Tainted Money

I re-read an article written by Robert Wood Lynn titled: “The Ethics of Asking.” Mr. Lynn broaches the topic of receiving tainted money. The term tainted money originated back in 1905, when John D. Rockefeller, an oil billionaire, gave $100,000 to the Congregational Foreign Missions. This gift raised a red flag for Rev. Washington Gladden, a Congregational pastor, who had written extensively about the ethics of accepting money from questionable sources. Rev. Gladden’s concern was focused on gifts that were made public, thus connecting the gift with giver. Keeping this premise in mind, Mr. Lynn posed the following questions for churches and religious organizations. 

           • Who are our givers?

           • What is their history?

           • Are their beliefs and actions compatible with the commitments of the church?

           • Would their gift strengthen or diminish the integrity of the church?

           • Is every gift acceptable?

           • Where do we draw the line?

           • Or is there a line?

The concept of tainted money has not gone away. From time-to-time church members ask questions like: “Will the church accept a large gift that came from a lottery ticket?” Are gifts of stocks from tobacco, alcohol, firearms, or fossil fuel companies acceptable? What if those stocks are immediately sold? If I am a lifelong member of the church and I inherited $100,000 in Smith & Wesson stock, would the church accept it as a gift? What if the company stock was Home Depot, but the donor was an unpopular public figure? 

Lastly, can tainted money be blessed and consecrated – made holy for the work of the church? Perhaps the reason why many church liturgies begin with confession and assurance of pardon is that the giver needs a clean heart to make an acceptable offering of themselves and their tithes to God.

For Rev. Gladden, how the church asks for, and receives gifts is a public witness about wealth and money. Robert Wood Lynn adds, “The story about ‘tainted money’ is finally not about gifts from the super-rich. This is a tale about churches’ ongoing struggle for integrity. It is a story worth remembering.”