The guiding principle
which Friends [Quakers] should keep in mind in making an income,
whether by work or by investment, should be the good of others and
of the community at large, and not simply of themselves or their
own family. Friends should, even at the risk of loss, strive to
be strictly honest and truthful in their dealings; should refuse
to manufacture or deal in commodities that are hurtful, and should
be vigilant against obtaining an undue profit at the cost of the
community. If Friends are investing, thought should be given, not
only to security and the rate of interest, but to the conditions
under which the income is produced and the effect which the investment
may have on the welfare of all, through social or environmental
impact, at home or elsewhere. In spending income, Friends should
consider how their actions affect society and whether such expenditure
upon themselves and their family is to the advantage of the community
as a whole. Friends should also consider whether there is a reasonable
relation between the labour expended on producing the things they
buy and the real satisfaction yielded by their use.
Christian faith and practice in the experience of the Society
of Friends
Yearly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends in Britain, 1994