JPMorgan Chase Under Attack for “De-Banking” Christian Groups
As the ideological divide continues to widen in the United States, the nation’s largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, finds itself in the crosshairs of a campaign led by Republican state officials. Accusing the bank of religious discrimination, these officials claim that JPMorgan Chase has denied banking services to customers based on their political or religious affiliations. The clash between the conservative values upheld by these officials and the inclusive stance proclaimed by the bank raises crucial questions about the role of corporations in a polarized society.
Nineteen Republican state attorneys general penned a letter to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, pointing out what they see as a “pattern of discrimination” within the bank’s business practices.
“We call on [JPMorgan] Chase to stop its religious and politically biased discrimination and start living up to its commitment to an inclusive society where everyone feels welcomed, equal, and included,” wrote Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
They alleged that JPMorgan Chase terminated client accounts due to religious beliefs, a claim that the bank vehemently denies. The attorneys general demanded that the bank respond to detailed survey questions related to conservative concerns, such as free speech and religious rights.
The accusations highlight the complex challenge faced by businesses in a country marked by deep ideological divisions. As partisan politics increasingly dominate the national stage, states have taken matters into their own hands, aligning themselves along opposite sides of contentious issues such as environmental regulations, abortion rights, gun laws, and diversity and inclusion. Corporations, accustomed to operating seamlessly across state lines, now find themselves caught in the middle.
Conservative advocates argue that corporations prioritize issues like gay rights and reproductive health access over the freedom of individuals to express their opposition based on faith. The letters and emails sent to JPMorgan Chase echo this sentiment, claiming that the bank suspended the accounts of several conservative, faith-based organizations due to religious reasons.
JPMorgan Chase, however, firmly refutes these allegations, maintaining that it has never terminated a client relationship based on political or religious affiliation. “We have never and would never exit a client relationship due to their political or religious affiliation,” a spokesperson said in a statement. The bank points out that it serves 50,000 accounts with religious affiliations. Nonetheless, the Republican officials demand public clarification from the bank on a range of issues central to conservative causes, using a new tool called the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index. This index measures corporate respect for free speech and religious freedom, providing investors with a means to evaluate companies accordingly.
The clash between JPMorgan Chase and the Republican officials underscores the widening divide in American society. While JPMorgan Chase celebrates its high scores in surveys conducted by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, it declined to participate in the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index survey, citing a lack of alignment with the bank’s diversity initiatives. This discrepancy highlights the challenge of balancing diverse perspectives and values within a single institution.
As the pressure mounts on JPMorgan Chase, the battle for inclusivity and respect for diverse viewpoints continues to intensify. The upcoming annual shareholders meeting serves as a crucial moment for the bank to address the allegations and demonstrate its commitment to an inclusive society that values equality and respect for all. In this era of ideological strife, the role of corporations in upholding fundamental American values becomes increasingly scrutinized. The outcome of this clash will undoubtedly shape the future landscape of business practices and societal harmony.
Great story he said with a sarcastic tone…..
It’s not groups, it’s one group. It’s not Christian, it’s numerous religions. Besides that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
It is a PAC that lobbies religion in government, a job that would have the founders a turning in their graves.
And yes, the bank needs to respond as to why this happened as their own policy is to not distinguish on these characteristics. A spokesperson for JPMorgan said: “We do not close accounts due to religious or political affiliations, and did not in these cases.”
But is it cause celeb requiring 19 State’s Attorneys to sign on? Not if you believe in the Constitution and that we are a secular nation. Matter of fact, we are the first secular nations that specifies the separation of Church and State. This group advocates against that; they make their money for advocating against Church and State separation.
Amazingly, they are all Red States. The organization is the National Committee for Religious Freedom, a religious PAC formed less than 2 years ago that pushes something called the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index, which is anything but, for which JPMorgan Chase got a 15% last year. JP Morgan did not participate in the Index. Disney did not participate and got a 5%. The Index is less than 2 years old too and knocks anyone who favors the diversity that Red States don’t. Go figure.
The INDEX methodology is here: file:///C:/Users/james/Downloads/Business-Index-Methodology.pdf Now that’s funny. It was basically engineered by the leaders of the ADF. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), founded 30 years ago as the Alliance Defense Fund, is an ultra-conservative Christian legal advocacy 529 that try to expand hard-right Christian policy and practices in our government and our public schools attempting to ban all abortions while ending all basic human rights for the LGBTQ community.
It’s the same wolf in a different sheep’s clothing. We are a secular nation and religion and politics should not mix. Separation of church and state my friends.
But I really did like the play. Just found the story to fall short of the truth.
Ye, separation of Church and State means no discrimination against religions, right? And of course they were Red states, since the Democrat party has become the party of militant atheists (which by the way is also a religion).
Of course not. Separation means exactly that.
No discrimination is a Constitutional Right has has nothing to do with religious beliefs and everything to do with belief in all humans created equal under our law.
Thus your comment on atheists, although not true, is a nonsensical red herring. Not sure atheism has been adjudicated as a religion but it is in the courts definition so OK.
The red state amazing fact was nothing more than that. Read into it what you will.
I would be more concerned with PACs in general, from any bent, established primarily to make a buck by incentivizing issues for money —- both sides. That’s my takeaway. If I was a younger man. this might be my career and who knows, I might even care a bit about the issue.
You look, I bet this guy is a factory turning this crap out.
Private persons or groups who lobby for fundamentalist Christian (or some other religion) rule ARE NOT BREAKING ANY LAW. Neither are people who lobby for a law declaring the earth is flat, as far as that goes. So that is NO justification for a business, esp. one as basic as a bank (that’s on the order of a grocery store or pharmacy, not something you want to be locked out of!) disassociating itself from customers.
Inclusive means including those one has peaceful/lawful disagreement with, or believes a noisy segment of the populace disapproves of. It cuts both ways, if you include the left’s favored causes, you have to include the social conservative’s causes, even if they kind of want to be a bit authoritarian about them – the left does too, if you take a closer look; they want every group that they support (or all its left-loyal members, anyway) to be mainstreamed by mass indoctrination rather than by EARNING it with value offered.
Mr Hamilton: every time I hear religion and politics in the same sentence, I cringe. Just because it’s legal does not make it right. And something is truly not right with a PAC lobbying government on behalf of their religion. And look to the website. The many “religious” aspects they are interested in: perhaps do unto others as you would have other do unto you? kindness to the poor and needy? seven deadly sins?
No, two of their top projects are anti-lgbtq and anti-abortion.
Yup, we need to get those GAYS and have more rape n incest babies…… Where’s the religious freedom in any of that?
Who, paying any attention, thinks JPMorgan is NOT ONE OF THE WOKE BUSINESSES? The religion (or none) of its customers is NO BUSINESS of JPMorgan, NONE. It has nothing to do with banking, NOTHING! The leadership of JPMorgan is a bunch of WOKE FOOLS. Let them pay the same price that Anheuser Busch is paying! They’ve earned it!
Don,
I’m proud to be a hippie from New Jersey. We’re friendly to all the Reds n Blues. We give a hand to strangers if they’re haggard. I really just can’t think of many groups to hate. I don’t toss my trash on the highway. I don’t slight a man because he’s black. We don’t spill our oil in the ocean. Cuz I believe global warming is our fate,.
But I am not a pussy and I’m packing. So this WOKE FOOL will not just accept as truth your hyperbole and hot air.
You say JPMorgan is a bunch of WOKE FOOLS. Prove it mudder fudder. All I see is some schmuck saying his account got cancelled; where’s the beef? Kentucky, WV, and other Red-neck states been hunting Chase, CITI, Blackrock, BlackRock, Inc., BNP Paribas SA, Climate First Bank, Dankse Bank A/S, HSBC PLC, Nordea Bank ABP, Schroders PLC, Svenska Handelsbanken AB, and Swedbank AB since 2022 over their actions on oil producers which, in many cases, are unproven. WV’s case is extremely bogus targeting an green index that holds few assets. Now someone got a check cancelled and they are off to the CULTURE WARS again.
If rumors and inuendo could kill, they probably will in Culture Wars without facts where sheep blindly act. So, SHOW ME Don.
WV added Goldman Sachs over this phony “coal boycott” scam. I pretty much debunked the actual numbers on that; there is no threat as WV imagines. It’s bogus hyperbole. Texas put ten companies on notice last year too, same bullshit.
It’s all the same. They pick a devil, call them out, and demand they prove they are not the devil. They have no proof yet demand the devil prove he’s not. They whip you up, take your money, show you funny games, find a new devil and do the same.
So DON, YOU GOT MY ATTENTION and I don’t know what you mean because all you have shown us is HOT AIR.. SHOW ME THE BEEF (or oil boycott in this case)
IMO, it’ appropriate to vote with your wallet. I find your culture wars silly. But at least have the balls to back up the crap you spew. I get there was an ad, it had a trans, and now you are scarred if you drink BUD that you will put a dress and lipstick on.
And then they accuse Chase of not complying with their Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index, which supposedly measures a company’s respect for “freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief as a standard part of doing business,” This is the biggest piece of shit study I have ever seen. These folks are about as diverse as Wonder Bread.
It would be a total joke except for the poor folks in the bottling works that get hurt because you need a devil to attack because you are frustrated with your life and need to take it out by putting pain in a stranger.
In a funny twist of fate, Texas, a leading boycotter of these green companies that promote diversity, supposedly that is, is the LEADING state in renewal energy projects. IRONIC ain’t it.
https://www.houston.org/news/texas-still-top-renewable-power-generation#:~:text=For%20the%20second%20year%20in,adding%20battery%20storage%20in%202023.
While Texas mega-brain legislators look to kill this to garner political petro bucks, it turns out that the Texas sun and ease of plopping anything anywhere zoning laws and business regulations, or lack thereof, gives them an economic advantage for leveraging the IRA. One of the biggest suppliers of Texas renewable energy is Shell Oil. IRONIC ain’t it.
Texas is beating California, hands down, two years running.
Folks: facts are our friends, try it sometime Kentucky, West Virginia and you other bible-thumping, abortion hating, rape baby lovin, incest babies r us, LGBTQ hatin states. Texas will gladly sell it’s solar power to other states if you don’t want what you make.
SC goes to six weeks on abortion —- why bother? Might as well just say no.
Trump goes to video court, turns off mic, shakes fists, grimaces, and fumes. Rumor has it the soundtrack was “Ahh, but the strawberries that’s… that’s where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with… geometric logic… that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox DID exist, and I’d have produced that key if they hadn’t of pulled the Caine out of action.”
DeSantis refuses to come of out the closet and announces his candidacy by audio podcast on his lover’s channel, silver spooned Mush.
Life goes on…….
You are confusing with climate change, the religion, vs renewable energy, the business. The rest of your comment seems to be gibberish, must be a vodka day…