My father was a conscientious objector in World War II. As a twenty something he became a “conchie” – fighting conscription and active service in the army. In Canada this group believed and acted on their faith. Beyond the persecution of Japanese and Germans and others during WWII, the conchies were sometimes considered even little lower. They were considered traitors and became a vulnerable sector in our culture.
Fast forward five or six decades. My father’s local church, which had supported “conchies”, had come full circle. They invited remembrance day celebrations into the church on November 11th. Previously this holiday had been stricken from the church calendar as a violation of the sacred vow of non-violence.
How does an institution change?
Did this change signal a betrayal, a new understanding or just a compromise for the sake of “peace”?
What did cause the change?
Does one member of the community share a vision with the rest of the community and there is slow change as the vision catches on?
Do a few in the community have the vision for change at the same time?
Does external pressure cause the community to change?
Does God bring about a miracle?
I’m just adding questions not really contributing answers here. ?