Noah M. Marsh

I, Noah M. Marsh, believe that Daniel J. Lakemacher sincerely believes war to be morally wrong. I met Dan while attending the youth group at the Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake (IL) (EFCCL). At the time, Dan was a senior in the youth group whose participation in youth events, mission trips, and evangelistic efforts I greatly admired. Upon his graduation I did not begin talking to Dan again until I began seriously dating his sister-in-law. Since that time Dan and I have engaged in email and phone conversations regarding our beliefs on many issues, e.g. healthcare, economics, politics, theology, etc.

In our conversations over the last year Dan’s beliefs have changed. In the past Dan and I shared our belief in the Christian God, but now Dan declares himself an atheist. This change is remarkable considering the way in which his belief in God determined every facet of his life previously. As a result of this rejection of God, Dan’s other beliefs have been changing over the last year. In August 2008 Dan and I discussed his frustration with the military and the nature of its goals. At that time it was merely frustration, but more recently Dan and I have been discussing his moral objections to war specifically. There is no doubt that over the last year Dan’s belief that war is wrong has emerged.

Throughout our conversations on any topic one of the consistent themes that Dan and I have harkened back to time and time again is consistency between belief and praxis. We have always challenged one another to live out our beliefs, whether Christian or otherwise, and it is out of this desire that Dan has expressed desire to receive CO status.

Over the course of our relationship I have not only observed a change in Dan’s beliefs, but his lifestyle as well. I originally admired Dan for his active participation in the EFCCL and religious devotion, but Dan has ceased all religious activity. Dan no longer proselytizes, works with a church, or even attends a church. Dan and I used to discuss devotional books like Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, but he no longer even reads those books. Instead he gave me a copy of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged to read and discuss. Dan also does not keep in contact with former friends from church. Instead Dan spends his social life interacting with his immediate family and colleagues from his and his wife’s work.

The fact that Dan’s lifestyle has been changing in ways that reflect his changing beliefs is the greatest evidence for his sincerity in my opinion. Dan has always been a man of conviction who has attempted to live a lifestyle coherent with his beliefs. It is this coherency that I respect, and realize that I have always respected, most about Dan. The recent changes in his lifestyle support a change in belief in which a classification as a CO is necessary, if not vital, to his ability to be a healthy and productive member of American society.

I, Noah M. Marsh, with full conviction and in a healthy state of mind, swear that everything written above is my own belief and that I believe it to be true.

(signed)

Noah M. Marsh

*This letter was signed and notarized on April 28, 2009.