Abraham's Wallet Are Your Investments Funding Evil? A Biblical Approach to Investing
What if your retirement account is quietly funding companies and causes that conflict with your Christian convictions? Certified Financial Planner Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel explore Biblically Responsible Investing, Christian investing, and how fathers can build generational wealth without knowingly partnering with evil.
Is investing in the stock market biblical? Does owning a small piece of a company make you morally responsible for what that company does? And how should Christians think about investments connected to abortion, pornography, alcohol, gambling, tobacco, ESG, and other practices that may conflict with biblical values?
Steven and Mark explore these questions through the surprising lens of Exodus 21 and the biblical principle of an ox “known to gore.” Mark explains why he believes investing itself is biblical, while also arguing that ownership carries responsibility—and that Christians should take seriously the question of whether they are knowingly profiting from harm.
The conversation gets practical as they discuss Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI), investment screening, direct indexing, Christian mutual funds and ETFs, and options including Timothy Plan, Inspire Investing, Praxis, Crossmark/OneAscent, and others. They also examine Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street, including how major asset managers have approached ESG and corporate shareholder voting in recent years.
But the goal isn't perfect financial purity. As Mark explains, Christians cannot completely separate themselves from a fallen economy. The goal is faithful stewardship: building wealth and inheritance for your children's children while keeping your heart free from the love of money and avoiding known complicity with evil wherever reasonably possible.
In this episode:
• Is investing biblical?
• What does Exodus 21's “goring ox” teach us about investment responsibility?
• Does owning stock make you responsible for a company's actions?
• What is Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI)?
• How can Christians screen investments for abortion, pornography, alcohol, gambling, and tobacco?
• Should Christians invest through Vanguard, BlackRock, or State Street?
• What is direct indexing, and how can it be used for Christian investing?
• Which Christian investment funds and platforms are worth researching?
• How should Christian fathers balance financial growth, generational wealth, conscience, and faithful stewardship?
Help us equip more biblical bosses!: https://abrahamswallet.com/support