Well it looks like we're still beating the Liquor-by-the-drink horse into a pile of fur. According to the Fannin Sentinel (probably the only newspaper around these parts that will print articles about the open and closed-door policies of your local government and officials) the State Ethics Committee is going to be hosting a hearing about the voting process dealing with the past Nov 6th vote. Seems as if some of the local churches "may" be in trouble because of funds funneled into the Vote No camp could perhaps have been a breach of the "separation of church and state" protocol. I believe that it’s really sad that it has come to this. I agree with one of our previous bloggers that the communities as a whole would have been better served if the churches had stayed out of the political arena and concentrated on feeding the hungry, clothing the hungry, and caring for the sick and poor. Now I'm afraid that with the state looking into these matters the powder keg will be lit and we'll all leave the table with a bitter taste in our mouth. Politics and religion do not mix. Churches do have the answer for most people but when they stray into the political arena then things get messy.
Mike Huckabee said it best when he said, "Government knows it does not have the answer, but it's arrogant and acts as though it does. Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed." Huckabee then said,
"I'm often asked why taxes are so high and government is so big. It's because the faith we have in local churches has become so small. If we'd been doing what we should have -- giving a dime from every dollar to help the widows, the orphans and the poor -- we now wouldn't be giving nearly 50 cents of every dollar to a government that's doing ... what we should have been doing all along."

I’m afraid that the church communities have been asleep-at-the-wheel. And when it does stir itself awake instead of maintaining the core tenants of its faith it tries to use the brute "police" force of the government to enact any change. It is sad, truly sad. So this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun.

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

According to the December 13, 2007 edition of the Fannin Sentinel:

"The State Ethics Commission (SEC) in Atlanta, Georgia, has initiated an investigation based on numerous complaints made by individuals regarding the recent referendum on liquor by the drink in Fannin County. The gist of the complaints deal with the activities conducted by non-profit organizations that took a stance in defeating the referendum.".....

"The investigation centers on the non-profit, religious organizations that participated in posting "VOTE NO" yard signs, displaying advertising, billboards and other forms of communication establishing a position to influence voters to cast a vote on the referendum. It has become apparent the funding for "VOTE NO" signage and communications is at the crux of the matter."

Apparently according to the article investigation will be on the January 24, 2008 SEC meeting agenda.

Now according to the December 20, 2007 edition of the Fannin Sentinel the State has reprimanded the Fannin County Board of Elections with 4 violations in regards to the 2006 Commissioner Election.