... Edward Yoder O. O. Millis (?) Paper read at Goshen College Peace Society March 12, 1936 The History-Program and Objectives of the Peace Problems Committee History (Extract from paper read at the 1933 Hesston General Conference) In 1917 at the General' Conference held at Yellowcreek Church, Indiana Brethren Aaron Loucks, S. G. Shetler and D. D. Miller, later designated a Military Problems Committee, were unanimously chosen to meet the authorities at Washington, D. C. regarding exemption from ihs Draft. Following this Committee's report to the 1919 Conference, the following, resolution was presented to Conference and passed all of its recommendations: "We recommend that this General Conference appoint a standing Comittee of five brethren whose duty it shall be to study any legislation of the nation, or its several states, that may come up for consideration which affects our faith who, in cooperation with the Executive Committee of the General Conference, shall take such steps as they deem necessary to give such information to the Church as many tend to preserve the untiy of the faith, and to bring our position before any officials or representatives of Government for their consideration that we may continue to enjoy religious liberty as provided by the constitution of the United States Whereas this body, the the Mennonite General Conferernce, has declared its position on peace the proposed universal compulsory military training, and, Whereas such statement may be of interest to the chief officials of our land, be it Resolved, that a copy of said statement, "Our position on Peace," as passed the said Mennonite General Conference in session near Harrisonburg, Va., August 27-29, 1919, be sent to Honorable Woodrow Wilson, President of the United and such other officials as may be deemed advisable." In accordance with the recommendation on, a standing Committee of five brethren were appointed a Peace Problems Committee. At 1923 Conference the Committee was changed to a membership of three. From the foregoing one notes that the feeling of the the necessity for this Committee and their field of endeavor developed out of our World War experiences. Following the passage of the Selective Draft Act in the spring of 1917 and during the several months preceding the August general Conference of that year, it devolved upon District Conference or other groups to proceedin meeting th problems created for our young men by this act as best they could without any hlep from the General body. After General Conference did act, there was still further delay in efficient procedures until those charged with representing the Church to Government authorities had developed some experience in their work. The need for a Standing Committee charged with the continued responsibility of keeping in touch with pending or proposed legislation affecting our position as Non-resistants and of keeping the Church informed of such, and in turn of keeping before Government authorities the implications of our Faith in relation thereto became self-evident. Hundreds of the Young men directly affected by the Draft then, will gratefully remember to their dying day this avenue of help made vailable to them then by these General Conference agencies. Brethren Aaron Loucks, D. D. Miller, and E. L. Frey served as the Peace Problems Committee from its inception until 1925. The ministry and service to the men in the camps organized under their leadership, their laiasonship between the men and officials of these camps, the contacts they maintained with War authorities in Washington, their interest immediately following the Was [sic] in passing on to Washington the Church's intense concern regards certain proposed features in the pending Defense Act, and in other proposed legislation, rendered teh Church of that period invaluable service. By the time of the 1925 Eureka General Conference Peace Problems of this particular type and urgency were, however, largely ended. The question then confronting Conference was whether there was permanent Peace time need for such a Committee, and if so, whether its function and service should be broadened the following; report end cosequent action resulted: "There has been no meeting of the Committee since the last General Conference, held at Waterloo, Ontario, August 29, 1923. Consistent with the recommendations given in a former report, we again emphasize the necessity of teaching and preaching in puglic services, through the Church publications, in the distribution of peace tracts, pamphlets, and books, the peace principles of the Mennonite Church as taught by our Saviour. A number of Conferences have passed resolutions addressing them to State and Federal Executives, expressing gratitude for the immunity from participating in "Mobilization Day." We believe that the subject of peace, as held by the Church, should be kep before our people, the public, and government officials. Peace Problems Committee Aaron Loucks, Chairman The report was accepted and the following two committees elected to work jointly or separately as occasion justifies: United States Peace Problems Committe: E. L. Frey, Orie O. Miller, C. L. Graber. Canadian Peace Problems Committee: E. S. Hallman, S. F. Coffman, J. Wesley Witmer. This enlarged Committee of six has been functioning under Bro. Frey's chairmanship since then. The Committee submitted to 1927 General Conference a brief statement of policy which has since been referred to as our three-point program. We quote as follows the 1927 report: "The three principal points in the program are: 1. To encourage efforts among our own people which will lead to a clearer understanding of, and a deeper conviction in our own belief in the doctrine of Non-resistance 2. To represent the Church and her position on this doctrine before any departartment of our State, provincials and national governments which have to do with legislation or the enforcement of legislation affecting our status as non-resistant citizens and to encourage officials wherever possible in a wider application of the policy of goodwill rather than that of force or war. 3. To keep before other individuals, groups, denominations and associations who may be seeking more light alorng these lines the gospel interpretations and implications of this doctrine." During the past eight years, the Committee's program has been built around this threefold purpose. In addition to the background which this brief historical sketch of our present Peace Problems Committee gives, it seems to me essential also, for a fair understanding of the Committee's program and objectives, to review a few of the fundamental emphasis in our Peace Philosophy. As Christians committed to a life in full accord with the teachings of Scripture, and the example of our Lord, we have known as by instinct that the Christian life is one committed fully to the Love method of overcomig evil. recently, hovever, have we seemed to sense the importance of an apologetic of our position in terms that help clarify a wider testinony of our position. As yet there are a good many gaps in this apologetic, but we are grateful for the progress made. Let me also state here that the Committee appreciates the leadership being given this field of Peace thinking by several of your professors here at the College. In brief, our position is based on what we designate the Biblica1 doctrine of Non resistance. While its implication in time of War has always been understood mong us that the doctrine practically has immeasurably wider implications. The position is often confused with Pacifism--this no doubt becauae of their similar attitudes to War or to the use of physical coercion in Group conflicts. Perhaps our own position san be clarified by nothing further the similarities and contrasts between Pacifism and Biblical Non-resistence. The Pacifist is done with war because war has also created more evils than it has cured, and he is convinced that by its nature it always will. He takes note of the colossal waste of life, and material resouree and of the unjust suffering of innocent victims that War inevitably brings. He further notes that through invention and the development of science, War has become unspeakably horrible amd if not discontinued threatens to blot out civilization itself. Ofttimes the Pacifist is not a Christian and may think of War as an outgrown institution and is convinced that through the more civilized forms of non-violent coercion as for example the strike, the boycott, or sanctions right may be more effectively maintained against wrong, then by means of physical force. Still other pacifists as for instance Mahatma ghandi of India advocates (and very effectively a passive resistance to evil.) Hence all Pacifism professedly has done with War as between nations or with the use of physical fores as a method of solving inter-social group conflicts. There is, however, wide variance in the philosophies and ideals held by individual pacifists or pacifist organizations. Very few of them would advocate the waiving of individual personal rights as a means of overcoming evil. Their confidenoe rests on the processes of education, and on progress based on the theory of Evolution and ignores the basic passions and sin in unregenerate human nature, and the only true basis for Peace which is in and thru Jesus Christ its Prince. Christian Non-resistanco is a doctrine whose acceptors also can have no part in War. This is not merely because of its economic waste futility and folly; nor because of its insane disregard of the value of human personality and life; nor because of the fast that in its wake are always a multitude of more evils than any war attempted to cure. Neither does the true non-resistant take his position because ofpersonal cowardice, as is witnessed by a long line of martyrs to the faith; nor is it based on the thesis that non-violence can be, as demonstrated by the Ghandi movement, the strike, and the boycott, a more effective form of coercion than force; neither is its basis a passivity towards evil and injustice. The lvoe that Jesus lived and taught goes immeasurably beyond any of these. It is positive, aggressive, constructive. It is love of enemies, a second-mile, coals-of-fire-heaping, overcoming-eve-with-good, force which often ends in apparent defeat, but it is a guaranteed method of victory over evil through the power of Him who is Lord of all. The Non-resistant believes: 1. That jeus meant His teachings (Matt. 5:38-48; Luke 6:27-36, John 13:34, 35; Matt. 26:52) on love, goodwill, and the overcoming of evil to be practised and applicable in all of a believer's life and relationships, as He Himself practiced them. 2. That peace within and among men and between groups, classes and races can be guaranteed ONLY thru allegiance to the Prince of Peace and maintained by means of the power that comes from such allegiances. 3. That even though this truth applies only to those who in faith accept it, he also believes that God rules His creation, that He overrules and controls the affairs of men and of nations, so that this followers can be practiceably live thus. 4 4, That his mission as an individual is to be a daily living witness of this principle in practice--that he is to be an apostle to a peace-longing world of this truth in its full measure. To the world's challenge that such a position may be beautifully ideal but that in the main it ignores the realities of social and national security and "that obedience to the non-resistance teaching of Jesus is so obviously inconsistent with the peace and wellbeing of society that He could not have meant this teaching to be taken literally, the non-resistant answers: (1) The ability to practice this teaching of Jesus ia strictly relative to the status of discipleship. It is esentially a law for the Christian community. (2) The negative attitude which the teaching involves has its positive counterpart. Jesus and his disciples use no force, but they are on that account by no means ciphers in the struggle against sin. The point is that the principles of Jesus as a general policy so far from leaving sin unchecked check it more effectively than any coercion or penalization can do." This has been the position of our forefathers during the four last centuries. The Chureh in her official utterances has not once failed in her testimony to it during this time. Many have met a martyr's death, rather than deny this Faith. Perhaps an apology is due for this lengthily discussing the basis of our Peace thinking; and testimony--but this can at least be accepted as a token of the prime importanee the Peace Problems Committee attaches in its work and program to clear consistent comprehensive thinking on this question. In fact to our mind much of the weakness and superficiality in today's peace effort is because of overlooking or ignoring this. Correct thinking as well as right soul and heart allegiances is essential to a fully rounded Peace witness. It cannot be assumed that our thinking is sound Just because we name ourselves Quakers, Brethren, of [sic] Mennonites. How those before have lived and died and thought under the impulsion of thes [sic] tenet of faith should inspire and encourage but cannot substitute for a living faith of our own. As in the matter of the New Birth so in this Grace of committing ourselves fully to the LOVE method Christian living each individual one of us in each new generatfon must take the necessary faith steps. Program and Objectives This leads us naturally then to past and present activities of the Committee on point one of the Committtee's three-point program. For effective work within our own constituency the Comittee early noted the lack of scripturally soounnd Peace literature. Where for example the Friends have dozens of well-wrttten books covering both the historical record of their experience as, Non-resistants in Peace or War, and well books giving the apologetic of their position to the outside world, the Mennonite Chureh had hardly any. The Commiittee feels that the teaching from pulpit, thru the Sunday Schools and other existing agencies can be moat effectively supplemented thru the production of such literature and endeavors to encourage such effort in every possible manner. Wilbur Bender's manuscript on the experiences of Mennonites and other Non-resistant groups from their settlement in the New World thru the Revolution to 1783 and John Horsch's pamphlet on "The Principle ef Non-Resistance are illustrations of the type of projects which the Committee has aided and continues to encourage. The Quarterly Peace Page in the Gospel Herald Doctrinal Supplement as edited by Edw. F. Yoder, and the present seriea of Youth' Christian Companion articles by Guy Hershberger are illustrations of another type of literary production which the Committee encourages. The group within our constituency with talents, ability and inclination for literary oursuits is growing, but not large. The number within this group with understanding of the Church's position on this doctrine, plus deep conviction and the inclination to to devote special energy to an apologetic of our Peace position is still further limited. One of the major continuing objectives of the Committee is to recognize those whom God may call to such particular service and to aid and encourage them in every way. In this connection it goes without saying that the Committee is happy to note the present intense interest in this phase of our Group witness here at Goshen and to which your Society is giving leadership. Your visions of a special Peace Section to the Goshen College Library, the encouragement your Society is bound to give these who go from here into Graduate fields to work into unexplored fields of Peace study are certainly in line with this objective. Might not the past generations astounding evolution in our group thinking and attitude on Missions with the consequent spiritual enrichment of our group life and witness and the Mennonite Clmreh's effectiveness as an Agent of God's Will in our day be a challenge of what might similarly be possible in the Day ahead in a fuller Witness to Light we have held for Centuries past on the method of Iove in Christian Living, but have held too much under a bushel, What objective could be challenging than this one? Much is said and written these days about the imminence of another World conflict. Indeed if World history teaches anything at all, we know that today's mad armament race and the feverish tenseness pervading present International relationships will inevitably bring War. All present trends indicate that in such event, Nations will conscript their man power and wealth to a fuller extent than ever hereteforee It is manifestly impossible to forsee the particular nature of the resultant test to the Non-resistant Christian--but there can be concern that in Peace time our witness as a people in our relationships witheach other and with others is consistently one of love and thus attest to the genuineness of our profession to the powers that be when the test comes and also that within us old and young, convictions develop that will enable loyalty to this faith--whatever test may come. This is also a major objective under Point 1. The situation first occasioning a Peace Problems Committee, namely the necessity for an officially formed organization to represent the church to Governement on occasions where our position as Non-resistant Christians is involved leads us to the second major objective in our three-point program. The Committee aims to keep in teach with pending legislation and practice and with trends in national thinking and attitude which threaten this liberty of conscience and on every possible consistently appropriate occasion to place before those in authority our position. In case of either of our countries becoming involved in War, our Commitee is charged with the responsibility of representing the interest and attitudes of our constituency to Government and to lead in finding and in having approved avenues of consistent loyal Christian citizenship, this when the unleashed passions of War and evil seem to have full sway. Maintaining readiness for such eventuality is then another objective. Let me further refer to Point three in program previously referred to: "To keep before other individuals, groups, denominations and associations who may be seeking more light along these lines, the gospel interpretations and implications of this doctrine." Here is where the Committee has so far attained least, and where the field is wellnigh limitless, The heart-hunger for ways of insuring peaceful living seems world-wide. We do and should thrill to genuine progress anywhere in grasping the truth of the way of LOVE and expecially so when this interest manifests itself in other christian groups. A stated object of our Committee is a readiness to share our experience in and interpretation of this truth with others. The Committee has used certain opportunities in this field of endeavor and is studying others. Our Committee has also recently approved same experiment in ways which may result in a stronger common emphasis and witness of our Peace position among the various Mennonite groups and the Mennonite Groups in a number of countries. Ways are also being explored through which the common scriptural 6 testimony of the Historic Peace Churches may be effectively made in a more united manner. Success in this would undoubtedly increase the respect of Government for the position taken and be of help to all of the several groups in time of test or in considering substitute service, and should strengthen our witness to other Christian groups who are anxious to find the way back to the position held in the early church. But you may ask, what program of War prevention has the Committee in mind? What definite concrete suggestions for our own young people who are impressed with the Peace Action and propaganda projects sponsered and encouraged by the several Peace organization? Why not cooperate more whole-heartedly with these apparently more concrete ways of Peace makers? Your speaker has prayed and thought much along these lines also. We need not judge the methods of others. However, my own present deep conviction is that inasmuch as our faith in the efficacy of the Love method for overcoming evil is integrally of our whole Christian faith we need to pray, think through and wait on Divine guidance for the opening of channels of witness, testimony and service. Our Master Peace's Prince has, it seems to me, given abundant evidence of His approval in the feeble beginnings made so far towards this fuller and wider witness. I am convinced that as we obediently and in faith move forward under His light He will guide into continually fuller knowledge of the truth and to a world-wide witness of life and testimony to it. ...