Gambling

Hi Ernie. What if a gambler is successful? Suppose he MAKES money rather than loses it? Would his gambling gains be the "Lord's money" too? If no, then why is the principal the Lord's money but the gains not? Thanks! latterrain77

 

Hi Bob. You said; "Gambling? Based on getting something for nothing as opposed to working for it"

Wall Street (for example) does this every day Bob. Options traders, stock traders, day traders. Is there a difference between Wall Street and Las Vegas and if so, what? How about inheritance? Isn't that "something for nothing?" Is inheritance money wrong too?

You said; "Gambling? Based on another's loss providing you gain"

Isn't this the very essence of any financial transaction? Example: I sell my widget to you because I believe your money is worth more to me than my widget. You give me your money because you believe my widget is worth more to you than your money. You perceive that you are getting a gain at my loss and I perceive the same of you.

You said; "Gambling? Based on the love of money"

Why is money "worked for" any less loved than money gambled for? Does the "gambler" not work? Thanks! latterrain77

 

What gets me is that the Bible doesn't say whether or not gambling is morally wrong or not. So, why does everyone insist that it is definitely sinful? Sounds like a lot of legalistic, Pharisee-type stuff going on.

 

Well Wizofoz, you can bet I won't loan you $5!

 

Who are you trusting when you gamble, the Lord or luck?

Trusting luck is placing ones faith in other than God. When the bible speaks of faith it is speaking of trusting God not man, or man's devices.

Gambling is telling God you are dissatisfied with his provisions.

Some peoples faith is very skewed, for instance they say they trusted God to provide them a new house or car or other worldly possession, but lack the faith to trust God to lead them to some lost soul who needs Christ.

Sad to say too many are too busy gambling and enjoying the pleasures of the world to win souls.

Spare the tall tale about how you go to the gaming sites to witness to people.

Romans 14:23And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin

 

Who are you trusting when you gamble, the Lord or luck?

When I gamble-- invest in stocks, make a bid for an item I need, go out on public roads-- I am not "trusting" anyone or anything. The probabilities are approximately 0.998 that I will not be killed in any given day on a public road; approximate 0.45 to 0.75 that my bid will be accepted; and approximately 0.5 that my stock investment will ultimately be a gain, not a loss. If you don't want to do these things, stay inside your home all the time, buy nothing, and invest nothing.

Trusting luck is placing ones faith in other than God. When the bible speaks of faith it is speaking of trusting God not man, or man's devices.

When you walk the streets of town, do you trust God to keep you from being hit by a driver, or do you trust "man's devices" of sidewalks, traffic signals, and criminal and civil laws that force people to be cautious? {If you think you only trust God, then ignore the signals and crosswalks and laws and see if He will keep you from being hit.}

Gambling is telling God you are dissatisfied with his provisions.

Buying food at the store is saying that, instead of being a hunter/gatherer. God created plants and animals; stores and food processing plants are part of those "mans's devices" you talk about.

And if you are making a living as a factory assembler, you are "dissatisfied with his provisions" if you go to night school to try to finish and engineering degree to make more money. That takes quite an investment of time, money, and effort in hopes of gaining something worth more than you put into it-- that's gambling.

Sad to say too many are too busy gambling and enjoying the pleasures of the world to win souls.

Sad to say too many of us are too busy posting on message boards about unproductive topics to win souls.

Romans 14:23And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin [/b]

That's a nice scripture, but as for your post overall... I find it hard to swallow.

 

I kinda hate to brush the cobwebs offa this one but I'd like to share this with you.

We live about 3 miles from a casino. My 15 yr old son is in the Beta club at school. This year the school has decided to hold their Beta banquet at the entertainment center of the casino, where they usually have the 70's/80's concerts and such. Of course my son is excited because he finally gets to go inside and see what's going on. We've always tried to explain to him the pitfalls of gambling and how being seen at such places can damage your Christian testimony but that teenage curiosity is highly evident. I believe through family devotions and teachings I could get him to see our point of view if it weren't for one little snag. The school announced that anyone who did not attend would receive a "0" grade for their "Agriculture" class, failing the 6 weeks. So now we're being demanded to forgo (compromise) our religious beliefs in order to attend this school function. I would have no problem in taking the failing grade but do not feel I should force my son to take it in order to stand for what I believe when he is not totally understanding of what I am doing. And the fact that a school would take a whole class to a casino for a school function just burns me up. We will be talking to the school authorities today in the hopes that they will not penalize my son for not attending. Just another example of how we in the faith will be continuously tested on what we stand (The Rock).

 

Isn't the Beta club an extracurricular activity? How do they grade an extracurricular? Maybe I'm missing the connection between the Beta club and the agriculture class . . . ?

Besides that, just as you can get a student exempted from sex ed classes, you should be able to get your son exempted from this exercise. I hope you have a good outcome when you talk to the administration.

 

Yeah, your right Kelly. I went back and checked, they had two different functions going on and I got them mixed up. It's an FFA banquet that's being held at the casino. We got to the school too late to talk to anyone today so will try again tomorrow.

 

I'm surprised Mr. Bill Bennett didn't get mentioned in this discussion.

One of our conservative heroes has feet of clay. Imagine that!

 

Speaking of Mr. Bennett, here is a column that addresses the different ways that evangelicals and Catholics view gambling:


IS GAMBLING A SIN?

Wed May 7,10:02 PM ET

By Maggie Gallagher

So is Bill Bennett a hypocrite? Reports from Newsweek that the former education secretary is a big-stakes gambler prompted an immediate reaction -- glee from the international media and concern from many in the Religious Right.

Dr. James C. Dobson, for example, of Focus on the Family, said in a statement he was "disappointed to learn our long-time friend, Dr. Bill Bennett, is dealing with what appears to be a gambling addiction," and reiterated his opposition to gambling as a "cancer on the soul of the nation."

From the standpoints of the average secularist, faithful Catholics and evangelicals all look alike. Certainly in the context of postmodern culture, a.k.a. the pagan revival, there are relatively few important differences in moral thought between traditional Catholics and evangelicals. (Catholics tend to consider divorce even worse than adultery, while evangelicals reverse the ranking. And of course there is the contraception issue.) In the great disputed area of contemporary morals (most of which, frankly, come down to sex), a long, firmly established, common Christian tradition (borrowing heavily from Jewish thought from which it sprang) insistently sees the purpose and meaning of sexual desire in the creation of faithful, fruitful, lifelong sacred unions between men and women, and insists equally firmly on the value of every human life created out of our sexual desires.

But the pseudo-scandal around Bennett reveals one difference: As heirs of the Protestant tradition, many evangelicals view gambling per se as a sin. Catholics simply do not. Which is why I learned to play poker with my Catholic father around the family dinner table. (Great training for college, btw.) Which is why this summer, when I drop by my local parish fair, I expect to play a few hands of blackjack for the glory of God, or at any rate, the pecuniary good of his church.

Which is why Mario Cuomo, of all people, rushed to Bill Bennett's defense: "Gambling is not a sin; it's not illegal. He didn't condemn it and then contradict himself. He didn't hurt anyone. He didn't lie about it; he didn't try to hide it." Gambling, Cuomo told the media in good Catholic fashion, is "not among the seven great sins or even among the 70 small ones." Gambling, like drinking, becomes a scandal when it interferes with the ordinary duties of life.

As a rich man, Bennett played high stakes, stakes he could afford. What did he do wrong? A saint, perhaps, would have preferred to spend that money more productively. I could say as much about the $4.60 I spent this morning on breakfast at the local diner; Cheerios at home would have saved enough to feed an Ethiopian family for a week. OK, so cross Bill and me off the list of candidates for sainthood. But the hope and promise of Catholicism is that you do not have to be a saint to be saved, or to be a good family man.

The evangelical objections to gambling stem from the Protestant work ethic, a deep regard for proper stewardship over money, that has been and continues to be an immensely powerful and positive force in American cultural life. The older I get, the sadder places casinos seem to be, full of restless longings for thrills that never really materialize.

But Bennett's peculiar fortune or misfortune is to be the man more responsible than any other Catholic for reaching out, defending and making common cause with evangelicals and others who share our common moral tradition. In defense of that important alliance and to rebut the charge he is an addict, Bill Bennett announced his gambling days are over.

Sounds like a stand-up guy to me.

 

Many Bible verses have been shared on this thread (thanks!) and all are reasons why gambling will never be for me. Even if only not to be a stumbling block; strengthen us, Lord ...
PJ