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religious Archives – Concerned Women for America

The ABCs of “ESG”

By | ESG, LBB, News and Events | No Comments

You have either heard of it, or you will, but the radical ideology known as “ESG” is harming you.

 

ESG stands for “Environmental, Social, and Governance.” It is a set of standards used to measure, at its core, a company’s “wokeness.” The more woke a company is—think Green New Deal policies, abortion travel policies, and diversity quotas—the better its “ESG score,”  and the more access the company attains for capital, credit, and other financial perks.

 

The economic pressure is real. Companies are increasingly changing internal policies to meet these leftist standards, and the impact is all around us. Here are the top three areas of concern:

 

Asset Management: Many companies offer investment portfolios that are ESG-friendly to bolster businesses that are sufficiently woke. And it does not stop with private companies. The Biden Department of Labor, for example, is encouraging fiduciaries for retirement plans and pensions “to consider climate change and other environmental, social, and governance factors when they select retirement investments and exercise shareholder rights, such as proxy voting.” Without even knowing it, shareholders who are not careful support woke companies that hate their values and punish the companies that they support. It is no matter that ESG-focused investments have many times resulted in a worse economic return for shareholders. Nor are financial firms very concerned about enforcing ESG in China as long as the investment there is profitable.

 

Banking: Poorly scored companies risk experiencing reduced or eliminated access to capital and credit. If your bank fully embraces the ESG model and you want a loan, it will look at your business not only for its pecuniary value but also for its alignment with ESG. Your business may be a “bad” investment, no matter how well it does financially. Does your business provide abortion coverage? Does it support LGBTQ+ causes? Does your business align with the Black Lives Matter idea of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI)? Unless there are abortion travel policies or race quotas, expect low marks. An ESG-controlled economy means capital withheld from profitmaking business activity and capital funneled to underperforming business activity. Left unchecked, the end result is that all American companies—including Main Street small businesses—are weak and woke.

 

Consumers: ESG reinforces corporate “wokeism.” The consequence is a culture that devalues the unborn, commodifies women and sex, harms children through indoctrination, etc., and also punishes any consumer who does not show allegiance to this radical, leftist ideology.

 

What can be done? Put the pressure back on the financial institutions rather than the other way around. We support states that are fighting back by barring state pension funds from considering ESG factors in investment decisions. If you are a shareholder, pay attention to your vote. If you have a relationship with your bank, learn their views on ESG. And if you are a consumer, as best you can, pursue alternative options to woke companies.

 

SBA Administrator Withholds the Truth on Funding to Planned Parenthood

By | Legislative Updates, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has obstructed proper Congressional oversight of the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through its refusal to share information on over $90 million in total loans to Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA).

At a recent Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing, Ranking Member Rand Paul demanded answers on the unlawful distribution of funds to PPFA affiliates deemed ineligible for the aid program. SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman dodged the inquiry, failing to recognize the critical need for transparency on the use of precious taxpayer dollars. Under her leadership, the SBA approved at least $17.6 million in additional loans to PPFA, including a maxed-out $10 million loan to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York just before the program exhausted funds in early May 2021. This despite ongoing inquiries regarding $80 million in aid yet to be returned by 38 affiliates. Paul underscored the role of the Hyde Amendment to prevent federal money from going to abortions, thus preserving Americans’ conscience protection rights.

The SBA’s failure to enforce the rules against Planned Parenthood sends a clear message. This Administration will stop at nothing to protect the abortion industry’s survival, even at the expense of our nation’s small, main street businesses who are truly in need.

We stand behind the efforts of Sen. Rand Paul and others to uncover the truth and hold bad actors accountable. Our leaders must not stop until funds are returned, necessary legal action is taken, and the proper controls are instituted to prevent such a scandal from occurring again.

View the full exchange: Dr. Rand Paul Questions SBA Administrator Guzman on Planned Parenthood PPP Loans – May 26, 2021

Gov. Nathan Deal’s Georgia: “Pastors, Turn Over Your Sermon Notes.”

By | Georgia | No Comments

The witch hunt against people of faith in Georgia is on the rise. Remember Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran? He was fired by the City of Atlanta for writing a book on the Biblical view of marriage on his own time (read here, here, and here). In 2014, Dr. Eric Walsh accepted a job in Georgia as a district health director with the Georgia Department of Public Health (GPH). However, within a week of being hired, the GPH abruptly fired Dr. Walsh for his religious beliefs (read here and here).

You see, not only is Dr. Walsh a public health expert; he is also a lay minister. According to First Liberty Institute, who filed an anti-discrimination lawsuit in 2014 against the State of Georgia on behalf of Dr. Walsh, shortly after hiring Walsh, “state officials requested copies of his sermons and searched online for others. His sermon topics included following Christ, having compassion on the poor, health, marriage, sexuality, world religions, science, creationism, and more.”  Dr. Walsh was not fired for anything he said or did at work. Dr. Walsh was fired because of what he said outside of work. 

Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty, said: “If the government is allowed to fire someone over what he said in his sermons, then they can come after any of us for our beliefs on anything. We must ensure every American has the right to talk about their faith at church without getting fired or being barred from public service.” Read First Liberty Institute’s background on the case here.

Fast forward to today.  CWA of Georgia State Director Tanya Ditty attended a press conference (read CWA press release) yesterday at the Georgia State Capitol and listened as First Liberty Institute release this chilling information in their ongoing lawsuit against the State of Georgia, “the State of Georgia served a Request for Production of Documents on Dr. Walsh, which requires Dr. Walsh to surrender copies of all his sermon notes and transcripts.”  In this blatant government overreach by the State Attorney General’s office, the State gave no date limit or specific sermon topic to this request. What this means is that Dr. Walsh must turn over any and all sermon notes, whether written or typed, with no specific time period given. Any notes in Dr. Walsh’s Bible(s), journals, PowerPoint presentations, or even scribbled on a notepad is fair game for the Attorney General’s office.

This should concern all Georgians!  No one in Georgia should be fired from their job over their religious beliefs or over something they said in their church. Should a public school teacher lose his or her job simply because they teach a Sunday school class?  Should employees who work at the State Capitol be fired because they choose to lead a Bible study in their own home? Should an employee with the Department of Juvenile Justice be fired because they work with at-risk youth through a church-sponsored program? Should a receptionist at any state agency be fired for teaching ESL at their church?  According to the State of Georgia, yes they can.

Take Action Today!
Contact Gov. Nathan Deal and urge him to do the following:

  1. Take whatever action is necessary to settle Dr. Walsh’s case.
  2. Instruct the Attorney General not to demand sermon notes.

Phone: 404-656-1776 | Online contact form

Contact the State Attorney General’s Office and urge the Attorney General to withdraw the “Request for Production of Documents” that demands sermons and sermon notes.
Phone: 404-656-3300 | Email

Pray that Gov. Deal and the Attorney General will be God-fearing and recognize that they are accountable to Him for each decision and act. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” Proverbs 9:10.

Additional press conference articles and videos:

Jeremy Dys, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, speaks in defense of Dr. Eric Walsh at a press conference at the Georgia Capitol building. GERALD HARRIS/Index

Jeremy Dys, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, speaks in defense of Dr. Eric Walsh at a press conference at the Georgia Capitol building. GERALD HARRIS/Index

New! 2015 Legislative Wrap Up

By | Georgia | No Comments

The fast-paced 2015 Georgia legislative session came to a close at midnight on April 2. The 40-day session opened on January 12, and State Director Tanya Ditty represented your interests as a volunteer lobbyist with a physical presence at the State Capitol throughout the entire legislative session.

Concerned Women for America’s seven core issues are: Sanctity of Life, Defense of Family, Education, Religious Liberty, National Sovereignty, Sexual Exploitation, and Support for Israel. Legislation this session encompassed several of these core issues. On-the-ground lobbying efforts combined with grassroots prayer and action gets results! Without calls and e-mails from CWA members and friends, successes would have been more difficult to achieve.

New this year! CWA of Georgia is now scoring key legislation that aligns to our core issues. In addition to our Targeted Bills List, we now provide you with a State Legislative Scorecard so you can see how your legislators are voting on bills that impact our culture. Check out CWA of Georgia’s targeted bills and scorecard.

Click here to read our legislative update.

Blessings,
Tanya Ditty
State Director