04/15/08: On Tax Day, Consider How Much We Give To War Over Peace - Rev. Don Timmerman
On Tax Day, Consider How Much We Give To War Over Peace
The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A7
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Rev. Don Timmerman, Park Falls
Dear Editor: When Christ said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's," he was not telling his disciples to give their money to the Romans so they could continue occupying their land and persecuting their people. Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, once said, "If we give to God what is God's there will be nothing left for Caesar."
This tax day U.S. citizens will give $449 billion to the military. You get what you pay for.
If you voluntarily give tax money to the military-industrial complex, you will continue to have wars and rumors of wars since it needs your money for its wealthy existence and lobbies for your money under the guise of protecting your freedom.
It's up to us to give to God what is God's by refusing to pay for war, weapons, occupations and torture.
There is no easy way to create a world where men and women can live together. It will be accomplished by people who have the courage to put an end to suffering by willingly suffering themselves rather than inflicting suffering on others, the courage to spend their money for life-giving rather than life-destroying projects.
"This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A7
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Rev. Don Timmerman, Park Falls
Dear Editor: When Christ said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's," he was not telling his disciples to give their money to the Romans so they could continue occupying their land and persecuting their people. Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, once said, "If we give to God what is God's there will be nothing left for Caesar."
This tax day U.S. citizens will give $449 billion to the military. You get what you pay for.
If you voluntarily give tax money to the military-industrial complex, you will continue to have wars and rumors of wars since it needs your money for its wealthy existence and lobbies for your money under the guise of protecting your freedom.
It's up to us to give to God what is God's by refusing to pay for war, weapons, occupations and torture.
There is no easy way to create a world where men and women can live together. It will be accomplished by people who have the courage to put an end to suffering by willingly suffering themselves rather than inflicting suffering on others, the courage to spend their money for life-giving rather than life-destroying projects.
"This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Submitted by wnpj on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 2:59pm.