Category Archives: moral values

Blind Obedience

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In December, our thoughts are drawn to the event in Bethlehem that occurred over 2,000 years ago. We think about a virgin named Mary and how she gave birth to a child and laid him not in a warm incubator in a spotless maternity ward, but in a trough used for hay in a barn with no heat.

Christmas in the stableWe know this is the promised Redeemer, because we’ve been taught and because as believers we have faith that the story, while perhaps not newspaper reporter accurate, is true. But we’ve had years to figure this out. His first visitors were less informed, but were obedient to God’s word, and this is our lesson.

We recall and are humbled by who the Father chose to be his Son’s first visitors. Simple sheep herders, probably with their dogs and of course the new-born lambs that could not be left behind should wolves appear. They came because the angels told them to go—blind obedience to something they could not have understood.

Later, this stable-born Child and his Mother were visited by three kings who on another mission of blind obedience were seeking a royal child—the “king of the Jews.” Instead, on their knees they paid homage to a boy child born in a barn to parents who were obviously poor. And afterwards, refused to tell King Herod anything. Once again, obedient to a dream, they left for home by another path.

Can we be challenged by the shepherds and kings to say “yes” to God’s plan even though we do not understand fully the result of our obedience? At the Stewardship Foundation, we commit once again to be obedient to our charter in the coming year. Considering the state of the markets this month, it will take diligence and optimism. We are up to the task!

On behalf of staff and board, we pray that 2019 is a happy and rewarding year for you and your families. Peace and blessings from The Stewardship Foundation.

Morality and the Supreme Court

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Last month’s blog post addressed morally responsible vs. socially responsible investing, and our moral compass here at the Stewardship Foundation. Now, yesterday’s nomination of a conservative Catholic Justice, Brett M. Kavanaugh again puts morality in the spotlight. Coincidence maybe, but the liberal media is going nuts. Let’s take a look at a bit of history.

US Supreme CourtPresidents usually nominate individuals who share, on the most part, their own ideological views. However, when then-President Eisenhower appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the courts expecting him to be a conservative judge, his decisions ultimately proved to be the most liberal in the country’s history. When President George H. W. Bush appointed David Souter in 1990, history shows that his decisions most often favored the liberal side. We can’t help but wonder whether the Senate confirmation hearings will recall these two appointments or discount them completely!

In 1953, Samuel Enoch Stumpf wrote an elegant paper on whether the United States Supreme Court decides cases on the basis of moral and ethical value judgment. He wrote, “Such a question may reveal a misunderstanding of the nature of law as well as the nature of the judicial process. Moreover, to elect the Court to roam in the field of morals may indicate a failure to take into account the limitations placed upon the Court by both our federal system and the division of powers. Indeed, a reading of the Supreme Court decisions for the past twenty years reveals a manful resistance on the part of the judges to intrude their moral and ethical judgement into their decisions…” Read the paper here »

Many would say that the Supreme Court is not supposed to settle cases based on morality but in fact Judges are defined as moral reasoners. The late Justice Scalia himself said “the courts cannot scientifically demonstrate right answers,” and that it’s the community’s job to determine what it finds morally acceptable, not the courts.

What we find alarming is the rapid pace of society insisting that the highest court in the land make decisions in favor of declining moral values. Every year, Gallup’s question about the current state of moral values in the U.S. aligns with the view that they are getting worse. It will be a fierce debate in the confirmation hearings as the distinguished Mr. Kavanaugh faces a Congress hell-bent on supporting abortion rights, gay marriage, assisted suicide, and every other fetish in the name of diversity, tolerance, and compassion. God help us.

Searching For A Moral Compass

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As portfolio managers, we are tasked to look out for our customers—to offer higher returns, lower risk, and efficient tax avoidance while we grow their accounts and provide income in retirement. As stewards of our customer’s portfolios, we strive to the do the right thing in terms of selecting investment products that build up society, do good, and follow Christian principles.

There is often confusion about the difference between Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Morally Responsible Investing (MRI). We’ll try to make it simple.

Initially, SRI was used to describe investing in companies that did not profit from “bad” things like tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and firearms. The perception was that these companies promoted sickness, mental and physical abuse, failed relationships, bad habits, and even death. The term focused on which companies one would avoid, not what to invest in, but that has changed. Now SRI seeks out companies that do good—such as alternative energy/clean technologies, community organizations that provide needed services to the poor and disadvantaged, and others that improve the quality of life and reduce reliance on welfare. The focus is on society, not necessarily moral or ethical good as defined by Christian conscience.

moral compassMRI is a subset of SRI but is different because it screens out companies engaged in abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and pornography. It’s pro-life and pro-family. It’s a pillar of the Stewardship Foundation. MRI appeals to investors who want to buy into specific funds that match their moral compass.

As SRI investing became more popular (over $40 trillion in 2016), the term Impact Investing found its way onto the investment stage. The term refers to investing in companies that do the right thing. It actively targets firms, funds, or projects that provide a measurable benefit to society as a whole. Not limited to stocks, mutual funds, or ETFs, it includes private equity, venture capital, and debt investment programs. Investors in this arena are actively participating by putting their money where their mouth is.

Remember that the Stewardship Foundation’s endgame is financial growth for our clients. Whether you are saving for retirement or using your wealth to actively make the world a better place, the road we help you choose is paved with a Christian moral compass.