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HOW YOUR CHURCH LETS YOU OFF THE BEARING-ARMS HOOK AND LETS CATHOLICS, PROTESTANTS AND OTHERS DEFEND YOU AND YOUR COUNTRY IN WARTIME Hereís the truth about the official, historic position of the Seventh-day Adventist church that allowing and expecting Protestants, Catholics and others to bear arms in defense of them and their country in wartime: ********************************* ELLEN G. WHITE SPEAKS OUT SABBATHKEEPERS now cannot expect this, and SHOULD NOT, UPON ANY CONSIDERATION, ENGAGE IN THIS TERRIBLE WAR. They have nothing to hope for. The desolating power of God is upon the earth to rend and destroy; the inhabitants of the earth are appointed to the sword, famine, and pestilence. --Ellen G. White, Ms 5, 1862, pp. 1, 2. ("Regarding the Civil War," circa 1862.). In: Manuscript Releases Volume Seven, page 112, paragraph 1. Chapter Title: The Civil War ********************************* SDA HIERARCHY RALLIES TO CAUSE But not having had a long existence as a distinct people, and our organization having but recently been perfected, our sentiments are not yet extensively known. The change in the law renders it necessary that we take a more public stand in the matter. For this reason we now lay before your Excellency the sentiments of SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, AS A BODY, relative to bearing arms, trusting that you will feel no hesitation in endorsing our claim that, AS A PEOPLE WE come under the intent of the late action of Congress concerning those who ARE CONSCIENTIOUSLY OPPOSED TO BEARING ARMS, and are entitled to the benefits of said laws. --[Signed] John Byington, General Conference; and J. N. Loughborough, Executive Committee George W. Amadon of Seventh-day Adventists, Battle Creek, August 2, 1864. In Ellen G. White Volume 2 The Progressive Years 1862-1876, page 100, paragraph 5. Chapter Title: The War and Its Unexpected Close ********************************* KIND-HEARTED CAESAR SPEAKS OUT I am satisfied that the foregoing statement of principles and practices of the Seventh-day Adventists is correct [THAT BEARING ARMS IN WAR IS SINFUL], and that they are entitled to all the immunities secured by law to those who are conscientiously opposed to bearing arms, or engaging in war. --Governor Austin Blair of Michigan, Ellen G. White Volume 2 The Progressive Years 1862-1876, page 101, paragraph 3. Chapter Title: The War and Its Unexpected Close ********************************* OFFICIAL SDA HISTORIANS WEIGH IN Seventh-day Adventists were now assured of the acceptance by the United States Government of their status as NONCOMBATANTS. It would take some time to determine just how things would work out at local levels. In the meantime CHURCH LEADERS HASTENED TO PREPARE DOCUMENTS THAT A DRAFTED MAN COULD EMPLOY IN DEMONSTRATING HIS ELIGIBILITY FOR NONCOMBATANT STATUS. This was done in two pamphlets, one of twenty-seven pages entitled "Compilation of Extracts, From the PUBLICATIONS OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS SETTING FORTH THEIR VIEW OF THE SINFULNESS OF WAR, Referred to in the Annexed Affidavits." The other was a pamphlet of nineteen pages titled "The Views of Seventh-day Adventists Relative to Bearing Arms, as Brought Before the Governors of Several States and the Provost Marshal General With a Portion of the Enrollment Law." Both came from the press very early in 1865. --[statement], Ellen G. White Volume 2 The Progressive Years 1862-1876, page 102, paragraph 4. Chapter Title: The War and Its Unexpected Close ********************************* SDAs DODGE DRAFT In mid-1864 problems related to the war accelerated. Under the draft law passed by Congress on March 3, 1863, there was provision that those conscientiously opposed to bearing arms could be assigned "to duty in the hospitals, or to the care of freedmen," or could, by the payment of $300, be excused from the draft ("The Views of Seventh-day Adventists Relative to Bearing Arms," pp. 3,4). Under these liberal provisions, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS GENERALLY, IF DRAFTED, PAID $300 AND WERE EXCUSED FROM SERVING. IN THE LIGHT OF THE COUNSEL GIVEN BY GOD THROUGH ELLEN WHITE, it seemed consistent to take this course and thus ESCAPE the many problems of MILITARY SERVICE. --[Statement], Ellen G. White Volume 2 The Progressive Years 1862-1876, page 99, paragraph 1. Chapter Title: The War and Its Unexpected Close Provided , That no person shall be entitled to the benefit of the provisions of this section, unless his declaration of conscientious scruples against bearing arms shall be supported by satisfactory evidence that his deportment has been uniformly consistent with such declaration. ********************************* SDAs EVER ìUNANIMOUSî IN REFUSAL TO DEFEND COUNTRY THE DENOMINATION of Christians calling themselves SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, taking the Bible as their rule of faith and practice, ARE UNANIMOUS in their views that its teachings are contrary to the spirit and practice of war; hence, THE HAVE EVER BEEN CONSCIENTIOUSLY OPPOSED TO BEARING ARMS. If there is any portion of the Bible which we, as a people, can point to more than another as our creed, it is the law of ten commandments, which we regard as the supreme law, and each precept of which we take in its most obvious and literal import. --[statement], Ellen G. White Volume 2 The Progressive Years 1862-1876, page 100, paragraph 2. Chapter Title: The War and Its Unexpected Close |
