Facing the Issue: War

John's Story

During World War II my father and his brothers were all committed Christians, but held differing views and took different courses of action in response to the outbreak of war with Hitler's Nazi Germany.

My father believed the commandment "Do not kill" (The Bible, Exodus chapter 20 verse 13) not only applied to committing murder, but included killing enemies of the state. The British government required him to go to a tribunal (court) to prove that he was a conscientious objector on religious grounds, not a coward avoiding conflict. Witnesses were called to prove this, and he was allowed to remain out of the armed forces. However, he joined the A.R.P. (Air Raid Precautions), and was committed to rescuing people after bombing, and other duties of saving and preserving life. Some of his like-minded friends in the same church joined the Medical Corps to care for wounded soldiers, but my father regarded this as assisting in the war.

My father's first brother disagreed, and became a soldier in the British Army. He served in France, fighting against the Nazi German troops. He shared his Christian beliefs with other soldiers, who noticed that his prayers and lifestyle were a good influence at a difficult and dangerous time. He felt that he was being true to his beliefs in time of war.

My father's second (and older) brother didn't fight in the war either, being allowed to serve people as a Christian Minister. He respected the views of both his brothers, and used his time and gifts to care for people who directly and indirectly were suffering because of the war. He would pray with them, and encourage them to believe that God would meet their needs and bring peace. His priority was to bring people to believe in Jesus for themselves, and to have hope should they face death.

It was during this time that the then King, King George VI, called the nation to pray, to ask God to allow British troops to escape from Europe where they were trapped by the Nazi German army at Dunkirk. Christians responded to this call, and the weather was unusually calm. Hundreds of thousands of men were safely evacuated in hundreds of boats. Many Christians saw this as God answering prayer, and in this, all three brothers agreed. Lives had been saved, and the men lived to fight the evils of Nazism.

What do you think you would do if you were faced with this situation? Which brother most closely represents your feelings?