Thoughts on worldly/politically motivated opposition to participation in warfare?

[Maccupid]

I quite enjoy oral history books, since they show history from the perspective of regular people who lived through a time period or event, and not just the words of modern historians who focus on the big picture. I found this story in Canadian oral historian Barry Broadfoot's book "Six War Years" very interesting. It's a Mennonite looking back on WWII:

"Now that I look back on it, it was funny. Here we were down at Steinbach. that's south of Winnipeg, all Mennonites through that part of the world, and of course, our religion forbids us to bear arms. To fight in wars.

"Some they took away, the young fellows, and put them in what we called C.O. [conscientious objector) camps. I think there was one in Manitoba and another in British Columbia. Anyway, you never knew who would be taken, like it was almost like pulling names out of a hat. I had cousins taken, but none of my three brothers were. It was stupid, really, because we were good farmers and a good Mennonite boy on a tractor could do ten times more for the country than being a soldier, but that's the way they did things.

"Now, there were these Zombies. Remember? They were fellows who were conscripted, called up, whatever, and wouldn't sign to fight overseas, and so they were considered pretty low. People were usually against them, like calling them Frenchies, because a lot were French Canadians. That sort of thing. We called them cowards, right in our own house, around the kitchen table. My father would say they should be shot, things like that.

"And yet now, I think how ironic it all was. My own cousins, some of the Rempel boys, others we knew, they were in these conscientious objector camps because they wouldn't join up. and here we were calling the French Canadians a bunch of cowards because they wouldn't fight. Somehow, then, we couldn't see that our cousins and the Zombies were one and the same. Canada was sure a crazy country in those days."

I personally don't see a strong connection between conscientious objection and not signing up to fight merely out of contempt for English Canadians and non-Catholics. But I'm surprised by the rather harsh perspective they had. What are your thoughts on this?

[Ernie]

I personally don't see a strong connection between conscientious objection and not signing up to fight merely out of contempt for English Canadians and non-Catholics. But I'm surprised by the rather harsh perspective they had. What are your thoughts on this?

I think it is very similar to Anabaptists today who claim to be opposed to war and violence, yet they cheer inwardly (and sometimes outwardly) when their country wins a battle or when "we" completely smoke or obliterate the enemy. They frequently talk about "we" and "our" when referring to their country's forces and military equipment. Some of these folks frequent battlefields and tour battleships showing keen interest.

I believe it is totally appropriate for conscientious objector evaluators (Investigating Officers and Military Chaplains) to make sure that CO applicants are truly conscientious objectors and not just folks who want an excuse to not go to war.

[barnhart]

One lesson I learn from that interesting bit of Canadian history is the power of embracing a stranger in a foreign land mentality.

[Soloist]

I think it is very similar to Anabaptists today who claim to be opposed to war and violence, yet they cheer inwardly (and sometimes outwardly) when their country wins a battle or when "we" completely smoke or obliterate the enemy. They frequently talk about "we" and "our" when referring to their country's forces and military equipment. Some of these folks frequent battlefields and tour battleships showing keen interest.

I believe it is totally appropriate for conscientious objector evaluators (Investigating Officers and Military Chaplains) to make sure that CO applicants are truly conscientious objectors and not just folks who want an excuse to not go to war.

I hope you’re not thinking of me when you’re speaking about my casual use of we/our and talking about military strategy and tactics. 99% of the Mennonites out there have never filed CO paperwork and I have…
Just because someone enjoys tactics and strategy does not negate their stance against taking life.

[JohnH]

I think it is very similar to Anabaptists today who claim to be opposed to war and violence, yet they cheer inwardly (and sometimes outwardly) when their country wins a battle or when "we" completely smoke or obliterate the enemy. They frequently talk about "we" and "our" when referring to their country's forces and military equipment. Some of these folks frequent battlefields and tour battleships showing keen interest.

I believe it is totally appropriate for conscientious objector evaluators (Investigating Officers and Military Chaplains) to make sure that CO applicants are truly conscientious objectors and not just folks who want an excuse to not go to war.

I hope you’re not thinking of me when you’re speaking about my casual use of we/our and talking about military strategy and tactics. 99% of the Mennonites out there have never filed CO paperwork and I have…
Just because someone enjoys tactics and strategy does not negate their stance against taking life.

A draft board is not going to consider people ineligible to be COs simply because they are loyal to their own country. It’s kind of ridiculous to think this.

[Ernie]

I think it is very similar to Anabaptists today who claim to be opposed to war and violence, yet they cheer inwardly (and sometimes outwardly) when their country wins a battle or when "we" completely smoke or obliterate the enemy. They frequently talk about "we" and "our" when referring to their country's forces and military equipment. Some of these folks frequent battlefields and tour battleships showing keen interest.

I believe it is totally appropriate for conscientious objector evaluators (Investigating Officers and Military Chaplains) to make sure that CO applicants are truly conscientious objectors and not just folks who want an excuse to not go to war.

I hope you’re not thinking of me when you’re speaking about my casual use of we/our and talking about military strategy and tactics. 99% of the Mennonites out there have never filed CO paperwork and I have…
Just because someone enjoys tactics and strategy does not negate their stance against taking life.

I'm not thinking of you as I have assumed you are a true CO. But it might be helpful to update your terminology accordingly.

[Ernie]

I think it is very similar to Anabaptists today who claim to be opposed to war and violence, yet they cheer inwardly (and sometimes outwardly) when their country wins a battle or when "we" completely smoke or obliterate the enemy. They frequently talk about "we" and "our" when referring to their country's forces and military equipment. Some of these folks frequent battlefields and tour battleships showing keen interest.

I believe it is totally appropriate for conscientious objector evaluators (Investigating Officers and Military Chaplains) to make sure that CO applicants are truly conscientious objectors and not just folks who want an excuse to not go to war.

I hope you’re not thinking of me when you’re speaking about my casual use of we/our and talking about military strategy and tactics. 99% of the Mennonites out there have never filed CO paperwork and I have…
Just because someone enjoys tactics and strategy does not negate their stance against taking life.

A draft board is not going to consider people ineligible to be COs simply because they are loyal to their own country. It’s kind of ridiculous to think this.

I don't think this. That conclusion was reached without first asking what I thought.

[Soloist]

I'm not thinking of you as I have assumed you are a true CO. But it might be helpful to update your terminology accordingly.

I generally try not to, but it slips through now and then.

[Bootstrap]

I hope you’re not thinking of me when you’re speaking about my casual use of we/our and talking about military strategy and tactics. 99% of the Mennonites out there have never filed CO paperwork and I have…

I wrote it up several times and planned to file it when I was old enough. Then they abolished the draft. So I did not actually file it ...

[Soloist]

I hope you’re not thinking of me when you’re speaking about my casual use of we/our and talking about military strategy and tactics. 99% of the Mennonites out there have never filed CO paperwork and I have…

I wrote it up several times and planned to file it when I was old enough. Then they abolished the draft. So I did not actually file it ...

If it’s any consolation, I was told the apocalypse would happen first before they would process my paperwork.