Sorry to ask this but I did not see the Sentinel article and am curious as to how this story broke. I had read some things on this forum a while back about this issue and wondered if there was any thing to it. I think just mentioning 'State Ethics Commission hearing' and the 'local church' in the same breath whether the allegations are true or not is somewhat disappointing. At the moment, is this a done deal that this hearing will take place?

For any who are members of churches who read this forum and know for a fact that their church was involved in financing the 'No' vote, I would encourage them to press their own church's and assocation's leadership to come clean with all financial records pertaining to this matter. In my mind if their's nothing to hide and everything is on the up and up then why not. I think that most people can stomach and would display some modicum of compassion for those, if any, who came forward before this hearing and made a public statement that they acted unethically. Most in the human race can live with people who step forward and humbly acknowledge where they have screwed up. I also hear it's great to do that with your kids. Those churches/associations involved financially SHOULD NOT wait for this hearing to take place and SHOULD instead lay all the cards out on the table as an act of good faith immediately. I would like to think that the community of Fannin county could come together in a reasonable and civil fashion and deal with this head on without a state organization having to come in and do any hand holding. The local church should 'man up' as the kids would say and take the lead and to do the right thing and make their own records/knowledge available to any. I will say again to the local church that the world is not interested in following a people who think or portray to have it all together. Rather the world in general is looking intentionally and/or unintentionally to discover true meaning and purpose and to live in a community with others who exemplify attributes of love, authenticity, honesty and kindness that flow out of an intimate friendship with Christ. Again, I encourage the local church to not throw the fig leaf over themselves as Adam did but to bring everything about this matter out into the light.

I saw Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church in southern CA., on a news program a few weeks ago and the commentator was attempting to pin him down on who he would be supporting in the '08 presidential election. I can't remember his exact response but more or less he offered up a view in which he felt like we would be talking about these same issues 20 years from now. The answers to life's problems are oftentimes not going to be found in any level of government. The government at times is great in dealing with symptomatic problems and doesn't get to the heart of the problem. I hope I have been relatively accurate in communicating his thoughts. I do concur with his take and have commented similar thoughts in one of my posts about this Fannin alcohol issue.

I guess until we some hard evidence either way, the jury's still out.....

Peace

Ben