ,christian farmer1 factory worker1 miner1 teacher1 raising a family and giving an example of unselfishness to his neighbors2 his wife maintaining an unobtrusively wholesome ,christian home2 the children walking in the footsteps of such parents--all these may be following a true ,christian vocation4 ,then war or peace time conscription comes along4 ,if these people are pacifists1 they hold that direct participation in war or in combat training is inconsistent with a ,christian profession and calling4 ,they must1 therefore1 refuse such participation4 ,at this point the government tells those of them who come under the draft that they must nevertheless render some civilian service within or under the conscription system4 ,in most cases this will be something different from what they have been doing and will involve temporary removal from the home community4 ,it has for some time troubled me that a good many pacifists of draft age seem ready to acquiesce in this situation and that1 furthermore1 many who are not directly affected by the draft seem to feel that at such a time they must immediately find something else to do than that which they have been doing--something that is often referred to as 8meaningful0 or 8sacrificial40 ,was what they were doing then so definitely not meaningful or sacrificial8 ,unfortunately1 this is very likely the case in many instances4 ,but it does not follow1 as is seemingly often assumed1 that this justifies going into some entirely new work1 a 8project10 as we say1 and perhaps preferably some relief work which has some connection with the war effort1 something which society will regard as the 8equivalent0 of support of the war effort4 ,certainly the fact that a young man of draft age has not been following a meaningful or ,christian vocation does not automatically or by itself constitute a warrant for submitting to conscription for so-called civilian service4 ,it may well be that ,god calls him at this juncture to put meaning into the life he has been living and into the work he was supposed to be doing4 ,it is certainly incumbent on us to search our hearts as to whether this rush to get into other jobs and to go to distant places may be motivated by fear of men and of the authorities1 by a desire to be thought well of1 by a dread of the social displeasure or actual legal punishment which might fall upon us if we were to continue quietly at the work which we had been doing1 living in the home town when war fever1 if not outright hysteria1 seizes the people4 8,if ,i were still pleasing men10 said ,st4 ,paul1 8,i should not be the slave of ,christ40 ,the ,normal as ,meaningful ,i am convinced that our thinking in these matters is often distorted4 ,what ,god calls men and women to1 fundamentally1 is to 8be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion0 over the animal creation--to sow the grain1 weave the cloth1 build homes and temples to the ,eternal4 ,that is what most people should be doing most of the time4 ,in fact1 unless they did1 even the armies would all soon have to stop in their tracks6 ,war comes along and breaks into this normal life of human beings4 ,that it does this is one of the gravest indictments of war4 ,to resist this breaking up of orderly family and community life--not to yield to the subtle and insistent pressure to do something different under the tacit assumption that the normal cannot be meaningful--is one of the great services the people who believe in non-violence and reconciliation may render4 8,in returning and rest shall ye be saved1 in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength40 ,to look at the matter from another angle1 it is sometimes said that it is important that pacifists should make it clear that they can face hardship and danger and are ready to suffer1 if need be1 on behalf of their convictions4 ,granted that this is true1 it by no means automatically follows that draft-age youths should submit to conscription or that other pacifists should on the advent of war or conscription leave what they are doing for other work4 ,it may well be that the most challenging opportunity to display courage1 hardihood and readiness to suffer will be found precisely in the community in which one has been living and in trying to do the ordinary things about which we have been speaking4 ,there is reason to think that some ,congressmen may have been influenced in supporting the 8deferment10 or virtual exemption1 for ,c,os under the original #aidh ,united ,states ,selective ,service ,act because they were convinced that few who claim to be ,c,os would have the nerve to stand up against the pressure to which one would be subjected as he tried to go his normal way in his home town or college1 when others were being drafted and forced to leave home or college4 ,obviously1 only a pacifist who was leading1 not a self-indulgent but a disciplined life1 who was ready to face danger and suffering and who deeply loved his fellows1 could follow such a course4 ,it is possible that some leave the home or college environment not because they wish to face hardship but because they yield to the temptation to try to avoid it4 ,let us1 after these preliminary observations1 try to determine how--from the standpoint of the concept of ,christian vocation--the pacifist may judge the action of a government which requires so-called alternative conscript service of him or of his children or fellow-pacifists4 ,there are1 so far as ,i can see1 only three possible verdicts4 ,one possibility is to say that the government is demanding that these conscripts shall at least temporarily abandon their ,christian or true vocation for work to which they clearly are not 8called40 ,a second possibility is to say that the government is competent in these special circumstances to determine1 and has correctly determined1 that the alternative service to which it assigns ,c,os constitutes their ,christian vocation for the time being4 ,the third possibility is to reason that when the government thus forces a ,christian into another occupation1 it is performing an unwarranted and sinful act but that the ,christian's duty in such a situation is to practice non-resistance4 ,it1 therefore1 becomes his vocation to undertake the work which is imposed upon him1 not because it is in itself somehow good but because non-resistance to evil constitutes ,christian behavior4 ,the first case is easily disposed of4 ,if the individual is convinced that he is being forced out of his ,christian or human vocation into something which1 therefore1 requires him to disobey ,god or conscience1 he has no alternative but to refuse to comply with the ,state's demand1 perhaps resist it non-violently1 and take the consequences4 ,he will still probably be forced out of his accustomed place and work but his non-conformity or non-cooperation with the ,state's demand at this point becomes his true vocation4 ,the second possible attitude listed a moment ago is to hold that1 in the context of conscription and provided it does not require service in the armed forces1 the ,state may determine what one's ,christian vocation is4 ,some of the ,mennonite statements and those of some other pacifists seem to me to fall under this head4 ,the position seems to me a very precarious one and ,i question whether ,mennonites1 for example1 can maintain it as consistent with their own theology and ,christian ethics4 ,the ,role of ,jehovah's ,witnesses ,in the first place1 it is essential in the ,christian concept of vocation that the 8call0 is from the ,spirit speaking in the heart of the believer4 ,and the believer must always remain in a position where he can be free to respond to the prompting of the ,spirit4 ,but how can this be under a conscription regime8 ,the position of ,jehovah's ,witnesses that they cannot submit to conscription because they must always be free to 8witness0 to the faith1 is in this respect surely a strong and impressive one4 ,it has a bearing also1 incidentally1 on what we said some paragraphs earlier under general observations about ,christian vocation4 ,it seems to me that ,christian pacifists need to give much more thought than they have done to the question whether in this particular respect the ,witnesses1 so far from being eccentric1 are not taking the clear and consistent1 centrally ,christian1 stand4 ,the fact that the ,witnesses can hardly be classified as pacifists in the usual sense of the term does not affect the relevance of this question for pacifists and indeed for ,christians generally4 ,furthermore in ,mennonite thought1 government1 the ,state1 though it is 8an ordinance of ,god0 to curb sin1 is itself by definition also sinful1 not ,christian1 not a part of 8the order of redemption40 ,where1 then1 does the ,state get the competence1 or the mandate to determine1 of all things1 the ,christian vocation of a believer8 ,and particularly the war-making arm or department of the ,state8 ,if the war department or its adjunct1 ,selective ,service1 is qualified to determine ,christian vocation as part of its conduct of1 or preparation for1 a war1 then why should not the labor department in peace time tell ,christians where to work8 ,there remains a third possible position1 namely1 that the ,state is undoubtedly doing an evil thing in taking the individual out of the work to which he feels ,god has called him but that the principle of non-resistance to evil then comes into operation and submission to this evil becomes the vocation of the persecuted ,christian4 ,given certain premises1 there is logic in this position1 but it is nevertheless open to serious question4 ,in the first place1 non-resistance to an evil should not mean cooperation with it4 8,depart from evil and do good10 is the law4 ,pacifists in general1 and ,christian pacifists in particular1 have to ask whether in conforming with any of the provisions of a draft law and especially in rendering conscript service regarded as of 8national importance0 by a war-making state1 they are not helping conscription to run smoothly1 helping thus to force conscription on millions of youth and thus in turn promoting war1 since conscription is an integral part of an armaments race4 ,the phenomenon of increased tension between nations when they lengthen the compulsory service period for youth is a familiar one4 ,this1 of course1 raises the whole question of our evaluation of the meaning and role of military conscription1 to which we shall return later4 ,in the meantime1 one or two other comments need to be made on the phase of our problem under discussion4 ,if what is really happening is that the war-making state is inflicting an evil on people1 forcing them away from their vocation1 subjecting them to a measure of persecution1 then it seems we ought to keep this clearly in our own minds and ought not to let the government or public assume that we think otherwise4 ,the expressions of 8gratitude0 which we have sometimes heard addressed to government for 8permitting0 pacifists to render alternative service seem inappropriate4 ,we cannot have it both ways3 accuse the ,state of the grave sin of invading the realm of ,christian vocation and at the same time thank it for doing us a 8favor0 by making the invasion less than total4 ,the ,state is not doing ,god or ,christian people a favor in recognizing conscience1 though that is what most ,united ,states ,congressmen think they are doing in making some provision for ,c,os4 ,the pacifist who in any way encourages this notion is in danger of helping to give currency to the idea that conscience is a private whim which legislators may see fit to indulge for prudential reasons1 as long as those who are afflicted with this peculiarity are very few in numbers4 ,if non-resistant pacifists get off the high ground of patiently bowing the neck to ,caesar's yoke1 letting ,caesar inflict the scourge of civilian conscript service upon them1 they are immediately on the low ground of bargaining for indulgence for a small and1 in that view1 not too principled or brave a minority4 ,standing on that lower ground they have very little bargaining power and the results will reflect that fact--and pretty much did during ,world ,war ,,ii4 ,on the other hand1 both in ,great ,britain and in the ,united ,states the sufferings which the ,c,os endured in ,world ,war ,i when there was virtually no legal or social recognition of them1 were1 according to all competent observers1 largely responsible for the fact that fairly liberal provisions for ,c,os were made in ,world ,war ,,ii4 ,the ,army did not want to 8be bothered with these fellows again40 ,two ,miles or ,none ,this does not1 of course1 mean that if the imposition of alternative service is accepted1 it should be rendered grudgingly or that feelings of hostility toward government officials with whom one may deal are appropriate4 ,quite the contrary4 ,if we decide to go with ,caesar one mile1 the ,gospel enjoins us to go two6 ,we have the choice of not going along at all or going two miles1 but not a skimpy one mile4 ,i think it is now generally admitted that there was not a great deal of this glad1 spontaneous 8second miling0 on the part of the conscript ,c,os in ,world ,war ,,ii1 though there was considerable talk about it among older folks4 ,civilian ,public ,service in large measure simply did not operate on the high spiritual plane that was originally hoped and is still sometimes implied or stated1 but was for many making the best of a bad business1 perhaps for lack of clear leading or the courage to follow another course4 ,it will be recalled that there were a considerable number of ,civilian ,public ,service men who declared flatly that it was inconsistent1 and indeed hypocritical1 to talk of spontaneous service under conscription4 8,we are here10 they said1 8not because our desire to serve brought us here4 ,we are here because the government as part of its war program passed a conscription law and under that law took us by the scruff of the neck and is forcing us to do this job4 ,we have no choice but this or the army or jail4 ,that fact is bound to color this whole experience1 except perhaps for those who can shut their eyes to reality4 ,any one who denies this is a hypocrite40 ,it seems to me these ,c,os placed the finger on an essential point4 ,compulsion does enter into 8service0 under a conscription law4 ,it affects the whole picture4 ,therefore1 the evaluation to be made of the ,,iv-,e position and of alternative service under it is not disposed of by asserting that 8service is at least as real a part of ,christian or pacifist life as witness or resistance40 ,that statement is perfectly correct4 ,service of men1 fellowship with them1 on the one hand1 and non-cooperation with evil1 witness against injustice1 non-violent resistance1 on the other hand1 are both essential in the pacifist way of life4 ,there is some of each in every pacifist life4 ,the most 8reconciling0 one refuses to use a gun or even1 probably1 to put on a uniform4 ,some of the most extreme 8resisters0 in prison were known for the thoughtful and gentle service they rendered to criminal fellow-inmates4 ,a very discerning ,english pacifist observed3 8,for some their witness is their service1 for others their service is their witness10 or resistance4 ,each type needs to be on guard against the temptations peculiar to it1 including the temptation to question the motives or underestimate the contribution of pacifists of the other type4 ,but the service which is the essence of pacifism is free1 spontaneous1 joyous1 sacrificial1 unbought4 ,to magnify or glorify this is by no means automatically to magnify or glorify the ,,iv-,e position under the draft4 ,here1 as we have pointed out1 an element enters which is contradictory to pacifism1 freedom and spontaneity--the element of compulsion in a context of war and war preparation4 ,it seems to me that it is important for pacifists to bear this in mind as we make plans to deal with the problem of alternative service under the amended #aidh ,selective ,service ,act4 ,no matter how 8liberal0 or 8considerate0 the conditions for administering alternative service may be in the estimation of government officials or the pacifist agencies1 if alternative service is accepted or acquiesced in at all1 it will inevitably pose grave problems from the standpoint of ,christian vocation and it will not1 ,i think1 be possible to escape the contamination or corruption which 8conscription0 infuses into 8service40 ,at the moment it seems possible that ,selective ,service regulations will permit some individuals to remain at their accustomed occupations4 ,we put aside for the time being certain questions to which we shall return as to what the act of registration itself implies in the context of conscription for atomic and biological war4 ,here we emphasize that once a man has appealed to the ,state to permit him to remain in his job and has been granted such permission1 it is not exactly the same job as it was before4 ,others will not be given the same permission1 and he should not evade the question whether he can acquiesce in and to a degree benefit from such discrimination4 ,he will have to consider whether the consideration in his case arises from the fact that officials regard his work as in some way a contribution to the war effort1 or from a desire to placate and silence an influential person4 ,if he should conclude that he ought to change jobs1 he would have to consult the authorities again1 and what then8 ,in conferences with ,selective ,service officials efforts are being made to avoid some of the features of the war-time ,civilian ,public ,service set-up which deeply troubled a good many ,friends--such as the close supervision by military men allegedly functioning as civilians and the undesirable and frustrating character of much of the work to which ,,iv-,e men were assigned4 ,even if substantial concessions are obtained1 it will be well for us to be on guard against idealizing the situation4 ,it is hoped that a good many young men will be in effect furloughed to projects at home and abroad which will not be exclusively for ,c,os of draft age and which will have real social value4 ,it will not be the same as if these men had undertaken these jobs out of a sense of vocation and mission1 apart from the context of conscription4 ,we know that for the most part they did not volunteer until conscription came along4 ,the same questions which the man who is permitted to remain in his own job faces1 will confront these young men on projects4 ,in addition1 their term of service and rates of pay will be set by the government4 ,to sum up this first part of our analysis1 it is my conclusion that the one consistent attitude toward conscript alternative service from the standpoint of ,christian vocation--if one accepts such work at all--is that which regards submission or non-resistance to the evil which the ,state imposes upon him when it interferes with his normal occupation1 as the vocation or duty of the ,christian man4 ,any other attitude seems to me to involve a considerable measure of rationalization4 ,the ,mennonites came nearest to adopting this non-resistant position and the fact that the experience of ,mennonite youths in ,civilian ,public ,service was less frustrating and brought better results than was the case with others1 save in exceptional instances1 seems to me to bear out my analysis4 ,as we have pointed out1 those who non-resistantly take up their cross of conscription should bear it joyously and be ready to carry it the second mile4 ,the ,immature ,eighteen-,year-,old ,we turn next to a brief consideration of the arguments for the ,,iv-,e as against the non-registrant position which center around the problem of 8the immature #ah-year-old youth40 ,a number of #ah-year-olds1 it is pointed out1 have a strong aversion to war and a leaning toward pacifism4 ,they are1 however1 emotionally immature4 ,if they have no choice but the army or jail all but a few will choose the army and are likely to be lost to the pacifist cause4 ,they could be held and possibly even developed into a radical pacifist position1 if they had a third choice1 namely1 civilian service4 ,on the other hand1 the youth who in the absence of such a third possibility1 chooses prison rather than the army may suffer grave psychological injury4 ,i am sure no one will be disposed to be callous or 8tough0 in his attitude toward any youth faced with a problem such as we are discussing4 ,any one in the position of a counselor to an individual will want to avoid 8psychological pressuring0 to induce him to take this or that course1 and will strive to help the young man to make his own decision1 in accord with his own inner need and conviction1 rather than to impose a decision upon him4 ,but ,i conceive that it would be my duty as a ,christian minister to have this same attitude in talking and praying with a young man who was going into the ,army4 ,i would have no right1 nor do ,i think it would do any good1 to 8pressure0 him against his conviction and inner need1 to refuse service4 ,but this would certainly not mean that ,i give up my own pacifist convictions1 or refrain from doing all ,i can in general to spread them or from making this particular young man aware of my own thoughts and feelings4 ,this in spite of the fact that if young men who had planned to submit to the draft are consequently won to the pacifist position1 this may entail considerable suffering on their part1 anguish for parents who disagree with them1 and so on4 ,it is fairly certain1 incidentally1 that in many typical ,southern communities--and by no means exclusively in the ,south--a youth who chose the ,i-,a-,o 7medical corps7 position1 not to mention ,,iv-,e1 would have as tough a time as a non-registrant in many metropolitan centers4 ,we cannot1 then1 escape the conclusion that as we have a responsibility to decide for the pacifist or non-pacifist position and to bear witness for pacifism1 if that is the stand we take1 so as pacifists we have a responsibility to decide whether complete non-cooperation with military conscription is the more consistent1 committed and effective stand or not1 and if we decide for the former1 then to do what we can to make our stand and the reasons for it known4 ,i have the impression that even a great many1 perhaps the majority1 of pacifist ministers will work harder to keep a young pacifist parishioner from taking the 8absolutist0 position and going to jail rather than into civilian service1 than they would work to get the run of the mill young parishioners to think seriously about not going into the army4 ,they seem somehow to feel that a more awful thing is happening to the young ,,co who goes to jail than to the #ah-year-old who goes into the army4 ,it is my impression that this same feeling is an unconscious factor in the thinking of many lay pacifists when they react strongly against the idea of ,c,os going to prison4 ,this puzzles me greatly4 ,why should they have this reaction8 ,army or ,jail8 ,to my mind--even apart from the sufficiently appalling factor of being systematically trained for wholesale killing and subjected to the risk of being killed in brutal war--there are few if any more evil and perilous situations to put young men into than the armed forces4 ,i should feel much deeper grief over having possibly had some part in getting some youth to go into the armed forces than over having some responsibility for bringing a young man to go to prison for conscience's sake4 ,are the qualms people feel about youthful ,c,os going to prison in certain instances perhaps due to the fact that taking the non-registrant position is something very unusual and regarded with social disapproval1 whereas becoming a soldier is extremely common and meets with the highest social approval8 ,it may be1 therefore1 that there are some ministers and other older people who should examine themselves as to whether their feelings in the matter under discussion are due to the fact that they themselves might find life in the community or in the church very uncomfortable if they were suspected of having influenced a youth to take a radical anti-draft stand1 whereas all men will speak well of them--or at least not too ill--if they have helped1 or at least not hindered1 young ,christians in adjusting themselves to the idea of going into the army4 ,is it just possible that we older people are sometimes concerned with sparing ourselves when we think we are solely concerned about sparing teen-agers8 ,to return to the #ah-year-old4 ,there are young men who on physical and psychological grounds are exempted from army service4 ,there may well be ,c,os who should on similar grounds be exempted from any kind of service4 ,if such a physically or mentally ill ,,co is refused exemption1 he should perhaps be discouraged from undergoing the risks of prison experience if there is an alternative for him4 ,this still leaves us with the problem of the majority of pacifist and non-pacifist youth who are not ill4 ,when we find ourselves concerned about what the teen-age religious ,,co who goes to prison must undergo and inclined to think that there is here an absolutely conclusive case for providing alternative service and urging most such ,c,os to avail themselves of it1 we might first take a look at two other categories of youth who are subject to the draft4 ,one of them consists of those actually drafted into the armed services2 the other of the so-called non-religious ,c,os4 ,the great mass of teen-agers are going to be put through rigorous military training with all the hardships1 the toughening and the temptations which this entails4 ,they have to be ready to undergo actual battle experience4 ,many of them will actually experience modern war at the front4 ,is what the ,,co undergoes in prison vastly more terrible than this8 ,is it as terrible8 ,it may be said that the soldier has social approbation whereas the pacifist1 especially the 8absolutist0 meets social disapprobation and even ostracism4 ,this is indeed a sore trial and many cannot endure it4 ,frankly1 ,i am still left with more grief and pity in my heart for the teen-age soldier than for the teen-age 8absolutist0 ,,co4 ,i am still left with a question whether we have a right to take any time and energy away from the struggle to lift the curse of conscription from the mass of youth and put it into an effort to secure alternative conscript service for ,c,os4 ,there are1 as we know1 teen-age 8absolutists0 who feel the same way and who have demonstrated that they can endure whatever they may be called upon to endure4 ,nor is their lot without its compensations4 ,they1 also1 8have their reward40 ,the ,so-,called ,non-,religious ,,co ,religious ,c,os who accept the ,,iv-,e classification and older pacifists who advocate this course have also to consider the non-religious ,,co4 ,under ,united ,states ,law it is the so-called religious ,,co who is eligible for this classification2 the so-called non-religious ,,co1 though he may by unanimous consent be equally sincere1 is not4 ,the latter has no choice except the army or jail4 ,the fact that he is only #ah years old does not alter that4 ,nothing in this entire field of pacifist policy and behavior is1 frankly1 harder for me to understand than how religious ,c,os and many of the leaders of the peace churches and of the ,fellowship of ,reconciliation1 can acquiesce in this situation and accept what is regarded as an advantage1 a preferred position1 under it4 ,the white ,,co who accepted conscript alternative service when the ,negro ,,co was automatically forced to choose the army or prison would be in an invidious position4 ,so would the ,gentile when his ,jewish comrade was thus discriminated against4 ,but in my mind the case is far more deplorable when it is the religious and the supposedly non-religious man who are involved4 ,the white man or the ,gentile might actually believe in discrimination or not regard it too seriously when the discrimination is in his favor4 ,but for the religious man it should surely be a central and indispensable part of his faith that discrimination1 most of all where two men acting in obedience to conscience are involved1 is unthinkable and that if there is discrimination1 he cannot be the beneficiary of it4 ,at any rate1 the argument that there must be alternative service because immature #ah-year-olds must by no means be subjected to prison experience seems to me to become completely impotent in the mouths of those religious pacifists who acquiesce in the arrangement under discussion and enable it to work--unless indeed they mean to contend that the average religious ,,co has less stamina than the non-religious ,,co and that1 therefore1 the former should be given gentler treatment4 ,advocacy of alternative service for the teen-age ,,co is based on considerations relating to the future of the pacifist movement1 as well as on the effect on the ,c,os themselves4 ,it is argued that if the only choice young pacifists have is the army or jail1 there will be very few pacifists4 ,this argument was not1 however1 first advanced when the draft age was lowered4 ,it was often heard during ,world ,war ,,ii when most ,c,os were older and more seasoned4 ,it has always impressed me as a dubious argument and ,i wonder where it leads us4 ,what1 for example1 is the relationship of this argument to the one which is also advanced--sometimes by the same person--that the ,,iv-,e position is very meaningful and perhaps to be preferred to the more 8absolutist0 one1 because it is the ,,iv-,e man who gives a glorious demonstration of the spirit of selfless service which is the essence of pacifism at its best8 ,these two concepts cannot very well be harnessed together as a team4 ,we can hardly contend in one and the same breath that we want alternative service because most young pacifists are not ready to follow a stronger and more sacrificial course and that we want it because it is the strongest and most meaningful course pacifists can follow4 ,it seems to me we have to decide whether our problem is to find shelter for ,c,os or whether it is to find freedom and the opportunity for self-expression and service1 even though the price be high4 ,to consider the matter for a moment from the tactical viewpoint1 it seems quite certain that the number of #ah-year-olds who take either the ,,iv-,e or the non-registrant position 7perhaps even the ,i-,a-,o position might be included7 will at least at the outset be small4 ,the draft now gets the young man at the very age when it is most difficult for him to stand out in any way from the mass of his fellows4 ,even if he is intellectually pretty well convinced of the pacifist position1 he is not emotionally mature enough to take it4 ,it is a fair guess that the accessions to the pacifist movement1 if military service and_/or training becomes universal1 will in the future come mainly from young people who have gone through the experience of life in the armed forces4 ,in other words1 the additional number of pacifists recruited because alternative service is provided may turn out to be very small4 ,if so1 the numerical advantage from the adoption of a less uncompromising pacifism is illusory4 ,there is one other factor which may be mentioned in this context1 that we live in an age when the role of minorities is an increasingly difficult one4 ,the pressures and the actual persecution to which they are subjected are severe4 ,the trend is still partially obscured in the ,united ,states but if we pause to reflect that not a single bomb has as yet fallen on this country1 we shall realize that this country is not an exception to the trend toward greater conformity and regimentation4 ,as the ,new ,york ,times editorialized some time ago in commenting on some features of the ,mc,carran ,act1 if we are already resorting to such repressive measures1 what will we do when a real crisis comes8 ,in other words1 while we spend a good deal of time arguing that ,c,os should have some choice other than the army or jail1 we are probably moving into a time when that will essentially be the only choice that members of minorities1 including pacifists1 have4 ,it would seem then that our thought and energy should be devoted to two issues3 whether and how this trend toward totalitarianism can be halted and how we may prepare and discipline ourselves to meet the tests which our fellow-pacifists in some other lands have already had to meet8 ,the ,nature of ,conscription ,this1 however1 leads to the third and last of the issues we are trying to explore3 the true nature of conscription1 of modern war1 and of the conscripting1 war-making ,state--and the attitude which pacifists consequently should take toward them4 ,participation in alternative service is quite often defended on the ground that our opposition is to war rather than conscription2 except in the matter of war we are as ready to serve the nation as anybody2 therefore1 as long as we are not drafted for combat or forced against our will into the armed services1 we are ready to render whatever service of a civilian character may be imposed upon us4 ,is this a sound position8 ,let me emphasize that it is conscription for war under the conditions of the second half of the twentieth century that we are talking about4 ,the question as to whether sometime and under some circumstances we might accept conscription for some conceivable purpose not related to war1 is not here at stake4 ,it is academic and irrelevant4 ,the question with which we are dealing is that of conscripting youth in and for modern war4 ,as pacifists we are opposed to all war4 ,even if recruitment were entirely on a voluntary basis1 we would be opposed4 ,it seems to me we might infer from this that we should be a fortiori opposed to military conscription1 for here in addition to the factor of war itself1 the element of coercion by government enters in1 coercion which places young boys in a military regime where they are deprived of freedom of choice in virtually all essential matters4 ,they may not have the slightest interest in the war1 yet they are made to kill by order4 ,this is surely a fundamental violation of the human spirit which must cause the pacifist to shudder4 ,the reply is sometimes made that pacifists are not being conscripted for military purposes and therefore--presumably--they are not faced with the issue of the nature of military conscription4 ,i shall later contend that it is not really possible to separate conscription and war1 as ,i think this argument does4 ,here ,i wish to suggest that even if the question is the conscription of non-pacifist youth1 it is a fundamental mistake for pacifists ever to relent in their opposition to this evil1 ever to devote their energies primarily to securing provisions for ,c,os in a draft law or to lapse into a feeling that conscription has somehow become more palatable if such provisions are made by the ,state4 ,it is not our own children if we are pacifist parents1 our fellow-pacifist ,christians if we are churchmen1 about whom we should be most deeply concerned4 ,in the first place1 that is a narrow and perhaps self-centered attitude4 ,in the second place1 pacifist youths have some inner resources for meeting the issue under discussion4 ,the terrible thing which we should never lose sight of1 to which we should never reconcile our spirits1 is that the great mass of #ah-year-olds are drafted for war4 ,they are given no choice4 ,few are at the stage of development where they are capable of making fully rational and responsible choice4 ,thus the fathers immolate the sons1 the older generation immolates the younger1 on the altar of ,moloch4 ,what ,god centuries ago forbade ,abraham to do even to his own son--8,lay not thy hand upon the lad1 neither do thou anything unto him0--this we do by decree to the entire youth of a nation4 ,we need to ask ourselves whether such conscription is in any real sense a lesser evil4 ,as we have already said1 the pacifist is opposed to war and we have all sensed the danger of arguing against conscription on the ground that the nation could raise all the troops it needed by voluntary enlistment4 ,nevertheless1 there is a point to an impassioned argument which ,george ,bernanos makes in the book we mentioned at the outset4 ,he states that the man created by western or ,christian civilization 8disappeared in the day conscription became law 444 the principle is a totalitarian principle if ever there was one--so much so that you could deduce the whole system from it1 as you can deduce the whole of geometry from the propositions of ,euclid40 ,to the question as to whether ,france1 the ,fatherland1 should not be defended if in peril1 he has the ,fatherland answer3 8,i very much doubt whether my salvation requires such monstrous behavior0 as defense by modern war methods4 ,if men wanted to die on behalf of the ,fatherland1 moreover1 that would be one thing but 8making a clean sweep1 with one scoop of the hand1 of an entire male population0 is another matter altogether3 8,you tell me that1 in saving me1 they save themselves4 ,yes1 if they can remain free2 no1 if they allow you to destroy1 by this unheard of measure1 the national covenant4 ,for as soon as you have1 by simple decree1 created millions of ,french soldiers1 it will be held as proven that you have sovereign rights over the persons and the goods of every ,frenchman1 that there are no rights higher than yours and where1 then1 will your usurpations stop8 ,won't you presently presume to decide what is just and what is unjust1 what is ,evil and what is ,good80 ,it is pretty certainly an oversimplification to suggest1 as ,bernanos here does1 that the entire totalitarian1 mechanized 8system0 under which men today live or into which they are increasingly drawn even in countries where a semblance of freedom and spontaneity remains1 can be traced to its source in the military conscription which was instituted by the ,french ,revolution in the eighteenth century4 ,but what cannot1 it seems to me1 be successfully denied is that today totalitarianism1 depersonalization1 conscription1 war1 and the conscripting1 war-making power-state are inextricably linked together4 ,they constitute a whole1 a 8system40 ,it is a disease1 a creeping paralysis1 which affects all nations1 on both sides of the global conflict4 ,revolution and counter-revolution1 8peoples' democracies0 and 8western democracies10 the 8peace-loving0 nations on both sides in the war1 are cast in this mold of conformity1 mechanization and violence4 ,this is the ,beast which1 in the language of the ,apocalypse1 is seeking to usurp the place of the ,lamb4 ,we know that 8war will stop at nothing0 and we are clear that as pacifists we can have nothing to do with it4 ,but ,i do not think that it is possible to distinguish between war and conscription1 to say that the former is and the latter is not an instrument or mark of the ,beast4 ,disobedience ,becomes ,imperative ,non-conformity1 ,holy ,disobedience1 becomes a virtue and indeed a necessary and indispensable measure of spiritual self-preservation1 in a day when the impulse to conform1 to acquiesce1 to go along1 is the instrument which is used to subject men to totalitarian rule and involve them in permanent war4 ,to create the impression at least of outward unanimity1 the impression that there is no 8real0 opposition1 is something for which all dictators and military leaders strive assiduously4 ,the more it seems that there is no opposition1 the less worthwhile it seems to an ever larger number of people to cherish even the thought of opposition4 ,surely1 in such a situation it is important not to place the pinch of incense before ,caesar's image1 not to make the gesture of conformity which is involved1 let us say1 in registering under a military conscription law4 ,when the object is so plainly to create a situation where the individual no longer has a choice except total conformity or else the concentration camp or death2 when reliable people tell us seriously that experiments are being conducted with drugs which will paralyze the wills of opponents within a nation or in an enemy country1 it is surely neither right nor wise to wait until the 8system0 has driven us into a corner where we cannot retain a vestige of self-respect unless we say ,no4 ,it does not seem wise or right to wait until this evil catches up with us1 but rather to go out to meet it--to resist--before it has gone any further4 ,as ,bernanos reminds us1 8things are moving fast1 dear reader1 they are moving very fast40 ,he recalls that he 8lived at a time when passport formalities seemed to have vanished forever40 ,a man could 8travel around the world with nothing in his wallet but his visiting card40 ,he recalls that 8twenty years ago1 ,frenchmen of the middle class refused to have their fingerprints taken2 fingerprints were the concern of convicts40 ,but the word 8criminal0 has 8swollen to such prodigious proportions that it now includes every citizen who dislikes the ,regime1 the ,system1 the ,party1 or the man who represents them4444 ,the moment1 perhaps1 is not far off when it will seem natural for us to leave the front-door key in the lock at night so that the police may enter at any hour of the day or night1 as it is to open our pocket-books to every official demand4 ,and when the ,state decides that it would be a practical measure 444 to put some outward sign on us1 why should we hesitate to have ourselves branded on the cheek or on the buttock1 with a hot iron1 like cattle8 ,the purges of #8wrong-thinkers1' so dear to the totalitarian regimes1 would thus become infinitely easier40 ,to me it seems that submitting to conscription even for civilian service is permitting oneself thus to be branded by the ,state4 ,it makes the work of the ,state in preparing for war and in securing the desired impression of unanimity much easier4 ,it seems1 therefore1 that pacifists should refuse to be thus branded4 ,in the introductory chapter to ,kay ,boyle's volume of short stories about occupied ,germany1 ,the ,smoking ,mountain1 there is an episode which seems to me to emphasize the need of ,resistance and of not waiting until it is indeed too late4 ,she tells about a woman1 professor of philology in a ,hessian university who said of the ,german experience with ,nazism3 8,it was a gradual process40 ,when the first ,jews ,not ,wanted signs went up1 8there was never any protest made about them1 and1 after a few months1 not only we1 but even the ,jews who lived in that town1 walked past without noticing any more that they were there4 ,does it seem impossible to you that this should have happened to civilized people anywhere80 ,the philology professor went on to say that after a while she put up a picture of ,hitler in her class-room4 ,after twice refusing to take the oath of allegiance to ,hitler1 she was persuaded by her students to take it4 8,they argued that in taking this oath1 which so many anti-,nazis had taken before me1 ,i was committing myself to nothing1 and that ,i could exert more influence as a professor than as an outcast in the town40 ,she concluded by saying that she now had a picture of a ,jew1 ,spinoza1 where ,hitler's picture used to hang1 and added3 8,perhaps you will think that ,i did this ten years too late1 and perhaps you are right in thinking this4 ,perhaps there was something else we could all of us have done1 but we never seemed to find a way to do it1 either as individuals or as a group1 we never seemed to find a way40 ,a decision by the pacifist movement in this country to break completely with conscription1 to give up the idea that we can 8exert more influence0 if we conform in some measure1 do not resist to the uttermost--this might awaken our countrymen to a realization of the precipice on the edge of which we stand4 ,it might be the making of our movement4 ,the ,reconciling ,resistance ,thus to embrace ,holy ,disobedience is not to substitute ,resistance for ,reconciliation4 ,it is to practice both ,reconciliation and ,resistance4 ,in so far as we help to build up or smooth the way for ,american militarism and the regimentation which accompanies it1 we are certainly not practising reconciliation toward the millions of people in the ,communist bloc countries against whom ,american war preparations1 including conscription1 are directed4 ,nor are we practising reconciliation toward the hundreds of millions in ,asia and ,africa whom we condemn to poverty and drive into the arms of ,communism by our addiction to military 8defense40 ,nor are we practising love toward our own fellow-citizens1 including also the multitude of youths in the armed services1 if1 against our deepest insight1 we help to fasten the chains of conscription and war upon them4 ,our works of mercy1 healing and reconstruction will have a deeper and more genuinely reconciling effect when they are not entangled with conscript service for 8the health1 safety and interest0 of the ,united ,states or any other war-making ,state4 ,it is highly doubtful whether ,christian mission boards can permit any of their projects in the ,orient to be manned by men supposed to be working for 8the health1 safety and interest0 of the ,united ,states4 ,the ,gospel of reconciliation will be preached with a new freedom and power when the preachers have broken decisively with ,american militarism4 ,it can surely not be preached at all in ,communist lands by those who have not made that break4 ,it will be when we have gotten off the back of what someone has called the wild elephant of militarism and conscription on to the solid ground of freedom1 and only then1 that we shall be able to live and work constructively4 ,like ,abraham we shall have to depart from the ,city-which-is in order that we may help to build the ,city-which-is-to-be1 whose true builder and maker is ,god4 ,it is1 of course1 possible1 perhaps even likely1 that if we set ourselves apart as those who will have no dealings whatever with conscription1 will not place the pinch of incense before ,caesar's image1 our fellow-citizens will stone us1 as ,stephen was stoned when he reminded his people that it was they who had 8received the law as it was ordained by angels1 and kept it not40 ,so may we be stoned for reminding our people of a tradition of freedom and peace which was also1 in a real sense1 8ordained by angels0 and which we no longer keep4 ,but1 it will thus become possible for them1 as for ,paul1 even amidst the search for new victims to persecute1 suddenly to see again the face of ,christ and the vision of a new ,jerusalem4 ,some one may at this point reflect that earlier in this paper ,i counseled against people too readily leaving the normal path of life and that ,i am now counseling a policy which is certain to create disturbance in individual lives1 families and communities4 ,that is so4 ,but to depart from the common way in response or reaction to a conscription law1 in the attempt to adapt oneself to an abnormal state of society1 is one thing4 ,to leave father1 mother1 wife1 child1 yea and one's own life also1 at the behest of ,christ or conscience is quite another4 ,our generation will not return to a condition under which every man may sit under his own vine and fig tree1 with none to make him afraid1 unless there are those who are willing to pay the high cost of redemption and deliverance from a regime of regimentation1 terror and war4 ,finally1 it is of crucial importance that we should understand that for the individual to pit himself in ,holy ,disobedience against the war-making and conscripting ,state1 wherever it or he be located1 is not an act of despair or defeatism4 ,rather1 ,i think we may say that precisely this individual refusal to 8go along0 is now the beginning and the core of any realistic and practical movement against war and for a more peaceful and brotherly world4 ,for it becomes daily clearer that political and military leaders pay virtually no attention to protests against current foreign policy and pleas for peace when they know perfectly well that when it comes to a showdown1 all but a handful of the millions of protesters will 8go along0 with the war to which the policy leads4 ,all but a handful will submit to conscription4 ,few of the protesters will so much as risk their jobs in the cause of 8peace40 ,the failure of the policymakers to change their course does not1 save perhaps in very rare instances1 mean that they are evil men who want war4 ,they feel1 as indeed they so often declare in crucial moments1 that the issues are so complicated1 the forces arrayed against them so strong1 that they 8have no choice0 but to add another score of billions to the military budget1 and so on and on4 ,why should they think there is any reality1 hope or salvation in 8peace advocates0 who when the moment of decision comes also act on the assumption that they 8have no choice0 but to conform8 ,precisely in a day when the individual appears to be utterly helpless1 to 8have no choice10 when the aim of the 8system0 is to convince him that he is helpless as an individual and that the only way to meet regimentation is by regimentation1 there is absolutely no hope save in going back to the beginning4 ,the human being1 the child of ,god1 must assert his humanity and his sonship again4 ,he must exercise the choice which he no longer has as something accorded him by society1 which he 8naked1 weaponless1 armourless1 without shield or spear1 but only with naked hands and open eyes0 must create again4 ,he must understand that this naked human being is the one real thing in the face of the mechanics and the mechanized institutions of our age4 ,he1 by the grace of ,god1 is the seed of all the human life there will be on earth in the future1 though he may have to die to make that harvest possible4 ,as ,life magazine stated in its unexpectedly profound and stirring editorial of ,august #bj1 #aide1 its first issue after the atom bombing of ,hiroshima3 8,our sole safeguard against the very real danger of a reversion to barbarism is the kind of morality which compels the individual conscience1 be the group right or wrong4 ,the individual conscience against the atomic bomb8 ,yes4 ,there is no other way40 99 99 99 99 99 ,pendle ,hill is a center for religious and social study maintained by members of the ,society of ,friends4 ,pamphlets and occasional books are published on matters that grow out of the current life and thought of the center4 ,authors of pamphlets still in print include ,howard ,h4 ,brinton1 ,gerald ,heard1 ,harold ,c4 ,goddard1 ,thomas ,r4 ,kelly1 ,gilbert ,kilpack1 and ,elizabeth ,gray ,vining4 ,for subscription to the yearly series of ,pendle ,hill ,pamphlets1 purchase of single pamphlets or books write3 ,,pendle ,,hill ,,publications ,,wallingford1 ,,pennsylvania