Ernie and Charlotte Wiens have no problem when it comes to paying their taxes; they simply don't want a portion of their funding going towards the military.

Ernie, a self-employed farmer, and his wife Charlotte grew up in the Mennonite church and consider themselves to be pacifists. It is for that reason that the couple diverts anywhere from 7 to ten per cent of their tax dollars away from government military funding and instead put the money towards a peace fund.

The Wienses have been pursuing this course of action with their tax money for the past ten years.

Instead of allowing somewhere around ten per cent of their tax dollars to be used for militarism, the couple has worked alongside Conscience Canada, an organization that provides a way for those who consider themselves conscientious objectors to war and militarism to register their objection to war and request that their money be allocated to areas supporting peace rather than violence.

"We request that none of our taxes be used for war, and so we would like to see a government controlled peace-fund for non-military, peacebuilding purposes," Ernie explained.

"It's a way of hopefully putting some pressure on the government to create a legal peace tax fund to give Canadians the option to put their money for peaceful purposes rather than paying for war and preparations for war."

The couple says there are many reasons behind their decision to divert a portion of their tax dollars away from supporting Canada's military.

"The big one is simply the lost opportunities," said Ernie. "When you think of Canada, $30 billion military budget... imagine if even a portion of that would be spent for (sic) peaceful purposes."

Things such as education, peacebuilding, relief, greater foreign aid, and the environment are just a few of the causes that the Wienses believe would act as a better way to distribute funds for the betterment of Canada.

Charlotte says that the pairs pacifist roots stem also from their cultural history. During the Second World War, Charlotte's father served as a conscientious objector, carrying out alternative tasks to bearing arms in battle throughout the conflict.

"As Mennonites, we are pacifists and strongly believe that war, which always involves killing, is wrong."

"It comes down to the fact that we believe in peace and pacifism, and that stems from our faith," Ernie added. "The non-violent Jesus is a term I've often used, who calls us to love the enemy and not to use the sword to hurt, to kill. We see that in the teachings and we believe we see that in the very life that Jesus himself models.

"Faith plays into it very much."

The issue of humanity is also a core consideration when it comes to Ernie and Charlotte's decision to divert a portion of their tax money for peacebuilding.

"When we get to know people, we suddenly see they're people just like us. The same desires, the same feelings. People are the same, really."

The couple's stance has not gone unnoticed by the Canadian government, who say they have received calls from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) over the past 10 years.

"We've had pretty good conversations with CRA people about what we are doing," said Ernie.

While they may have had positive conversations, the CRA doesn't support the stand that the Wienses have taken. As of last year, an approximately $500/month deduction of funds from Ernie's government pension was started. According to the Mennonite World Review, over half of the diverted funds have been recovered.

The couple makes it clear that they still maintain the utmost respect for veterans of war and the sacrifices they have made for our country; they just believe a more peaceful alternative to war can and should exist.

"We differ when it comes to military taxes... It's been an interesting journey," Ernie said.