Many people have a religious or conscience objection to abortion.

Others have an objection to paying taxes.

Michael Bowman is not opposed to paying taxes, but he is opposed to the government using his tax dollars to fund abortion. So he is not paying taxes util the government makes a change.

Bowman is a 53-year old contract engineer in Columbia City, Oregon. Like many Americans, Bowman is a Christian that opposes abortion. In 1999 Bowman decided to take a bold step in his opposition to government funded abortion by refusing to file his tax return. He has not filed a tax return since then.

In 2012, after more than a decade of not filing a tax return, the Oregon Department of Revenue bean to garnishing money from Bowman’s bank account to pay his unpaid taxes. In response, Bowman simply began cashing his paychecks and leaving only a minimal balance in his account.

Bowman was then indicted for felony tax evasion for, according to reports, “removing his income from the reach of taxing authorities.” Bowman’s attorney argued that his client has remained transparent from day one by cashing his checks at his bank, under his own name, without any attempt to hide his income. And recently a US District Judge agreed with Bowman and his attorney and dismissed the charges against him.

To say this is a win for the pro-life movement would be an understatement.

Bowman has taken his pro-life conviction to a level most have never considered before. Sure, we’ve opposed tax funded abortion. And yes, we have voiced our convictions, especially during election cycles. But few of us have ever considered doing something as radical as defying the government.

I’ve got numerous friends that oppose taxes in general. They like to say “taxation is theft” and share how any form of taxation is unlawful. They would quickly confirm that they have a conscientious objection to paying taxes. But none, that I’m aware of, have been so convinced of their opinion that they were willing to engage in civil disobedience.

Bowman isn’t the first person to refuse to pay federal taxes due to his convictions. Though the most often cited reason for not paying taxes is opposition to war, others have refused for numerous reasons. Most recently, several celebrities have pledgednot to pay their federal taxes in opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies.

And though several thousand each year refuse to pay federal taxes for one reason or another, there’s little evidence to suggest that opposition to federally funded abortion is a leading cause. There’s little evidence to suggest opposition to federally funded abortion is even a minor cause for refusing to pay taxes.

The obvious question that must be asked is: what if pro-life advocates refused to pay federal taxes in an act of civil disobedience based on their conviction that abortion is murder and the federal government has no constitutional right to fund it?

Michael Bowman has been refusing to pay federal taxes for 20 years. He has not only set a legal precedent in tax law with his recent court victory, he has created a template that could be duplicated by others. His victory could be a key in bolstering an already surging movement to defend the unborn.

Consider for a moment that when President Donald Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, banning federal funding of abortion in foreign countries, polls revealed that 58% of Americanswere opposed to President Obama’s decision to end the policy. And a solid 61% of Americans are opposed to federal funding of abortion in any way.

Suppose even half of that number, 30% of American tax payers, refused to pay federal taxes to show their opposition to federal funding of abortion. What could the outcome be? Certainly the IRS doesn’t have the capacity to litigate with 50 million people. It wold be the largest demonstration supporting a cause in American history.

Frankly, I really like Michael Bowman and his quiet campaign to live by his sincerely held convictions. He isn’t trying to get famous or make a name for himself, he just wants to live with a clean conscience. He made that clear in his recent interview:

“First, I would love to pay taxes so as to have a normal life…All the government has to do is put a check box on the tax forms that says check here to support Planned Parenthood, and write in your donation amount. 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.”

Bowman recognizes there is worse things than hearing those dreaded words “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” He is listening for the only words any Christian wants to hear: “well done, good and faithful servant.”