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Conscientious Objection Conscientious objection: a sincere conviction, motivated by conscience, that forbids someone from taking part in organized killing.
It depends on whether you would find it unconscionable—or against your deepest held beliefs—to engage in activities designed to take a human life. If that's you, it is your legal right not to have to fight in war. You're not off the hook—you'll still need to do alternative service. That means spending time doing other kinds of service in the national interest through an agency such as Brethren Volunteer Service. And some C.O.'s actually go into the military, but are assigned noncombatant roles such as in the medical corps. Others think this is being supportive of the war effort. Still others refuse to go along with the whole process—they don't register for the draft or cooperate in any way with the Selective Service system. These persons sometimes face fines or imprisonment, or at least the denial of federal student loans or government jobs. Yet they feel this is the step their faith requires. So, what about you? Would you go if called? Would you fight to kill? Would you support others while they did? Just because you don't believe in killing doesn't mean you're a coward or don't care about your neighbor. Many peacemakers have put themselves on the line by going unarmed into dangerous places to work for peace: living with refugees to protect them from the military; accompanying church leaders to help them find safety; working in war zones to help people survive while their world is falling apart; protesting at military training camps or at missile silos. It takes a certain courage to do these things without the protection of the latest weaponry or the support of vast military forces.
Ted Studebaker was a Brethren conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. Yet he chose to go to Vietnam through Brethren Volunteer Service. He said, "Give me a shovel instead of a gun. If I die, I want to die trying to build something rather than tearing something down." Die he did, on April 25, 1971, killed by North Vietnamese soldiers in the village where he had worked for several years helping people improve their lives amidst a brutal war. Was his life a waste? Was his death a tragedy? Of course it would have been better had he lived. Yet his mother said, "If Ted had known what was to happen, I'm sure he would have gone right ahead. In one way, his death is an even greater witness than had he lived." His wife of only a few weeks said, "I'm sure all of you share my grief, but grieve more for those who do not understand what he did." Ted was a Christian who was trying to follow the teachings of Jesus as best he knew how. What about you? How does your life reflect Jesus' teachings about loving our enemies and doing good to those who would harm us? Documenting your C.O. Beliefs It's also a good idea for young women to find ways to document their beliefs, as they may be subject to a future military draft. Young men and women who do this demonstrate their on-going commitment to conscientious objection, which will help establish a conscientious objector claim should the need arise. Some young men refuse to register, choosing to not cooperate with the Selective Service system. The Church of the Brethren supports open non-cooperation, and has a fund to help reimburse college students for loans and grants denied due to their non-registration. Non-registrants can also be denied employment by the government. The government has legal grounds for prosecuting non-registrants, which can mean fines and imprisonment. There is little evidence of active prosecution in recent years, however. What if I've Already Signed Up?! The Bible says: What to Do Link to What Do I Believe About War? ...Questions for the Conscientious Objector
Link to Conscientious Objection Information Home Page
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