Religious Objectors
Religious objectors were one type of conscientious objector against military training service because of their morals and beliefs around Jesus' teachings against violence.
Religious objectors objectified to military service because of the early teachings of Jesus Christ’s message “thou shall not kill”. The religious objectors felt so strongly about Jesus’ teachings and morals they were prepared to pay the consequences for these actions of resistance. Many religious objectors believed that they could not be seriously committed Christians if they took any part in war. The War regulations made it possible to be presented for religious Objectors holding the belief “thou shall not kill”.
Those excused from compulsory military service had to take up noncombatant roles in war either in New Zealand or overseas. Only Quakers, Christadelphians and Seventh Day Adventists were excused from fighting. Prime Minister William Massey said there would be “no escape from the shirker”. Between September 1817 and October 1918, 170 objectors were sent overseas in noncombatant roles.
Some Christian pacifist based their opposition to war on that international issues should be peacefully resolved, others believed in absolutely no violence no matter what the reason. But mostly people were Christian pacifists because they simply saw war as morally wrong. We shall not cease was a book written by Archibald Baxter regarding his experiences of being a conscientious objector in WWI, Baxter rejected the war as both a pacifist and a Christian socialist. He persuaded his family that the war was wrong, and six of the seven Baxter brothers would eventually go to prison for their beliefs. Baxter was denied exemption because he was not a follower of a church that had, before the outbreak of war, declared military service 'contrary to divine revelation'.
Religious objectors objectified to military service because of the early teachings of Jesus Christ’s message “thou shall not kill”. The religious objectors felt so strongly about Jesus’ teachings and morals they were prepared to pay the consequences for these actions of resistance. Many religious objectors believed that they could not be seriously committed Christians if they took any part in war. The War regulations made it possible to be presented for religious Objectors holding the belief “thou shall not kill”.
Those excused from compulsory military service had to take up noncombatant roles in war either in New Zealand or overseas. Only Quakers, Christadelphians and Seventh Day Adventists were excused from fighting. Prime Minister William Massey said there would be “no escape from the shirker”. Between September 1817 and October 1918, 170 objectors were sent overseas in noncombatant roles.
Some Christian pacifist based their opposition to war on that international issues should be peacefully resolved, others believed in absolutely no violence no matter what the reason. But mostly people were Christian pacifists because they simply saw war as morally wrong. We shall not cease was a book written by Archibald Baxter regarding his experiences of being a conscientious objector in WWI, Baxter rejected the war as both a pacifist and a Christian socialist. He persuaded his family that the war was wrong, and six of the seven Baxter brothers would eventually go to prison for their beliefs. Baxter was denied exemption because he was not a follower of a church that had, before the outbreak of war, declared military service 'contrary to divine revelation'.