Ethical Investing begins with a philosophy. In the middle is research. It ends with action.
Why do we invest ethically?
1. Long term goals, not short term gain.
2. A sense that there is more to this life than acquiring wealth at any cost.
3. Long life???
What exactly is going on in this proverb? Does this mean ethical investors will outlive the Board of Directors at Monsanto? (According to ethicalinvesting.com Monsanto is the world’s most unethical and harmful investment.) I can forget about flaxseed oil and excercise and get back to eating red meat because I have the promise of long life. Yeah, and what about Kenneth Lay ? Surely, God cut him down because of what he did.
Wait a minute! What are we doing here? This is all wrong. Proverbs 28:16 is just that, a proverb. It is neither a secret mathmatical formula, nor a genie in a bottle. Certainly we all could think of examples that would disprove the correlation between ethical investing and long life. (This would be a great verse to start a cult with: “The Long Living Ethical Investors,” and if you died before you were 90 they would assume your last trade was the culprit).
Proverbs 28:16 is good solid advice. It is giving a solid principle that isn’t guaranteed but sure is observable. It just so happens that if you grow your wealth unethically you are much more likely to lose that wealth. Conversely, if you treat people well, work hard, keep the numbers above board, and are wise along the way, the wealth you gain tends to stay around. You’ll sleep better at night, and you’ll tend to live a better, longer life.
If you still don’t believe me and want to do everything possible for a long life, you’d better start honoring your parents (Ephesians 6:2-3) and God (Deuteronomy 6:2) as well.
Special Thanks to Grant Combs, pastor, drummer, and friend ([email protected]) for convincing me to not join the “Long Living Ethical Investors” and collaborating with me on this post.