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religion and ww2

Discussion in 'Free Fire Zone' started by knightdepaix, Jan 21, 2017.

  1. knightdepaix

    knightdepaix Member

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    I searched this site but result has not shown any.

    Has there been some discussions about religion -- Christianity and Muslim in the Europe theater and Buddhism in the Pacific -- and war? For example, Is there a concept of just war? How religions explain and help followers cope with the fighting in ww2?
     
  2. wm.

    wm. Well-Known Member

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    The Soviets stopped open religious persecutions of their own people, actually Stalin revived the Russian Orthodox Church, so religion even there must have been very important (it was Khrushchev who started again the persecutions.)
    There was a great religious upsurge in Poland, especially in Warsaw where the occupation was especially murderous.
    The Jews became less religious, especially the Orthodox Jews (a large part, maybe most of the Eastern European Jews were orthodox) but this was going on earlier too.
     
  3. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    Buddhism in the Pacific? Shinto was Japan's official state religion during World War II.
     
  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    The Malays were Muslim, IIRC, but China had a fair few Buddhists.
     
  5. Coder

    Coder Member

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    A significant number of conscientious objectors to WW2 military service, in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, and Germany argued their objection on religious grounds.
     
  6. MichaelBully

    MichaelBully Active Member

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    Personally I find conscientious objection to WW2 military service in the UK a fascinating subject. I know that in the UK the organisation the Peace Pledge Union have been collecting information on COs for years now.

    CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION PROJECT

    To the best of my knowledge there were few religious groups who completely refused military service, perhaps the Jehovah's Witnesses would be the best known. Even amongst the Society of Friends ( ''The Quakers'), who are generally associated with opposition to War, the emphasis was placed on individual conscience and quite a number of members took non-combat roles such as in the ambulance service which was often deemed to be acceptable. Other COs became involved in Civic Defence.

    The Anglican Pacifist Fellowship was already in existence during WW2, being formed in 1937. There was also a Methodist Peace Fellowship established in 1933. The Fellowship of Reconciliation , formed in 1915, had many Christian members. But I am now sure how much research has been done into their activity during World War 2. Possibly because the prevailing view in Britain is that WW2 was morally justifiable whilst the 'disenchantment' view of World War 1 remains influential. I remember talking to a historian who gives talks on Conscientious Objection in World War 1, and he was telling me how people generally over-estimate the number of COs in World War 1 and under-estimate said number in World War 2.
    The World War 2 writing of Vera Brittain who was involved in the Peace Pledge Union, and who was also a pacifist on religious grounds, are an interesting read.
     
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  7. Coder

    Coder Member

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    Although Dick Sheppard, founder of the Peace Pledge Union, died suddenly in 1937, and was therefore not able to bear witness for peace in WW2, Ernest Barnes, Bishop of Birmingham, Charles Raven at Cambridge, Donald Soper at Methodist Kingsway Hall, and George McLeod, Church of Scotland, all preached pacifism throughout the war..
     
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  8. MichaelBully

    MichaelBully Active Member

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    Indeed, should have remembered Donald Soper, he was a regular at Speakers Corner , Hyde Park right into the 1980's .
    Found this obituary to him from 'The Independent' from 1998, about half way down there is some information about his World War 2 pacifism . The writer also alludes to Donald Soper being banned from broadcasting during World War 2

    Obituary: The Rev Lord Soper

    Dick Sheppard was a great influence on Vera Brittain, who became a committed pacifist and Peace Pledge Union activist after meeting Dick Sheppard in 1936.
     
  9. Coder

    Coder Member

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    Certainly, a rich tribute to Donald Soper by Colin Morris. The sidelining by the BBC of Soper in WW2 as a pacifist,was paralelled by sidelining of other pacifists at that time. The obit has a minor error,in suggesting that Sheppard's invitation to Soper in 1937 to join the PPU was whillst Sheppard was still Vicar of St Martin's. Sheppard left St Martin's in 1926, long before the PPU was founded, and by 1937 had served two years as Dean of Canterbury and become a residentiary Canon of St Paul's Cathedral.
     
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  10. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I knew a guy who would go into combat with us, but couldn't fire a gun because of his beliefs. His beliefs didn't extend to not protecting himself and the guys at his aid station. We respected him a whole lot more after that little display.

    Later he said he didn't remember any of the action. Well, it did go pretty fast.
     
  11. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    For a film look at American COs in battle, look at Hacksaw Ridge. It's the story of Desmond Doss in WW2.
     
  12. Highway70

    Highway70 Member

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    "Ya don't git combat pay 'cause ya don't fight."

    Through most of the war medics did not get Combat Pay, but they were authorized combat pay before the war ended.
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2017
  13. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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  14. MichaelBully

    MichaelBully Active Member

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    Thank you for the further clarification . The Peace Pledge Union page on Dick Sheppard is useful, and mentions Donald Soper.

    DICK SHEPPARD

    It seems Dick Sheppard grew to be so popular due to his presence on BBC radio from the 1920's and 1930's, along with his newspaper columns, and overall charisma. In Vera Brittain's novel ,'Born 1925', (published in 1948) the lead character, one Robert Carbury, is a pacifist vicar in a famous Westminster parish during World War 2 . Carbury is a hybrid figure, based on Soper and Sheppard. The novel is more of a curiosity rather than great fiction in my opinion.




     
  15. MichaelBully

    MichaelBully Active Member

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    Good to read the new posts on this thread, and particularly welcome the reference to 'Hacksaw Ridge' . Located the trailer on You Tube and must see the film.



    Also found an interview with Desmond Doss.

     
  16. CAC

    CAC Ace of Spades

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    Combat medics should be the highest paid of all...talk about brass balls!
     
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