Discussion Questions

Rudy Yoder’s father exhorted him with Jesus’ warning to “fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”; how does that framing of God (and of ultimate danger) shape the way Rudy responds to threats of death from the officers, and how does it challenge the way modern Christians talk about “fear,” safety, and wisdom? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Rudy’s dad told him to fear God more than death or hell. How did that change how Rudy handled officers threatening to kill him, and how does it challenge how Christians today talk about fear, safety, and being “wise”?

Rudy first put on the uniform, then later “discarded the uniform and hid it at the laundry” because his conscience had “no peace”; what does this episode reveal about the speaker’s view of conscience before God, and where would you draw the line between a temporary compromise and a conscience-defiling participation? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Rudy put on the uniform, then later hid it because his conscience wouldn’t rest. What does this show about how he viewed conscience before God, and where is the line between a short-term compromise and doing something that stains your conscience?

The speaker emphasizes that the 1917 law didn’t exempt COs from “service in any capacity” and that Wilson’s “non-combatant” categories still kept men under military authority; why does the speaker seem to treat “who controls the work” (military vs. civilian) as morally significant, and how would early Christians likely evaluate that distinction? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says even “non-combatant” work still kept COs under military control. Why does it matter so much to him who is in charge (military vs. civilian), and how do you think early Christians would judge that difference?

The farm furlough “board of inquiry” existed to test “sincerity” and “desires of serving their country,” and the War Department directive threatened court-martial for those deemed “defiant,” “insincere,” or “active in propaganda”; what does this reveal about how the state tries to define acceptable faith, and what parallels do you see today in how Christians are pressured to prove they are “good citizens”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The state tested COs to see if they were “sincere” and threatened punishment if they weren’t. What does this show about how the government tries to shape what “acceptable” faith looks like, and where do you see similar pressure today for Christians to prove they are “good citizens”?

The speaker calls Secretary Baker’s New Year greeting “propaganda,” especially the claim that soldiers returned “physically” and “spiritually better”; how does that critique force you to reconsider common evangelical assumptions that military service is automatically honorable, sanctifying, or spiritually neutral? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker calls the New Year greeting “propaganda,” including the idea that soldiers came back spiritually better. How does that push back on the common Christian idea that military service is always honorable or even spiritually good?

The speaker highlights 1 Peter 3:15–16 as essential because COs often didn’t have Bibles and had to give reasons “with meekness and fear”; what would it look like for a Christian today to have that kind of prepared, heart-level defense under pressure—without access to notes, proof-texts, or a supportive audience? JumpstartAnother way to ask: COs often had no Bibles, so they had to explain their faith calmly and respectfully from the heart. What would it look like for you to be ready like that today, with no notes, no Bible verses to quote, and no friendly crowd?

Two COs are quoted saying, “A person has to refuse any work at all or he is a goner,” and “the best place to stop was at the beginning”; what theology of participation and moral drift is underneath those statements, and where do you think their reasoning exposes blind spots in modern “just do the minimum required” Christian ethics? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Two COs said you must refuse all the work or you’ll slowly give in, and that the best time to stop is at the start. What belief about “small compromises” is behind that, and how does it challenge the modern idea of “just do the minimum required” as a Christian?

In Moe Joder’s story, he gained respect by cleaning up sick soldiers’ vomit and caring for men who despised him; how does that concrete act embody Jesus’ commands the speaker lists (“love your enemy,” “overcome evil with good”), and what would be an equivalent “love” action toward people or institutions that currently shame Christians? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Moe Joder cared for sick soldiers who hated him, even cleaning up their vomit. How does that show Jesus’ commands like “love your enemy” and “overcome evil with good,” and what would a similar act of love look like toward people or systems that shame Christians today?

Charlie Martin describes being ordered to be pinned to a wall with a bayonet, then being knocked out and waking up in a uniform; how do you process the moral weight of coercion like that, and what does it expose about how power treats nonresistant Christians compared with how many churches assume persecution will look? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Charlie Martin was threatened with a bayonet, knocked out, and woke up in a uniform. How should we think about the moral seriousness of that kind of force, and what does it reveal about how power treats nonresistant Christians compared to what many churches expect persecution to look like?

The Hutterites refused even to register or do any cooperation, insisting, “The only thing we can do is work on a farm for the poor and needy,” and they endured stripping, starvation, chaining, and deaths—yet Jacob later wrote that God considered him “worthy to suffer”; what does this teach about God’s purposes in suffering for obedience, and how does it confront modern Christian ideas of God’s will being confirmed mainly by comfort, protection, or “open doors”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The Hutterites refused to register or cooperate and suffered terribly, yet Jacob wrote that God saw him as “worthy to suffer.” What does this teach about why God may allow suffering for obedience, and how does it challenge the idea that God’s will is mostly shown by comfort, safety, or “open doors”?