Conscientious Objection to War

New York Yearly Meeting Resource Person — Joseph Olejak 

 

Quaker Peace Testimony

WE UTTERLY DENY ALL OUTWARD WARS AND STRIFE and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretense whatsoever; and this is our testimony to the whole world.” ~ Declaration of Friends to Charles II, 1660

 

NYYM Minute

The Living Spirit works in the world to give life, joy, peace and prosperity through love, integrity and compassionate justice among people. We are united in this Power. We acknowledge that paying for war violates our religious conviction. We will seek ways to witness to this religious conviction in each of our communities. ~ New York Yearly Meeting Declaration of Conscience Against Paying for War (April 2006).

 

This is the work of a people of faith. We invite everyone to join this long-standing witness against war and violence in any form and to witness to your religious conviction. Let us act for conscience's sake and experience the liberty of conscience. 

 

Organizations working on Conscientious Objection to War

 

Sign up with these organizations for updates, action alerts, speakers, training, or to donate!

 

We’re all conscripted!

A statement of conscience and case file prepares you for a public stand or witness for Selective Service registration resistance, a draft board or war tax resistance hearing, military discharge based on conscience, alternative community service, or testimonials for lobbying efforts. 

 

Write Your Statement of Conscience

A Statement of Conscience simply is a sincere and honest expression of your  beliefs from your conscience. 

 

Steps for Writing a Statement of Conscience

  • Stop, get quiet, and listen inwardly to what you believe about war.

  • Reflect and take notes on:
    • 1) what you believe; 
    • 2) what influenced your beliefs; and 
    • 3) how your beliefs are evident in your life.
  • Ask others how they see your beliefs and these influences in your life reflected in the way you live. 
  • Read and take note of quotes, verses, or other examples of influences on your beliefs. 
  • Write your statement—anything from a few sentences to an essay; it’s your statement. Don’t strive for perfection; keep it simple, focus on your experience, and add or update later as led. Make your case for others to clearly understand your position. 

 

Enter your statement of conscience in your Monthly Meeting minutes, send to NYYM to include in their archives, and/or post at Friends Peace Teams: friendspeaceteams.org/conscientious-objection-to-war. 

 

Steps for a Building a Case File

A case file is concrete evidence demonstrating and supporting your statement of conscience. 

  • Tri-fold your statement of conscience, tape it closed, and mail it to yourself. The postmark on the paper creates a legally dated record, which serves as strong legal evidence for a “long-standing belief” later in life.
  • Request letters of support from community members for your stand on conscience who attest to your sincerity and integrity.
  • Collect documents of your actions, participation in events, or writings that reflect your beliefs.
  • Seek counseling on registration, alternative service, tax witness, purchasing, and other options or choices. 
  • Submit your statement to your religious community to acknowledge in their records and keep on file.
  • Share your statement widely with family, friends, newspapers, and federal Representatives and Senators. 
  • Post your statement as a public witness on the Friends Peace Teams website.

 

Handouts:

Writing a Statement of Conscience

Conscientious Objection Flyer by Quaker House

 

 

War Tax Resistance 

If we had to see what our tax dollars are used for every day, most of us would not tolerate it. It is unconscionable. Most of us are drafted through our tax dollars. Ask yourself, does war violate my conscience? If so, ask for consultation with other Friends in your meeting or NYYM Conscientious Objection to Paying for War Working Group. 

 

There are many actions you can take. You may pay, but protest. Write and disseminate a letter of protest that paying violates your conscience. Or you may pay a token amount, the military portion, or all of your income tax into an escrow account. 

 

An escrow account holds funds pending the outcome of a negotiation. In this case, tax payers may pay taxes into the Farmington-Scipio Regional Meeting or Purchase escrow accounts to make it clear they wish to pay their taxes, but not in violation to their faith. The funds are held for the U.S. government until means are made available to pay taxes while upholding our religious conviction against paying for war. 

Flyer:

Conscientious Objection to War and Paying for War - FSRM.pdf

 

Additional Organizations 

The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY) [https://nnomy.org/en/who-are-we.html]

Committee Opposed to Militarism & the Draft (COMD) [comdsd.org]

War Resisters League [https://www.warresisters.org] 

Resisters.Info [https://hasbrouck.org/draft]

 

GI Rights Hotline  [GIRightsHotline.org]

About Face: Veterans Against the War [https://aboutfaceveterans.org/who-we-are/]

Military Families Speak Out [https://militaryfamiliesspeakout.com/] 

Military Law Task Force (National Lawyers Guild) [https://nlgmltf.org/about/]

Veterans for Peace [https://www.veteransforpeace.org/]

 

NWTRCC - New York Peace Tax Escrow Account [nwtrcc.org/resist/redirection/nypteac]

NWTRCC - War Resisters League Penalty Fund [https://nwtrcc.org/wtrpf/]

FYI: National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund (no action since July 2021)

 

Waging Nonviolence [https://wagingnonviolence.org]

Nonviolence International [https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net] 

World Beyond War [https://worldbeyondwar.org]

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation [https://www.wagingpeace.org] 

Save Jeju Now! [https://savejejunow.org] 

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action [https://www.gzcenter.org] 

 

Additional Resources 

Videos: 

Standing with Conscience: Workshop & Panel Recap

Writing a Statement of Conscience 

 

Suffering for Conscience Sake

NYYM’s Committee on Sufferings administers the Fund for Sufferings for those who suffer for conscience sake. 

 

The Quaker practice of experimenting with Inwardly Guidance, yielding to the promptings of love and conscience, moves us to cooperate with that which is of Spirit and not cooperate with that which is not. Lucretia Mott’s lifelong inspiration that where God dwells there must be true liberty refers to the liberty of conscience — the freedom to act in accord with conscience and the freedom experienced when we do. 

 

The Great Case of Liberty of Conscience once more briefly debated & defended…Toleration has not been more the cry of some than persecution hath been the practice of others…(Relief from our cruel sufferings) has been often promised us, and we as earnestly have expected the performance; but to this time we labor under the unspeakable pressure of nasty prisons, and daily confiscation of our goods, to the apparent ruin of entire families.” ~ Wm Penn 1670