Objector Quotes

I confused them so badly that they never took action on my petition. My conscientious objection wasn`t based on a history of religious affiliation, which made it difficult at the time. I went back to my philosophy training from college. I remembered Paul Tillich`s phrase, `If you have trouble with the word God, take whatever is central or most meaningful to your life and call that God.` I always had trouble with the notion of God in a stand-up form. So I developed a thesis and took the Biblical injunction to love thy neighbor as thyself as the central and most meaningful thing in my life. I combined it all and typed for days and sent it off and never heard a word. Never got called in. - On registering as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War.

It was difficult being a conscientious objector in the 1940`s, but I felt I had to stick to my guns.

That was luck: I should not then have been a conscientious objector; but I am quite sure that the abominations of war would have made me one, as soon as I got to the front.

War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.