By Stephen R. Bolt*
August 2007 – “What a powerful sermon that was, honey!” Jack exclaimed as he and Trish returned from church. “I had no idea how far our culture had slid into moral decay. The advance of the homosexual political agenda almost seems unstoppable. I wish there was more we could do to help.” Jack ambled to the counter and began opening bills.
“Honey, did you pay the mortgage, yet?” he asked. Not hearing a reply, he picked up the credit card statement and mumbled to himself, “We’ve got to find a way to get our spending under control!”
“Don’t forget we’ve got that appointment with our financial advisor tomorrow,” Trish said.
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What you just read is a typical exchange. Good sermon. Desire to do more for the Kingdom. Mortgage statement. Credit card blues. Financial advisor. And here’s the lightning bolt point – all of this, as benign as it may appear on the surface, is a very direct part of the culture war raging in America today.
Some of the most prominent endorsements of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) agenda come from the financial services community. As a 26-year industry veteran and president of Faith Financial, I find this particularly distressing. Major companies such as John Hancock Financial Services, Wells Fargo, MetLife, and JP Morgan Brown have placed ads featuring gay and lesbian couples. Washington Mutual gives members of the Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org), the most prominent lobbying organization on behalf of the GLBT community, “special savings.” Prudential “is a proud sponsor of HRC”, as is Citigroup. Ernst & Young, LLP touts their perfect “HRC Score” of 100 in one ad.
Many Christians are appalled at this blatant endorsement of the GLBT agenda but feel powerless to do anything about it. I assure you, that feeling of powerlessness does not come from God, because He is the author of strength, courage and discipline, and not of timidity (2 Tim. 1:7).
You have the power to change your world. Making an impact with your vote and supporting organizations such as AFA are two ways you can make a difference. And here’s another way: Pay attention to who you choose to do financial business with.
For an example of what I mean by that, let’s revisit Jack and Trish, and replay their dialogue as conscientious consumers.
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“What a powerful sermon that was, honey!” Jack exclaimed as he and Trish returned from church. “I had no idea how far our culture had slid into decay. The advance of the homosexual political agenda almost seems unstoppable. I wish there was more we could do, but I’m glad we made those changes with who we are doing business with.” Jack ambled to the counter and began opening bills.
“Honey, did you pay the mortgage, yet?” Jack asked. He was pleased that they refused to take out the mortgage with Washington Mutual after they saw their ad featuring support for the gay political agenda.
Not hearing an answer, Jack picked up the credit card statement and mumbled to himself, “I’m glad we now have a way to get our spending under control!” How? By cancelling the Chase credit card when they read Chase’s ad that said, “Supporting GLBT issues is a Chase tradition. …” They switched to an AFA pre-paid MasterCard.
“Don’t forget we’ve got that appointment with our financial advisor tomorrow,” Trish said.
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Jack was looking forward to meeting with their Faith Financial advisor, since he would be working with someone who shares their values.
Faith Financial’s curriculum titled Money On Loan From God points out that scripture gives us God’s direction for managing His money. First, make the greatest impact for the Kingdom (Luke 19:11-26), and second, make sure it reflects His values (I Cor. 6:15).
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It is true that you cannot single-handedly stop the advance of the GLBT moral decay infecting corporate America and our culture. But that doesn’t mean you should do nothing. You have enormous power to influence your world with the financial tools you use every day. Choose them wisely, so that when it is all said and done you will hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” 
*Stephen R. Bolt is the author of Money On Loan From God, as well as three other books. He has been featured on CNNfn, Bloomberg TV and hundreds of radio programs, and has contributed to numerous periodicals. He is co-founder and CEO of Faith Financial Planners Inc. 877-697-9139.
