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"In the Bible when Jesus is asked whether one should pay his/her taxes, he replies: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." However, I am not entirely sure how this comes into play when it winds down to paying taxes to governments that use this money to fund organizations and/or activities that support abortion in Canada. Is Jesus' quote meant to be taken literally?"
-Aileen
Answer:
Dear Aileen:
The Church teaches us that we have a duty to pay taxes to support the common good; that is, those governmental functions that benefit society, such as the funding of our transportation system, our hospitals, schools, and social services. Our obligations here are considered part of the "order of charity."
"It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community (Catechism: 2239).
And again:
"Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country." (Catechism: 2240)
There is no doubt, however, that the taxes you pay to your Canadian federal and provincial governments are used to fund abortions. The Canadian Taxpayer's Federation (CTF), a neutral body as far as abortion is concerned, documented the costs in a recent article (Jan 31, 2008), estimating the funding of the "medical procedure" (abortion) at around $50 million per year. The CTF, however, points out that this is only part of the cost. A woman who has an abortion is entitled to illness and maternity benefits for up to three-and-a-half months:
"According to EI (Employment Insurance) guidelines, when a pregnancy is terminated within the first 19 weeks it is considered an illness and benefits can be collected. Ottawa does not distinguish between a miscarriage and an abortion. If an abortion occurs in the 20th week or later benefits are paid out under the EI maternity program despite there being no mother or child. According to the federal government, the 'birth mother' need only sign 'a statement declaring the expected due or actual date of birth.' Illness and maternity benefits are paid for up to three-and-a-half months." (CTF)
Your further concern, namely, that your tax money might also go to pro-abortion organizations is indeed justified:
"Last year, the federal government's Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) quietly approved funding to the United Kingdom-based International Planned Parenthood Federation. This organization will collect $18-million over four years from Canadian taxpayers to promote its agenda. Planned Parenthood acts as a political pressure group. On January 22, The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. 'abortion-rights advocate Planned Parenthood is launching a major effort to elect pro-abortion-rights candidates to Congress and the White House in November.' It will 'spend $10-million to persuade voters to elect abortion-rights candidates in the 2008 election.' " (CTF)
The Church, as we have seen, directs us to pay our taxes, but the Church also tells us we must oppose actions by government which are contrary to the moral law:
"The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' 'We must obey God rather than men.' " (Catechism: 2242)
This presents us with a dilemma. How do we fulfill our duty toward the common good, through taxes, without also lending support to abortion, which has been condemned by the Church as 'an unspeakable evil.' This problem touches other aspects of our life aside from taxation. Elsewhere on our website Q&A, you will find a query from a young aspiring pharmacy technician who is concerned about the morality of dispensing contraception and abortafacients. She worries that her future occupation might involve her in co-operating with evil, which is the same fear you have about indirectly funding abortion through your taxes.
As we told the aspiring pharmacist, how you handle the situation depends on just how far you want to distance yourself from any hint of willing cooperation with evil. This in turn depends on the extent of your faith commitment, and on your informed conscience; that is, your conscience shaped by the teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed through his Church and Sacred Scripture.
Withholding, say, a portion of taxes, is not a viable solution for most people, for a number of reasons. About 85% of working Canadians, for example, have their taxes deducted at the source, that is, by their employer, so withholding taxes for them is not an option. Certainly, some have managed to do it, such as the late Joe Borowski, the Canadian pro-life activist, who withheld taxes for five years, for which he was imprisoned several times, and had funds and property seized by the government. The Canada Revenue Agency, as well as forcing you to pay your unpaid taxes, may also impose fines for non-compliance, so that you end up paying more money into government coffers than the taxes you were initially assessed, and therefore fail in your original purpose.
It should be said, though, that pro-life actions are not necessarily measured by their success or failure in worldly terms, but by the faithful witness of the participants. One thinks here of the courage displayed by pro-life stalwarts such as Fr. Ted Colleton, Linda Gibbons, and Rosemary Connell, who have suffered imprisonment for their peaceful witness outside Canadian abortion clinics. Although the Canadian public--and one might say, the majority of Catholics--appear unaffected by the jailing of these faithful Catholics, as evidenced by this country's continuing provision of unfettered abortion, no one should dare label their courageous witness a failure. As Father Corapi of Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) writes: "The only definitive failure in a human life is the loss of eternal salvation. The only definitive success in a human life is sanctification and, ultimately, heaven. The way we live must reflect this most basic and compelling of truth."
Your concern for the pro-life cause is commendable, and as you may already be aware, there are many ways you can support the movement aside from attempting to withhold taxes. Here are some suggestions:
1. Support pro-life publications, such as The Interim, and join pro-life organizations such as Campaign Life Coalition, Right to Life, or Birthright. There are links to pro-life groups and media on the VEYO website.
2. Make your pro-life views known to your federal and provincial Members of Parliament, and to the appropriate government ministries.
3. Write respectful, informative letters-to-the-editor when a newspaper raises the issue of abortion.
4. Attend the annual March for Life which takes place every May in Ottawa, and join your parishioners who take part in LifeChain every October in your local community.
God bless,
Fr Norbert