It’s important to point out that Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) have more in common than not. BRI and SRI both work to align an investor’s personal beliefs with their investment decisions and place importance on the values/beliefs of the companies their investments support.
But there are also some major differences between the two types of investing. The investment decision making process is guided by personal values and ethics, but their convictions, values, and priorities are often different.
What Is Socially Responsible Investing?
Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is an investment strategy which seeks to consider financial return and a positive social benefit. Many SRI investors choose companies and funds that promote:
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Environmental Sustainability
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Social Justice/Diversity
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Peace
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Health
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Morality
What Is Biblically Responsible Investing?
Biblically-based SRI is called Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) or Faith-Based Investing. Biblically Responsible Investing considers the investor’s financial return and aligns their investment decisions with their Christian values. Some of the issues that are typically avoided in BRI funds are:
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Anti-Christian lifestyles such as abortion and pornography
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Addictive behaviors such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling
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Human rights issues such as religious persecution, terrorism, and political oppression
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Abusive practices toward God’s physical or human creations
Additionally, BRI invests in companies that positively impact their communities, the environment, and society.
The Difference between BRI and SRI
As you can see, both types of investing are focused on investing only in companies that align with the investor’s beliefs. The difference is the core of those beliefs. BRI bases its beliefs on biblical principles and desires to glorify God through investments that reflect those principles. SRI bases its beliefs on human-based ethics and morals. While some investment areas overlap, there are important areas, such as supporting abortion, where they do not.
To learn more about Envoy Financial’s Biblically Responsible Funds, reach out to one of our licensed advisors.