On , the Eugene Register-Guard published an op-ed by Josef Brinckmann of the group “Military Tax Resistance of Lane County” in which he set out the case for war tax resistance:
Support for military runs counter to pacifist ideals
Military Tax Resistance of Lane County is dedicated to the philosophy and use of nonviolence. MTRLC is one of many regional nonviolent-activist organizations in the United States comprised of faith-based pacifists who are deeply troubled by our nation’s enormous military budget.
The war-tax resistance movement in the United States includes people of all faiths who object to the use of military force as a method of conflict resolution. Our spiritual beliefs are violated when we are coerced to contribute financially to the military budget through the Internal Revenue Service federal income tax withholdings system. As pacifists we do not own or use weapons and would rather not contribute to the manufacture, distribution and use of weapons.
When our tax contributions are used to subsidize weapons research as well as military and CIA operations we are acting in complicity with the commission of crimes against peace, war crimes and/or crimes against humanity as set forth in Nuremberg Principle Ⅳ: “The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under International Law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him.”
We believe that there can be no justification for killing another human being and that war and preparations for war are basically evil. We do not believe that Americans benefit from maintaining a strong defense. On the contrary, we suffer from maintaining a strong defense. In the National Council of Churches, a body representing 32 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican church bodies (including the United Methodist Church, Church of the Brethren, Friends United Meeting and American Baptist Church) adopted a statement on U.S. spending priorities. NCC said, “When government priorities serve military interest at the expense of family life… the moral vision is discarded.”
The major spiritual belief systems existing in the world today — Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism — all contain a core essence of nonviolence, forgiveness and understanding. For example, Buddhism teaches to cause no harm and to know no conflict. All Buddhists are expected to exercise self-restraint and kindness toward all living creatures. The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, became a master of nonviolent conflict resolution. He stated, “I have stopped forever doing violence to beings.” However, throughout history many people have creatively misinterpreted their own spiritual doctrines in order to justify and rationalize warring against their neighbors.
As a child in Catholic school, I learned basic Judeo-Christian principles that later became the foundation for my pacifism as an adult. In Catechism class a great deal of emphasis was placed on the Ten Commandments. The most profound for me was, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). I was taught that to kill another human being was a mortal sin. I was also taught the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). I was taught to love my enemies and to turn the other cheek if struck. The priests at my school encouraged the students to protest against U.S. military offensives abroad.
Though all Catholics are not necessarily in agreement with regard to Christ’s teachings of nonviolence, there are certainly many Christian sects practicing in the U.S. today whose members oppose participation in, or support of, the armed forces and the judicial arms of the state including the Amish, Church of the Brethren, Hutterian Brethren, Mennonite Church and Quakers (Society of Friends).
In “War Tax Concerns — A Quaker History” Edwin Bronner states, “Friends (Quakers) have historically refused to engage in military activities and have sought to achieve change through reconciliation rather than the use of force. They have believed it wrong for one human being to take the life of another, either in war or through civil processes by means of capital punishment. Quakers refer to the teaching of Jesus, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, as the basis for their position, in addition to their belief that the Inner Light guides them in the same path.”
The Rabbi Jesus offered teachings in pacifism in his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the Earth… Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
It should be noted that one of the three charges brought against the Rabbi Jesus which led to a sentence of crucifixion, was “forbidding the payment of taxes to the emperor” (also translated as “forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar”) (Luke 23:2).
In closing I would like to quote from an English translation of the ancient Tao Te Ching (translation by Frank MacHovec) wherein the master Lao-tse states, “War is Evil… Weapons are tools of destruction avoided by followers of Tao… Weapons are the tools of destruction not used by people of dignity… Whenever a great army is formed, hunger and evil follow… I would rather be invaded than be the invader; I would rather retreat one foot than advance one inch.”
“Military Tax Resistance of Lane County” is now, I believe, organized under the name of “Taxes for Peace Not War” and operates out of Eugene, Oregon.
