Brethren Agree to Revive 'Alternative Service' Draft Programs

[davidinalameda]

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/158/story_15893_1.html

Leaders of the Church of the Brethren say they will follow through on a request from the Selective Service to have "alternative service" programs in place for conscientious objectors if a draft is reinstated.

As one of the historic "peace churches" that shun military service, Brethren officials were "cautious" after an unannounced visit by a draft official to a church center in Maryland last October. Officials were worried that the visit signaled that a draft may be at hand.



so much for no plans for a draft

[noamnety]

1. The church is responsible for the programs?

Is that a new thing? I didn't know the churches were the ones to dictate what the alternative service would be.

I guess if you are atheist, you can either go die or spread religion?

[murielm99]

2. While I understand the point you are making,

the service assigned is not necessarily religious.

I knew a CO during Nam who was assigned a job as a hospital administrator at an Indian reservation. No religion spreading was involved.

I think they just tried to assign people to jobs that seemed most suitable for them. The draft boards hand out the CO status, and the Brethren hand out the alternative service jobs.

Would they give a service job to an atheist? Dunno.

[noamnety]

3. I'd be happier if it wasn't faith based

Even if they are serving in hospitals, it doesn't sit well with me.

Personally, I'll be spending an hour and a half at church tonight, the pastor there thanked me after Christmas for contributing some talent (or lack thereof) to them for the last couple years; it's not that I hate the church. But I don't want them involved in doing what ought to be a government job, and I don't think it's right to force nonbelievers to work under their control. There are too many ethics issues. Even working in a hospital, will they pick one where a person can get emergency contraception? Or will we end up posting extra workers at catholic hospitals, giving an unfair competitive edge to them, over noncatholic ones?

There are just too many potential and unnecessary problems with the scenario.

[davidinalameda]

4. since it's usually the churches that give the documents to CO

to allow them to become CO, their participation is necessary

how many times have you heard of someone going to their commanding officer or draft board and said that they're CO and get pooh-poohed because they're not a member of the Quakers or another pacifist church

[murielm99]

5. I can vouch for the Brethren service programs.

They do not proselytize. They help the hungry throughout the world.

They are not xenophobic, like so many mission/service program providers.

They began the Heifer Project, after the Spanish Civil War. I know people in my community who have gone to Central America on Heifer project programs. They do nothing religious, only provide training. They live with the families, and come home with a profound respect for them. Often, they come home with a new attitude toward their own lives. For example, they become less wasteful.

My husband's aunt worked as a nurse in a hospital in India. The Brethren built the hospital, trained the Indian people, and then left, donating the hospital, with no strings attached.

The Brethren are a fairly liberal church. They do not have stupid ideas about birth control or family planning.

Andrew Young once did a Brethren Volunteer Service program. They operate much like the Peace Corps.

And, can you imagine the snafus the government would create if they ran the service programs? Look at how Rummy is running the military into the ground. Would you really want some evil little bush minion running this?

I trust this group. They have the experience. They can have the program up and running in no time. And, they are not political.

[noamnety]

9. That makes me feel a little better

Honestly, it does. But it's still bad for atheists to have to go through a church at all to get CO status/CO jobs.

[gratuitous]

17. Not "responsible"

But the Church of the Brethren ran alternative service programs in the past. Our teeny-tiny denomination is too small and too poor to "run" anything nationwide. But we do have the contacts and the resources and the expertise to match up conscientious objectors with suitable alternative service that will withstand government and military scrutiny for whether or not someone's actually doing something worthwhile or hiding out from the draft for a couple of years.

Religious, atheistic, agnostic, "spiritual", seeking or whatever: You're welcome inside my church if you're ever in Portland.

[Bouncy Ball]

6. So much for no draft, indeed.

[forgethell]

7. There will be no draft.

Republicans would never risk re-creating the 60s.

[LynnTheDem]

10. Keep telling yourself that.

Just ignore the bush officials and the US military commander who've all spoken of "perhaps a need for reinstating the draft" over the past 2 weeks, and the SSS starting up offices again and implementing target drafts (computer & medical people) and suddenly gee just in the neighborhood of the Brethern Church let's drop in & get them to restart their alternative service program...

Denial ain't just a river. ;)

And let's not forget our already-impressed...conscripted...back-door drafted troops. Hell's bells, they're calling up 58-70 year old Vietnam War veterans! :wow:

[forgethell]

12. Public officials

constantly float all sorts of ideas. Doesn't mean that they will be installed. There will be no draft.

As for calling up retired personell, well, as I understand it, they have the right to do so. Part of the obligation you assume when you make a career of the military.

THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT. You heard it here first.

[LynnTheDem]

13. No they don't have a right to do what they're doing.

They have the right for 8 years after enlisteds are out of active duty.

They don't have any right at all to order people back to duty who've been out of the military for 20+ years! But that's what they're doing.

THERE WILL BE A DRAFT...oops...A CIVILIAN PATRIOTIC CORPS. And you heard THAT here first!

So what does the winner get? :D

(Hopefully not drafted! LOL!)

[forgethell]

15. Evidently they do have the right.

Hasn't this been taken to court? Are these people retired military?

The winner. Tell you what. If there is a draft, I'll come on DU and admit that I was wrong.

[LynnTheDem]

20. There's different court cases.

Former troops still within the 8 year term, plus inactive ready reserve troops.

The former troops that are beyond the required 8 years & went to court won their cases, but a whole bunch didn't know they could fight the order and showed up. Now we got 60-70 year old combat troops in Iraq.

[LynnTheDem]

14. Hmmmm...this just in:

U.S. general warns Army Reserve is being 'broken'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1123969#1123989

What IS that breeze in here?

[forgethell]

16. There will be no draft n/t

[LynnTheDem]

19. Yes there will.

Winner buys drinks & steaks in the lounge.

[forgethell]

21. Time limit?? n/t

[LynnTheDem]

22. Within this year, 2005.

It's draft or pull out of Iraq & Afghanistan. There are no other possibilities.

No limit on drinks & steaks?

[forgethell]

24. You're on. n/t

[LynnTheDem]

26. Cool. :) Watch bush declare a draft Jan 1, 2006.

ARRRRGH!!!

LOL! :D

[forgethell]

28. Great, then.

By the way, did you say, "winner buys"? isn't that backwards?

[LynnTheDem]

29. Did I? WOW I was being cunning and didn't even know it, LOL!

Or OH MY GAWD I've become a BUSHBOT ARRRRRRRGH!!!

Loser buys. :D

[Rockholm]

23. They are trying to recreate the 50's right now!

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Draft? What draft? Don't they mean

Civilian Patriots Corps (or some such other focus group coined label).

[LynnTheDem]

11. Oh yeah...my bad. NO draft; just involuntary CPC.

Duhhh me! Must remember; CPC...no draft...draft bad...CPC good...

[xpunkisneatx]

18. Seeing as I live in the Brethren capitol of the US...

I must say that I am glad they are the ones taking care of the CO alternative service programs. The Brethren church is an offshoot of the Mennonite and Amish churches, are very prominent in Pennsylvania Dutch country, and are anabaptist in nature (meaning you are only baptized once and it is done later in life so you know you want to enter the church). They are not very liberal, but it is not an awful church to be associated with. My college is actually a Brethren college so I have learned some about it as my 4 years have quickly passed me by. The only thing I don't like about the Brethren church is their feelings on Halloween. They don't allow parishioners to trick or treat or participate in Halloween activities (or at least the Brethren churches in Lancaster, PA don't...i dunno about anywhere else). I know the Mennonite church is known for their many ministries and missions all over the world, and the Brethren church follows in this tradition. I have been thinking about converting from Catholicism to Brethren, and I think this recent occurrence has made it clear that converting is the right choice.

[MountainLaurel]

30. I concur

My great-grandmother was Brethern, and apparently they didn't bat an eye when she threw my abusive and alcoholic great-grandfather out on his ass while she was pregnant with my grandmother. This left her as the single mother of 5 children (her first husband died at the age of 35). She worked in the church for years.

[yankeedem]

25. The Brethren can start putting on their combat boots now, IMO

They came out BIG for *. At least the Brethren I know in Lancaster County.

It's easy to vote for war if you think you won't have to fight for it. They pray for peace, but when they have a worldly way to do something about it, they vote for more war.

[xpunkisneatx]

27. Not necessarily

Like I said, my college is Brethren, and it was extremely pro-Kerry. The Amish on the other hand did vote for *. While the Amish usually do not participate in elections, they felt that * was more of a christian than Kerry...they also don't watch TV, had no access to Farenheight 9/11, and are culturally ass backwards to the point that they are easily influenced by the conservatives in Lancaster County. I wouldn't be surprised if good ol' Dubya slipped em some money for their vote. The Amish are all about money (most of them are quite rich...hell, I'd be rich if I didn't pay electricity bills!). The Brethren that I know are very into peace and are extremely against *. However, I have a feeling that they weren't gung ho for Kerry either, and thus did not vote.