for 31 OCT 07: PAY BEFORE YOU PRAY

The "One Community, One God, One Christ" conference begins tonight at the Columbus Civic Center. With a name like that, you wonder why it's being held over two nights.

The two-night revival at the Columbus Civic Center features two big names in TV ministry. Bishop Eddie Long has developed a megachurch in suburban Atlanta over the last 15 years. It was big enough to hold Coretta Scott King's funeral service - but yet not big enough that he's become an archbishop.

The other big name at the Civic Center tonight is Tampa-area television preacher Paula White. She's gained national attention through the TBN cable channel - and she's done it without wearing nearly as much makeup as Jan Crouch.

Have you seen the TV commercial for this two-night conference? One of the speakers is a pastor named Greg Sutton - and all you hear him say in the ad is: "I am.... (dramatic pause) BACK!!!!" If you didn't know better, you might think he's a deranged character on "Prison Break."

It's Halloween, I'm quite against keeping Halloween, and there's a Christian alternative a short walk from my home. So am I going to this conference? No, I'm not - and the reason involves money. You have to buy a ticket to get in. And for one night, it costs $47.50. I could go to four Columbus Cottonmouths games for that price - and maybe have enough money left for one small cup of popcorn.

Am I the only one who's a little suspicious about ministers charging an entry fee to hear them preach? Especially when the cost is more than 45 dollars? And unlike the RiverCenter, they're not even bringing local chefs to prepare dinner -- not even loaves and fishes.

It's awfully tempting to compare this Columbus conference to what another TV preacher is doing. Joyce Meyer appears in Gwinnett County Thursday amd Friday -- and her web site says admission to her meetings is free. Of course, they're likely to "pass the plate" for an offering at some point. These days for big ministries, plates are out - and plastic buckets are in.

(Joyce Meyer also is likely to raise money from the "resource tables" at the Gwinnett Center. People can buy her books or CD's. But it's probably a BYOB event - you know, bring your own Bible.)

But Joyce Meyer seems far closer to the Biblical approach for a preaching tour, than what Eddie Long and Paula White are doing. People in the audience are free to give whatever they wish, or even give nothing. From what I've read, Jesus never asked His listeners for money. The Jehovah's Witnesses who knock on my door sometimes actually follow that example.

Along these lines, we shouldn't overlook what one Columbus church did Tuesday night. Greater Shady Grove Baptist Church held a one-night outdoor revival, at the Chase Homes public housing complex on First Avenue. Those residents aren't likely to afford a big donation to the ministers. And those who did might come under a police investigation....

So thanks for coming, Bishop Long and Pastor White. I agree with "One Community, One God, One Christ" -- but you make it come with one really steep price tag.

E-MAIL UPDATE: We heard from several of you Tuesday about Rep. Richard Smith's water proposals. One reader takes him on point by point, and with a new name....

My response to His Royal Communist Richard Smith

These are some of the solutions I feel require immediate attention. First, we need to require all counties in urban areas(MSA'S) to prohibit septic tanks on parcels of land less than a three (3) acres (New construction). My justification is as follows, WATER THAT ENTERS A SEPTIC TANK WILL NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE RIVER IN OUR LIFETIME.That is a dubious claim- especially since aquifers lead back to where????

Second, REQUIRE all counties in urban areas to convert septic tank systems to an integrated sewer system in the next five (5) years. Failure to do so would result in a strict penalty ,such as, moratorium on new water connection permits for that community.Why should the state have control of construction, commerce, and normal living? Why should the state have the ability to usurp local controls in all areas of life?

Third, REQUIRE all new construction in urban areas that exceeds one (1) residence per three (3) acres shall be on an integrated sewer system. Who will pay for that?

Fourth, REQUIRE all communities to return a minimum of 75% of the water they withdraw back to their source. This requirement should be mandated to be in effect within five (5) years. Failure to do so would result in a moratorium on new water connection permits.This sounds a lot like Mr. Smith needs to go back to counting trees for a living. He is obviously living under some sort of Napoleonic complex in which he thinks Georgians will relinquish all rights to his delusions of grandeur. The state cannot seize the power of the local municipalities.

Fifth, place a moratorium on septic tank permits in urban areas the moment a urban area is declared to be in an 'Exceptional Drought' status. What ifs don't work- planning ahead does.

Sixth, REQUIRE communities to identify infrastructure failure and to correct the problem.IS he planning a punishment for infractions?

Seventh, put in place a 1% sales tax to help communities reach this goal and to fund the Statewide Water Management Plan.It will be a cold day before he gets that. He needs to become a good HONEST democrat .

Eight, new reservoirs are a necessity. Plus we need to look at desalination.Mr. Smith's #8 should be #1. We need new reservoirs- about 8 of them and we need desalinization not state controlled commerce. The world Mr. Smith lives in has no place in AMERICA- land of the free. Mr. Smith needs to retire and live on the proceeds of his imagination elsewhere.

Mr. Smiths's normal short sighted and opportunistic power hungry megalomania needs to be vanquished at the polls the next opportunity. He needs to stop trying to make America into a communist state. He who controls the water controls all life. Mr. Smith would have the state in control of water, in control of business, raising taxes, and doling out punishment for imagined infractions that are actually God given rights of life. Mr. Smith needs to join the rest of the world in the real AMERICA, where we have federal, state and municipal authorities, not Small Bodies conquering the legislature with power grabs at our Constitution.

Yeow - Richard Smith is a Communist?! I mean, just because he was unopposed in the last election....

I'm no engineer, so I can't address the pros and cons of septic tanks compared with sewer lines. But Richard Smith's statement admittedly made me wonder if he gets campaign donations from the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union.

Richard Smith's one-percent sales tax for water management goes against the flow (pun) of what Georgia state officials have been proposing for 2008. Some want to get rid of all property taxes - which in effect would prove global warming is happening, because the Columbus tax freeze would melt away.

But I would ask a question of this critic - doesn't the state of Georgia control water and commerce to a great extent already? The fountains are shut off across Columbus because of rules from the state Environmental Protection Division. And the Kia plant was announced before West Point gave away the secret, by purchasing plenty of homes.

Columbus Water Works officials suggested Tuesday they may ask the state to exempt Muscogee County from "stage four" conservation rules. Robert Tant told WRBL Columbus returns a lot of water to the Chattahoochee River, related to all the city uses. I didn't know that many people let their garden hoses run for hours....

Another reader looks at Richard Smith's eight-point plan this way:

Maybe I am missing the point but what is God going to do with a tax increase? Give it to the Corps of Engineers so that they will stop letting the water go? Use it to get the mussels out of Florida and move them?? We don't need a tax increase for a water shortage, we have to plan better. And now that we are in this situation I think it is alittle late to buy our way out of it.

Maybe the sales tax money will help the Army Corps of Engineers buy a new ruler - because if I remember correctly, their faulty measurements led to all that water going down the Chattahoochee River.

Speaking of which: the Army Corps of Engineers made a surprising announcement about Lake Lanier Tuesday. Tests of several small pools show the lake doesn't have a mere 80 days of water left - it has 280 days. Maybe the state needs to send construction crews to West Point Lake, and bore some holes in the bottom to find gushers.

Meanwhile, WRBL reported Tuesday that the Phenix City Council voted to enter a merger of water systems with Fort Mitchell and Russell County. Maybe now the historic buildings at Fort Mitchell will have running water....

Now let's see what else had people talking Tuesday, as they chomped on those free Taco Bell tacos:

+ The evening news revealed Columbus State University's Davidson Center was the place where a noose was hung for a Halloween display. Some students considered it inappropriate - which makes you wonder how many pre-med students oppose all the pictures of Halloween skeletons.

+ Federal immigration agents told WXTX "News at Ten" they arrested 30 suspected illegal workers, at the site of the new National Infantry Museum. I know South Korea's government made a big donation to this project, but I didn't think there were strings attached....

+ A Johns Hopkins University study indicated Russell County High School is a "dropout factory." That label was put on any high school where less than 60 percent of the freshman are still around for their senior year. If the teenage workforce is that big, shouldn't there be "4 Pizza Pirates" shops all over Phenix
City?

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