Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 March2006 Taxes, Revelations and the Politics of Jesus An Interview with Julia Butterfly Hill by Gar Smith In April 2003, forest activist Julia Butterfly Hill—who spent more than two years in the high branches of a thousand-year old Redwood tree to bring attention to our endangered ancient forests in the late ’90s—was informed that she owed more than $150,000 in federal taxes (the result of a one-time lawsuit settlement). The news came as the Bush administration was balancing its soaring military costs by cutting $13 billion from Food Stamps, $93 billion from Medicare and $14.6 billion from veterans benefits. Hill decided that she could no longer support “the largest death machine humankind has ever known.†She declared her intent to redirect her tax dollars to environmental and social causes. It was the largest individual act of war-tax refusal in US history. The daughter of a traveling preacher, Hill’s upbringing was nondenominational Evangelical. The core of her father’s message emphasized being a “loving, committed, active spiritual person in the world,†and young Julia took it to heart. Hill’s personal commitment led her to found the Circle of Life (circleoflife.org), with a mission “to transform the way humans interact with the Earth and with all living beings.†She generously shared an hour with us in the loft of her home-office in Oakland. WLT: What were the repercussions of your decision to become a tax-resister? JBH: I have to say I am “redirecting†my taxes rather than “resisting†because I take the money that the IRS says goes to them and I give it to the places where our taxes should be going. In my letter to the IRS I said, “I’m not refusing to pay my taxes… I’m paying them where they belong because you refuse to do so.†What organizations are you supporting? There’s the People’s Life Fund, after-school programs, community gardens and, of course, environmental protection—particularly endangered, old-growth forests, wetlands and prairies. A huge portion goes to support Native Peoples’ subsistence, sovereignty and spirituality. All of the wealth in this country is built on what was stolen from the original peoples and then, through slavery. So I look to redirect money back to where money comes from—from human and planetary resources. I’ve redirected money to the Alternatives to Incarceration Program because I believe our Prison-Industrial Complex is clear-cutting our youth. I’m not employing legal tax deductions. For me, it was important to take the conscientious, political stand—not to work “within the system†but to say that the system is inherently flawed. Taxes are not inherently evil. When we come together as a community and collectively pool our resources, the good we can do is absolutely inspiring. But the devastation we can wreak upon the planet and its people is horrific. Has your example inspired others? It’s been incredible. People have come out of the most surprising places saying: “Tell me about this. I want to know more!†It’s been a joy for me. Every time I see a headline about war, there is such a sense of liberation knowing that I can say, “I’m contributing to a different headline.†The American pacifist A. J. Muste once said: “People are drafted through the Selective Service; money is drafted through the Internal Revenue Service.†What are your thoughts about the environmental and spiritual rationale for refusing taxes? Well, I’m not just an “environmentalist.†I’m not just a “joyous vegan.†I’m not just a “war-tax redirector.†I’m not these segments. I’m about the interconnection. My connection to the Divine is much bigger than just what one religion can hold. In the war of politics, power and profit, all life becomes a target. [Given] where our taxes are currently going, we are supporting an unprecedented war on the planet and all of the life on it—human life, plant life, animal life. In Biblical times, Iraq was known as one of the richest, most life-giving areas in the entire region. Now it’s a wasteland because war does not discriminate. We’re having a war on kids, a war on education, a war on elders, a war on healthcare, a war on the planet and all of its life-giving systems. Every time we spend a penny on anything, we’re either voting for war or we’re voting for peace and healing. We want to stand up and say: “Shame on the Bush administration!†But as we point our fingers at the Bush administration, we have to remember: There are three fingers pointing back at us. Let’s include ourselves in a real stand for peace, for healing, for justice—where we are actually living it, not just talking about it. I like to remind people of the Original Commandment in the Book of Genesis. “In the Beginning,†God’s original intention was to hang out in a beautiful garden with two naked vegetarians. That was the original vision. What a great vision! Our choices have led us away from that Garden. When we say, “Thou shalt not kill,†for me it’s [a reminder that] we are a thread that is connected to everything else on this planet. When we kill indiscriminately—dropping bombs from thousands of feet in the air and a person becomes a statistic—we kill a part of ourselves. Every time an old-growth tree is cut down, something in the depth of our soul is destroyed. For me, that’s a deeper meaning of “Thou shalt not kill.†The National Council of Churches’ statement, “God’s Earth Is Sacred,†argues that conservation is a sacred, religious duty. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew says, “To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin.†In the tradition I was raised in, “In the Beginning†there was nothing but God. We got to this point where we said: “Well, it is ‘from’ God and we get to dominate over it. We get to be the masters of this ‘gift’ from God.†But it’s not just a gift from God; it is a gift of God. In the Beginning, the void was filled with nothing but God. Then God said, “I want to be an artist! I want to create!†That means that Creation is the manifestation of God. So, when we disrespect Creation, we are disrespecting the Creator. By worshiping the Creation, we are worshiping the Creator—manifested as tree, as animal, as human, as micro-organism, as water, as sun—all master paintbrush-strokes from the original palette called “Nothingness and God.†What do you make of The Book of Revelations? [The Bible] is a historical book; that’s why most references to women involve bearing children and who they’re married to. [The Bible] talks about goats, sheep and cattle, because that’s how a person was valued at that time. The Book of Revelations is a commentary on the views of people at that time. Our ability to travel has given us a broader perspective of the world. We have become mini-creators—sometimes creating beauty and magic; at other times, creating horror and devastation. All these things have shifted our awareness and understanding. We’ve become disconnected from that original intention of living in a beautiful garden; having plenty for all if we adhere to living simply from the fruits of the Earth instead of raping, pillaging and destroying. We made choices that led us away from the Garden and now we’re headed towards this horrific ending. For me, Revelations is a brilliant commentary on the consequences of being disconnected from the Divine. Fear is a powerful way to get people to act in very specific ways. Ultimately, it’s our fear of letting go of our addiction to comfort. None of us is exempt from the power of fear and the way it controls us. As caring, committed, active people, we need to tell a more inspiring vision. What would it look like to put the heavens back, even if the skies were falling? What would it be like to restore a scared and hurting Earth and human soul? What would it look like to replant the Garden of Eden on the wasted lot on the corner of our inner city? This is the vision that gives me goosebumps. To those who are committed to making sure that the “End Times†come, our only response must be a life-affirming, joy-filled, heart-centered vision that is a call that is more powerful than fear. Perhaps we need a Green Book of Revelations; instead of the End Times, the Unending Times. Yes, I think if Jesus were alive today, he’d pull that book out! Jesus is given very few quotes of his own in the Bible and I think it’s because his message was too powerful. Jesus gives a whole list of things and says: “The greatest of these is love.†He taught love and consciousness as a verb—as a way of being in the world. Jesus preached: “Get rid of all your belongings and go out into the world. Live simply.†He was the original hippie. It’s such a powerful story. Here is this guy who comes to Earth as God’s son to show us the way, and all we’ve done is silence that message, beginning with when he was killed. We celebrate his killing so we can celebrate his coming back—while we do everything we can to [ignore] his message about how to live and be on this Earth. He came to bring a message that Heaven is already here—it’s within you—and here are the ways you should behave to have Heaven on Earth. And it’s such a powerful message, they took him out. Gar Smith is Editor of Common Ground, WLT’S sister publication in San Francisco. 2006 wholelife times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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