Frederick Friends Meeting met in worship with a concern for business on June 10, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Present were: Carol Ahlum, Ethan Bliss, Annette Breiling, Kathy Funkhouser, Nick Funkhouser, Eleanor Milligan, Julie Odland, Grady O’Rear, Isaac Smith, Betsy Tobin, Greg Tobin and Karen White, Francy Williams and Randy Williams. Carlotta Joyner served as Clerk of Meeting and Michele Hartley served as Recording Clerk. 

The Meeting began with a brief period of silent worship, out of which the Clerk read the following queries on diversity:

• How well do I work toward creating a community of different people, rather than a community that just lets different people in?
• Are we willing to be in communion with each other, open to our differences yet secure in the one Spirit that call us all to be Friends?
• Do I seek out and listen to perspectives that promote equal access, inclusion, and welcome people of all cultured and backgrounds

06/18—1: 2nd Reading of the Roster of Service, Nominating Committee, Ethan Bliss

Ethan presented the second reading of the Roster of Service (see Appendix I). Friends were reminded that last month we were encouraged to look at the roster as a transitory document, which serves many purposes—from the general structure of the meeting, to who holds what responsibilities. With a change in clerks, the structure of meeting too may change.

This roster does not list a recording clerk and instead lists two co-clerks referred to as the “clerking team,” which is a departure from previous rosters. Kathy Funkhouser and Betsy Tobin will be facilitating meetings for business; and, to some extent, Julie Odland will be involved in some of the work previously done by the Clerk of Meeting.

Specific to the roster, there has not been success in adding an additional member to Nominating Committee. There was discussion of individuals who may not be new to committees as indicated as well as others who may or may not be participating on committees as indicated. There are no new clerks of committees to approve.

Members of the new clerking team have been serving on Ministry and Counsel and are still listed as committee members. The nature of their involvement with Ministry and Counsel while they are in their clerking roles will be part of discussion about the structure of the meeting moving forward. It was agreed that Ministry and Counsel will be included in these conversations.

Because Greg Tobin is the treasurer and Betsy Tobin is a co-clerk it was acknowledged and agreed that it would be inappropriate for Betsy to sign checks because they are spouses.

Gratitude was expressed for Bob Walsh and Don Garrett who participate on the Bush Creek workgroup. It was questioned as to whether others listed as a part of the work crew who also participate on Property Committee should be taken off of this list. This was left undecided and led to discussion and reminders about the tension of the exactness of the roster verses its fluidity.
As a result, it was suggested that Friends focus on the approval of the Officers and Trustees.

Friends approve the Officers and Trustees as presented on the roster. 

06/18—2: Minute of Appreciation, Nominating Committee, Ethan Bliss

Ethan presented a minute of appreciation for Carlotta as Clerk of Meeting for the past 4 years (see Appendix II). 

Friends accept this minute with deep gratitude and appreciation.

Friends also noted with appreciation Michele’s role as recording clerk for the 9:00 a.m. meetings since July, 2017.

06/18—3: Annual Report, First Day School, Susanna Laird

Susanna presented the annual report for first day school (see Appendix III). This year, middle and high school students focused on religions around the world. The lessons for those in the younger age groups followed the theme of “being part of Meeting.” Young friends learned about Quakers past and present, participated in potlucks, and activities that included crafts and playtime. 

Adult Friends are encouraged to work with our young Friends. There are many opportunities for learning from and with them while also having fun. 

Friends accepted this report.

06/18—4: Annual Report, Trustees, Greg Tobin

Greg presented the trustees annual report (see Appendix IV). Generally, trustees focused on ensuring good relations with our neighbors, ensuring the safety of the Meeting and its property, and reviewed the Meeting’s finances. 

Trustees met four times over the year. Meetings are open for all to attend and the next one will occur this fall. Based on the discussion, trustees will consider ways to make their documents on the website and/or the public more available to members and will announce their schedule.

Friends accept the report. 

06/18—5: Memorial Minute for Brenda Broadbent, Ministry and Counsel, Isaac Smith, Clerk

Isaac presented that memorial minute for Brenda Broadbent (see Appendix V).

Because Brenda touched so many Friends, Friends discussed where else to send this minute. It was agreed that Carlotta will send this minute to Richard and to the clerks of Adelphi and Warrington Quarterly Meetings. Isaac will post the minute to the Frederick Friends Meeting’s website.

 

Friends approved this memorial minute.

06/18—6: Report on Sixth Month Interim Meeting, Carlotta Joyner, Clerk

Carlotta presented the sixth month interim meeting report (see Appendix VI). A great deal of preparation went into this meeting. Our meeting hosted 60-70 Friends, providing space for committee meetings and business meeting. Wonderful food was provided for morning snack, lunch and dinner. It was considered successful logistically and spiritually. Friends expressed feelings of joy during the preparations and felt the wonderful energy and spirit of interim meeting among our midst.

Friends accept the report.  

Meeting for Business reconvened at 12:30 pm after Meeting for Worship to discuss recommendations from the Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Present were: Annette Breiling, Jim Carpenter, Nick Funkhouser, Grady O’Rear, Francy Williams, Randy Williams.

Carlotta Joyner served as Clerk and Kathy Funkhouser served as Recording Clerk.

07/18—7: Interfaith Action for Human Rights Forum, Peace and Social Concerns, Annette Breiling

Annette brought forth the request that FFM co-host with Interfaith Action for Human Rights a forum about solitary confinement in Maryland prisons (see Appendix VII).  The request asks that meeting provide a meeting space and snacks.  The event would happen in late July.  Carlotta Joyner agreed to be the point of contact for making arrangements.

Friends approved this request.

07/18—8: Revived MLK Poor People’s Campaign, Peace and Social Concerns, Annette Breiling

Annette brought forth the request for Meeting to endorse the minute BYM endorsed during the Sixth Month Interim Meeting minute on the revived MLK Poor People’s Campaign (see Appendix VIII for the full minute).

Friends approved this request.

07/18—9: Back from the Brink Campaign, Peace and Social Concerns, Annette Breiling

Annette brought forth the request for Meeting to endorse the Back from the Brink Campaign (see Appendix IX for background information). The Peace and Social Concerns committee has not identified actions moving from this endorsement. The request to identify actions was sent back to committee to consider such actions.  Annette will contact BYM to inform them of the endorsement. 

Friends approved this request.

07/18—10: Support for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Peace and Social Concerns, Annette Breiling

Annette brought forth the request for Meeting to support the UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In the discussion that followed, Friends raised questions about the structure of the treaty.  The request was sent back to committee for further discernment.

07/18—11: Religious Freedom Tax Trust Fund, Peace and Social Concerns, Annette Breiling

Annette brought forth the request for Meeting to endorse a proposal to establish a Religious Freedom Tax Trust Fund through IRS regulation (see Appendix XI for full background material). A long discussion followed and Friends felt that not enough people remained at Meeting for Business for a decision to be made.  The request was sent back to committee.

Announcements and Closing

Minutes were read back and approved during the course of the meeting.

The next Meeting for Business will be at 9:00 am on July 8th. Draft agenda: To be determined.

Meeting adjourned with a thank you from the Clerk.

Respectfully submitted,

 

Michele Hartley, Recording Clerk ______________________

 

Kathy Funkhouser, Recording Clerk ______________________

 

 

Carlotta Joyner, Clerk of Meeting ______________________

 

Appendices:

1. Second Reading of the Roster, Nominating Committee
2. Minute of Appreciation
3. Annual Report, First Day School
4. Annual Reports, Trustees
5. Memorial Minute
6. Interim Meeting Report
7. Solitary Confinement, Peace and Social Concerns Committee Recommendation
8. Endorsement of MLK Poor People’s Campaign Minute
9. “Back from the Brink” Campaign Endorsement
10. UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
11. Religious Peace and Tax Trust Fund Recommendation

Appendix l

Presented second reading June 2018

*New in position this year

 

 

 

  

Appendix II

Minute of Appreciation for Carlotta Joyner

Frederick Friends Meeting would like to minute its deep gratitude and appreciation for Carlotta Joyner and her faithful service to Frederick Meeting in capacity of clerk of meeting. Carlotta’s precision with language has helped us to clarify our thinking on issues in meeting for business, and in work of the various committees. Before she was clerk of meeting Carlotta was recording clerk, and during that time she helped to build our presence on the FGC Quaker Cloud. Along with a few others, she helped us to see that we needed to have a digital presence in this 21st century, and worked to create the Communication Committee.  Although that committee was short-lived, the work they did (create a new website) will most likely be felt for years to come.

Carlotta knew what was going in each committee, and helped Friends see how their role in meeting was important to the smooth operation of this community.  Her involvement with other meetings and Friends organizations within Baltimore Yearly Meeting region helped to give her a wider perspective, which she shared with those of us at Frederick Meeting. Her passion for social justice issues, particularly those around mass incarceration and gun-violence, prompted heart-felt messages in worship giving those present a glimpse into her compassion for those in painful circumstances.

Carlotta also created (revised?) the first brochure for meeting, printed announcements, and countless other processes and documents that have helped our records become better able to be kept for the future.  Her skills in administration have impacted meeting greatly. Carlotta’s vocal ministry in meeting for worship came from a deep place of Spirit.

We would like to minute our deep appreciation to this community.

In the Light,

Frederick Friends Meeting

Appendix III

Frederick Friends Meeting

First Day School Annual Report 2017-2018

            First day School was held weekly from September 2017 through June 10, 2018. 

Attendance ranged between 2-15 children, with an average of 6.   

             A middle school/high school group was led by Greg Tobin.  This group learned about religions around the world.  It was really wonderful to have a consistent group for the older children. 

             The younger age group's lessons followed the theme of “Being a Part of Meeting”.  We learned about many Quakers both past and present.  We learned about something that person wrote, said or did as well as the beliefs and Biblical foundations that they referenced in their writings.  Some people we learned about were:

Elizabeth McClintock Phillips, George Whitehead, Margaret Fell, George Fox, William Penn, Pierre Ceresole,  Horace Alexandar and Bayard Rustin. We also read a recent newsletter article from a Friends meeting in Bhopal, India that was written by a Young Friend there named Merryl Titus. 

It was really wonderful for all of us to learn about these remarkable people.  It also seemed to give the children a sense of the reality of Quakerism beyond our local Frederick Meeting.

            Another focus for FDS was to participate in the monthly pot-lucks.  On several occasions we made food to share at the pot-luck. 
            We had Singing Sunday on most first Sundays. We also continued the tradition of the Sermon on the Mount Field trip.    

            Crafts and playtime are a large part of First Day School for the younger participants.  Some popular crafts were: painting and writing messages on rocks, painting flower pots, making castles and other things with cardboard tubes, creating with legos, making collages with mixed materials and painting reusable canvas bags.  Craft  making in FDS is always driven by the children's interests and suggestions.  Several children have commented that the child-led crafting is their favorite part of First Day School. 

             Several adults were a part of First Day School this year.  Susanna Laird, Karen Lockett and Greg Tobin taught FDS most weeks. Several other adults in meeting also assisted, and truly, FDS would not be what it is without the love and support of everyone in our meeting. 

             Respectfully Submitted,

            Susanna Laird

            Clerk of First Day School

Appendix IV

Frederick Friends Meeting: Annual report of Trustees:  May 2017-June 2018

Presented June 10, 2018

 

At the beginning of this reporting period, the Trustees included JoAnn Coats-Hunter, Carlotta Joyner (Presiding Clerk of Meeting), Helen Tasker, Greg Tobin (Treasurer), and Gail Whitehead (Clerk of Trustees).  Part-way through the year, Gail relocated and we were blessed when Ethan Bliss joined us.

 

Over the course of the year, Trustees discerned our ways forward on several of core concerns and worked on a multitude of focused issues. Traditionally, Trustees are concerned with legal issues as well as potential liabilities which could negatively impact upon Meeting. With this history in mind, Trustees attempt to discern and facilitate the “long vision” of Meeting. We do not operate from a position of fear. Rather, we seek to improve the depth of our shared Quaker Experience while avoiding impediments that could distract Friends from our core missions.

Trustees meet four times a year. We are truly blessed to accept the responsibilities associated with Trustees and we are thankful for our time spent together in prayerful discernment.

Some of the larger issues for Trustees have no immediate answers and include issues such as our relationships with neighbors, welcoming or attracting new attenders and growing our Meeting, long-term visions for our building, and what we do after our mortgage is retired.

 Some of the specific tasks have included:

• Review of our youth safety policy
• Review of property issues
• Adding legal documents and Trustee minutes to the FFM website
• Discernment regarding the use of our building by political organizations
• Review of legal documents including the parking lot and Stout-Beard easements.
• Review of long-term investments
• Review and renewal of insurance policies
• Review of request to support a donation of ~$5,000 or more to BYM for capital expenses
• Discussion of FFM relationships with BYM
• Response to neighbors about informing them when we will be having activities during the week or on Saturday.
• Discussion on the merits of installing a mini-split air conditioning and heating system and long-term HVAC concerns in the Meetinghouse
• Interactions with various committees on pertinent issues 

We reiterate our gratitude for the trust extended to us by Frederick Friends as we seek to discern both long-term issues and the immediate needs of our Meeting.

Appendix V

Brenda Bernhards Broadbent

November 11, 1950 - November 18, 2017

 

Brenda Broadbent was a beloved and longstanding part of the Frederick Friends community. We have set down these words to testify to the workings of the Spirit in her life and to give thanks to God for the gift of her presence in our lives. — Ministry & Counsel Committee 

Brenda was a warm and caring person who wore many hats in her life: teacher, librarian, entrepreneur, business owner, mentor, gardener, craftsperson. She was a wonderful wife to Richard, a beloved mother to Jane, and a friend to many.

With her discerning eye and generous spirit Brenda could transform the most mundane spaces into places of beauty, joy, and peace. She had a spectacular talent for using color and calligraphy to make art that spoke to people’s hearts and minds. Many Friends are blessed to have a piece of her art in their home, whether it be an inspirational message or their marriage certificate; all of them are treasures.

Brenda not only made art, but taught it with an equal level of talent. Even those with the clumsiest of fingers found pleasure and satisfaction in the act of creation with her assistance.

Brenda was always thinking of others, even in the midst of chemotherapy. She often took flowers, food or some other gift to the staff at Frederick Oncology Hematology Associates. When she was no longer able to do it herself, she directed the making of blueberry crisp so that her houseful of visitors were provided for. She carried this spirit of nurturing, quite literally, to her dying hour.

Brenda’s gifts were many, shared willingly and seemed to be exercised effortlessly. Those who crossed her path were welcomed and felt her love as if they were long lost friends.

We often come across gems in our lives. When we find them, we hold them dear to our hearts in hopes that their imprint on our lives will stay with us forever. We are glad to have known Brenda Bernhards Broadbent, who was one of these gems.

Approved by Frederick Friends Meeting, June 10, 2018

 

Appendix VI

 

Report on BYM Sixth Month Interim Meeting

Presented by Carlotta Joyner, Interim Meeting Representative, June 10, 2018 

Frederick Friends Meeting hosted the Sixth Month Interim Meeting on June 9, 2018. We provided space for more than 60 Friends to participate in 11 committee meetings in the morning; served delicious snacks, lunch, and dinner that accommodated diverse dietary needs; and welcomed about 75 Friends to Meeting for Business in the afternoon.

We were able to accommodate this number of Friends by using a combination of locations. David Hunter and JoAnn Coates-Hunter hosted two committees in their home on 7th Street, and Tori Bolton let two committees meet in her 2nd floor office space. We appreciate their gracious offers of space. 

We also rented the Community Room of the Bernard Brown Community Center, a block from our meetinghouse, for the day. This spacious, air-conditioned room proved to be an excellent location for two committee meetings in the morning and meeting for business in the afternoon. Renting this space also gave us access to additional parking, at the corner of 7th Street and N. Market. (Thanks to Susanna Laird who made the sign that assured Friends they would not be towed if they parked there.)

Interim Meeting expressed much appreciation for the hospitality we provided. It was possible only through the hard work of many Frederick Friends. Betsy and Greg Tobin and Carlotta Joyner did most of the space planning and purchasing and advance preparation of food. Jason Laird made sure the building was cleaned and ready for guests. Friends who came on Saturday to finish cooking and setting up the spaces, welcome Friends, serve, and clean up were essential: Annette Breiling, JoAnn Coates-Hunter, Chris Fowler, Kathy Funkhouser, Nick Funkhouser, Michele Hartley, David Hunter, Karen Lockett, Julie Odland, and Norma Yeager. Others brought delicious desserts or helped in other ways. As one Friend said: “It took a community.” 

While the event was successful logistically, it was also enriching spiritually. As one Friend noted, meeting for business not only considered many reports but also provided an opportunity for us to consider topics not usually on the agenda, such as the civil and human rights of transgender people and end-of-life options. Two minutes brought by Peace and Social Concerns Committee were not only endorsed by BYM but also referred to local meetings for consideration: endorsing the Poor People’s Campaign and “Back from the Brink” Campaign.

The next Interim Meeting will be in October at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting. Annual Session will be at Hood College July 30 – August 5.

 

Appendix VII

Recommendations from Peace and Social Concerns Committee

 

June 10, 2018

 

Solitary confinement in MD prisons

PSC recommends that FMM agree to co-host with Interfaith Action for Human Rights a forum probably in mid-July about the overuse and abuses of solitary confinement in Maryland.

Background: From a May 1 email to Carlotta:

As I recall, you and your F/friend (Eleanor Milligan) were instrumental in convincing Senator Hough to be a major co-sponsor of the successful 2016 reporting bill on solitary (called Restrictive Housing by Corrections).  He was so pleased with it that he promoted it as a national model. We thanked you then - and it is certainly worth thanking you again!

Today I am writing you to see if Frederick Meeting would be able to offer space - and be a co-host if that feels right to your Meeting - for a forum on the overuse and abuses of solitary/restrictive housing in Maryland. We are planning forums around the state, especially to highlight abuses of the disabled, and also to note other poor practices by Maryland Corrections concerning restrictive housing.  We would like to hold a forum in the Frederick area in July, from 7 - 9 pm, sometime after the first week of July. 

To give you some background, Maryland Corrections (the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services - or DPSCS) has now produced two reports - one for 2016 and one for 2017. Each was damning. Over the past two years, more than 500 individuals have been released directly from solitary to the public. According to their own statistics, in 2016 68% of the population spent an average of 50 - 60 days in isolated confinement. In 2017, it was an even higher number held in isolation.

Equally damning is a 2017 report from Disability Rights Maryland, the only organization federally mandated to inspect any institution that houses the disabled, including prisons. DRM investigated North Branch Correctional Institution (NBCI) and found systemic abuse of the disabled. 

This year we tried to get a bill passed that would require DPSCS to follow the standards for restrictive housing produced by the American Correctional Association. That bill got watered down to a single sentence in the House Judiciary Committee, suggesting that DPSCS make an effort, as practicable, to follow the ACA standards. We killed the bill in the Senate as a bad bill can be worse than no bill. There was no accountability, no safety for the disabled. 

None of the reports - from DPSCS or DRM - got much coverage in the press. We want to be sure that the public is knowledgeable about these reports and that legislators are, too. Hence, the forums. We will invite legislators to attend the forums that are held in their districts. And we will invite the press, as well. Please let me know what you think about hosting such a forum.

Thank you and Frederick Friends for considering this request. 

Suzanne H. O’Hatnick, Maryland Advocacy Director, Interfaith Action for Human Rights (IAHR)
Member, Stony Run Friends Meeting

Appendix VIII

BYM Peace and Social Concerns Committee’s recommendation for Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) and Monthly Meetings’ endorsement and support of revived MLK POOR PEOPLES’ CAMPAIGN (PPC): 

Following two-years of planning, the National Call for Moral Revival group invites those of all faiths to rally at state capitols1 across the U.S. for 6 weeks (–we have reached week 5 in early June) to help revive Rev. Martin Luther King (MLK)’s final & most comprehensive civil-rights campaign. See https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/demands/

The PPC principles and demands note that, in the 50 years since MLK’s death, the U.S. has moved backwards in many areas including: voting rights, mass incarceration, poverty (relative to cost of living), etc. The PPC calls on Americans and our leaders to reverse systemic racism and discrimination against other minorities (immigrants, LGBT, the disabled), to reset and unite around priorities that favor a peaceful economy rather than a war-oriented economy, and to avert economic crises in progress.

Supporters include AFSC, FCNL, Episcopals, Jewish organizations, Methodists, Presbyterians, the National Council of Churches and many others.

Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Peace and Social Concerns committee asks BYM and our Monthly Meetings, like AFSC and FCNL, to endorse the Poor Peoples Campaign, to can sign up online for updated action requests, and to take action as way opens.

Appendix IX

 

Recommendations from Peace and Social Concerns Committee

June 10, 2018

 

Endorsement of “Back from the Brink” campaign to prevent nuclear war.PSC brings the following recommendation to Frederick Monthly Meeting. We seek endorsement by our Meeting of the “Back from the Brink” campaign. This is a national campaign originated by Physicians for Social Responsibility and endorsed by multiple national organizations, including the American Friends Service Committee. Local communities of Faith and other organizations around the country are being asked to endorse the campaign. It was recently endorsed by Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting and was taken to the BYM PSC committee to present at June 9 Interim Meeting.  Endorsement shows support for reducing the threat of nuclear war and provides political power to those who are working to reduce the threat.

The campaign, which includes five elements, states the following: “We call on the United States to lead a global effort to prevent nuclear war by:

 • renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first;

• ending the sole, unchecked authority of any President to launch a nuclear attack;

 • taking US nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert ;

• cancelling the plan to replace its entire arsenal with enhanced weapons;

 • actively pursuing a verifiable agreement among nuclear armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.”

Several groups are currently working in Maryland on reducing the threat of nuclear weapons, including Physicians for Social Responsibility and Peace Action. There are two bills in Congress that these groups are currently lobbying for: HR 669/S 200, which would take the unilateral power to start a nuclear war away from the President, and HR 4415, which states that it is the policy of the U.S. not to use nuclear weapons first. The advocacy groups plan to ask other political bodies, such as the Baltimore City Council and the Montgomery County Council, to endorse “Back from the Brink,” as a political message to the Federal government.

Background: Since the height of the Cold War, the US and Russia have dismantled more than 50,000 nuclear warheads, but 15,000 of these weapons still exist and pose an intolerable risk to human survival. Ninety percent of these weapons are in the hands of the United States and Russia. The use of even a tiny fraction of these weapons would cause worldwide climate disruption and global famine. As few as 100 Hiroshima sized bombs, small by modern standards, would put at least 5 million tons of soot into the upper atmosphere and cause climate disruption across the planet, cutting food production and putting 2 billion people at risk of starvation. A large scale nuclear war would kill hundreds of millions of people directly and cause unimaginable environmental damage. It would also cause catastrophic climate disruption, dropping temperatures across the planet to levels not seen since the last ice age. Under these conditions the vast majority of the human race would starve and it is possible we would become extinct as a species.

Despite assurances that these arsenals exist solely to guarantee they are never used, there have been many occasions when nuclear armed countries have prepared to use these weapons, and war has been averted at the last minute. Moreover, the U.S. has frequently threatened the use of nuclear weapons.

The Trump Administration, in its Nuclear Posture Review (recently leaked), augments the role of nuclear weapons in military plans. The document also loosens current restraints on the use of nuclear weapons by expanding the list of situations that could trigger their use. Former Secretary of Defense William Perry, once a Cold War warrior, stated in December, “We are sleepwalking into a catastrophe. . . The risk now is greater than it was during the Cold War.” There is an alternative to this march to nuclear war. In July of 2017, 122 nations called for the elimination of all nuclear weapons by adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The United States needs to embrace this call for nuclear disarmament as the centerpiece of our national security policy. The threatened destruction of the Earth and all its people is a critical moral issue for our time.

 

Appendix X

 

Recommendations from Peace and Social Concerns Committee

June 10

 

Support the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

PSC recommends endorsement by Frederick Monthly Meeting of the following minute:

 

“Frederick Friends Meeting supports the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and urges the United States to take a leadership role in ratifying and persuading other nuclear-armed nations to ratify this legally binding treaty. We are deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of an accidental or intentional nuclear strike, as well as the waste of economic and human resources on programs for the production, maintenance, and modernization of nuclear weapons. We believe that dialogue, trust-building, and enlightened leadership provide a more effective and responsible path to peace.”

Appendix XI

 

Proposal to Establish a Religious Freedom Peace Tax Trust Fund Through IRS Regulation

PSC recommends endorsement by Frederick Friends Meeting

 

Background: In early October, US Attorney General Sessions issued two memoranda. The first memorandum, “Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty” provides guidance to federal agencies, including the IRS, about how to operate to preserve religious liberty as much as possible. It also makes clear that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) does not permit the federal government to second-guess the reasonableness of a religious belief. 

“RFRA applies to all sincerely held religious beliefs, whether or not central to, or mandated by, a particular religious organization or tradition. Religious adherents will often be required to draw lines in the application of their religious beliefs, and government is not competent to assess the reasonableness of such lines drawn, nor would it be appropriate for government to do so. Thus, for example, a government agency may not second-guess the determination of a factory worker that, consistent with his religious precepts, he can work on a line producing steel that might someday make its way into armaments but cannot work on a line producing the armaments themselves.”

The second memorandum, “Implementation of Memorandum on Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty,” requires the Department of Justice to adhere to the provisions in the first memo.

Problem: Many conscientious objectors have deeply held religious, moral, and ethical beliefs about how their federal income taxes are used for military purposes. These Americans seek to pay their income taxes, but find their religious liberty compromised because of their objection to war. Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, Quakers, and others represent this minority whose religious liberty is compromised when they pay their income taxes. Currently these Americans are forced by the US government to pay taxes that go toward military activity, despite their religious beliefs. Equal justice under the law is needed to protect the religious liberty of these taxpayers.

Proposal: In compliance with the Attorney General’s “Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty”, through a regulatory process, a “Religious Freedom Peace Tax Trust Fund” would be established by the IRS that would apply to income, estate, and gift taxes paid by conscientious objectors. This “Religious Freedom Peace Tax Trust Fund” would parallel the general fund. The government would draw upon both funds to pay its expenses. But the “Religious Freedom Peace Tax Trust Fund”, unlike the general fund, could only be used for non-military spending. The term “military purpose” means:

Any activity or program which any agency of the Government conducts, administers, or sponsors and which effects an augmentation of military forces or of defensive and offensive intelligence activities, or enhances the capability of any person or nation to wage war, including the appropriation of funds by the United States for 1) the Department of Defense; 2) the Central Intelligence Agency; 3) the National Security Council; 4) the Selective Service System; 5) activities of the Department of Energy that have a military purpose; 6) activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that have a military purpose; 7) foreign military aid; and 8) the training, supplying, or maintaining of military personnel, or the manufacture, construction, maintenance, or development of military weapons, installations, or strategies.

The Joint Committee on Taxation has certified that a tax trust fund, providing for conscientious objector taxpayers to pay their full taxes for non-military purposes, would increase Federal revenues.