Pro-life tax resistance

[joelT]

Hello,
I have been doing some reading about David Little of Canada, who runs the St Thomas More of Canada pro-life foundation. He has been engaged in litigation in Canada for several years now over his refusal to file taxes until the Canadian government utterly curtails public funds for abortion providers. Is there anything comparable in the US that anyone knows of? At www.prolifestrike.org, there are some interesting articles advocating forming tax exempt lay religious communities as a legal form of tax-resistance. Does anyone know if someone has done anything like this?

Thanks
Joel

 

[Cojuanco]

Probably has, though what about the whole “render unto Caesar” thing?

 

[hxcCatholic413]

Probably has, though what about the whole “render unto Caesar” thing?

Mark 12:17 “And Jesus answering, said to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Meaning: Christians are allowed to disobey Caesar when Caesar’s dictates violate God’s law

God Bless!

 

[gnjsdad]

This is a terrible, terrible idea. Unless, of course, you relish the prospect of facing the rest of your life: battling the IRS; making some tax lawyer rich; facing tax liens; possibly going to jail; all at the same time without making a dent in legal abortion.

Just ask some of the survivors of Operation Rescue how these tactics worked out. The financial ruin, psychological scars, and prison abuse some of these well meaning folks endured should be a cautionary tale for anyone giving serious thought to some quixotic escapade like this.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

This is a terrible, terrible idea. Unless, of course, you relish the prospect of facing the rest of your life: battling the IRS; making some tax lawyer rich; facing tax liens; possibly going to jail; all at the same time without making a dent in legal abortion.

Just ask some of the survivors of Operation Rescue how these tactics worked out. The financial ruin, psychological scars, and prison abuse some of these well meaning folks endured should be a cautionary tale for anyone giving serious thought to some quixotic escapade like this.

well not everyone expects that they will be caught…and yes your making a personal stand by stopping abortion in your own way

 

[joelT]

I think the public stand Mr Little is making is admirable, although he has paid the civil consequences. Christ never said taking up a cross would be easy or pain-free. I do disagree with his methodology somewhat though, mainly as a parent and husband. I think that a father/husband’s first responsibility is to the security and well-being of their family; I don’t think its really justifiable for them to subject their family to that kind of persecution unnecesarily. It is his conscience, though, and I don’t question his conviction. My question about a tax exempt lay community is precisely because I do think it is a legitimate legal responsibility to pay taxes. However, monastic orders live in voluntary poverty and are legally exempt from taxes for that reason. I was just wondering if any lay/family organizations existed that follow that same Evangelical counsel. If so, it seems that they would resolve the tension between tax-resistance and legal tax duties.