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From: bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Christians and Morality
Message-ID: <600@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Oct-84 11:16:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.600
Posted: Mon Oct  1 11:16:33 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Oct-84 07:23:35 EDT
References: <210@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 31

> Christians as a whole have been against war.  You'll recall that during
> the First and Second World Wars almost all concientious objectors were
> either Quakers, Mennonites or Brethern -- solid Christians all of them.

I don't want to disagree with your main point as I understand it, that
many Christians sincerely oppose war, and that Christianity cannot
be judged by the actions or statements of one group.  However, your
statement above is simply not true.  *Most* Christians in *most* times
have *not* been sufficiently opposed to war to become conscientious 
objectors.  During the Vietnam War, only a small minority registered as 
CO's, went to Canada, etc., and in previous wars (Korean, WW I, WW II) 
even fewer took the CO position.  Even among draft-age Quakers in WW II, 
there was a substantial number, it may even have been a majority, who 
took up arms.  Richard Nixon is only the most famous example.

It's one thing to "be against war", and it is quite another thing to
take a stand such as being a CO that puts one at personal risk vis-a-vis
the government and your peers.

By the way, a substantial number of Quakers would dispute your assertion
that Quakers are "solid Christians".  Many doubt that present-day
Quakerism is a branch of Christianity at all, although they do recognize
the historical roots of Quakerism in Christianity.

-- 
"Biblical signoffs are for the smug."

	Bill Jefferys  8-%
	Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712   (USnail)
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