Okay to Buy Stock of Abortion-Supporting Companies?

It’s certainly laudable, if possible, to avoid buying stock from companies that contribute to Planned Parenthood (PP), support same-sex “marriage” and promote other intrinsic moral evils. But typically it’s not morally obligatory.

In the case of a company that donates to PP, you’d be materially supporting PP in a remote way, but not formally cooperating with them as you would if you personally made a direct contribution to PP. Formal cooperation with morally evil endeavors is never morally justified. In addition, given the misguided legal redefinition that allows for same-sex “marriages” in the United States, you will likely find boycotting businesses with any supportive connection to these “marriages” rather difficult—whether via not buying stock or making a direct purchase at their stores—because many secular businesses accommodate such relationships in their benefit plans.

Typically, material cooperation isn’t prohibited because of the remote nature of it. And it’s often very hard to avoid, e.g., paying taxes and not being able to control how your tax monies are used by the government. e.g., for “family planning” that includes contraceptives and abortions, including for Third-World countries. Also, you may end up “majoring in the minors” by becoming preoccupied with self-imposed boycotts that typically aren’t morally necessary.

Further, it’s often hard to avoid some businesses with problematic philanthropy. For example, it’s hard these days to find a grocery store that doesn’t sell condoms and possibly abortifacient contraceptives (if they have a pharmacy), whereas it’s typically easier to avoid a particular coffee shop. If you do choose to refrain from buying stock in a company because of their problematic philanthropy, charitably let the company know why you’re doing so and that you’d loved to purchase their stock if they modify their philanthropy.

For more information on the Church’s perspective on formal and material cooperation, see these two articles by Jimmy Akin, as well as a related question I answered regarding the boycotting of Google.