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!rrE1Sa1£1DaM*i*1aV*aartb3aif3rtafrsliWho are tbe Mennonites?The committee of 1,000 has definitely and deliberately and more or les successfully drawn attention from the real issue of the strike, e.g.. collective bargaining, by their deceptive cry of “Alien,’* “Alien.** Because of this we print an article written by one of these aliens. Surely here is one body that cannot be regarded as revolutionary. Without accepting or rejecting the philosophy of the Mennonites we let one of them tell his own story:—You often hear it said that the Menonites are “against the war.*’ That is a misleading expression. The Mennonites are by no means simply against the war that has now convulsed the world, but against war in general, against all war. It must be declared most emphatically that the Mennonite people are not against participating in military service because the war is against Germany, now that they have come in conflict with the draft for the first time in this country. We have never made an exception for any war whatsoever, from the time of our founder, Men-no Simon, In the sixteenth century in Holland, when our forefathers suffered under the military sway of the bloody Duke Alba, up to * the present world conflict. We do not thereby say, however, that there is no more justice involved in one war than in another; but we, nevertheless, hold, and ever have held, that war as such is. according to our understanding of the teaching of Jesus Christ, out of harmony with the new dispensation of brotherly love and humble trust in God brought into the world by the Prince of Peace. In consequence, we have been persecuted and buffeted about through the centuries from country to country, on account of our steadfast refusal to participate in any war.We Mennonites have to bear the stigma of being called unpatriotic for standing upto our convictions on this point. But the question remains whether the charge can be made against us rightfully. Have we not always been submissive and subservient to tbe laws and regulations of the land? Have we not been peaceful and law-abidin, so that the courts have very seldom had auy trouble with the Mennonites? Have we not dutifully paid our taxes and suported our government in any way that is not against our creed and convictions? And besides the many charitable contributions going through the regular channels, we have sent many thousands of dollars to relieve the war sufferers in our former home in Russia, Siberia and Poland.In every land where the Mennonites have located, they have been pronounced disloyal, because they did not participate in the country’s wars. So many times they have been obliged to “move on” to try to find a haven of erfuge elsewhere, where the grim hand of war would not impress them. Our people were again in the midst of such a tremendous crisis.When our people came to this country, we were often contemptuously called “Russians,” but now we have suddenly become “Germans” in the eyes of those who have nothing but contempt for our non-resistant principles. As a matter of fact, we are neither Russians nor Germans, when we consider the origin of our people. Seed that had been scattered in Switzerland and Holland by traveling missionaries of the Waldenses grew into the movement which at the time of the Reformation Menno Simon organizedin Holland as the church which later was named after him and united the adherents of similar views.From Holland and Switzerland persecution drove the Mennonites to Germany and Austria. Some went from Holland and from Germany with William Penn and the Quakers and sought a refuge on the free soil of America, in the eastern states. From Germany and Austria military oppression later caused the Mennonites to emigrate, especially to Russia, where exemption from military service was promised them, if theywould come to build up the agriculture of the land. But after a hundred years they lost this privilege also in Russia and moved on to America in large numbers, settling in the western states and Canada. In Canada they received an “Order-in-Couneil” guaranteeing them an entire exemption from any military service, but in United States President Grant pointed out to their delegates that a clause in the constitution of the land expressly guarantees the free exercise of religion, which would also include our non-resisant creed. Relying on these words our forefathers emigrated to the United States in 1873 and the following years. We trust that in the end, not only will the Dominion of Canada,but also this greatest of all republics, will guarantee religious freedom also to the extent of recognising complete non-participation in war.Many people think the non-resistants should be satisfied if they only do not have to take the gun; but that the shocld be willing to perform non-combatant military service and thus to assist the others who use the gun. Is it surprising that many of us considered this inconsistent? And would this not have laid us more open to the charge of “cowardice,** that we would not risk the dangers of combatant service, but had no objection to safer branches of warfare? Anyone who knows what the teetotal objectors had to pass through will at least not consider them cowards.We Mennonites also have much to ask forgiveness for, not only of our God, but also of our neighbors; but we are confident that we shall never need.to feel ashamed of having held our distinctive principles, which forbid our employing violence against our fellow men and especially to take human life, be it out of hatred or revenge, or under the excuse of self-defense, or even to save the life of another. The Master did not permit being defended by the taking of another’s life, and we never read that the early Christians used the sword even when women or children were attacked by Jewish or heathen mobs or brutes. Their non-resistent trust in God brought a martyr’scrown for many, but their bloodproved to be the seed of a triumphant church. We believe that the inviolate sacredness of human life is one of the foremost ideals that Christ has brought into the world. We believe in protecting and saving from harm both the attacked and the attacking, even to the extent of thereby losing our own lives; but we do not believe we have the right to endanger any one else’s life. There are many ways to employ besides bodily violence; we have often found spiritual means to be of more avail than carnal methods. And should a body of Christians not be permitted j to live out what they are convinced in their Christian duty?It is only the Christlike way of reconciliation and forgiveness and of love that reaches the divine height of loving one’s enemies that we Mennonites are in all weakness trying to exemplify in our attitude toward war and militarism, and we are glad to have found such noble comrades on this our path of duty in the Society of Friends, or Quakers, or Dunlcards, and other lesser denominations and numerous individuals elsewhere.J. G. EVERT,Hillsboro, Kansas.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Western Labor News
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Fri, Jun 27, 1919
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 14 Feb 2022
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