Shell and the sin of corporate greed

Christians are called to help those in need whenever we can, says Jonty Langley. Supporting structures and systems that turn vast profit at the expense of the most vulnerable is the opposite of that

Sin is a funny thing.

Not ‘funny ha-ha’, but funny as in we’re-wildly-selective-talking-about-it. And the unfunniness of sin was more evident than usual last week, as we learned that oil and gas giant Shell made profits of $40bn (£32bn) last year. Because profits like those, when countless Britons are having to choose between heating and eating, as food bank use soars and average households face untenable energy bills, are sinful.