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What
would you do if people treated you badly because
of what you believed in? What if you were put in
prison, or if police officers barged into your
home to do a surprise inspection? This may not
ever happen to you, but it has happened to other
people.
It is important
to remember and study the past. It isn't only so
you can do well on a history test at school. It
is important to study history in order to learn
lessons about yourself and your country. The
philosopher George Santayana put it this way:
“Those who do not remember the past are
condemned to repeat it.” In other words, if you
do not learn from the mistakes other people have
made, you will be more likely to make the same
mistakes yourself.
But history is more than a series of
mistakes. It is also a story of courage, faith,
and endurance. These can teach you just as much
as mistakes can.
In 2004, the youngest conscientious
objector from the Second World War will be 75
years old. As time passes, and as the number of
living COs decreases, it becomes easier and
easier to forget the past. That's why it's
important to remember, and learn from, their
stories.
In this section,
you will learn about how Mennonites and other
COs suffered for their beliefs. Imprisonment,
church burnings, and surprise inspections are
all part of the CO story. You can learn both
from the persecution and from how the COs
responded.
Anne Baerg, wife of a CO, puts the situation of
COs into perspective.:
“Although we did not have the uncertainties and
anxieties of the men in the military, we did
have stress and burdens. However, we had the
prayers and love of our friends, family and
church. We certainly went through many lonely
days, but none of our men were “missing in
action.” We were spared such hardships and have
many reasons to be thankful.” [ASP, 35-36]
Mennonites
respect life and freedom and seek to live in
peaceful existence with God's creation. While we
acknowledge the sincerity of those who serve in
the military, we believe in the power of truth,
justice, and love rather than in the power of
war. We respect those who answered the call to
arms during the Second World War. We also deeply
appreciate that Mennonites were able to respond
in ways that reflected our convictions. We
believe that the story of conscientious
objectors is an important part of history.
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