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Resolutions
on Military Tax Withholding, 1989
Mennonite Church USA
1. That the General Board facilitate
the church's continued study of issues raised by taxation for
military purposes. These issues include:
a. The church-state issues raised by the collection of taxes
by church agencies, pay- ing particular attention to our history,
and the action of other groups within our faith family.
b. The payment of the military portion of taxes by individuals.
c. Church institutions responding to employees who, for the sake
of conscience request that the military portion of their income
taxes not be withheld/forwarded.
Proposed steps by which the Mennonite Church General Board would
facilitate these studies are:
1) Preparing study materials related to the issue (gathered from
historical committee, General Conference materials, etc.).
2) Planning for a consultation using these materials to which
conference would be encouraged to send teams of persons who would,
in turn, guide conference studies.
3) Gathering a sense of direction from the conferences that work
at it for a report to Assembly 91.
2. That conferences and congregations be urged to provide financial
and other support for the Peace Tax Fund options being proposed
in both Canada and the United States. We call each household
in the Mennonite Church to commit itself to a contribution of
at least $5.00 to the Peace Tax Fund campaigns in Canada and
the U.S. as well as to write letters of support for the legislation
to the appropriate elected officials. This effort will be coordinated
by the Peace Staff person at MBCM.
3. That, in cases where members
have a conscience against paying the portion of their income
tax used for military purposes, and where they are now able to
resist the collection of that part of their taxes, we encourage
our congregations to be supportive by:
a. Studying the pertinent biblical texts and praying together.
b. Negotiating financial assistance to those required to pay
penalties.
c. Participating with the resisters in the opportunity to witness
to the authorities.
d. Sharing in the sorrow and joy of being misunderstood by other
Christians as well as those exercising power over us.
4. That the Normal 89 General Assembly delegates (a) support
the Mennonite General Board in establishing a policy that federal
income taxes not be withheld from the wages of any of its employees
who make this request because of conscientious objection to the
use of their taxes for military purposes, and (b) support other
church boards and agencies that may adopt similar policies.
Adopted by the
Tenth Mennonite Church General Assembly (MC), August 3, 1989,
Illinois State Universtiy, Normal, Illinois, Proceedings,
p.31.
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