Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill

New York Yearly Meeting, at annual sessions held July 25 through 31, 2004 minuted its ongoing support for the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill through the endorsement of Resolution 367, now pending before the New York City Council:

We, the New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) have a deep and continuing concern that nearly half the budget of the United States goes to pay for current and past military expenses, necessitating the reduction of federal funds for education, health care and other human needs. Quakers have a long history of religious and moral opposition to war and killing. Many of us have become conscientious objectors and have done alternative service. Yet as citizens and taxpayers we are still obligated to contribute to wars and killing through the payment of federal taxes. This creates a great religious and moral conflict for us. We therefore express our wholehearted support for the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill, which would establish a Religious Freedom Peace Tax Trust Fund in the Federal Treasury to be allocated annually to any non-military appropriation within the federal budget. This would give us, as conscientious objectors, an alternative to the involuntary funding of war and allow us to pay our federal taxes in good faith. We likewise give our support to Resolution #367, now pending before the City Council of the City of New York, calling upon Congress to enact this legislation, and to any similar resolution which may be brought before other local governments.

Friends in meetings and worship groups throughout the Yearly Meeting are encouraged to consider adopting minutes calling upon local governments to introduce resolutions similar to that now pending before the New York City Council. As members of a historic peace church, we want to bear witness to the right to conscientiously object to the use of taxes for military purposes.

In the fellowship of peace,

Linda B. Chidsey
Clerk, New York Yearly Meeting