Quick Thought: Should Churches Get BP Payouts

Matthew Paul Turner pointed us to a MSNBC story about a Louisiana church who applied for a cash payout from BP over of the loss of tithing because of the Gulf Coast oil spill.  Pastor Dan Crown or Anchor Assembly of God is asking for $50,000.

The article said:

Shrimpers and oystermen left jobless by the oil spill in this seafood town can barely afford to feed their families and pay their boat loans, much less give money to their church, Brown said. Giving and tithing is down by $12,000 over the last few weeks, he said, and the oil spill will cost another $38,000 in lost revenues over the next year, making up the total of the church's claim.

‘You can't tithe what you don't have,’ said Brown, whose congregation operates a food bank and gives away bread each Sunday to help struggling families. ‘We're fighting for our lives just like a business.’

So should churches like this one get BP payouts?  I say no.  Just like I believe Christians shouldn’t be sue happy and file petty law suits, I don’t think coastal churches should ask for payouts.  In a lot of ways it’s sort of like a lawsuit without having to hire a lawyer.  I think the church in this article would be far better off continuing their efforts in reaching out and helping their struggling community without asking for anything in return.  And here comes a truthful cliché -- I think they’d also be better off turning to God and trusting Him to provide instead of depending on BP.

What do you think?