Sicurella v. United States/Opinion of the Court

by Tom C. Clark

United States Supreme Court

348 U.S. 385

Sicurella  v.  United States

 Argued: Feb. 1, 1955. --- Decided: March 14, 1955

Petitioner was born in 1927 and was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness by his parents, both of whom were of that faith. He has been identified with the sect since he was 6 years old, 'was immersed and became a consecrated servant of Jehovah' at 15, and was ordained when 17 years old. He registered with his local Board in 1948, and, although he worked 44 hours a week for the Railway Express Company, he was first classified as a minister. In 1950, however, petitioner was reclassified for general service and, shortly thereafter, he filed his conscientious objector claim.

In the special form, petitioner included this statement:

'The nature of my claim is that: I am already in the Army of Christ Jesus serving as a soldier of Jehovah's appointed Commander Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 2:3 & 4). Inasmuch as the war weapons of the soldier of Jesus Christ are not carnal, I am not authorized by his Commander to engage in carnal warfare of this world. (2 Corinthians 10:3 & 4, Ephesians 6:11-18) Furthermore being enlisted in the army of Jesus Christ, I cannot desert the forces of Jehovah to assume the obligations of a soldier in any army of this world without being guilty of desertion and suffering the punishment meted out to deserters by Almighty God. * * *'

In answer to the question, 'Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe in the use of force,' he wrote:

'Only in the interests of defending Kingdom Interests, our preaching work, our meetings, our fellow brethren and sisters and our property against attack. I (as well as all Jehovah's Witnesses) defend those when they are attacked and are forced to protect such interests and scripturally so. Because in doing so we do not arm ourselves or carry carnal weapons in anticipation of or in preparation for trouble or to meet threats. In doing so I try to ward off blows and attacks only in defense. I do not use weapons of warfare in defense of myself or the Kingdom interests. I do not retreat when attacked in my home or at meeting places, but will retreat on public or other property and shake the dust off my feet; so not giving what is holy to dogs and not throwing my pearls before swine. (Matthew 10:14 & 7:6) So I retreat when I can do so and avoid a fight or trouble. Also following the admonition at Acts 24:16; which states 'In this respect, indeed, I am exercising myself continually to have a consciousness of committing no offense against God and man."

Upon a denial of this claim by the local Board, petitioner appealed and his file was referred to the Department of Justice. It appears that the report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation contained nothing unfavorable to petitioner's claim, and the hearing officer concluded that petitioner should be classified as a conscientious objector. In advising the Department of Justice, the hearing officer wrote that he 'was convinced that (petitioner) has sincere objections to military service by reason of his religious training and beliefs.' The Department of Justice, although admitting that the investigation was favorable to petitioner, recommended to the Appeal Board that petitioner's claim be denied on the ground that

'While the registrant may be sincere in the beliefs he has expressed, he has, however, failed to establish that he is opposed to war in any form. As indicated by the statements on his SSS Form No. 150, registrant will fight under some circumstances, namely in defense of his ministry, Kingdom Interests, and in defense of his fellow brethren. He is, therefore, not entitled to exemption within the meaning of the Act.'

The Appeal Board retained petitioner in his I-A classification, and thereafter, when duly ordered to report, he refused to submit to induction. This prosecution followed and the Seventh Circuit affirmed petitioner's conviction. 213 F.2d 911. We granted certiorari 348 U.S. 812, 75 S.Ct. 59.

In this case, unlike Witmer, 348 U.S. 375, 75 S.Ct. 392, it is admitted that petitioner is sincere; we are therefore relieved of the task of searching the record for basis in fact to support a finding of insincerity. The only question presented in this case is one of law-do the beliefs which petitioner says he holds amount to the conscientious opposition to 'participation in war in any form' demanded by Congress as a prerequisite to the conscientious objector deferment? Stated in the light of the background, the question at issue is whether a registrant under the Universal Military Training and Service Act, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix, § 451 et seq., who is admittedly a sincere Jehovah's Witness and conscientious objector to participation in war, but who believes in the use of force in defending 'his ministry, 'Kingdom Interests,' and * * * his fellow brethren,' is entitled to exemption under § 6(j) of the Act from service in the armed forces. The Government insists that petitioner's statements reveal qualified and varied objection to war-and that 'petitioner's willingness to fight in defense of Kingdom interests, particularly when those words are considered in the light of the teachings of his sect, * * *' is clearly not opposition to war in any form.

The Government does not contend that the petitioner's belief in the use of force in self-defense, as well as the defense of his home, family and associates, is so inconsistent with his claim of conscientious objection as to serve as a basis for a denial of his claim. The question here narrows to whether the willingness to use of force in defense of Kingdom interests and brethren is sufficiently inconsistent with petitioner's claim as to justify the conclusion that he fell short of being a conscientious objector. Throughout his selective service form, petitioner emphasized that the weapons of his warfare were spiritual, not carnal. He asserted that he was a soldier in the Army of Jesus Christ and that 'the war weapons of the soldier of Jesus Christ are not carnal.' With reference to the defense of his ministry, his brethren and Kingdom interests, he asserted that 'we do not arm ourselves or carry carnal weapons * * *. I do not use weapons of warfare in defense * * * of Kingdom interests * * *.' In letters to the local Board he reiterated these beliefs. On their face, these statements make it clear that petitioner's defense of 'Kingdom Interests' has neither the bark nor the bite of war as we unfortunately know it today. It is difficult for us to believe that the Congress had in mind this type of activity when it said the thrust of conscientious objection must go to 'participation in war in any form.'

But the Government urges that these statements of petitioner must be taken in the light of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. While each case must of necessity be based on the particular beliefs of the individual registrant, it is true that the Congress, by relating the registrant's conscientious objection to his religious training and belief, has made the belief of his sect relevant. Moreover, the petitioner does parenthetically say that his belief in the use of force was 'as well * * * (the belief of) all Jehovah's Witnesses.' On the other hand, though the Government has appended to its brief a copy of the Watchtower magazine of February 1, 1951, we do not find any such literature in the record. It is not at all clear that we may consider such material outside the record to support an Appeal Board decision, cf. Cox v. United States, 1947, 332 U.S. 442, 453-455, 68 S.Ct. 115, 120-121, 92 L.Ed. 59, but we need not decide that here because in any event there is no substance to the Government's contention. Granting that these articles picture Jehovah's Witnesses as antipacifists, extolling the ancient wars of the Israelites and ready to engage in a 'theocratic war' if Jehovah so commands them, and granting that the Jehovah's Witnesses will fight at Armageddon, we do not feel this is enough. The test is not whether the registrant is opposed to all war, but whether he is opposed, on religious grounds, to participation in war. As to theocratic war, petitioner's willingness to fight on the orders of Jehovah is tempered by the fact that, so far as we know, their history records no such command since Biblical times and their theology does not appear to contemplate one in the future. And although the Jehovah's Witnesses may fight in the Armageddon, we are not able to stretch our imagination to the point of believing that the yardstick of the Congress includes within its measure such spiritual wars between the powers of good and evil where the Jehovah's Witnesses, if they participate, will do so without carnal weapons.

We believe that Congress had in mind real shooting wars when it referred to participation in war in any form-actual military conflicts between nations of the earth in our time-wars with bombs and bullets, tanks, planes and rockets. We believe the reasoning of the Government in denying petitioner's claim is so far removed from any possible congressional intent that it is erroneous as a matter of law.

The Court of Appeals also rested its decision on the conclusion that petitioner's objection to participation in war was only a facet of his real objection to all government authority. We believe, however, that if the requisite objection to participation in war exists, it makes no difference that a registrant also claims, on religious grounds, other exemptions which are not covered by the Act. Once he comes within § 6(j), he does not forfeit its coverage because of his other beliefs which may extend beyond the exemption granted by Congress.

The Government also contends, apparently for the first time, that petitioner objects to 'participation in war in any form,' if in fact he does, not from a feeling that it is wrong to participate in war but because such participation will require time which petitioner feels should be devoted to his religious activities. In its memorandum indicating its lack of opposition to certiorari, the Government gave no hint that it considered such an issue in the case, and it is unnecessary for us to consider it here. The report of the Department of Justice to the Appeal Board clearly bases its recommendation on petitioner's willingness to 'fight under some circumstances, namely in defense of his ministry, Kingdom Interests, and in defense of his fellow brethren,' and we feel that this error of law by the Department, to which the Appeal Board might naturally look for guidance on such questions, must vitiate the entire proceedings at least where it is not clear that the Board relied on some legitimate ground. Here, where it is impossible to determine on exactly which grounds the Appeal Board decided, the integrity of the Selective Service System demands, at least, that the Government not recommend illegal grounds. There is an impressive body of lower court cases taking this position and we believe that they state the correct rule. Cf. United States ex rel. Levy v. Cain, 2 Cir., 1945, 149 F.2d 338, 342; United States v. Balogh, 2 Cir., 1946, 157 F.2d 939, 943-944, judgment vacated on other grounds, 329 U.S. 692, 67 S.Ct. 625, 91 L.Ed. 605; United States v. Everngam, D.C.S.D.W.Va.1951, 102 F.Supp. 128.

The decision below is therefore reversed.

Reversed.

Mr. Justice REED, dissenting.

Notes