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WEEK of DECEMBER 1, 2003 |
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Taking a Stand: by Michael Sellers About a month before the start of school in September, Media and Video teacher Andy Cohen read an article in The New York Times about Priscilla Adams, a Quaker who lives and works in Philadelphia. For the last several years, Adams has refused to pay a portion of her federal taxes, due to her belief that she cannot support war, or preparations for war, with her tax money. (Quakers have long been known for their religious pacifism, opposition to war and support of religious freedom and freedom of conscience.) However, the IRS had a different view of the situation. Not only did they levy Adams’s bank account, but they also threatened to sue her employer, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, for refusing to garnish her wages. What was once an individual objection turned into a defense of freedom of religion and conscience.
“I thought the issues of separation of church and state and how an individual’s tax money is spent were important for my students to consider,” Cohen says. “The opportunity to make a documentary about an event that is still unfolding and unresolved within our broader community and connection to the Quaker world was irresistible.” With the help and encouragement of Tom Hoopes, Director of Education and Religious Education for the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Cohen was able to arrange an interview with Adams, activist trainer George Lakey, and Quaker historian Gene Hillman. “We met with Priscilla and found her to be a thoughtful, humble, and courageous person. She is willing to stand up and personally sacrifice for her principles and deeply held religious convictions in the face of tremendous odds,” Cohen says. Quakers have always believed, and continue to believe, that freedom of religion and conscience are core principles and essential rights that are upheld and protected by the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. In their answer to the IRS suit, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is seeking the preservation of those rights for themselves as a religious organization and for their members and employees as citizens of faith. As of this writing, the case is still pending in the Philadelphia courts. Cohen and his students will continue to follow the case as it progresses. “The class objective is to have the documentary ready for entry into the annual Bridge Film Festival,” he says. “There will be a pre-festival assembly at BFS where all the films that wish to be considered for entry into the festival will be screened. It will be interesting to see how students react to Priscilla’s story.” |
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