The National Catholic Reporter published an article by the Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper titled, “10 Reasons Why Environmentalists Love to Pay Taxes.”

“To me, taxes are a blessing, not a burden,” she writes. “Rather than agonize over them, we might choose to enjoy them. If you look closely, taxes are part of what makes us happy, not what makes us sad.”

The ten reasons include:

1. Taxes are central to our infrastructure.

2. Taxes join public responsibility with personal responsibility.

3. Taxes are a theological representation of what Pope Francis calls integral ecology.

4. We’ll all face hard times at different points. And taxes can help ease the burden.

5. Private charities can help the less fortunate, but are no substitute for public welfare.

6. Education depends on taxes.

7. Socialism is not a bad word.

8. Imagine the artistic possibilities in publicly funding art.

9. Damage to the environment, which needs repair, needs taxes.

10. Taxes make you more secure.