writing a statement of your beliefs that can be filed with a social justice
organization. The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors and The
Center on Conscience & War both serve that function to varying degrees.
First you need to draft your letter. Your letter should contain the
following:
1) A description of your beliefs that are the basis for your claim.
State whether those beliefs would permit you to serve in a noncombatant
position in the armed forces.
This question asks you to describe, in some detail and as honestly as
possible, the basic principles by which you guide your life. You should
describe those values which are of utmost importance to you, such as God,
love, truth, justice, etc., and why these beliefs are in conflict with
participation in war or paying for war or preparations for war. You should
begin by saying that you are conscientiously opposed to participation in
war, and then describe the beliefs that lead you to such opposition.
The second part of this question seeks to determine whether as a draft
registrant you claim noncombatant status in the military or full exemption
from military service. You should specify what it is about noncombatant
service that would violate your conscience if this is the exemption you seek.
If your convictions lead you to be a non-cooperator , your answer to this
question might be useful should you ever be prosecuted or seek financial
aid or other help from sources such as FEAT which provides school loans
to CO non-registrants.
2) A description of how your beliefs developed. In answering this
question, you should include anything of significance which helped to form
your beliefs. Mention any religious training you have had if you feel such
training has helped you arrive at your position. If you feel you arrived at
your beliefs with no formal training, there is no need to mention any. The
influence of preachers, teachers, family members, books, television,
movies, membership in organizations and experiences in your life should be
listed. Be specific. You need to show that strong influences in your life have
stimulated you to think clearly and seriously about participation in war.
Specific incidents can be mentioned such as seminars or assemblies you
have attended, courses taken, trips taken, contact with refugees,
demonstrations you were in, to show that your beliefs had substantial
formation beyond a merely "academic interest." Obviously, if you have
experienced war, be sure to reflect on it. Take care not to give the
impression that your belief is primarily a matter of political considerations,
expediency, or merely an arbitrary, personal moral code unrelated to higher
values. Click Here to read our scriptural objections to military service
3) A description of how your beliefs affect the way you live and the
type of work you do or plan to do. This may be a difficult question for
objectors who have not had many experiences which can show sincere
beliefs. Select the best illustrations of your convictions. Think about
community service; church participation; clubs; sports; or relationships with
friends. You can always discuss how your future plans are strongly affected
by a commitment to those beliefs. Describe kinds of employment you have
had or plan to have which reflect your commitment. Discuss any public
expression, written or oral, you have given to your beliefs. Describe your
lifestyle, mention your life's goals as you have set them, and show how they
are an outgrowth of your beliefs. Don't forget to mention movies, video
games, and other aspects of our violent culture that you don't participate in,
if that is the case for you. This question allows you to demonstrate the
sincerity with which you hold your beliefs.
The overall goal of administering this letter, is to prove that your objection
to participating in the Armed Services is a violation of your active
conscience of faith and is a compromise to a true standard of life that you
from the heart want to practice from a conviction to what you believe is
truth. This is a record that will go on file as to your stated reasons for being
conscientiously opposed to being in the Armed Services, and will used as a
standard by which a draft board will assess your credibility or through
military assessment if already in the military.
When concluding your letter and reasons of conscientious
opposition...
It may be helpful that when concluding your letter, clarify by way of summary
some objective principles upon which the statements of this letter are
based.
State for example, that our conscientious opposition to affiliating ourselves
in military service is not based upon a lack of respect or show of rebellion to
civil authority or political governments. The Bible states that as disciples of
Jesus, we are to submit to the authorities of our government and respect
them for their work (Romans 13: 1-5). We are also to pray that their work
will be successful so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life and that
many lost souls may be saved in view of maintaining an environment of
peace and security (I Timothy 2: 1-4) Thus with this in mind, our position as
Conscientious Objectors should not be understood as not being based
upon unmerited, or unfounded reasons, but rather based upon our
conscience of faith and manner of life which solely relies upon the personal
religious conviction to follow as best as we can the revealed inspired
teachings of Jesus Christ in His New Testament scripture.
What this concluding statement may do, is to help establish an unbiased
justifiable respect in the minds of those who consider your letter, so that
they will objectively receive the content of the letter, as something that is
honestly and truly a matter of conscientious objection, and not just a way to
get out of the military or a way to get out of the draft.
In summary, to learn even more about the things involved in receiving a CO
status, it is advisable to consult the following organization for current
information. The name of the organization is Central Committee For
Conscientious Objectors. The information obtained from this organization
may be especially helpful if you are a male turning 18, and must register
with Selective Service System 30 days before or 29 days after your 18th
birthday.
Interesting note: CCCO advises to declare yourself a
conscientious objector as early as possible and to make it known
often -- so that later if need be, one can easily and objectively act
on that declaration, if the draft is ever reinstated.
CCCO’s website is www.objector.org
