"By Reason of Religious Training and Belief..."

A History of 

Conscientious Objection and Religion

 during the Vietnam War

By Karl D. Nelson

Conclusion

결론

During the Vietnam War, many people wondered if American values and principles would survive those tumultuous years. As protest, division, and social change rocked the nation, one deeply-rooted American principle was actually strengthened, namely, a person who was conscientiously opposed to killing could be excused from wartime combat. In addition to the traditional support of the historic peace churches, support for conscientious objection grew among mainstream Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic organizations. This was perhaps one sign that American civilization was, in the words of General Lewis Hershey, "healthy and flourishing." Throughout the twentieth century, conscientious objection in America has moved from requiring a religious creed to not requiring any religion at all. Throughout this transition, the issue of objection to war has revolved around notions of religion. During much of the century, men were classified as conscientious objectors "by reason of religious training and belief." Throughout the Vietnam War, the very nature of conscientious objection changed. The C.O. law, as designed by Congress, interpreted by the Supreme Court, and enforced by the Selective Service, was the vehicle for this change. The Supreme Court dramatically expanded meaning of "religion" as it related to conscientious objection to the point where nearly any sincere objector to all war qualified as a C.O. But the Court did not allow selective objection, even if it was based on an established religious belief like the "just war theory." Institutional churches played a vital role in the conscientious objector experience. During World War I a C.O. needed to be a member of a pacifist denomination. After 1940, the law allowed objection based on individual belief, and although some churches supported conscientious objection, most WWII objectors came from historic peace churches. This trend did not change until the Supreme Court changed the interpretation of the draft law in the 1965 Seeger case. Both changes coming from the Seeger case and the unpopularity of the war in Vietnam provided for a dramatic increase in mainstream religious and secular objection. Mainstream denominations facilitated this increase by supporting both conscientious objection and selective conscientious objection.

Although most fundamentalist and conservative groups were not actively involved, nearly every mainstream denomination endorsed conscientious objection. Both local churches and national denominations played a role in obtaining for a registrant conscientious objector status. There is no clear picture of the role of the local churches, mainly because of the diverse nature of local congregations. Generalizations are more forthcoming on the denominational level. Many denominational annual meetings passed resolutions supporting conscientious objection, thereby reflecting the support of politically active churchgoers. This support helped many registrants point to statements from their religious groups supporting their position as C.O.s. In the Vietnam period, conscientious objection moved for the first time away from the margins of American life and into the mainstream. Mainstream religious groups, Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish, voiced their support for conscientious objectors. Many religious groups translated this support of C.O.s, and an anti-war sentiment, into tangible form through formal resolutions. By the close of the Vietnam War, conscientious objection had evolved away from the association with only the historic peace churches and into the mainstream of America.

[ Introduction ] [ 1. The Development of Conscientious Objection Through World War I ] [ 2. World War II and the Origin of Modern Conscientious Objection ] [ 3. Legal History of Conscientious Objection ] [ 4. Conscientious Objection During the Vietnam War ] [ 5. The Religious Response to Conscientious Objection ] [ 6. Conclusion ] [ Tables and Charts ] [ Bibliography ]

[ 홈 ] [ 양심적 거부의 개요 ] [ 병역의 의미 - TOLSTOY ] [ 인류를 향한 마지막 메시지 ] [ 양심적 거부의 역사 - 미국 ] [ 양심적 거부의 역사 - 영국 ] [ 양심적 거부 - 미대륙 ] [ 평화의 철학 - IFG ] [ 무저항/비폭력 ] [ 평화주의 ] [ 기사 및 문서 ] [ 관련 기관/단체 ] [ 관련 사이트 ]