By Meg Jalsevac
SPOKANE, October 22, 2007, (LifeSiteNews.com) – According to a recent press release from the ChristianNewsWire, the individual Christian investing funds that serve as the financial vehicles for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Southern Baptist Conference (SBC) have reported investment involvement that directly contradict the Christian investment policies they portray to the public.
The idea of responsible Christian investment is one that is becoming more popular according to a Financial-Research.com article. The article, provided by the similarly focused Ave Maria Mutual Funds, explains that popularity is increasing as “60 million Catholics and millions of other religious Americans attempt to align their morals and values with their investment decisions.”
According to the ChristianNewsWire release, “the SBC, through Guidestone Funds, states that their ‘funds do not invest in any company that is publicly recognized, as determined by Guidestone Financial Resources, as being in the liquor, tobacco, gambling, pornography, or abortion industries, or any company whose products, services or activities are publicly recognized as being incompatible with the moral and ethical posture of Guidestone Financial Resources.’
However, according to the Quarterly N-Q Report dated March 31, 2007 found on the Guidestone Funds website, Guidestone holds 122,990 shares with a value of $7,411,377 in the ‘healthcare’ company Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson is credited with providing funding for research in 2006 for the possibly abortifacient birth control patch Ortho Evra. According to the Guidestone report, it also invests in other morally compromised companies including Merck and Pfizer, both companies well-known for the abortifacient drugs they have developed and produce.
According to the ChristianNewsWire, as of earlier this year, the Guidestone Equity Index Fund, invested approximately $113 million in morally objectionable companies that “profit from or promote abortion, i.e. insurance companies that cover elective abortions, conduct human embryonic stem cell research or philanthropically support Planned Parenthood. Not only that, but this fund also invested approximately $35.5 million in companies profiting from or distributing pornography.”
Similarly, the primary investment firm of the USCCB is entitled the Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS). The USCCB’s official investment policy states, “The USCCB will not invest in a company that derives a significant portion of its revenues from products or services intended exclusively to appeal to a prurient interest in sex or to incite sexual excitement.”
However, John Wilson, Director of Socially Responsible Investing, confirmed to LifeSiteNews.com that CBIS does invest in Time Warner, Inc. the parent company of New Line Cinema and HBO. Time Warner continues to remain on the Life Decisions International Planned Parenthood sponsors’ boycott list. (https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07072402.html)
New Line Cinema is the production company of the sexuality drenched sitcom Sex in the City. On Dec. 7 New Line will also be releasing the movie version of the anti-Christian children’s novel, the Golden Compass. (see