"SNIVELLING HYPOCRITES"?

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2819, 10 July 1916, Page 6

"SNIVELLING HYPOCRITES"?

Sir,—i notice that a certain member oL Parliament in the debate on the. Compulsion Bill, described conscientious objectors as "snivelling hypocrites." I ; happen to be one of those much-maligned conscientious objectors, Mr. Editor, but, if I were a "sporting"'man, I would''bet my bottom dollar" that I have more right to my views than that particular gentleman has for. his. Some of us may be hypocrites, perhaps. Some may be fanatics, fools, or cowards, but who am I to ■ judge my brother men and ( say whether that is «> or not? I can only answer for .myself, and, to prove that I am no fool, 1 I havo in my possession a. diploma, signed by the Chancellor of tho N.Z. University, declaring that I am a bona-fide .University graduate. Formerly I held the samo views on tliis military question as others. Not so many year 3 ago I was a sergeant in. tho volunteers, and spent many of my evenings drilling recruits, doing clerical work for mjr company, and other various duties connected with volunteering. Somo of my old recruits are now officers and non-conis. at the trout. I was once on tho verge of takiug a commission. Furthermore, I was ready in- those days to, if necessary,• spiU my blood in my country's defence, why? Because I believed it was right. I then believed that the soldier type was the highest, or one of the highest, types of manhood. I saw nothing then in soldiering that was incompatible with the highest .Christian ethical - standards. But my views have, sincc then, undergone a great change. I know now that_. perfectly conscientious as I was in ~ those (lays, I was nevertheless quite wrong. I see now that it is impossible, try as one will, to do the tflo things at one and. the same time, viz.: love one's enemy according to New Testament precept, and also stab him with a bayonet.. To confirm this, my conviction, all the writers on early Christian historv' that I have beeu able to consult on tliis subject declare that the Christians of the first two centuries believed practically the same on this question as the Quakers do today. Several cases of martyrdom were known in tile early Church owing to the fact that soldiers, 011 embracing the Christian faith, refused any longer to tight. Practically all the great teachers ■in the early Church declare against war. Ambrose and Augustine, two well-known "iMhers" of the *arly Church, are sometimes cited to prove the contrary "iew, but it taust be remembered that they li/ved at a later period, and that Christianity had become corrupted long before their time. Knowing* these" facts, I cannot, try as I' wiil, swallow the 'orthodox view as'to the relation between - l Christianity and war. It is not pleasant to differ from the majority on a. practi. oal question like this, especially when there is a risk of one's being treated as a criminal, for holding such viewg.; but we must all be true to our consciences, whatever may happen. I have spent days and weeks in the solution of this question, reading much, thinking much, and praying muoh. My present view on ■ this question has not Seen reached in one day, nor' in two. According to the honourable gentleman above referred to, however, I am a "snivelling hypocrite." The ignorance and narrow-mindedness of members of Parliament on this subject is perfectly astounding. It is just possible that the charge of "snivellirig hypocrisy" may be simply a charge levelled by ignor: ance against knowledge.—l am, etc., CHAS: B. J.