INTRODUCTION The National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors is pleased to present this compilation of official religious statements on amnesty. To the best of our knowledge, all recent amnesty statements by national religious groups are included. Nearly all of these statements call for some form of unconditional amnesty. The reader will find expressions which vary in scope and intensity, such as: "calling for an act of reconciliation" or "supporting men of good conscience" or "calling both the President and the Congress to act" as well as some excellent suggestions for religious groups on "providing a supportive community for all persons". The spirit of reconciliation pervades these statements. They also reflect a growing uneasiness with some of our nation's emphases in the recent past and an indication that religious communities are intent on looking to the future and grappling with the present. Our hope, in providing this compilation, is that people everywhere might better understand the motivations of war objectors and resisters, the needs of stigmatized veterans and the significance of amnesty. This booklet is part of a larger collection of information provided by NISBCO's Amnesty Information Service and is included in the NISBCO Amnesty Education Packet. Prices for single copies of this booklet - $.35 rates on bulk orders. (see back of booklet for address) Warren W. Hoover Executive Director James E. Tomlonson Editor January 1974 TABLE OF CONTENTS American Baptist - 1969 American Ethical Union - 1972 ... American Friends Service Committee - 1973 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - 1973 Ecumenical Witness - 1972 Episcopal (House of Bishops) - 1973 Fellowship of Reconciliation - 1973 Friends Committee on National Legislation - 1972 Interreligious Conference on Amnesty - 1972 Jewish American Jewish Congress 1972 National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods 1973 Lutheran Lutheran Council in the U. S. A. - 1972 ...... 16 Mennonite Old Mennonite Church and the Peace Section of the 17 .... National Council of Churches of Christ in U. S. A. - 1972 .. 19 National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors - 1972 .. 22 Roman Catholic National Conference of Catholic Bishops - 1972 RELIGIOUS STATEMENTS ON AMNESTY AMERICAN BAPTIST Amnesty Just as we respect the convictions of those young men who have felt that it was their duty to comply with the draft laws of our country by entering military service, so we also respect those young men who, during recent years, have resisted the draft because of their sincere conviction that participation in the Vietnamese war would constitute a violation of their consciences. We deeply sympathize with the families of those young men who have died in the performance of their military duties and we sympathize with those young men and their families who have become alienated from their government through their protest against the war. We honor those men who have sacrificed their future by death on the battlefield and we respect those who have risked their future by conscientious acts of non-conformity. Therefore, consistent with our concept of freedom and conscience, and recognizing that many of our ancestors came to this country to avoid conscription in Europe, we call upon the President of the U.S. to grant amnesty upon the cessation of hostilities or upon major reduction of American forces for all persons who are either in jail or outside the country due to their acts of conscience against the war in Vietnam and the Selective Service System. American Baptist General Convention, "Resolution on Conscience, Freedom, and Responsibility", 1969. AMERICAN ETHICAL UNION Amnesty Whereas, a great number of our best young people suffer imprisonment or exile, following their strong convictions to refuse to serve in an immoral war waged by the United States in Southeast Asia; and Whereas, it is widely recognized by the people of the United States that this war was a mistake; and Whereas, we admire and respect those young people who refuse to submit. Therefore, be it resolved, that the American Ethical Union petition the President of the United States to grant a full and unconditional amnesty to all those in prison, living abroad, or in hiding in their own country because of moral convictions which force them to refuse service in the armed forces. Repatriation and Restoration to Citizenship of War Resisters Abroad Whereas, many draft resisters now living abroad have acted out of revulsion to war which by now is widely recognized as unjust or immoral, or at least a governmental action which was a grave mistake; and Whereas, many draft resisters abroad have not broken any law, as they have emigrated to countries with whom the United States maintains friendly relations and have renounced United States citizenship before having become obligated to service in the armed forces of the United States; and Whereas, most resisters abroad have suffered hardships of separation from their families, lack of employment, and other difficulties; Therefore, be it resolved, that the repatriation of those resisters abroad who have not broken any law of the United States as they have not become obligated to service in the armed forces should be facilitated by the requisite legislative or administrative action for repatriation and restoration of citizenship. 64th Annual America Ethical Union Assembly, March 7, 1972, Cleveland, Ohio. AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE The people of the United States have before them the question of amnesty for those who violated civil or military law in the course of active opposition to the war in Indochina, or in the course of removing themselves from participation in or support of that war. The American Friends Service Committee urges the United States Government to declare an amnesty for all these persons. The American Friends Service Committee is opposed to all war and all conscription because of our religious faith. We are opposed to participation in war, preparation for war and civilian support of war. We are opposed to civil war, international war, foreign wars, wars in this country, wars of defense, wars of aggression, popular wars and unpopular wars. Starting from that position, we identify with those for whom we are asking amnesty. We do this even while rejecting methods, such as evasion and violence, used by some. We believe in confrontation with evil, not evasion, and in nonviolent direct action against evil, not violence. These moral judgements we make for ourselves, not for others. In one sense, those in need of amnesty are accidental victims. In fairness, they should share the good fortune of all those who missed the draft through the lottery, deferments, etc. Others have already received their "amnesty" through the dropping of many cases of military charges and of criminal charges before civilian courts. Amnesty does not involve making case-by-case moral, political or pragmatic judgements. Amnesty is not an ex post facto stamp of approval on a class of offenses formerly seen as illegal or anti-social. A declaration of amnesty is a |