A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

the event of a world conflagration. The resolution presented that year to the Canadian convention meeting in Waldheim, Saskatchewan, clearly reflects the views of B. B. Janz, the chairman of the committee, as well as the Russian experience of many delegates. The Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Canada bases its responsibilities toward the state on the word of Scripture: "give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." With our firm resolve for the principle of nonresistance, not to shed man's blood, we recognize GIVING TO CAESAR 355 as a Conference our definite obligation as citizens toward our homeland, not only in the form of taxes, but also in any service that is not contrary to our conscience. The word of Jesus in Mark 3:4 and in Luke 6:9 "... to save life . . . (not) to destroy it," is our criterion for the acceptance or choice of the form of service. . . . Hence we as disciples of Jesus should not oppose, for instance, the noncombatant medical corps (Sanitaetsdienst) . 11 This approach to alternative service is mentioned here because it became a divisive issue at the beginning of World War II. The iiuss/aender-Mennonites, and among them especially the Mennonite Brethren, favored a restricted medical corps; the Kanaedier-Menno- nites, including Mennonite Brethren, were opposed to a form of service so closely related to the military establishment. Many of the latter also expected another complete exemption from any form of service on the basis of the agreement of 1873. By 1939 some of these irreconcilable differences had to be faced realistically by the Committee on Military Problems, and this realism found expression in the committee's first recommendation to the conference: "(We recommend) that our own members must not be coerced, if they cannot participate with a good conscience in the medical corps."' 16 During the next few months world events moved swiftly to the brink of war. On September 10, 1939, Canada declared war against Germany, and on that day a new chapter in church-state relations began for the Canadian Mennonites. The Second World War*' The peace churches were slow in organizing for alternative service, probably for two reasons: In the first place, there was no conscription in Canada; and secondly, there was a lack of unity among the western Mennonite groups on the question of the nature of alternative service. However, when the Canadian Parliament passed the National Resources Mobilization Act in June, 1940, the matter of an acceptable form of service for CO's became urgent. The idea of a civilian alternative service had in the meantime been widely accepted among the Ontario Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches. In Western Canada, except for a large conservative group in Manitoba, there was also a strong movement to offer to the government a plan for alternative service. Consequently the Military Problems Committe