Statements of Conscience about Paying for War
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  Birth Year of    If I am not raising my children to kill other people's children, then why are we raising our children to pay taxes to kill the children of other taxpayers? ~Colman McCarthy  I believe paying for war is as wrong as hiring a hitman to kill someone on your behalf – doing it on a mass scale doesn't make it any LESS wrong! ~ Tana Hastings
  Statement Author  The God I choose to serve does not want my tax dollars used to destroy life and property.  ~Rosemary Moyer  As a child psychiatrist, I advocate for safety for all children, training people to build rather than bomb; I will not allow my income to undo my work. ~ Deb Bergen  It is amazing how my perspiration becomes the government's inspiration to kill, slaughter, butcher, murder, massacre, slay and poison a nation.  ~Charmaine Barcelona
     In reality, I am responsible for killing others, whom I am called to love, by buying guns and paying others to kill "the enemy". ~Mary Gamble  All life is sacred; following the guidance of many before me, I am compelled to build up relationship with all beings, and am called to resist violence which destroys the beloved community; I shall not use violence nor pay for it to be done in my name. ~ Janie Stein  
    1910-1919    I believe the commandment “Thou shat not kill” applies to nations, as well as to individuals.  ~Florence Olivenbaum  I would rather die than kill. ~ Muriel Stackley  I think when Jesus said "Love Your Enemies" he meant don't kill them – whether you are carrying the gun or paying for the gun. ~ Donna Zerger
     Because life is a gift from the Creator, I will trust and respect the lives of all whom I meet on this sacred journey, including my earnings. ~ Donald Kaufman  Thomas Jefferson once said it is every citizen's duty to maintain a scrupulous following of the law, but it is not the highest duty.  I cannot follow a law in violation of my conscience. ~Daniel Jurado
    1920-1929    Paying for war is paying for murder of my fellow human beings. ~ Esther Bohn Groves  If someone came to my door to ask for money to buy a gun to kill someone, I could not give; how then can I give money to my government to do this? ~ Gary Isaac  i think war is wrong and i would not pay one cent for a gun. ~ Serena Blackburn
     To support war is to support the demonization of our "enemies" so that we can kill them; as Christians we are called to love our enemies. ~ Dwight Platt  For me, the search for spiritual integrity and the importance of non-violence have become completely intertwined and interdependent; war kills my soul. ~ Jens Braun  If I give money for one human being to kill another, I'm a criminal. If I give money for many human beings to kill many others, I'm a taxpayer. ~ Lincoln Alpern  
    1930-1939    As a Christian who believes "Thou Shalt Not Kill" means exactly that, I cannot kill any sentient being: therefore, I oppose any action which kills or destroys life. ~ Richard Firth  The best way to stop a bully is to not give up your lunch money. ~ Oliver Waters
     The purpose of my life is to bring the fullness of life to others; to love, not destroy lives.  ~ S. Jay Curry  My resources are a sacred and communal trust, linking me to every person; to divert those resources to the dismembering and taking of human life is a violation of that trust. ~ Bill Ramsey  War entrenches the worst of humanity, and the worst of humanity entrenches war...maybe there's finally a way I can help break the cycle. ~Will Rambosek
    1940-1949    Paying for war is sin – a breaking of my relationship with God. ~ Robert Randall II
     How can I love my world neighbors AND pay for weapons to kill them? ~Dorlan Bales  Since we are all connected as one human family, I cannot simultaneously love, yet do or pay for intentional harm to my global brothers, sisters, and children. ~ Alan Gamble
    1950-1959    I favor NO war tax – NONE.  ~Norma Zorrilla   Because I am a disciple of Jesus I cannot harm life; I am a conscientious objector to all war and therefore I must redirect my taxes owed to my nation's common well-being to other groups which do not harm life but cherish it. ~Pam Allee
     I reduced my income this year to not pay for war because I do not believe Jesus Christ is wrong. ~Martin Bates
    1960-1969    Paying for war is a form of participation in war; let us have the courage to face this as a fact; and the courage to find nonviolent ways to respond to this fact. ~David R. Bassett      The world's great religions teach "Thou shalt not kill"; but God alone has the right to give and take away life.  Therefore because of this moral belief I cannot participate in killing by use of my money or labor.  ~Peter Stauffacher 
     I value all life as sacred expressions of the divine and cannot abide that my taxes paid to support my country are being used for wars that kill/maim/torture other human beings. ~Jacquelin Page  
    1970-1979    I would not consider paying my neighbor to kill someone I do not like, so why should I be forced to pay for my neighbor far away to kill someone else's enemy? ~Jim Shenk 
     I cannot, in good conscience, pay for the death of another human being.  All humanity are my brothers and sisters, and we are all Children of God. ~John Dayton 
    1980-1989    I believe all killing, for whatever reason, is against God's will for humankind.  I would never buy a gun and personally kill someone; how can I condone my tax dollars being used to purchase war machinery to implement killing?  ~Rebecca Schenck  
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    1990-1999  
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    2000-2009  
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