Mennonite Central Committee

Profiles of Historic Conscientious Objectors

 

"If I kill a man on the field of battle I am no less guilty of murder than I am if I strangle an obnoxious mother-in-law. The sanction of the state of the killing of an enemy soldier does not relieve me of my duty to my God."

"People are the highest of God's creations and I cannot kill them."

"...the destruction of human personality and Soul by whatever means is the worst crime that can be committed by man...War is a phenomenon in which man exhibits...the worst behavior which is possible to him."

The above quotes all state strongly Austin Regier's commitment to nonviolence. Born in 1923, Austin was 18 years old when the U.S. entered WWII. He registered as a conscientious objector to war and did alternate service in a Civilian Public Service Camp. He worked for three years, with sugar beets, then soil conservation, and then in a mental hospital. He was discharged in 1946. In 1948, the Selective Service Act was passed, requiring all males between the ages of 18 and 26 to register, in case of a future draft. This time Austin decided that he would not register, even as a conscientious objector. Registering would give his "assent to military conscription." Austin was arrested for this and spent six months in prison.

Why was Austin so opposed to the simple act of registering? After all registering as a conscientious objector would exempt him from going to war. He had several reasons:

1."The only purpose of the war draft was to facilitate the prosecution of the war." Registering is the first step of a war draft so Austin could not participate. During his life he placed nearly each part of the "prosecution of war," on the other side of a boundary that he would not cross.

2. Austin believed that he had a responsibility to disobey laws that he believed were wrong.

3. "...the law discriminates against people who object to war for reasons other than those of 'religion', and perhaps even many who are 'religious' objectors but don't have a heritage as do the Brethren, Friends and Mennonites."

Conscientious objectors from other denominations such as Catholics were denied classifications as CO's. There was also discrimination against CO's with no religious background, and CO's of other ethnic groups. Austin did not want to be given privileges because of his Mennonite religious background and race.