A wide-ranging, global gathering of Christian leaders has become a forum for a question that one delegate calls a religious minefield: Should churches use their investment portfolios to protest Israeli policies toward Palestinians? The debate cuts across ethics, interfaith ties and Holy Land politics and has taken on an even sharper edge since the Church of England approved a motion for "morally responsible investment" earlier this month. It could lead the church to eventually reshuffle its $1.53 billion in stocks away from companies it considers aiding or profiting from Israeli control of Palestinian territories.There have been numerous documented cases of Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian territories. For example, the Israelis for years bulldozed the houses of families of suspected militants. Imagine your grief if your child, perhaps against you wishes, blew themselves up in an Israeli diner or bus. As you walk home from a memorial service, you are confonted with this:
Israel was commanded when they first arrived in Palestine thousands of years ago: "Thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 23:9) It is extremely distressing to see the "pro-Israel at any cost" attitude of many Evangelical Christian groups that turn a blind eye to wrongs committed by Israel. Wrong is wrong, regardless of who commits it. However, I'm not sure going after Catepillar, an American-based company, will resolve anything.
The Church of England will examine whether to sell Caterpillar stock, valued at roughly $4.4 million. Pro-divestment campaigners allege its construction equipment is used to demolish Palestinians homes. Caterpillar says it adheres to all "local, U.S. and international laws and policies" where it sells products.
The real issue, however, is one not approached in the article. What exactly is a church organization doing with 4.4 million in stocks in a company? Come to think of it, what is a group claiming to follow a man who didn't own a roof to cover His head (Luke 9:58) doing with over 1.5 billion in unused funds? The Anglican church has over half of its 80+ million membership in Africa. Many of these live in some of the poorest parts of the continent, in areas stricken by AIDS, poverty, and war.
The Bible teaches that one of the signs of the anointing of the Spirit is that the poor have the gospel preached to them (Luke 4:18). When Paul was commissioned by the Apostles to go to the Gentiles, the only admonition gave him was, "Remember the poor" (Galatians 2:10). Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46 indicated that how we respond to the needy was an indication as to whether or not we were indeed His followers. James went so far as to say that, if we see a fellow believer destitute and naked, and did nothing, we are "useless" (2:15,16).
1.5 billion in investments. Millions of members in poverty. You do the math.
