With the left burying their roots deeper and deeper into the fabric of our society every day, it seems the attacks on traditional values will never end.
As citizens who want to preserve the values our nation was founded on, we may often wish we could do something out of our comfort zones to make an impact in the fight for what we believe in.
Now, at his own peril, one man is fighting back against government tyranny and standing his ground, no matter the personal consequences.
LifeSite News reported:
Like 60% of Americans, Michael Bowman opposes taxpayer funding of abortion. Unlike most Americans, he is currently squaring off against the Internal Revenue Service to avoid doing so.
Bowman is a 53-year-old Christian and contract engineer in Columbia City, Oregon. He has refused to file a tax return or pay taxes since 1999, The Oregonian reports, citing the federal government’s funding of the abortion industry.
“I’m not a tax protester. I love my country,” he told the paper. “I have a duty to my country. I have a duty to my conscience.”
Bowman has been in hot water with the IRS for several years now, but he refuses to have any of his hard-earned money going towards the murder of the unborn.
The Oregon Department of Revenue has begun garnishment proceedings against Bowman, so he now cashes his paychecks and leaves very little in his bank account.
Federal prosecutors indicted him on felony tax evasion for well over a quarter of a million dollars, and have also charged him with misdemeanor counts of failure to file his returns.
While Bowman is not legally out of the woods, he did win his first victory in court when the felony evasion charges were dropped.
LifeSite News continued:
Bowman’s attorney, Matthew Schindler, argued that his client was fully transparent every step of the way, from disclosing all of his paychecks to cashing them at his own bank, under his own name.
…U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman sided with Bowman on the felony charge, ruling that the feds failed to show he attempted to conceal income or deceive the government. Prosecutors remain free to re-introduce the charge in the future and are currently weighing whether to do so.
Bowman vows to stand strong against the government tyranny of having to pay for immoral causes he does not believe in.
Planned Parenthood continues to receive taxpayer dollars, despite attempts to defund the abortion giant as part of other bills like healthcare reform.
Bowman is one who believes in our constitutional right to “no taxation without representation.” And while some Congressmen campaign with promises to fight for Life, they often say one thing and do another when they get to Washington.
He is also fighting for his First Amendment right to freedom of religion. His belief in protecting innocent Life is part of his Christian faith, and therefore, he should have a right to take this stand without penalty.
Bowman commented, according to LifeSite News:
“First, I would love to pay taxes so as to have a normal life, however, our government is using the tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood; which commits abortions – the death of the innocent,” Bowman said.
He also took aim at the common rejoinder that every American citizen has to pay taxes for things with which they might personally disagree, such as war. “You see, the Constitution grants certain abilities to the government, e.g. funding the military, but killing children is not a Constitutional backed, compelling interest of the government by any stretch of the imagination,” Bowman explained.
Planned Parenthood receives a shocking half a BILLION dollars a year from the federal government. While federal law supposedly does not allow for federal funds to go directly towards abortions, Planned Parenthood’s false claims of providing “preventative care” to women allows for a “loophole” that causes the murder of hundreds of thousands of babies a year.
Bowman wants it known, however, that this stand is not about beating the IRS or protesting paying taxes. He obviously does not encourage breaking the law, but his belief in saving the unborn surpasses his concern for any legal trouble he may find himself in.
He offers his take on a solution to the problem of American citizens forcibly paying for causes and policies they don’t believe in. He suggests a section on tax forms allowing for voluntary donations to organizations that are morally polarizing.
CBN reported on further remarks by Bowman:
“Then, just like any church or charity, Planned Parenthood will be funded by those that have no problem with it, and the 150 million people like me that are pro-life, can pay their taxes and live knowing we kept our conscience clean, intact, and are at peace about not supporting the murder of the innocent! Think of it this way, if the government can force you to support abortion today, what will they do tomorrow?”
“…The common interest of the 150 million [pro-lifers in America] is this, the government was not installed to destroy our values and trash our conscience through the application of morally bankrupt policies and mandates, but that is exactly what they have done, are doing. Instead, they were installed to protect our rights.”
While Michael Bowman’s effort to prevent tax dollars from going towards funding Planned Parenthood is certainly a noble gesture, we here at Mommy Underground cannot condone any taxpayer support of an organization that should be completely shut down.
Bowman’s idea seems to support the “lesser of two evils,” however, the lesser of two evils is still evil. Until Planned Parenthood is completely defunded, the innocent unborn will continue to die.
Allowing donations to Planned Parenthood on an income tax form would still open up too many options for political loopholes, and would continue federal support of the abortion industry.
It remains to be seen what further legal action Bowman will face as he continues his quest to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
He has vowed to stand strong, no matter what consequences he must face, in order to obey God and live a life he can be proud of. While we cannot condone breaking federal law, we can certainly all admire Michael Bowman’s unshakable faith and passion for preserving Life.
What do you think of the brave stand Michael Bowman is taking against the IRS? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.