RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3956, 15 June 1929, Page 1

RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE.

MILITARY OBJECTORS. STAND BY PRESBYTERY. For more than a year past the Auckland Presbytery has had 'before it from time to time cases of several young students who are prospective candidates for the ministry, a®d who refuse military service on religious grounds. Problems raised by 'these conscientious objectors again occupied much of the .Presbytery’s time on Tuesday, most of the discussion taking- place in private. One of the lads concerned, A. M. Richards, was present, and stated his case. The Presbytery was told that he and two others —A. Miller and J. M‘Dougal'l—were to come before the Court again for refusing military duty. John M'Dougall appeared before the Presbytery at its last meeting, and he was enjoined by it to offer alternative non-military service. In reply to this injunction M'Dougall wrote a long letter to the Presbytery intimating his intention to refuse service in any shape or form. In the course of his letter 'he said: “I will not offer alternate non-mili-tary service. I deny that the offering of alternative non-military service proves good faith. According to my religious beliefs, the State has no right to specify the way in which its citizens shall serve it any more than the Presbytery has a right to direct how its members shall serve it. (Consequently I Can only refuse to follow the unwarranted directions of the presbytery in the matter of military training.” By a very large majority the Presbytery decided to meet in private. A comlmittee of three eventually prepared a resolution which was ladopted without dissent in the following form: —‘‘That while the Presbyterian 'Church does not encourage refusal to accept military training as long as that Continues to he the law of the land, this Presbytery reasserts the claim made by 'the General Assembly of our church that individual memjbers who have bona tide conscientious objection to military training and service should be granted the exemption provided for .under the Act; the Presbytery urges applicants to express their willingness to accept n'onmilitary service if pr§scribed by the Governor-in-Council.”