When Hitler came to power in 1933, he ordered a full-scale rearmament and proceeded to carry out his schemes of conquest. The Nazi doctrine demanded that Germany become once more a great military power. This made it evident that World War II was not far off.

After World War I, it was said that the church would not repeat the mistake made in 1914-1918. Yet evidences showed, to our great disappointment, that they were still pursuing the same course. Finally another world war broke out and our Adventist brethren were given a new opportunity to prove themselves, standing either for or against the law of God. If they were actually sorry for what they had done during and after the first world war, they had an excellent chance, now, to redeem their past failure. The declarations quoted hereunder, from their own writings, will show how they acted.

1. In Germany

"We are now in the midst of a storm of world-shaking events....

"We should never expect that the principles of the kingdom of God will ever become a reality in the kingdoms of the world. They have their own legislations, also according to the will of God. Otherwise the Scriptures would not speak of the State as being ordained by God. Therefore, we submit, both willingly and cheerfully, to any service required of us. To those who shall lose their lives by so doing the words may be applied: 'Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' John 15:13). Let us remember our combatants, and especially our brethren who are risking their lives for their country and for those who are left behind. We will also pray for the Fuehrer and his coworkers." -Der Adventbote [SDA paper published in Germany], October 1, 1939.

"While our brothers, fathers and sons beyond the borders were engaged in the fiercest battle, hurrying from victory to victory, for the greatness and future of the Fatherland, we felt the intervention of God in the world, in the events witnessed these last few weeks. In still adoration, we thank God, Who, in His wise providence, gave the Fuehrer to our people.

"In the meantime, we cannot, nay, we do not want to, stand still. This we proved in the past, and now we are proving it again, because it is a holy decision to put the will of God into action The pride which we as fellow Germans take in the great victories of our soldiers, is for us a new incentive to imitate them at the home front and to use our strength most conscientiously for the victory."Was tun die Adventisten in der Wohlfahrtsphlege? [SDA Welfare Report for 1939, Germany].

"We will never forget the moment in which the enforcement of the armistice with France was announced to us....

'We picked up courage, we set to work, and- as we stood before the need-we fought like never before. And God has turned the balance of destiny to our favor.... Germany believes in making human sacrifices to the very limits of our capabilities, and also believes in a God Who is blessing our human battle. This sentiment was expressed in joyful yet humble words, and it was implanted in our hearts as it was sung in holy melodies and as it was rung from the belfries. And it will remain to the very last stage of the battle, which will bring us the victory over the last opponent and then we will have peace.

"How glorious is the hour of victory! We, who were once ignominiously deceived concerning victory and righteous peace, have now tasted it with quiet and deep rejoicing, yet without any arrogance.... This is not just a hypocritically pious phraseology; it is a declaration made with a sense of responsibility before God....

"Fighting and sacrificing will still be necessary. What for? Well, this is clear enough. To think about the victory means to think about mighty tasks. A people that could not be intimidated by any armed enemies or threats, will not shrink back from the last efforts on the way to the goal, nor from the future tasks, no matter how great they are. We have been put in this world to fight and to work...." -Der Adventbote [SDA paper published in Germany], July 15, 1940.

"We, soldiers of the front, have left our homes and our trades, and are here to defend the country on these far advanced posts." -Der Adventbote (SDA paper published in Germany), June 1, 1941.

"Today we are living in great and stirring times, in which our destiny lies before the weightiest decisions and tasks. We are in the midst of a frightful and total war. This battle is of course being fought directly and mainly by our soldiers abroad, at the front, but as this is an all-out struggle, the whole nation takes part in it. All fellow Germans are fighters to the same degree, and all must therefore act and fight as soldiers in the fullest sense of the word. They must be brave, cautious, self-sacrificing, and show a sense of duty, as if the outcome depended on each one individually. In this way, the victory is equally implanted in the heart of each one of us. At whichever post we may be, we must prove, every day and every hour, that we are valiant warriors, worthy of our heroic brethren in the battlefield. Only one thought should rule us today: How can I help secure the victory? Toward this goal we should direct all our commissions and omissions, all our speaking and our silence, all our desires and demands. This most extensive war requires of all fellow Germans the utmost and greatest efforts throughout a time of expectation, endurance, sacrifice and fighting." - Gegenwarts-FEagen [SDA paper published in Germany], November 7,1941.

2. In Romania

"Only those who have had the experience can understand, what it means to keep up the work of our institutions and of our organized state conferences, and to keep them running, when many of our men have been drafted.

"In Romania, for instance, the president of the Union, the presidents of the state conferences, the secretary-treasurers, the departmental men, the ministers, the canvassers, the leaders and employees of the institutions, as well as the church officers, had to leave their posts now and again to answer the call of the country. Many of them have been in the army all the time since the beginning of the war. Only God knows how long they will continue there.... In some state conferences the whole body of canvassers, including the leaders, have been drafted.... If our ministers could have remained in their positions, instead of being in the army, the numbers [of those baptized] would be much larger."-La Revista Adventista [SDA paper published in Argentina], March 1941.

3. In the Soviet Union

"I am glad, Brother Branson, to report that our work in the Lord's vineyard was crowned with success in these last years, and we are quite happy about it. The war that hit us in our beloved country complicated the situation of our work. Many brethren have gone to the front to defend the Fatherland.... At the same time we are helping with all our might to hasten the day of final victory over the enemy.... Your brother in Christ, (sgd.) G.A. Grigorieff." Botschafter [SDA paper, in German, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association], January 1, 1943.

4. In Australia

"lf Australia were invaded, they [the SDA's] would fight to the last man in defense of their country and beliefs, Mr. E. B. Rudge, Australian president of the Movement, told 'Smith's' " -Smith's Weekly (Australia), January 25, 1941.

5. In the Philippines

"I have had the privilege to work for God in the Philippine Islands for several years before the last world war, as principal of the Philippine Union College.

"When World War II involved the Philippines, the young men were called to defend their country.... Would their souls be strengthened for the trial that every one must face? Would they be prepared to go and face the enemy and die?

"Thousands of Philippino young men marched to Bataan and to death. I saw them waving their hands when they departed full of courage, not even thinking that most of them would never come back. Very soon they found themselves in the midst of the forests and mountains of Bataan, engaged in that terrible battle, caught between life and death. For over three months, day and night one could hear and see the battle from the college. There, the few teachers and students that were left would meet, pray, wait, watch, think and cherish the hope that their children and friends would be faithful, loyal, and would still live."-Revista Adventista [SDA paper published in Brazil], March 1947.

6. In China

"A true Christian soldier....

"As soon as his duties permitted it, he [Colonel Djang] looked for the Adventist church. Week after week he associated with the brethren to worship God....

"Soon after the foreign armies invaded China, companies of the Chinese army hurried to resist the invaders. Colonel Djang was sent with his men to the terrible battle around Shanghai. As an Adventist officer it was not easy for him to fulfill his daily duties, at the 'front' as well as in the trenches, and yet live according to the Christian principles. Nevertheless, Colonel Djang decided to be faithful and do his best to transmit the present truth to his subordinates. Not long after this there was a considerable number of soldiers taking part in the morning worship, and there was a larger group, still, attending the Sabbath school which was held weekly.

"In an impressive way the Lord heard the prayer of His servant. He got permission to withdraw with his men far away from the firing line every Friday to a place where they could rest and keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath school there was different from any other in the whole world, being conducted under peril and varying circumstances....

"For two years they held Sabbath school meetings without lesson pamphlets, but he instructed the members in the biblical truths as best he could. He took with him a copy of 'Biblical Doctrines to help him in the preparation of his studies and his biblical sermons....

"Colonel Diang's wife, who was able to accompany him recently to the front, is now the superintendent of the 'Sabbath School of the Front.' A Bible class is also being conducted for the soldiers. Let us pray for this Christian soldier, who is faithful to the banner of Prince Immanuel, fighting both for the earthly and the heavenly Fatherland." O Missionario Trimestral [quarterly compilation prepared by the Sabbath School Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists], Portuguese edition (published in Brazil), October-December 1940.

As can be seen, again the new doctrinal position maintains that an Adventist, while being faithful to the banner of Christ, may go to the front as a combatant.

7. In the United States

"The Adventist Youth and the Second World War.

"To me that was one of the most beautiful and touching programs of the congress. At the sound of trumpets 100 war veterans, in uniform, marched up to the platform. Then the American flag was brought to the platform, escorted by honor-guards and accompanied by the National Anthem, which was sung by the big congregation attending the congress. Items on the agenda and quotations were read in which famous high ranking military officers, such as McArthur, were telling of the heroism, bravery and dedication of the Adventist youth in the theater of war-men who had exposed their lives to save other lives in the medical service. It was impossible to curb one's tears when a young Adventist, crippled in the war, was brought onto the platform in a wheelchair pushed by a nurse. But the strongest emotion was very deeply felt when a white, very white, cross was placed in the center of the platform, beside the flag of the country. A young girl dressed in black placed a bunch of flowers at the foot of the cross, symbolizing the pain of the Adventist mothers, wives and brides for their beloved ones who had fallen in the war, serving their country as Christians. The trumpet sounds were softened. Thrilling! Indescribable! There is no doubt that the Adventist youth is the best in the world, the best in peace and war."-Revista Adventista [SDA paper published in Brazil], February 1948.

It has been said that "The Reformers came to the incorrect conclusion that the General Conference had approved the apostasy of the European leaders" (1914-1918), and that they should have contacted the General Conference "to verify whether their conclusions were correct," but they "chose not to do so." Those who make such statements are still missing the point. We believe in repentance, confession, and correction. Repentance and confession are genuine only if followed by the forsaking of sins (AA 324) in a work of thorough reformation (4T 189). If the same sins are continually repeated, and tolerated by the General Conference, then it is evident that there was no genuine repentance and that the so-called "confession" made was nothing but a farce. We don't have to ask the General Conference for information, because, with our own eyes, we can see what is going on in reality.

XI-AFTER WORLD WAR II

After the second world war the new doctrinal position became generally accepted in the Adventist Church-that an Adventist can serve his country, both in time of peace and in time of war, according to his personal conviction, and still be an Adventist. Today hardly any church member will protest against this stand. The following quotations, mostly from denominational publications, will supply a clear picture of the present situation:

"It is known that the members of our church serve in the army and partake in the defense of the Fatherland like all other citizens of Yugoslavia. Our believers fulfill all their military duties and are ready to serve in the defense of the country by all means, because the Holy Scriptures do not prohibit them from doing so."Declaration made by Rados Dedic, SDA leader in Yugoslavia, Nedelne Inforrnativne Novine [weekly newspaper published in Yugoslavia], May 4, 1952,

"In the different Divisions of the American Armed Forces, whether in Germany, Japan, or Korea, whether in barracks, trenches, or vessels of the Navy, we meet Adventist soldiers."Der Adventbote [SDA paper published in Germany], August 15, 1952.

"What literature can our boys in Korea, Japan, or Germany use to do missionary work? The International Service Commission has prepared a series of missionary pamphlets for this purpose, and has already sent many thousands to the armed forces through military chaplains and our own servicemen." RH Aug. 28, 1952.

"The number of Adventist servicemen grows daily. The number on duty in Vietnam grows daily. The Government has opened to the church additional assignments of chaplains to take care of the growing number of Adventist servicemen." RH Dec. 23, 1965.

"Nation after nation today is calling on its manpower to meet the situation it is faced with in a restless world. Most of these manpower needs are for military service. Virtually every nation is building up its military forces for defense. Volunteers to fill the ranks are urgently sought, and when these are not sufficient a draft or conscription process is resorted to.

"Seventh-day Adventist youth by the thousands are being called into the military forces of their countries through these conscriptive processes. As loyal citizens they respond willingly, though sometimes apprehensively, when called upon to discharge their military obligations. They recognize that the responsibilities of citizenship should fall equally on all who benefit from civil government." RH Dec. 15, 1966.

"Adventist youth today are serving their country in the military forces under many different flags and varied circumstances. RH Dec. 29, 1966.

"Though draft calls have been greatly reduced and troop assignments overseas have been cut back, we still have a large number of men serving in uniform. Among these are many young Adventists whom the church must not forget."-Pacific Union Recorder, May 22, 1972.

"There have been three trends in the United States Armed Forces over the past several months that could have some significance for Seventh-day Adventists. First, the number of those drafted is low-approaching the zero draft scheduled for the middle of the year. Second, there is a sharp increase in the number of those with Seventh-day Adventist background entering the Armed Forces voluntarily. Third, there have been more church members with difficult Sabbath problems in their military duty than there have been for many years."-Pacific Union Recorder, January 29, 1973.

"A few years ago, when the Vietnam war was in progress, very few wanted to go into military service. Since the war ended, however, there has been a change in the thinking of many, even to the extent that a number of Seventh-day Adventist young men and women are enlisting in the Armed Forces."-Pacific Union Recorder, June 23, 1975.

"In the mountains of Burma, Karen rebels take their fight for freedom as seriously as their religion. For hundreds of orphans who join the guerillas, it's a case of onward Christian soldiers.

"At 16 they can volunteer for the revolutionary army to fight the Burmese Buddhists, but even children as young as 12 swap their toys for automatic rifles and army fatigues.

"Led by a devout Seventh Day Adventist, General Bo Mya, the Karens continue a 34-year struggle for an autonomous state in Burma, which has been largely ignored or forgotten among the world's flashpoints.

"And children who march on prayers and hymn are paying with their lives in what has developed into a religious war.

"Bo Mya is a puritanical Christian who attends daily prayer meetings -that's how the Karens have sustained their optimism through years of bloodshed."-People [Australian newspaper published in Melbourne], January 30, 1984.

More quotations are not needed. What we have read is sufficient to prove that participation in the Armed Forces, both in time of peace and of war, is now endorsed by the leaders, even in official publications, in harmony with the new teachings of the church.

XII-PRESENT STAND OF THE SDA CHURCH

A comparison between the original stand and the present stand of the SDA Church toward the question under discussion shows an important change, as sufficiently proven. And this change is a serious matter because it affects the law of God. After the SDA Church was organized, it was understood that nonparticipation was the only position consistent with the law of God. Today, however, according to the teachings of the church, you may participate if your convictions tell you to do so. It is a matter of personal choice. Examples:

1. The Council of the European Division announced the following resolution made at Gland, Switzerland, January 2, 1923:

"We grant to each of our church members absolute liberty to serve his country at all times and in all places, in accord with the dictates of his personal conscientious convictions."-The Review and Herald, March 6, 1924 (Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War, pp. 346, 347)

2. Instructions to this effect have been issued as follows:

"Seventh-day Adventists, classified by their Government as noncombatants, are willing to put their all into the war effort as they advance side by side with their fellow soldiers, to meet the enemy and if necessary die for country and for God.... And the teachings of the Master have convinced them that it is not only a duty but a privilege to serve in the defense of their country. It is the rendering unto God of their all that compels them to be patriotic and loyal to their country." YI March 20, 1951.

"Though our Adventist ideal for our youth in war is that of noncombatancy, we do not take a dogmatic position on this. Accordingly, we do not disfellowship the youth who does not enter the armed services as a noncombatant. Far from it. We follow him into the armed services with our prayers. We recognize that as regards this and some other questions in the realm of Christian duty and interpretation of the Scriptures, there will probably never be full agreement. Some matters must be left to the individual conscience." RH Feb. 28, 1963.

"Individual conscience is held supreme at all times and it is therefore possible for an Adventist young man to be either a combatant or a conscientious objector and still be an Adventist." Bulletin issued by West Australian Conference, Sept. 25, 1967.

"Seventh-day Adventists of the United States are registered with our Government as noncombatants.... The church does not attempt to dictate to its members individually, but each person must stand upon his own conscientious convictions.... The last paragraph [of the document] leaves the final decision to the conscientious convictions of the individual involved whether he takes the 1-A, 1-A-O, or the 1-O classification. However, the teachings of the church are still the 1-A-O classification. Harry Garlick, Area Representative, National Service Organization.- "Pacific Union Recorder, November 16, 1970.

Remark: 1-A stands for Active Service

1-A-O " " Noncombatant

1-O " " Total Objectors (Nonparticipants)

"Genuine Christianity manifests itself in good citizenship and loyalty to civil government. The breaking out of war among men in no way alters the Christian's supreme allegiance and responsibility to God or modifies his obligation to practice his beliefs and put God first.

"This partnership with God through Jesus Christ who came into the world not to destroy men's lives but to save them cause Seventh-day Adventists to advocate a noncombatant position....

"The above statement is not a rigid position binding church members but gives guidance, leaving the individual member free to assess the situation for himself.

"1. For members in the United States, the counsel of the church is that the above action is best reflected at present by the l-A-O classification (military service as a noncombatant)....

"2. A member in the United States making his personal decision on how to fulfill his obligated term of service to the country shall first consider the historic teaching of the church on noncombatancy which could lead him to choose the l-A-O classification. If because of personal convictions he chooses to seek other than a l-A-O classification, his pastor, teacher, or other church worker should aid him in satisfying the legal requirements for securing the classification of his choice....

"a) For those choosing the 1-0 classification (civilian alternative service in lieu of military service), pastoral guidance and counsel should be provided....

"b) For those who conscientiously choose the 1-A classification (military service as a combatant), pastoral guidance and counsel should be provided in ministering to their needs since the Church refrains from passing judgment on them."-1972 ANNUAL COUNCIL (NAD), "The Relationship of Seventh-day Adventists to Civil Government and War."

"Would a Seventh-day Adventist lose his membership if he became a regular soldier? No. While the church position is that of noncombatancy, the individual must make his own decision in this matter, and the church respects the conscience of those who choose to bear arms." ST [Australian], Jan. 3, 1972.

"Particularly in the leaflet Military Service and You, you will notice that the matter of noncombatancy is not a test of church fellowship, consequently as you have indicated it does not appear in the Church Manual or on your baptismal certificate. This is a point in which the church feels each individual member should make his own choice. The church will offer pastoral support and assistance to all members whether they choose the position of pacifism (complete abstinence from violence), noncombatancy (refusing to train or use weapons) or combat service."-Letter by C. D. Martin, Associate Director of the Seventh-day Adventist National Service Organization, dated June 24, 1975.

When all the facts mentioned in this booklet are taken into consideration, it cannot be maintained that, from the Civil War (1861-1865) until today, there has been no change in the stand of the SDA Church toward military service and participation in war, in the light of the law of God. There has evidently been a change. The church recommends noncombatant participation (or conscientious cooperation), but makes it clear that the final decision is up to the individual. Since it was officially declared that every individual member is free to choose how he wants to serve his country, both in time of peace and in time of war, the direct involvement which has characterized the Adventist Church in different places, after World War I, must be considered as an unavoidable consequence. Unions and members have acted according to the new stand of the church.

XIII-CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION vs. CONSCIENTIOUS COOPERATION

According to official publications, SDA's declared themselves noncombatants toward the end of the Civil War (1864-1865), and during World War (1914-1918), and again during World War II (1939-1945). "We have been noncombatants throughout our history," they say, trying to give the impression that they have not changed their position in connection with this principle. Evidences, however, show the very opposite.

At the End of the Civil War

In 1864 and 1865 the Adventists declared their position as follows (F. M. Wilcox, Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War, pp. 58, 62, 24):

"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, they have ever been conscientiously opposed to bearing arms." (August 3, 1864).

"I understand the proper course for our brethren in case of draft.... [T]hey are conscientiously opposed to bearing arms.... [W]e are a noncombatant people...." (August 24, 1864.)

"We are compelled to decline all participation in acts of war and bloodshed...." (May 23, 1865.)

In those days, common usage of terms ordinarily understood "noncombatancy," "nonparticipation," and "conscientious objection" as interchangeable.

From "conscientious convictions founded upon the ten commandments" SDA's were "opposed to engaging in war", so they availed themselves of "the exemption clause in the enrollment law, which applies to those who are opposed to war from religious and conscientious convictions."-F. M. Wilcox, Seventh-day Adventists in time of War, p. 64.

"Up to July, 1864, the exemption was available to all, but after that date only conscientious objectors could claim it. The church leaders at once sought and obtained a ruling from the provost marshal in Washington, D.C., instructing all deputy marshals that Seventh-day Adventist men should be considered noncombatants." The Story of Our Church, p. 496.

The enactment signed by the Provost Marshal General in Washington, D.C., September 26, 1864, reads:

"That members of religious denominations, who shall by oath or affirmation declare that they are conscientiously opposed to the bearing of arms, and who are prohibited from doing so by the rules and articles of faith and practice of said religious denominations, shall, when drafted into the military service, be considered noncombatants, and shall be assigned by the Secretary of War to duty in the hospital, or to the care of freedmen, or shall pay the sum of three hundred dollars to such person as the Secretary of War shall designate to receive it, to be applied to the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers." F. M. Wilcox, Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War, p. 61.

This is how Seventh-day Adventists, when drafted, obtained their exemption in those days.

Those Adventists who, instead of availing themselves of the existing exemption clause, decided to enlist into the service of war, were disfellowshipped. We quote from The Review and Herald:

"As voluntary enlistment into the service of war is contrary to the principle of faith and practice of Seventh-day Adventists as contained in the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, they cannot retain those within their communion who so enlist." RH March 7, 1865.

In Recent Wars

When the Adventists in the United States were directly affected by World War I, they renewed their declaration of noncombatancy but adopted some fundamental changes.

"At the meeting of the executive committee of the North American Division Conference, held in Huntsville, Alabama, April 18, 1917, the action of the General Conference of 1865 in making declaration of noncombatancy, was adopted as expressing the principles of the Seventh-day Adventists of the North I American Division Conference. This declaration was filed with the War Department at Washington, April 26, 1917, and published in the Review and Herald, June 14, 1917."-F. M. Wilcox, Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War, p. 84.

In the time of the Civil War (1861-1865), noncombatants were conscientious objectors, and, as such, they did not go to war. From what was considered in previous pages, we already know that SDA's, declaring themselves to be "noncombatants," declined "all participation" in acts of war and bloodshed. But, since World War I (1914-1918), the concept of noncombatancy has assumed a new meaning.

The Review and Herald of June 14, 1917, informed that Congress had passed a law exempting certain classes from draft, but made it clear, by stating the exemption clause, that "no person so exempted shall be exempted from service in any capacity that the President shall declare to be noncombatant" (Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War, p. ll0). A document issued by the War Service Commission of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, entitled "Regulations and Instructions for Noncombatants," made known that "noncombatant service," as defined by the President of the U.S.A., includes the following: "Service in the Medical Corps wherever performed. This includes service in the sanitary detachments attached to combatant units at the front; ... Any service in the Quartermaster Corps.... Any engineer service.... Also, in rear of zone of operations, service as follows: Railroad building, operation, and repair; road building and repair; construction of rearline fortifications, auxiliary defenses, etc.; construction of docks, wharves, storehouses, and of such cantonments as may be built by the Corps of Engineers; topographical work; camouflage; map reproduction; supply depot service; repair service; hydraulic service; and forestry service."-Ibid., p. 126.

Since a distinction was created between conscientious objection and conscientious cooperation, SDA's in the United States promptly announced their choice:

"It has been accepted as an evidence that Seventh-day Adventists, instead of emphasizing their conscientious objections, have desired to make a real contribution to their country by emphasizing their conscientious cooperation." RH June 8, 1941.

"As never before, the young men of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States of America, under the operation of the Selective Service Act of 1948, will have an opportunity to demonstrate whether they are truly 'conscientious cooperators,' as they have claimed, or in reality 'conscientious objectors,' which they have repudiated.

"Their predecessors in military service twelve thousand of them in World War II demonstrated the reality of the claim most gloriously." YI Aug. 24, 1948.

The difference is obvious: Before, SDA's declared themselves noncombatants and declined "all participation in acts of war" (SDA's in Time of War, p. 24). When drafted, they claimed the exemption, and, instead of going to the front, they were assigned "to duty in the hospital, or to the care of freedmen," or ordered to "pay the sum of three hundred dollars" (Ibid, p. 61). Now SDA's declare themselves noncombatants, or conscientious cooperators, and explain that they are prepared to go to the front and perform those military duties which correspond to their status. They say:

"Christian noncombatancy leads those who hold it to request their government, when it calls them, to place them into those branches of service either civil or military in which they will be able to render the service they desire to give." RH October 10, 1940.

The Australasian Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists issued the following declaration in 1941:

"In harmony with the conscientious convictions of the majority of its members, our denominational attitude toward war is noncombatant.... The term noncombatant [is to] be understood as distinct from nonparticipant.... Agreement or disagreement with the denominational position of noncombatancy is not to be a test of church fellowship."-Rights and Relationship.

Conscientious cooperators, when serving at the front, may not be directly involved in killing, but they are working in collaboration with Satan's war machinery, which is opposed to every principle of God's law (1T 361). This warning should, therefore, be taken into serious consideration:

"We should never give sanction to sin by our words or our deeds, our silence or our presence." DA 152.

So far we have considered only one point of difference in the change under discussion. A second point of difference, as we, have seen before, is that noncombatancy (in its new connotation) is only "recommended by the church" (RH April 28, 1983). In reality, every Adventist is free to choose how he wants to serve his country. You can be a noncombatant, or a conscientious objector, or a combatant, and you are still a member. Under this I freedom of choice, there is no uniformity in the Adventist stand toward military service and the war question. In the United States, Australia, and Great Britain, we take it for granted that the majority of Adventists choose to serve as conscientious cooperators. But in other countries, where the government gives them no freedom of choice, they, i.e., the majority, serve as combatants, using the freedom of choice given them by the church. This fact was made plain in the previous chapters of this writing.

In the presence of all these evidences, it is not possible to maintain that the church has never changed its position in this controverted matter.

XIV-TWO OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

1. People of God engaged in wars in the past

The objection is often brought up that in the past the people of God waged many wars with the approval of God. And this is true. What the objectors seem to ignore is that circumstances have changed with the inauguration of the Christian era. Ancient Israel was a theocratic nation. As a racial and political unit, they were declared to be "the nation whose God is the Lord," the nation "whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance" (Ps. 33:12), and they were to engage in wars solely as an act of obedience to God, for the purpose of executing His judgments upon very wicked nations. (Read PP 629.) Modern Israel, the church of God in our days, however, is composed of elements of all races and nations. Today God does not recognize any racial and/or political unit as His theocratic nation. When two nations, today, are at war against each other, and the church has members in both conflicting armies, and both sides are praying for the victory, this procedure is not in harmony with the plan of God, and He does not hear their prayers.

In our days it is actually Satan who incites the nations to war against one another. "Satan delights in war, for it excites the worst passions of the soul and then sweeps into eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another, for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God." GC 589.

In the New Testament era we as Christians are not supposed to kill but to save. "For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Luke 9:56. He said: "My kingdom is not of this world." John 18:36.

To hinder abuse (inquisition, persecution) when man-made laws conflict with the law of Jehovah, the Lord divided the responsibilities between the State and the Church, with two separate ministries and two sources of income. He said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Mark 12:17. This means that legislative and judicial powers on the one hand and spiritual powers on the other hand should carefully avoid mutual interference.

2. Seeming contradictions clarified

To justify the procedure that the church has been following since 1914, some bring up a letter which reads:

"We have just said farewell to three of our responsible men in the office who were summoned by the government to serve for three weeks of drill. It was a very important stage of our work in the publishing house, but the government calls do not accommodate themselves to our convenience. They demand that young men whom they have accepted as soldiers shall not neglect the exercise and drill essential for soldier service. We were glad to see that these men with their regimentals had tokens of honor for faithfulness in their work. They were trustworthy young men.

"These did not go from choice, but because the law of their nation required this. We gave them a word of encouragement to be found true soldiers of the cross of Christ. Our prayers will follow these young men, that the angels of God may go with them and guard them from every temptation." 2SM 335.

The information contained in this letter should be considered in the light of three important facts:

1. The letter does not specify the kind of work that was assigned to those three men, but in the Swiss Army those drafted were free to choose the medical department. We quote from The Review and Herald:

"In Switzerland Sabbathkeepers have the choice of joining the sanitary corps, in which a person is exempt from bearing arms; but the duties to be performed on the Sabbath are not such as are proper for God's holy day." RH Nov. 3, 1885.

2. In this letter there is no word sanctioning active participation in war, or combatant service, or any kind of commandmentbreaking. The three young men who had been summoned for a drill were encouraged "to be found true soldiers of the cross of Christ" and admonished to resist "every temptation." The farewell that was given them with this specific advice was not a suggestion for them to turn away from, but to remain faithful to, the law of God. Therefore, we see no contradiction between 1T 361 and 2SM 335. The Spirit of Prophecy is always consistent.

3. This letter is dated September 2, 1883 (not 1886). On September 2, 1883, Sister White was not in Switzerland; she was attending a camp meeting in Vermont, U.S.A. If this is actually her letter, written from Basel, Switzerland, on September 2, 1886 (as it appears in 2SM 335), then she misdated it by mistake. And this is what most probably happened. But the assumption that Sister White just wrote out the dictated translation of a report received from Switzerland in 1883 seems to have some plausibility, too. Some day we may receive more information about this manuscript.

XV-RESUME

For three main reasons we do not agree with the new stand adopted by the Adventist Church since World War I:

1. During the Civil War, when Adventists declared their position to be "noncombatancy," they meant "nonparticipation"period. Their conscientious convictions compelled them "to decline all participation in acts of war and bloodshed." Today, when the SDA Church says, 'We are noncombatants," they mean: "The church recommends noncombatancy," but "we grant to each of our members absolute liberty to serve his country at all times and in all places, in accord with the dictates of his personal conscientious convictions." The church "leaves the final decision to the conscientious conviction of the individual." If anyone chooses to be "a combatant or a conscientious objector," he can "still be an Adventist." The difference between the old stand and the new stand is obvious.

2. The new stand is tantamount to an official licence to violate the law of God. The Spirit of Prophecy made it clear why the people of God cannot participate-"for it is opposed to every principle of their faith. In the army they cannot obey the truth and at the same time obey the requirements of their officers." 1T 361. Therefore, by taking a negative attitude toward the law of God on this question, the church has changed her relationship with God and His kingdom (GC 582; TM 16, 17).

3. The new stand permits open violators of the law of God to remain on church rolls. It is not our purpose to judge the many thousands of SDA young men who have taken up arms at the call of their country. Most of them followed in good faith the advice received from their leading brethren. The responsibility and guilt lies with the church leaders who "cause My people to err." By granting her members freedom to break God's commandments, the church as a body becomes guilty before God.

"He [God] shows us that when His people are found in sin they should at once take decided measures to put that sin from them, that His frown may not rest upon them all. But if the sins of the people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon them, and the people of God as a body, will be held responsible for those sins." 3T 265.

In our opinion, the lapse of time is no argument against the seriousness of this new situation, because, when an error or an evil is not corrected, the older it grows the more consolidated it becomes. "Errors may be hoary with age; but age does not make error truth, nor truth error." 6T 142. Some have made the suggestion that there is no reason why we should get involved in a question which arose between a portion of the European membership and the leadership of the church over sixty years ago. This is almost like saying that we have nothing to do with a controversy that was started by Joseph Bates and a few other pioneers in connection with the Sabbath-Sunday question over one hundred years ago. We are not trying to draw a parallel. Nor do we want to multiply examples. We just wish to emphasize that we as Adventists have actually been contending against old apostasies, which have not been buried by the passing of centuries.

The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is not a new form of Adventism with new doctrinal ideas; it is rather an honest effort to continue in the old paths and walk in them, and a determination to remain on the original platform (EW 258, 259) and build on it. Our main object is to uplift the violated law of God.

We do not profess to be a "reformed" church, as though our work were finished and as if we were satisfied with our attainments. We believe we are on the reformatory journey depicted by Sister White in "An Impressive Dream" (2T 594-597), where she saw a company traveling along a road which became more and more narrow. At every step we feel our want: "We need now to begin over again. Reforms must be entered into with heart and soul and will." 6T 142. "Reform, continual reform, must be kept before the people." CH 445.

The reformation-which does not owe its existence to us as a people, because we have never invented it-is a plan or program of God, clearly set forth in the Bible and in the Spirit of Prophecy and revealed to those who honestly want to put it into practice. We are no more responsible for the appearing of the prophesied reformation than the astronomers are responsible for the appearance of a comet in the heavens.

Our name, "Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement," challenges us to live up to all the truth contained in the third angel's message, and draws a distinct line of demarcation between those who are lowering the standards and those who exalt the truth before the world, whatever the cost may be.

The Lord has established His reformation program, and we can all have a part in it if we want to. If, however, we are not willing to come into line with this plan, we will be passed by and allowed to select our own way, which will not lead to salvation. And the Lord will call others.

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