Creating a Spiritual Affidavit

Photo credit Meta AI with prompts from author

​When Quakers talk about making a formal statement of conscience, as they might when they stand aside from war and stand up for peace, it is often talked about in legal terms.  The words "formal statement of conscience." feel cold and devoid of emotion to me.  

But what is conscience? What happens to us when we are moved? Do we not shake and emote?  Writing down how we are powerfully taken by Spirit to a place of surety is a full body experience.   Hence the term "spiritual affidavit."  That statement is not an afterthought on another message or a not-fully-formed spiritual message. Oh no, it is full-on knowing.  

I AM FIRMLY FOR PEACE

With the new law on Selective Service Registration coming soon (DEC 2026) we Quakers are poised perfectly to offer guidance on taking the spiritual message of conscientious objection to war and guiding people to turn that into a spiritual affidavit. 

Believe it or not, there are actual steps to the writing process and while they do adhere to the legal milestones that a statement of conscience requires there is also a way to bring that Message alive for the reader.  And we want that, don't we?  Are we not called to Witness?  Besides being a committed, active way of living that rejects violence, refuses participation in war, and promotes peace it is also a way of sharing our deeply held belief.  Shouldn't that written word be both factual and poignant? Ought we not move our readers? What if that reader was on a board evaluating your statement of conscience.  I would want that person to be spiritually moved by my writing. Wouldn’t you?

So, what does that look like?  Consider these three steps 

1. Tell the story (as specific and vivid as possible) of when you were first moved by the Inner Light to be FOR PEACE and a CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO WAR.  What happened?  Was it a single event or did multiple experiences raise this leading in you? 
2. Describe how that moment grew inside of you and how it changed you. Share a personal experience of how this new spiritual knowledge had you operate differently in the world. 
3. Impart how it became an outward manifestation of a deeply held inner belief.  What did you do to forward peace in your community? 

If you have a peace-leading growing inside you and you'd like some guidance on how to express that with words please contact the author of this blog.  

~ Joseph Olejak