PayPal (PYPL): A Case Study for Investing Stewardship

Christians cannot afford to invest blindly.  When we buy shares in a company, we are implicitly supporting what those companies choose to fund.  Take PayPal as a sobering example.

According to Human Life International, documents show that PayPal and its charitable organizations have donated approximately $1.6 million in recent years to Planned Parenthood.

With a first-trimester abortion in the U.S. averaging $500–$650, that sum represents the potential funding of approximately 2,400–3,200 abortions—thousands of image bearers of God, each uniquely formed and known by Him, whose lives may have been ended before they ever drew breath.

That same $1.6 million could instead have funded hundreds of adoption grants, thousands of prenatal care packages, or hundreds of NICU days for vulnerable newborns fighting to live.

I understand that in a modern economy it is often impossible to completely avoid using certain companies or services—but investing is different. Investing is voluntary. It is ownership. And Christians, called to be prudent stewards, should thoughtfully consider not just what grows our portfolios, but what our capital quietly endorses. Where we choose to invest shapes the world we are helping to build.

Investing wisely is hard enough. Investing wisely and in alignment with your values? That's harder still.

For most people today, the default answer to portfolio management is index funds—and there's a lot to like about them. They're low-cost, diversified, and they free you from trying to outsmart the market. But here's the trade-off: when you buy an index, you buy everything in it. The companies curing diseases and the ones profiting from addiction. The firms treating workers fairly and the ones cutting corners. You get the whole basket, for better and for worse.

As Christians, we're called to be faithful stewards of what we've been given. That doesn't mean we need perfect portfolios—such a thing doesn't exist this side of eternity. But it does mean being intentional, asking hard questions, and refusing to simply go along with the crowd because it's easier.

That's what I hope this newsletter helps you do: invest with wisdom, discernment, and conviction. Not perfectly, but thoughtfully. Not anxiously, but with the peace that comes from aligning your money with your values.

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