Stories from the DVD
The Price of Conscience
Tim C. enjoyed the military: the traveling and the job. Then his son was born and he realized that “God created life and gives life and I have no right to take it."
So Tim asked for conscientious objector status, and went back to service without a weapon. His experience was not what he expected – a scorpion in his boot, a gun put under his bed, and threats on his life. He came home with post-traumatic stress disorder and began a long struggle to come to peace with himself. Tim defines peace as “internal peace. … It's being at peace with myself over what I saw, and how I was part of something that I didn't believe that I should be a part of as a Christian.”
You can do this:
Read other stories of conscientious objectors at http://www.thirdway.com/peace/stories.asp or find out more about patriotism at http://www.thirdway.com/peace/patriotism.asp.
http://www.mcc.org/ask-a-vet - faith, military service, and peace
Drawing the Line
Tim S. decided not to register for the draft. He says, “There's a line … that you have to draw where you're going to obey the law or obey your conscience. And, for me, I guess it was more standing up against the institution that makes it impossible for us to just say I'm a conscientious objector to war. Instead they've created something that says you either go along with us, or you break the law. It would be equated with me having to go hold a gun, and, you know, I'm not pointing it at someone, but I'm like a part of that whole institution. That's where I need to draw my line.”
You can do this:
Do you draw the line at anything that you feel is against your conscience? What is it? What has happened to you as a result?
Department of Peace
Until 1947 the Department of Defense was called the War Department. There’s never been a Department of Peace. U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich would like to change that. The idea of a department of peace is to focus on building a culture of non-violence in our society, to take the concept of non-violence and operationalize it, work at it, structure it. Kucinich says, “It’s so important that we consciously reflect on the steps that we ourselves take to create the world in which we live. Sometimes we sell ourselves short in thinking that what we think, say or do really doesn’t matter all that much. It matters greatly. And if we begin to approach a practice and dedication of peace in our daily lives, we can have an enormous impact on our own lives and the lives of people near and dear to us.”
You can do this:
Read more about Congressman Kucinich at http://www.kucinich.us/.
Visit Wider View at Third Way Café (www.thirdway.com). Find an essay you agree with and write a response at www.thirdway.com/talk/Talk_add.asp. Find an essay you disagree with and write a response. Send at least one email or letter to an elected representative expressing a value that your faith has brought you to.
Research Peace stories at www.thirdway.com/peace/stories.asp. Find one that most inspires you personally. Do you know a peacemaker you’d like to nominate as the “Current Peacemaker” at Third Way Café? Write about that person and send it to info@mennomedia.org. If we use your story on the website, we’ll send you a TWC stainless steel coffee mug.
Links:
eace with God | 
