FEMA to reimburse churches

There are some tough guidelines and not every church/synagogue will be eligible, but it's a controversial subject nonetheless.

When I first read this, I was against the idea simply because it appeared to create an even bigger blur between the separation of church and state.

However, when you consider that many churches depend largely upon contributions (on a monthly basis) from its parishioners, shelling out mass amounts of money without any coming in to replace it could cause many to go under. Several churchs/synagogues were ruined in LA and MI and many members of the churches/synagogues being used as shelters have lost their homes and everything in them, too. With no job to make money, how are they to continue paying their churches and/or synagogues?

So perhaps it is in this way I wouldn't mind a church/synagogue being reimbursed. For the churches who will be able to recoup these funds without FEMA's help, I think they should abstain. After all, and I can't believe I'm agreeing with him, "Volunteer labor is just that: volunteer," said the Rev. Robert E. Reccord, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. "We would never ask the government to pay for it."