[From the Honorable Sen. Chuck Grassley]

“Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn have engaged in open and honest dialogue with committee staff. They have not only provided responses to every question but, in the spirit of true cooperation, also have provided information over and above what was requested.

 

“Both Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn have indicated that they are also instituting reforms without waiting for the committee to complete its review. Self-reform can be faster and more effective than government regulation and is the hallmark of my oversight of The Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian Institution, American University and the American Red Cross. These organizations are all going strong and are arguably better off than they were before. I support voluntary, independent accreditation programs like those sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and encourage these ministries to pursue similar accreditation. The most successful non-profit organizations recognize the need for transparency about their operations and accountability to their donors and the taxpaying public. They appreciate that Congress has a responsibility to review the effectiveness and fairness of tax laws for taxpayers and tax-exempt groups alike.

 

“The ministries that continue not to cooperate appear to be heeding the advice of attorneys who are not familiar with congressional oversight in general and specifically the Finance Committee’s oversight and legislative work in the area of tax-exempt organizations over the last seven years. These attorneys who aren’t part of the ministries themselves have a natural incentive to prolong the process as long as possible.“

[Yahoo]

An unforeseen and surprising beneficiary of the Economic Stimulus Plan, a plan thatGeorge Bush contends will “boost our economy and encourage job creation,” has surfaced this week. An independent market-research firm, AIMRCo (Adult Internet Market Research Company), has discovered that many websites focused on adult or erotic material have experienced an upswing in sales in the recent weeks since checks have appeared in millions of Americans’ mailboxes across the country.

According to Kirk Mishkin, Head Research Consultant for AIMRCo, “Many of the sites we surveyed have reported 20-30% growth in membership rates since mid-May when the checks were first sent out, and typically the summer is a slow period for this market.”

Read more here.

[From me]

I can’t tell you how needed the stimulus check was for our family.  It came at just the right time when we needed almost the exact amount.  I’m sure some people wasted theirs away.  We didn’t.  I guess people with a “porn” addiction find any excuse to fuel their sickness.  Is it any wonder why we have so many sexual abuse cases and failed marriages?

What do you think?

President Bush said Saturday that religious charities, partly financed with federal money, have helped reduce homelessness, found jobs for former inmates and helped combat malaria and HIV/AIDS overseas.  Your can read more about that here.  I think it is great to hear that faith based ministries are making a difference in parts of the country. That should be a given.  

Last week Cassandra and I were in Uptown Charlotte celebrating our 20th Anniversary.  I was going to get our van after dinner to pick Cassandra up.  While she was waiting on me a “homeless” man in his 20’s started a conversation with Cassandra.  You have to understand that Cassandra has a “gift” or “curse” depending on how you look at it to make people tell them their life story in a short period of time.  Anyway, this young man has a college degree but has hit hard times.  He needed $6 to stay in a “homeless shelter.” Since when did it cost to stay in a homeless shelter?  Is that typical?  We gave him a gift card to McDonalds and said it was from our church and a few dollars from us.

When a non-believer thinks of church what kind of thought comes to mind?  (I’m curious what Ask an Atheist thinks)  Do they think of large buildings?  Do they think of stained glass windows?  Do think think of lots of traffic on Sunday mornings?  Do they think of cheap signs of a churches selling BBQ, Fish Fry’s, Yard Sales, Car Washes or just plain hand outs?  I think it is sad when churches sit outside Wal-Mart begging for money or even ask Wal-Mart or Target to give them money.  If we can’t make it on tithes, then maybe God doesn’t approve of what we are doing.

Churches get “tax-free” perks that other organizations don’t receive because we are suppose to be beneficial to the community.  But are we?  Do we give back to our communities more than we take?  How sad when Wal-Mart and Chick-Fil-A are known more for giving back to our neighborhoods more than the church.  

I wonder what would happen if some of our churches closed their doors.  Would anyone notice?

What do you think? 

[From The Pew Forum]

Small business owners who have been burned by bad checks have long responded by posting a sign above their registers: “In God we trust. All others pay cash.”

Well, now there’s a related message in many churches: “In God we trust. All others can use MasterCard, Visa or American Express.”

And beginning this year, the Internal Revenue Service also has a slogan: “In God we trust. All others show receipts.”

A confluence of spiritual and secular interests is driving a change in the way religious communities raise money. On the way out is the traditional practice of church members reaching into their pockets and dropping bills and change in the collection basket on the Sabbath. On the way in are options such as automatic deductions from bank accounts and paying by credit card.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I’m all for making it easier for people to give. I just wonder if this will lead to people getting in debt?

What do you think?