This is a guest post by my friend Mike Loomis. Find out more about him at his blog.

The oil spill in the gulf is horrible. Period. The ocean, wildlife, and coastline will be affected for years, maybe decades. Untold thousands are hurt, both financially and in terms of opportunities. Future plans are shattered. My heart goes out to these people, and I’m glad there is some financial assistance for them from British Petroleum.

This news story from MSNBC caught my attention yesterday. A church in Alabama has applied for $50,000 in financial disaster relief from BP. The pastor was quoted as saying, “We’re fighting for our lives just like a business.”

Another local church leader said that churches that abide by biblical stewardship principles don’t need help from BP because they often find “miraculous provision” for their needs, adding “There also are more practical problems to seeking compensation from BP.”

I can see both sides, but right now I’m uneasy with a church applying for damages from government/business because of lost donations.

What are the implications here? Is the church “just like a business”? Does the church have a case? Shouldn’t a church be a solution to a problem, rather than a victim? Why did the national media think this story was interesting?

What do you think?