Life and Money with Phil Lenahan © – www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com
General Article for Month
Boycotts and Responsible Spending
A year ago, Starbucks made headlines when Kalen Holmes, its Executive Vice President
for Partner Resources, issued a statement that read in part: “Starbucks is proud to join other
leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing
marriage equality for same-sex couples…This important legislation is aligned with
Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is
core to who we are and what we value as a company.”
A few months later at the company’s 2012 annual shareholder meeting, Howard Schulz,
the company’s founder, chairman, and CEO respectfully defended its support of same-sex
marriage as a core value. Fast forward to the 2013 annual shareholders meeting. Schulz
was asked whether it was wise for the company to be so public in its support of same sex
marriage, given that many shareholders and customers believe in traditional marriage, and
that the stance had triggered a boycott by the National Organization for Marriage. This
time, Schulz was more aggressive, telling the shareholder: “If you feel, respectfully, that
you can get a higher return than the 38 percent you got last year, it’s a free country. You
can sell your shares of Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very
much.”
How are we to respond when a company takes actions contrary to our faith, especially as
aggressively as Starbucks has? When it comes to marriage, the Church’s teaching is clear:
“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a
partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and
the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has
been raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament (CCC 1601).”
We are called “to do what is good and avoid what is evil,” (CCC 1706) in this case
supporting traditional marriage and avoiding the support of same-sex marriage. While we
wish we could avoid all evil, we are a sinful people, and that sin permeates the culture. It’s
unreasonable to think we can completely separate ourselves from the evil around us,
especially in an economy as complex as ours.
This gets us to the issue of cooperation: both formal and material. Formal cooperation is
when we help in some way and share the goal of the person or organization we are helping.
Formal cooperation with evil is never allowed. Material cooperation is when we help a
person or organization, but do not share their goals. The principle of material cooperation
recognizes what has been described above: that it can be virtually impossible to completely
separate ourselves from participating in the sinful actions of others.
This brings us back to the example of Starbucks. If you believe in traditional marriage, you
wouldn’t be formally cooperating with Starbucks’ goal of promoting homosexual marriage
when you buy a cup of coffee from them; however you would be cooperating materially.
How do you decide whether it is acceptable to materially cooperate with Starbucks? Here
are a few points to consider:
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Is the issue of a serious nature? In this case, the answer is clearly yes. That should
prompt us to avoid participating if it’s reasonable to do so.
What level of commitment is the company making? A $5,000 annual donation
toward the cause of homosexual marriage from an organization with $12 billion in
annual revenues represents a modest level of involvement. Saying that homosexual
marriage is a core value of the company and supporting legislation promoting
same-sex marriage raises the bar substantially.
To what extent do you need the product or service the company provides? I’ll leave
the coffee question up to you!
Are there good alternative sources for the product or service of the company? In
this case, there are several, including Mystic Monk coffee from the Carmelite
Monks in Wyoming.
God love you!
May 5
Life and Money with Phil Lenahan © – www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com
Pope Francis speaking to representatives of different religions: “Before all else we need to
keep alive in our world the thirst for the absolute, and to counter the dominance of a onedimensional vision which reduces human beings to what they produce and to what they
consume: this is one of the most insidious temptations of our time.”
May 12
Life and Money with Phil Lenahan © – www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com
Work should be viewed through the lens of being a steward of Providence: “Human work
proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work
of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another. Hence work is a duty: “If
any one will not work, let him not eat.” Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the talents
received from him. I can also be redemptive” (CCC 2427).
May 19
Life and Money with Phil Lenahan © – www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com
In today’s second reading, St. Paul writes: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but
the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different
workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (1 Cor 12:4-7). A steward of
providence understands the gifts the Lord has given him, grows them, and uses them with and for - others.
May 26
Life and Money with Phil Lenahan © – www.VeritasFinancialMinistries.com
Proverbs 13:11 says: “Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but he who gathers little by little
will increase it.” Are you building savings into your annual cash flow plan that can grow in
order to meet future obligations? These are called “Reserve” funds and are the smart way
to save for retirement, college, a new car, etc.