An Interesting Compromise

The Washington Post is reporting today on an interesting potential compromise concerning the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:

A last-minute deal to secure the vote of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) on a $2.8 trillion budget plan has given new life to the Republican drive to open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

The budget blueprint for fiscal 2007, which will begin in October, includes a $10 billion Gulf Coast restoration fund that would be financed from the leasing of arctic refuge drilling rights, revenue from new drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico and further sales of the broadcast spectrum. With that provision in hand, Landrieu cast the only Democratic vote for the budget resolution, which squeaked through Thursday night, 51 to 49.

“It’s not easy being alone on anything. I don’t relish this position,” Landrieu said. “But, at times, it’s necessary.”

Republicans, who have been trying to open up the refuge for well over a decade, hope that by explicitly linking oil drilling to Gulf Coast restoration, they can prompt some Democrats to drop their opposition. Under the Senate plan, the funds from oil leases could be used for coastal restoration projects in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama that have long been sought by environmentalists. The fund could also be tapped to rebuild levees damaged last year by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

(Posted by Trask)

Financial Scandal in Orthodox Church

The Washington Post has an article today on a financial scandal in the Orthodox Church. 

Facing allegations of financial mismanagement, the Orthodox Church in America has fired its longtime chancellor and brought in an independent law firm to conduct a full investigation, church officials said yesterday. The 400,000-member denomination, an offshoot of the Russian Orthodox Church, has been in turmoil since its former treasurer alleged in October that top officials diverted millions of dollars in donations.

The church can have no mercy when dealing with Christians who use the church to swindle people out of their money. Nothing brings faster disrepute on the church as a whole than such amazing hypocrisy among its leaders. Paul was correct when he said “you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are . . . swindlers. With such persons do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13) It is also critical that Christian organizations build the trust of those who give to the church by taking precautionary measures like being part of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

(Posted by Trask)