• Income Taxes, War, and Mennonites
  A review of U.S. and Canadian tax income tax history, and Mennonite responses to it
• Reflections on War Taxes
  Personal reflections on war taxes from MCC workers in North America and around the world.
  • Charles Hurst, MCC Brazil
  • Maria Smith, MCC Brazil
  • Jana Meyer, MCC Mozambique
  • William Reimer, MCC Sudan
  • Hadley H. Jenner, MCC Kenya
  • Berry Friesen, MCC Akron
  • Dave Schrock-Shenk, MCC Akron
  • Earl and Pat Hostetter Martin, MCC Akron Staff
  • Paul Leatherman, MCC Bangladesh
  • Dale Glass-Hess, MCC Philippines
  • Mike J. Hofkamp, MCC Philippines
  • Jody Miller Shearer, MCC New Orleans
  • Milo and Viola Stahl, MCC Jamaica
  • John & Janet Stoner, New Call to Peacemaking
  • Anne Sawatzky, Vancouver, B.C. Canada
  • Juanita Shenk, MBM England
  • Ed Stamm Miller, MCC El Salvador
  • Nathan Barge, MCC El Salvador and MCC Guatemala
  • Nathan and Elaine Zook Barge, MCC El Salvador and MCC Guatemala
  • Blake Byler Ortman, MCC El Salvador
  • David Moser, MCC Akron
  • Titus and Linda Gehman Peachey, MCC Akron
• Resource List
  A list of additional resources on war taxes for further study

FOREWORD

"Until the late 1960's, taxes were raised mainly to fight wars."

Understanding Taxes, 1983, US Dept of Treasury, IRS Publication 21.

"Any thoughtful reader searching for a rationale to explain the extraordinary vitality of the income tax can easily find it in one word: war."

The Golden Egg, Gerald Carson, Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston, 1977.

None of us, however, read scripture in a vacuum. We bring to it our own life experiences, understandings of history, and worldview. This paper seeks to explore some of the important historical developments related to war taxes in the U.S. and Canada, giving particular attention to the World War II period when income taxes became the backbone of our nations' tax structures. The paper also considers Mennonite responses to the introduction of the income tax, and probes the implications for North American Mennonite institutions today.

The second half of the paper is a collection of reflections on war taxes from MCC workers in North America and around the world. These reflections, collected in 1992, provide insights into some of the personal and institutional dilemmas which war taxes present to North American Mennonites, 50 years after the taxes were introduced. The reflections also highlight the international dimensions of this issue, and the impact which our choices have on others.

There are many additional resources available on the subject of war taxes, some of which are noted in the listing at the end. This focus on our history and contemporary experience is intended to complement these other resources. As we read the scriptures and seek to follow Christ's way of peace, we need a clear understanding of our history and the broader socio-political context in which we live. This understanding may not make the task of discerning Christ's way easier, but it will help us approach the scriptures with fresh interest and perspective.

Questions or responses to the content of this paper are welcome. You may respond to Titus Peachey, MCC U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries, 21 S. 12th St., Box 500, Akron, PA 17501

About the Author:

Titus Peachey lives in Lancaster, PA, and serves with his wife Linda as Co-coordinator of Peace and Justice Ministries for Mennonite Central Committee's U.S. program. They are the authors of Seeking Peace, a collection of stories about Mennonites around the world struggling to live their beliefs in peace. In 1986, Titus and Linda conducted research on defense industries in Lancaster County, PA, and published their findings in a paper titled, "World Peace Begins in Lancaster". From 1981-1985, they worked as directors of MCC's relief and development program in Laos, where they witnessed the long-term impact of the U.S. bombing campaign during the Indochina War.