Taxes, addiction, and oppression

[Patricia Sanders]

This is a question for the group or for Jesus and Mary if they would like to answer.

Jesus and Mary have talked about how they are focusing their efforts on people in Western countries because we are the ones who are oppressing so much of the rest of the world. (I live in the U.S. and am a U.S. citizen by birth.) I understand that this oppression results from the emotions of the people in the oppressing countries, such as our addictions to security, economic stability, and material things. I understand that the primary need is for us to let go of our addictions - that the process that needs to happen, for the oppression to end, is of us individually doing internal, emotional work. (Jesus talked about this during a session when he visited Philadelphia.)

But on the physical level, I don’t see how it can be loving to pay U.S. federal taxes when a large amount of that money will go to funding war, violence, and other physical and economic means of oppression.

Even if a person is willing to pay for federal social programs, highways, etc., it isn’t possible to separate the monies - that is, if a person paid only a certain percentage of their taxes, all of that amount would still go “into the pot” and a portion of it would still go to fund war and violence.

My current feeling is that love would not fund war and violence, and that the loving course of action for me as a U.S. citizen would be to engage in tax resistance as long as tax money is being used for these purposes AND to become more involved politically to do whatever I can to help change the United States’ actions. While also working on the emotions within me that continue to support oppression.

I understand that addressing these emotions is essential, and I’m aware I personally have big emotions that do support oppression, and that as long as I have these emotions any physical action on my part such as tax resistance won’t work (it only addresses effects). I feel that it might be because I’ve begun to challenge those emotions in my personal life, that I now want to engage this issue.

Similarly, if today I were in a position where I was being physically attacked, I would want someone to protect me, even violently. So my current soul condition definitely condones violence. I see the insincerity of a person resisting war taxes while desiring violent protection. However, the idea that love would not fund war and violence seems undeniable, so even while I have these addictions I feel convinced intellectually that tax resistance is loving. This issue seems parallel to a person choosing to refrain from eating meat even while the person still has an emotional addiction to meat.

Jesus and Mary recently said that they definitely want to pay taxes through the God’s Way of Love organization that they are preparing, in order to help pay for highways and so forth. If I am not mistaken, some of that money will go to Australia’s military. So now I feel I must be missing something.

My question is: What do I need to learn about love in order to be loving on this issue? Another question (maybe not of general interest) is, why do I not already feel clarity on this issue?

Thank you,
Patricia

[Amanda Stracey]

Hi Patricia

Love the questions.

I wanted to reference this clip which I made when I was at the very beginning of learning how to make clips so unfortunately it cuts off a bit short but does relate to some of the questions you have raised such as how do our own emotions, unreleased emotional pains and actions contribute to world or national issues. I've found that quite difficult to grasp myself. The clip is not about taxes but hopefully the discussion in the clip on boycotts,protests and anger and how that relates to our own personal experiences of injustice will be helpful.

Jesus & Mary on Protests, Boycotts & Loving Solutions to World Problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jJ4wTjCT-Q

I also have referenced something similar in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=227&p=2605&hilit=sincerity#p2605

Regards

Amanda

[Patricia Sanders]

Oh, thank you, Amanda, I'm excited to watch the clip!

Patricia