The Untold Story of Following Jesus During World War 1 Part 5

Lesson Transcript

Well, good morning. As has been already shared, this is going to be part five in a series of messages on the untold story of following Jesus during World War I. Today we're going to look at—I'm going to divide the message into two different parts. The first part is going to look at a unique example of a government agency issuing an order that directly supported the war effort and what we could learn from that example in our own life and the life of our church.

And the second is going to look at the persecution from government agencies and persecution and violence and intimidation from local patriotic mobs. Let's begin by looking at this newspaper clipping. This is found in the Helena Independent, dated August 6, 1918. We're going to zoom into the second page. Obviously, he's talking about World War I with the great battle, but let's zoom into this unique story right here that we zoom into. It says, "Seven Husky photo enlargers trimmed.

Court holds they are not in useful or legitimate occupation. They all pay a fine. In the first test against the order of the Montana Council of Defense, seven Husky men soliciting trade for enlarged portraits were defeated.

The district court at Red Lodge fining the men $25 each for violation of order number two, which provides that every adult person of necessary physical and mental capacity shall work in a legitimate occupation for at least five days a week during the period of the war." And just for your information, $25 in 1918 is worth a little over $500 in our money today. You might be wondering, what's this about? Why did they get fined for being photographers?

If you read down further, it says they came into town with a big hurrah, and it says they were doing cymbals and beating tom-toms. They canvassed the town for pictures of departed relatives and photos of pawn mall when they were married years ago. They were encouraging people to come to their photography. Well, let's just look at a little bit of what a council of defense is, because that's something we don't think about today. This was very prominent in World War I, council of defense.

The first council of defense was the National Council of Defense that was established by the federal government on August 29, 1916, to coordinate industries and resources for the national security and welfare. This is right before the United States entered World War I. Soon after this, the Council of National Defense issued instructions in April 1917. All 48 states, this is before Alaska and Hawaii became states, had organized state councils of defense.

Most of them had legislative authority with significant power and appropriations. Today we're going to look at three councils of defense: Montana, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. But like I said, all the states had them. What did the state council of defense do? They had a wide range of tasks, including publicity, conservation of food and fuel, and military preparedness, as well as promoting liberty bond, war-saving stamps, and Red Cross campaigns.

And for a further note, the council of defense were at the national level, the state level, and the local level. You had either a county council of defense or a school district council of defense. So it went all the way up. So there was, you know, accountability the whole way down. The Montana Council of Defense was originally created in early April 1917, but it lacked authority in its own appropriation.

So they reorganized it and they reestablished it on February 20, 1918, the same time they did the Montana Sedition Law that we looked about two messages prior. It was established, reestablished then. The Nebraska Council of Defense, upon the urging of that council of national defense, was formed on April 25, 1917. And the Oklahoma Council of Defense, as it said, first met on May 16, 1917, on a call of Governor R.O. Williams.

It established 11 committees, including munition, manufacturing, supplies, labor, publicity, and finance. Like I said, these councils of defense played a major role in World War I and a major role in persecution of people. But like I said, we're going to look at one first. Like I said, it's a very unique example. Let's look at some verses as we get our mind around some of the things that happened here.

The first verse, Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and Mammon." Similar verse, 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness, and what communion has light and darkness?" 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, "For though we walk, we do not war after—sorry, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God's to the pulling down of strongholds." And the last verse, "For it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:17. And I wanted to just take a quick note to want to thank those who've helped me on this: my parents, Josiah, Dale, and my wife. So thank you all very much for your help on this message, different things you encouraged me to do.

So we're going to look at this first thing, the Montana Council of Defense. Like I said, it's a different example, but I find it, yeah, very challenging. We're going to look at Montana Council of Defense order number two, adopted by unanimous vote at Helena this 22nd day of April 1918, Montana Council of Defense. What does this Council of Defense say, this order say?

Order number two, "Whereas it is highly important that the civil and industrial resources of the state may be most effectually applied toward the maintenance of the defenses of the state and nation and toward the prosecution of the existing war, whereas it has been found impossible to fully protect the interests of the state and enforce upon those of the people who are unwilling to voluntarily do their part." So what did this council order say then? This is what it says.

"The Montana Council of Defense, in regular meeting assembled, does make the following order to wit. The duty is hereby imposed upon every adult person having the necessary physical and mental capacity and ability to do work and engage in some legitimate occupation for at least five days during each calendar week for the period of the existing war." They're made of the law that you have to work in a legitimate occupation. And what is the failure? Here's the failure.

"Any person without sufficient excuse who shall fail, neglect, or refuse to so engage in some useful and legitimate occupation is provided in this section shall be punished in accordance with Section 5 of Chapter 1, Laws of the State of Montana, passed by the extraordinary session of the 15th Legislative Assembly." So we're going to look a little bit at that example of those photographers, why they were fined $25, because they weren't working in a legitimate occupation according to the Montana Council order number

two.

Here is an authentic letter from the Council of Defense, the local and the state council of defense. And the letter says, "Enclosed is a copy of the information I filed against eight men here the other day for violating your order number two. They prosecuted a habeas corpus proceeding after their arrest, but the district court denied the application for their discharge.

I dismissed the case as to the defendant Livermore because of insufficient evidence, and the remaining seven interplead of guilty were each fined $25. These men came to town on July 21, and the evidence showed that their business was to solicit orders for enlarged portraits, and the court held that this was not a useful and legitimate business under your said order." It's pretty strange, isn't it? That you come in and take pictures and you're said that's not a legitimate business. You are fined for that.

Here's what the council, the state council of defense said back to the local. "I was very pleased to receive yesterday, years of August 3, containing a copy of the information you had filed for violation of order number two of the Montana Council of Defense. And also particularly pleased that your district court held that the men involved were not engaged in useful and legitimate business under the order.

This is the first time the law has been tested in a district court in this state, though it has been tried out a number of times before justices of peace who have upheld it." Why those photographers were not in legitimate business, I don't know, but I just thought this is an extremely interesting story. I'll just give you a few other examples of what they can call, how they quantify what is legitimate and what is not. Here's a telegram from another local council to the state council.

"Have six men here running merry-go-round. Have we the right to arrest them and put them to work?" And here's what the state came back to the local people. "Do not believe under order number two of Montana Council of Defense, you have the right to arrest merry-go-round men. Order says you may take this action where men are not engaged in legitimate occupation. Presume your six men have a license and their occupation is legitimate.

Advise that you consult your attorney." I don't know what the difference is between a merry-go-round and the photographer, but obviously they stole something. As I was studying, I also found that the local council of defense would write the state asking, "Is it okay for people to be a real estate agent? Is it okay for them to take vacation?" You know, because we're supposed to be working. We're supposed to have a legitimate occupation. I thought about what this order actually said, if you think about it.

"It was now against the law to work in an occupation that was not considered legitimate and did not support the war efforts. But in my own life, isn't that the same with me and the kingdom of God? Aren't I supposed to be working for God's kingdom? Isn't the kingdom of God always at war with the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of Satan? Aren't we supposed to be at war against our flesh and against sin? We're always at war." And I thought about this, what it said.

We are always at war against something, our flesh, sin, the kingdom of darkness. And I thought it's this is like a verse here. This is for 1 Corinthians 15:58. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." I thought, "If I'm not working for God's kingdom, whose kingdom am I working for then? My own? Satan's? The world's?" I know this order did not result in persecution of Christians, followers of Jesus.

But it did challenge me that if the secular government could see that in time of war, it was necessary to mobilize everything and everybody to work for the cause, how much more should the church realize that it's always at war and should be working towards advancing God's kingdom. Just want to leave you out with that challenge. Now we're going to look at the examples of persecution. They're going to first be by government agencies and then mob violence.

But before we look at those, this is what I wanted to have us think about this. As I share these experiences of Anabaptist brothers and sisters, because some of the persecution happened against some sisters, let's not judge their actions. But let's think about what can we learn from their experience? What would we do if it happened to us? How would you respond in time of pressure? Are you thoroughly grounded in God and God's word? Are you easily swayed and intimidated? Do you know your Bible?

Do you know what you believe and why? How would you respond to the demands of the attackers? Would you compromise? How would you respond if you know who the attackers are? Can you forgive them, even if they never come back and ask for forgiveness? So first, what we're going to look at is Nebraska. This is going to the persecution. Nebraska Council of Defense. We're going to start off giving a little bit of introduction of what happened, and we're going to look at the persecution.

This is a letter from the National Council of Defense to Nebraska talking about a food pledge campaign, August 16, 1917. We're just going to zoom in. I'm going to read two sentences. "The food administration wishes the woman's committee to round up the present food pledge campaign by the 5th of September. Will you not urge all your workers to hasten their canvas and instruct them definitely to take no signatures after that date?

At the same time, the organization should plan to have the cards collected and shipped as rapidly as possible." We're going to look at the page two of this letter. "It is our privilege and duty to uphold the food administrator in every helpful way by urging women everywhere to prove their oft-repeated claim that they are ready to serve their country wherever called upon, that we may do our part in bringing a speedy victory to the cause of justice and democracy." Council of National Defense.

And here's one of the things they came with that letter. "Committee in charge of the campaign, how many cards are disputed? By whom were the cards furnished and what number? How many cards were returned to Washington?" This is talking about a food pledge. You might wonder why is that a big deal, and we'll see. Here's an article I found in one of the magazines of that time period. "The Woman and the War: What I Would Like Women to Do by Herbert Hoover." He was the director of the food administration.

We'll zoom in and see what he says. Remember this one before? This is what Mr. Hoover asked. "Stop before throwing any food away and ask can it be used. Order meals so as not to have too much. Have a proper balance of the most nutritious food. Stop catering to different appetites. No second helpings. Stop all eating between meals. Stop all four o'clock tea. Stop all refreshments at parties, dances, etc. Stop all eating after the theater. One meatless day a week, one wheatless meal a day.

No young lamb, no veal, no young pigs or ducklings, no young meat of any sort. No butter and cooking use substitutes. Personal marketing instead of by telephone." I don't think there's actually anything wrong in what he said. But this is where this is the food pledge that you were supposed to sign that said that they wanted they were going to go this happened in all the states of the United States, but we're looking at Nebraska. "I ask that every woman will fill in this blank, cut it out, and send it to me. Mr.

Herbert Hoover, Washington, D.C., I am glad to join you in the service of food conservation for our nation. Now hereby accept membership in the United States Food Administration, pledging myself to carry out the directions and advice of the food administrator and the conduct of my household insofar as my circumstances permit." What do you get if you sign this pledge? Well, this is what you can do. This is a real picture and a real thing. "You, as a sister, are allowed to make this uniform." It says that.

"Here are the official badge and uniform of members of the food administration of the United States. Any woman who signs a Hoover pledge is entitled to wear them." So you're allowed to make this uniform that you are in the army, per se, and officially supporting the government for the war effort. Now we're going to now skip to Nebraska. This is Stewart County Tribune in Stewart County, Nebraska. And this is where some things happened with some Mennonite sisters who refused to sign that food pledge.

We're going to zoom in and just read what it says. "Must use wisdom. President Wilson asked Americans to eat wisely as war measure. Appeals to the women. 500,000 volunteers canvas nation's housewives. Food saving duty of humanity and honor to men. The food administration announced that its 500,000 volunteer canvases are busy with the campaign of Food Pledge Week, which will end November 4th." As I said, two Mennonite sisters in this community refused to sign this food pledge, which in my mind should be no big deal.

Okay, we're talking hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people. But it was a big deal. Let's see what the Nebraska Council of Defense says. "At the meeting of the Stewart County Council of Defense held on April 19, action was taken to the effect that Mr. John H. Stutzman and Mrs. A. P.

Hershberger, Milford, Nebraska, should appear before the State Council of Defense for the reason that they positively refused to sign the food pledge card." They didn't like that these two ladies didn't sign it, and they were going to make them an example. Zoom in so we can read this one a little bit better. This is back from the U.S. food administrator back to the local council of defense. "I have called Mr. John H. Stutzman and Mrs. A. P.

Hershberger to be cited to appear before the State Council of Defense on account of them having refused to sign the food pledge card of the federal food administration. These parties were caused to appear before the County Council of Defense and refused to sign the cards of having been given an opportunity.

We have had more or less trouble with the Mennonites at Amish relative to the war activities of various kinds, and I feel that in order to maintain the more support of the community, that the food administrator must insist on having these parties sign this food pledge card." They were making this a big deal that these two sisters were not signing this card. It gets worse. I grade this one out because it's a little hard to read.

Well, Josiah helped me grade this one out because it's a little too hard to read it when it was yellow. So let's zoom in. "Replying to your favor on the 28th, I have talked to Mr. Thomas, the chairman of the County Council of Defense, and he advises me to request you to please summon, which is a legal term, not just asking. They are summoning Mr. Stutzman, Mrs. Hershberger, and Mrs. Beckler to appear before the Council of Defense and insist on them signing the food pledge cards.

Complying with your letter on May 29, we have summoned for appearance before the State Council of Counsel at 1:30 o'clock, Thursday, June 13, 1918, Mrs. John H. Stutzman, Mrs. A. P. Hershberger, and Mrs. W. M. Beckler. We will be glad to have you present at that time." Mrs. Beckler did end up signing the food pledge card separately, so I'm not talking about her. But here's the actual official summons for these two ladies not signing this food pledge card.

"A summons to appear before the State Council of Defense in Nebraska." It says, "Nebraska State Council of Defense, the state of Nebraska, Mrs. A. P. Hershberger." And then the other woman, the same thing, to Mr. John H. Stutzman. They're making a big deal out of these two ladies not signing this food pledge. They're being summoned to the State Council of Defense. Here's how this story concludes. "Please dated after that council that was in June, July 11, 1918.

Please bring before your council of executive committee the matter of the Mennonites at Milford who declined to sign food pledge cards. These people have been brought here several times, and today we dismiss them with their signatures after striking out the words "You probably can't see it. Out the words, 'I hereby accept membership.'" They did not like that term. "I accept membership in the food administration." And that's why they refused to sign it.

"To which they objected on the grounds of religious scruples." That's a pretty, in my mind, pretty intense story about not signing a food pledge card that you were summoned before the State Council of Defense and told you will sign this. Now let's look at Oklahoma Council of Defense, what they did. Something very similar, but not about food. This is in the Chickasaw Daily Express, January 26, 1918. We'll zoom into what I want you to look at here.

"Entire state take loyalty pledge, make Oklahoma 100% patriotic meeting February 1st." We're going to look at that loyalty pledge in the next slide. Here's what it says. "I hereby pledge renewed allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands. I pledge myself as a true loyal American to be active in support of my government and all its plans and efforts. I recognize the danger that rises from the slacker who opposes the country.

I realize that every breeder's tradition is as great a menace to our homes and our freedom as are our armed enemies across the seas. I therefore pledge myself to report to the chairman of my school district council of defense or to my county council of defense, chairman, any disloyal act or utterance that I may at any time know of. I will help stamp out the enemies at home whose grave every act or word means more American graves in France." With your signature. And if you see right here, it has a place.

This is to be filled out, but read this. "If person solicited refused or did not wish to sign the loyalty pledge, give below reasons and statements made." Is that something as a follower of Jesus we could sign? I don't think we could. I know I could not sign this. But this was in the state of Oklahoma. And if you remember that newspaper article, it says we want 100% of Oklahomans to sign this pledge. Well, let's look at a few things that happened to people who didn't sign this pledge.

The first one, the Weatherford booster made at 9th, 1918. This is look at this little statement. "A great deal of excitement was stirred up at the hearing of one of our farmers who had been accused of unpatriotic attitudes in general and incriminating language when he was solicited to sign the loyalty pledge and buy a liberty bond. His demeanor and statements to the committee were so unsatisfactory that a great deal of indignation was aroused among the members of the committee and spectators.

The accused was forced to sign the loyalty pledge and was taken in a parade with a U.S. flag flying to one of the local banks where he made arrangements for the purchase of a bond." Because they made him sign this. There's an example of someone who refused to sign it. He got whipped and beat pretty bad. Very badly. Here's another example of the intimidation they were putting on people about this loyalty pledge. That was this is found whoops. In the Oklahoma Hornet. "Should be no slackers on loyalty cards here.

While comments will be 100% in patriotism, it is hoped that there will be not a single solitary person in this town or township who will refuse to sign the loyalty pledge. And we don't believe there will be if they only take a few minutes to investigate the matter. We'd hate to think that we have a resident who is a slacker or a sympathizer with anything that was not true Americanism. These cards are to be returned to the county chairman.

And we know you would not want your name posted as one who refused to sign a loyalty pledge, especially in these times when patriotism and loyalty mean so much to American institutions." Pretty big time intimidation there. If you don't sign it, you'll be put on a name will be broadcast. Now we're going to look at some stuff that happened to Anabaptist-type people. Like as we've looked at some examples of the government agencies, now look at some stories specifically some Anabaptist-type people. Followers of Jesus.

This is a warning. This warning I found in the Columbus, Ohio dispatch of 19 this dated June 6, 1918. This is not in a little dinky newspaper like Chambersburg or Shippensburg. This is in the Capitol of Ohio. And look what it says up there. "Amish told to aid government or leave homes." That's a pretty big statement coming in a, like I said, a very big newspaper. Let's zoom in and read a little bit of what this says. "Plain City, Ohio residents wary of trifling with conscience of nectars. Ultimatum sent out.

Members of creed instructed to give the Red Cross and arrange to buy bonds. Amish residents of Plain City and in the barns who just said have refused to contribute in any way to the support of the war must either show their loyalty or suffer from the wrath of patriotic Americans in this section. Emphatic warnings plainly setting forth what each Amish resident must do have been given to the heads of the recalcitrant families. If you get hurt, don't blame us," the warning states.

It's pretty not a very nice statement. I'm going to skip down to the next little section there where it says the warning right at the very bottom. "Hiding behind your church, you have shown disloyalty in many ways. In addition to the above, you have taught and told your boys not to take up arms or in any way take part in the war. We could point out many things that you contribute to that are very distasteful and far from being American.

But in short, we are going to force you to contribute and fight for the stars and stripes and conduct yourselves as Americans or go out of our midst." Then we'll skip down. "The Amish are further told that if they did not obey these commands, they will be offered the value of their lands and told to vacate. If you refuse that offer, we will make it so unpleasant for you that you will want to give us your holdings." It's a pretty nice little warning there.

If you refuse to participate, it's your fault and you're going to make it very unpleasant for you. So you'll sell your property and you're going to move out. This was in Ohio. Here's another thing they did. Here's another little article. See what it says on the slacker? This is from the Brownsville, Texas Daily Herald. "The slacker can't escape, nor can the rattlesnake.

The slacker who seeks to escape making his war savings pledge to the government will come to grief as due to the rattlesnakes." Isn't that a nice little warning? If you refused to support the war, you're going to come to grief. Now we're looking at something else they did on the same idea, but they're flipping it. They had an honor roll. And I'll show you what it is. This is an example I found from the Port Chester, New York Daily Item, June 30, 1918. Zoom into that little thing in the red.

"To publish roll of honor. Daily Item, which is the name of this newspaper, to print the name of every person who buys one or more fourth liberty bonds in Port Chester. They put your name in the shope, gave you positive praise that you were supporting the war." And here's what one of those honor rolls looked like. This was like two days later when they published one of their honor rolls. I'll just read one sentence right here.

It says, "Yesterday, the following persons bought fourth liberty bonds and thereby secured a place in the Port Chester fourth liberty loan honor roll. It looks like they put your name and your address." So if you look at it, it says Josh Kashma, 14 Mead Avenue, East Port Chester. They did that, but they also, they also, as I said, they did the other side, the disloyal honor roll, those who didn't participate. So we're going to go now look at some persecution.

You see some of these warnings, some of these things that happened. One of the big thing types of persecution they did was to our meeting houses, to Amish and Amish Mennonite and Mennonite and others meeting houses. Here's a picture of a local meeting house. You might be familiar with that picture. It's a picture taken from Amerson Valley, but I'm just thinking a lot of the Amish and Amish Mennonite had their houses in the country. Not all of them. Some of them were closer to settlements at this time in 1917, 1918.

But a lot of them were in the country. Nice quiet setting. But let's look at the list of the church buildings that were vandalized. Now this is not a comprehensive list. I found several as I was studying. This is the list I have just created. These are churches that were vandalized in one way or another. That were some type of Mennonite, Amish Mennonite. Birchtree, Missouri. Fisher, Hopedale, Flanagan, and Metamore, Illinois. Harrisburg, Oregon, which both had a flag put on it without permission and vandalism.

Parnell, Iowa. Waccaroosa, and Goshen, Indiana. West Liberty, Sugar Creek, and Orville, Ohio. There was even some in Pennsylvania. Morgantown, Pennsylvania, a flag forcefully put on it without permission. Salem, Lima, Ashgrove, Ohio. Same thing, the flag. And Canton, Kansas, flag and vandalism. The first example we're going to look at of vandalism is this. Yellow. We think of that as a cute little house.

But in World War I, to show that you were a disloyal traitor, they would do something with yellow paint either on you personally or your property. So let's just look at this first example. This is the one in Metamore, Illinois. Daily Pantograph, July 12, 1918. We're going to zoom in and just read a little bit what happened to this church building. Church painted yellow. Mennonite structure near Flanagan given attention. Well, this reads a little bit of the article.

What is commonly known as the Stuckey Mennonite Church, two and a half miles south of Flanagan, was decorated with yellow paint both inside and outside last night. The outside of the church was decorated with copious dolls of yellow paint while a band of yellow was painted around the building. A large skull and crossbones were painted on the building while the words "No slacker and no more German preaching" were painted in huge letters on the side of the building. The windows were also painted yellow.

On the floor of the anteroom of the church was painted in large letters "Wear U.S. uniforms." The pulpit was smeared with yellow. In fact, it was all yellow. While the pews occupied by some of the more prominent members of the congregation were painted yellow. It's a pretty mean thing to do. Like that's and this is not comprehensive. Here's another example. This happened in Harrisburg, Oregon. We kind of we lock our church doors, but this is a story that happened to a church building in Harrisburg, Oregon.

This church still exists to this day. The church was built in 1914. In the summer of 1916, on a Tuesday morning, Frank Krupp, who lived nearby, one of the church leaders, noticed a large wide yellow strip painted around the whole church building. So he came up to investigate. When he went to the door to investigate, he noticed that someone had drilled two large holes like this picture and put a big chain and padlock across it.

Someone also had tacked two small American flags and nailed a board with this inscription. This church is closed for the duration of the war. The following Saturday, Daniel Krupp, another church leader, Joseph Hostetter and Frank Krupp, the same one who had noticed it earlier, went to investigate and decided how to proceed. Frank Krupp came wearing his carpet apron, which he had a hammer in, so he took his hammer and hit the lock twice, breaking it.

No one stopped the Mennonites from holding church service in their building during the time. However, the sign above the door, the American flags and the yellow stripe remained as they were throughout the war. They didn't take the flag down. They didn't repaint over the stripe, and they did take that little plaque off, which a lot of the Mennonites didn't do. Now we're going to look at a couple of these flag incidents. This first one was the one there, the Amish Mennonite Church near Redding.

This is from the Lancaster Intelligencer, Wednesday, May 8, 1918. We'll zoom in that little article. Or if you see it right there. "Decorate Amish Church with an American flag. Morgantown," which would be Morgantown, Lancaster County, Redding, Berks County, "Morgantown crowd files protest against anti-American sentiment. Take stand against pacifist element. Farmers steadfastly refuse to purchase a third liberty bonds." This was the Conestoga Amish Mennonite Church that this happened to.

I didn't think anything happened in Pennsylvania, but it did. And I would say I don't think we'd be very pleased if someone came forcefully put an American flag in our church building like that. And here's another one that's even more intimidating than that one. This one. Captain Lima. From the Lima Times Democrat, June 19, 1918. We'll just zoom in. We're going to read just two sections. "Flags were placed in Mennonite churches. Old glory waves from three Allen County houses of worship.

Big truck takes men to county. Hundreds of Aleda men join Lima citizens in demonstrations." We'll just read this little part here. "Bearing 30 well-known Lima men, one of Uncle Sam's big army trucks slipped quietly out of Lima last night and when it returned in the early hours of the morning, three Mennonite churches of Allen County had been decorated with the stars and stripes." Again, without permission. And here's a little warning note they put on those churches with the flag.

"To the members of this church, the manhood of America is fighting to make it possible for you to continue and molested your services in this church.

The removal of the stars and stripes from this house of worship will be taken as an indication that you desire to go on record as opposing those now fighting for you and will be taken as evidence that reports of un-American sentiment among members of this congregation are true." So there was a nice little warning to put on your someone's church when you forcefully put a flag on. But it doesn't stop there with vandalism. It stops with absolute church destruction. Here's just a picture of some type of thing burning.

But here's a list of here's a little warning that was given in Mays County, Oklahoma. Just read this little warning here that was given to the local churches there in Mays County. We're just going to read this one little sentence. It says, "Will be joined by the members of the District Council of Defense and a visit to some of the leaders of the Mennonites in that section.

Some of these long whiskered geezers do not seem to realize that they are in danger of being handled without gloves by their neighbors." It's not a very nice way to talk about somebody. This is in the local paper calling us long whiskered geezers. But it doesn't end there. Let's see what happened. Here's a list of the church buildings that were burned down of the Anabaptist type. The first one was Eden Mennonite Church in that same county, Oklahoma, burned down one Saturday, June 1918.

About a week or so later, the Enola Mennonite Brethren Church, the same community, burned down June 28, 1918. Then if you see people from Eden Mennonite Church were given permission to meet in this brother's barn, George Voss. What happened? His barn was also burned down in 1918. And then that a church in Michigan, the Fairview Mennonite Church, burned down on the night of April 4, 1918. This is not something we think about here in the United States with freedom of religion.

When you think about what Brother Mike prayed that thanking us for that we can worship openly and freely, this is not something we read about though this happens in Iraq or Iran or Syria or something, but this happened in this country during the war. Taking away, destroying people's buildings, taking away our freedom right to worship. So now we're going to look at some stories, a couple of stories of some stuff that happened to Mennonite brothers with physical violence and intimidation.

Here's what actually happened to real people. This photograph, the next one, is an authentic picture from that time period of a German-American farmer in Minnesota who was tartan feathered. His name was John Mintz. And this happened in August 1918. I just put it in the back, but it doesn't look very nice if you look at it. When you were tartan feathered, you were either stripped completely or your top was stripped off your shirt.

They usually would put wood tar, but in the examples I'm sharing, it was roofing tar that was put on the men. And then they would put the tar on and then they would either throw the feathers on you or they would forcefully make you roll in a pile of feathers. So we're going to look at these couple of stories. Now the first stories I'm going to be sharing are related because they both happened in Kansas. Remember I talked about Kansas, Canton, Kansas with that church building vandalized?

It happened in that local community. There was the mob intimidated and tartan feathered two brothers in that same community. First, look at the first one. Walter Cooprider. Had previously refused to purchase liberty bonds. On the night of Monday, April 22, 1918, a mob of about 40 men drove to Walter Cooprider Farm in Groven Township, Kansas, not too far from the McPherson, Kansas. After cutting the telephone lines, about half of the mob donned masks and called water outside.

So they drove up in cars to his house, called him out, and they demanded he purchase liberty bonds. And he had already refused in the past and he refused again. He tried to explain them, but the mob didn't have any of it. However, before the mob actually tartan feathered Walter, this story is pretty amazing. His son came out, his name was George. And George volunteered to take his dad's place. His dad was in ill health. And the mob agreed to the substitute.

So they forcefully, it sounds like, removed George's shirt and covered George's head, neck, and shoulders in warm roofing tar and applied the feathers. Two days later, Walter Cooprider family went to McPherson and invested in liberty bonds. The same evening, it might have been the same crowd, it's kind of hard to know, the same evening, another mob attacked the Daniel and Charles Deaner family, a father and his son. They lived in the same community, not too far apart.

Earlier on that Monday, this happened Monday evening, April 22, earlier on Monday, a U.S. flag had been nailed to the Spring Valley Mennonite Church. And Charles Deaner had removed it. Later that evening, the mob, most likely the same one, which you can't hard to know, first went to the home of Charles Deaner. They asked him, "Why did you take the flag down?" He did acknowledge he did it. They proceeded to strip him and tartan feather him.

Then they went back to the church building and tartan feathered part of the church building. And then they went to his father, whose name was Daniel Deaner, the pastor of the Spring Valley Church, and demanded that he purchase war bonds and support other war measures. Pastor Daniel refused, and then the mob proceeded to tartan feather him. But it doesn't stop there. Let me just show you the newspaper that account of this first tartan feathering. Pretty yeah, not very nice. Just read a couple of sentences.

"Used tartan feathers. Drastic measures taken with men accused of disloyal utterance. D.A. Deaner, which would be Daniel Deaner of Spring Grove, and George Cooprider, the person who had taken his father's place, were treated. In some time past, there has been a current of much dissatisfaction in this county among the loyal citizens concerning the disloyal utterances and actions of a few of their neighbors.

Last night, the current gained force, and a party said to have numbered about 40 citizens from all sections of the county gathered and used strenuous methods." There's not very much there's like, if you read that and you look at the very bottom, there's no condemnation of what the mob did to those poor men. And just read this little bottom statement. This is even worse. "It is understood that the vigilantes were orderly and gave them an opportunity to change their beliefs before they were tarred." A mob is orderly?

I don't think so. But it doesn't stop there. As I said, Walter Cooprider and his family purchased liberty bonds. However, Charles Deaner and his dad, Daniel, held out. It should have been done, but it didn't. On the evening of June 10, another mob came to Daniel Deaner's home, the pastor, the father, and they threatened him. He refused. So yeah, wrong date, sorry, June 3, they threatened him, and he gave a small donation to the Red Cross.

But if you remember, the Red Cross was under military domination, so most Mennonites did not like supporting it. The next day, Daniel Deaner went to his bank and stopped payment on this check. After meeting with the county liberty bond official and banker, he then wrote a new check for $75 to the Friends Reconstruction Service. Unfortunately, that got out to the mob. So they came to Daniel Deaner and Charles Deaner's house again the night of June 10.

And they got Daniel Deaner out and threatened him, and he refused. But it's worse this time. The mob actually went inside his house and painted it yellow inside and outside, painted his car inside and outside with yellow paint. They beat him up pretty bad, stripped him and tartan feathered him, and left him a warning. They said, "If we come again, you will be hung." Take that as a very serious thing.

They went to Charles Deaner's house the same evening and did the same thing to him, painting his house inside and yellow and his car and tartan feathered him. And that goes in the paper as something positive, this McPherson Daily paper. I just read that top thing. "Yellow paint used. Tartan feathers also used night riders. Deaners again received harsh treatment." And that's all it says. It doesn't there's no condemnation. You can go out and tartan feather somebody and you're doing right?

What happened to religious freedom? We're going to end our message today with a very I felt a very redeeming story about John Fronds of Montana. Starts off with a near hanging. So let's start the story. And I want to thank because of looking at Montana Council Order Number 2, I found some more historic information about the story. So I want to thank everybody on that. On Saturday, April 6, 1918, Pastor John Fronds and his wife, Regina, had gone to the Independent Schoolhouse for a school board meeting.

About 12 men came to the schoolhouse and kidnapped John, including the sheriff and chief of police of the local town, Glendive. John's wife, Regina, ran out into the parking lot where she was knocked down, losing consciousness. The mob then drove John to the Badlands, where they intended to hang him. As the mob prepared to hang him, John made this remark with the rope around his neck. You don't want a record of his hanging to go down in the history of the county, do you?

The sheriff intervened and John was taken back to the county jail in Glendive, Montana. Regina and the children were then driven to Glendive, and the sheriff allowed the whole family to stay with John in jail for at least one night. The trial was the following Monday. This happened Saturday, and the trial was on the following Monday, April 8, 1918. And they more or less asked the normal questions. Are you a U.S. citizen? Why do you speak German? Why do your why do the Mennonites go to war?

Why don't you purchase liberty bonds? And John gave the answers that liberty bonds make it possible for war, that the Mennonite Church does his local community does help those suffering from the war by giving to charity and things like that. At the hearing, it was determined that all the German church services in this church were forbidden. They had 80, approximately 80 German hymn books that were confiscated by the government.

He had a $3,000 bond, and he was required to report to the district court on a regular basis for questions and things. After the first meeting with the district court, John had the $3,000 bond canceled and received a letter saying he did not need to report anymore. And you would say, "Oh, that sounds just like the other one. At least he didn't get as bad as the Coopriders and the Deaners." But the story doesn't end there.

I said, "This is a story of redemption, Christian love, non-forgiveness, not seeking vengeance." It was determined that five families in the local community had made false rumors about John and the Mennonite community and had reported it to the authorities. And that's what stirred up that mob that came and kidnapped him. Local prominent authorities came to John several times and said, "Let's sue the county for damages on a 50-50 basis." But John refused, saying, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay," saith the Lord.

And he never sued, which is a pretty amazing example of, in my mind, of non-resistance. But it goes even beyond that. A couple of years later, John and his son Rufus were in the field doing farm work. A car stopped at the edge. A man got out of the car and came over and asked John, asked, "John, do you recognize me?" John said, "Why, yes, I do. How can I forget you? You were one of the 12 men who kidnapped me several years ago." The man said, "I have come to ask you for a thing which is probably very hard for you.

I am asking that you forgive me the great wrong that I did you and your family during the war." John paused a moment, and then reaching out his hand, he said, "Yes, I willingly forgive you." The two men shook hands. But it went beyond that with John's forgiveness. He said, more or less to the effect, "I am going to forget the thing ever happened. In my mind, it's forgiven, it's forgotten." He shared this with the local brotherhood, and they were very thankful and rejoiced of this reconciliation.

But it goes beyond that. When John would go to the community of Glendive, whenever he would see that man, they would purposely get together and communicate. They would shake hands. They would communicate. That young man, or I say that man became an attorney and a judge of the Glendive community. And he offered to do legal work and other things for John. And as I said, that's a very powerful test of my mind of somebody who has suffered and was able to show forgiveness and Christian love.

So even with the technical difficulty, we made it through our message today. So I will just say in conclusion, I hope that we've learned a few things about what happened to some of the people, followers of Jesus in World War I. There's other examples than beyond what I said, but I think these are some good examples and something that we can think about in our own life, what would happen, what we would do if that happened to us.