The American Jewish Congress today urged an amendment to the National Selective Service Act that would exempt from military service persons who oppose a particular war on the basis of ethical or moral principles as well as religious convictions. A resolution adopted by the AJ Congress’ national governing council alleged that the present draft law resulted in “discrimination” against those who objection to service in war was not based on a generally recognized religious system of ethics. The resolution said the refusal of the Selective Service System to recognize the right of conscientious objection based on non-religious grounds was “inconsistent with democratic principles.” It also “runs counter to our national and religious principles to compel a man to carry and use a gun against another man in a cause that he regards as morally wrong,” the AJ Congress said. The organization supported amendments to the draft law that would allow conscientious objectors “as wide a variety as possible of non-punitive alternate forms of service.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
