Columbus Mennonite Church: Christian Education

CMC's Peace Statement Resources for Responding to the War in Iraq & Events of September 11, 2001 Links to Other Mennonite Sites Youth Junior High School Who Are Mennonites? FAQs about Mennonites Mennonite Resolutions and Confessions Contact Us Home Site Map	Christian Peacemaker Registration Form What Do You Believe about War and Peace? What do you believe about war and peace? How is God asking you to make peace in our world? Can you offer clear reasons for your beliefs and convincing evidence of them in your life? This is your chance to do just that. The Christian Peacemaker Registration Form, printed below, gives you the chance to think through these questions. Why should you fill out the Christian Peacemaker Registration Form? Jesus calls all of us to be peacemakers. If we want to follow Jesus, we need to discover what this means for us. A world suffering from violence needs people who choose peace. Whether we meet violence at home, on the street, at school, or hidden in the appeal of a military advertisement, we are confronted with a choice. Choosing peace is not automatic. It takes preparation and courage. If the U.S. government ever has a military draft again, a written record of your conscientious objection to war may help establish the sincerity of your convictions. If the Peace Tax Fund Bill becomes law, and you want to designate your federal income taxes for peaceful purposes, a record of your conscientious objection to war may be helpful. The Peacemaker Registration Form asks you to respond to three questions. These questions come from the Selective Service System Form 22. If the U.S. government reinstates the draft, you would need to complete Form 22 in order to claim conscientious objector status. Filling out the Peacemaker Registration Form does not necessarily imply that you intend to cooperate with any system of conscription. If you are not a conscientious objector to war, please fill out the form, answering question 1A instead of question 1. INSTRUCTIONS The purpose of the Christian Peacemaker Registration Form is to strengthen your commitment to peacemaking. Peacemaking is a spiritual journey. It includes your relationship to God, to others, and to creation. This form focuses on one aspect of peacemaking: conscientious objection to war. If you are between the ages of 16-18, begin a file on your peace convictions. Your file should contain the Peacemaker Registration Form, letters of reference from 3-4 people who know you, and a record of any actions you have taken that support your commitment to peace. Actions might include a public speech, mediation training, letters to congress, charitable contributions, participation in service projects, etc. This is not an official claim for conscientious objector status. The legal value of the Peacemaker Registration Form is not certain. But based on past experience with the Selective Service System, we know that the ability to document your convictions is important. Documenting these beliefs before you actually file a claim for Conscientious Objector status is particularly helpful. Take time to study, pray, and discuss your beliefs with others before filling out the form. Talk with your family or others in our congregation. Add more evidence of your peace convictions at any time after you originally file your Record. *File your Peacemaker Registration Form* in the church office. Simply print out the form below and give it to the church office. We will file it for you in the office for safe-keeping until you need it. If you have any questions, contact the church office. Keep a second copy of this form, and all related documents, in a safe place. REGISTERING WITH THE SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM The law says all males must register for a potential draft for military service within 30 days of their eighteenth birthday. Selective Service may send you a letter when you turn 18, indicating it is time to register. Registration forms are available at any U.S. post office. The form asks for your name, date of birth, address, phone number, and social security number. You can also register by checking a box on the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (FAFSA) form (used for college applications). You can't officially request conscientious objector status when you register. You can do this only after a draft is enacted and you receive an induction notice. But when you fill out your registration form, we encourage you to write "I am a conscientious objector to war" somewhere on the form. It's a good idea to make several photocopies of your completed form before sending it to Selective Service. Keep one copy in a safe place, and give another one to the church office. WHAT IF I AM OPPOSED TO COOPERATING WITH SELECTIVE SERVICE? Some young people do not wish to cooperate with the Selective Service System at all, because it supplies youth to the armed forces to be trained for war. If you are thinking about refusing to register when you are 18, be sure to discuss it with your parents and several other people in the congregation. It is important to take your conscience seriously and to be informed about your options. Failure to register with Selective Service is punishable by fines of up to $250,000 and up to five years in jail. However, very few young men have been prosecuted or fined for failing to register. Failure to register also makes you ineligible for federal student aid, job training, and employment. More than 25 states, including Ohio, have laws that restrict non-registrants' access to state education benefits or employment. Click here to read stories of young men who decided not to register. This site at Mennonite Central Committee has a lot of information about conscientious objection to war. You can also e-mail other Mennonite peacemakers and ask them your questions. The Christian Peacemaker Registration Form Your Record of Conscientious Objection to War** Print this form out on your printer at home, or ask our church office (614-784-9002; office@columbusmennonite.org) for a paper copy. Because you must personally sign it when you are done, on-line registration is not possible at this time. Sorry! Answer each of the three questions below. You may also attach letters from persons who know you or any other information you would like to have in your file. Question 1A is not on the official Selective Service Form. We include it here to encourage you to clearly describe your beliefs, whether or not you are a conscientious objector to war. Describe your beliefs that are the reasons for your claiming conscientious objection to combatant military training and service or to all military training and service. OR Describe your beliefs that are the reasons for your support of participation in military service and war. Describe how and when you acquired these beliefs. Your answer may include such information as the influence of family members or other persons; training, if applicable; your personal experiences; membership in organizations; books and readings which influenced you. Explain what most clearly shows that your beliefs are deeply held. You may wish to include a description of how your beliefs affect the way you live. Your Name: Your Date of Birth: Your Address: City: State: Zip: Your Signature: Date of Your Signature: Signature of A Witness: Date He or She Signed: