Is Playing Cards a SIN??

[JonC]

No thanks. I prefer Phase 10 or Spades. :thumbs:

Spades :thumbs:

 

[PJ]

I'm not any good at it, but I like fish, war, solitaire and rummy. Is it sin to play fish, war, solitaire or rummy? Notta.

 

[TaterTot]

I know BOO RAY!!!!! woo hoo

I love Phase 10 and rummy and spider solitaire

 

[JonC]

I’ve never heard of Boo-Ray.

I also like poker, but I never play for money. I have never been tempted to play for money, either. Part of this may be that I am no good at the game. :tonofbricks:

 

[John of Japan]

We can get so worked up in semantics, especially when it involves a questionable practice.

In fact, there is risk in everything we do involving money and investments. Our very insurance programs are taking a chance, as it were. Insurance companies take our premiums and invest them. We hope that all will go well and we will benefit in time.

We had no pension plans for pastors when I started out. A company was started by Christians to benefit other Christian people with retirement funds. It was called Investor's Syndicate. I was able to invest $5.00 weekly. Now to-day, I enjoy a handsome retirement fund from that "chance" I gambled on so many years ago.

So, call it what we will, we all gamble or take risks and that includes games and investments such as the stock markets.

How many angels can dance on a pinhead anyway?

Cheers,

Jim

So, the universally recognized legal difference between gambling and playing the stock market is just "semantics?" Hmm. Looks like the governments of the world understand the dangers of gambling better than some Christians.

 

[John of Japan]

How many angels can dance on a pinhead anyway?

Cheers,

Jim

Anyone know someone addicted to counting angels on pinheads? Just wondering. :smilewinkgrin:

 

[rbell]

Anyone know someone addicted to counting angels on pinheads? Just wondering. :smilewinkgrin:

wanna place a bet on it?

sorry...Had to do that. Someone will set me straight I'm sure...I hope so, I'm feeling flush at the moment. Maybe it's the full house I'll have later tonight.

I'll offer another pair of responses later. Maybe I'll even go fishing for a compliment.:applause: :tongue3:

 

[Jim1999]

Looks like the governments of the world understand the dangers of gambling better than some Christians.
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I guess that is why most of the governments have legalized gambling in the form of lotteries.

I have never supported gambling. I did use the word "semantics" because that is wot a lot of Christians do with certain worldly things..use semantics to argue for and against some things we want to do.

Yes, the stock market and investments are risky,,ask victims of the 1929 market collapse.........ask the many seniors who have invested their entire savings in the market and lost,,,then cry because they have nothing left.

The common rule on investments is, never invest wot you cannot afford to lose.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[John of Japan]

Looks like the governments of the world understand the dangers of gambling better than some Christians.
------------------------------------------

I guess that is why most of the governments have legalized gambling in the form of lotteries.

I have never supported gambling. I did use the word "semantics" because that is wot a lot of Christians do with certain worldly things..use semantics to argue for and against some things we want to do.

Yes, the stock market and investments are risky,,ask victims of the 1929 market collapse.........ask the many seniors who have invested their entire savings in the market and lost,,,then cry because they have nothing left.

The common rule on investments is, never invest wot you cannot afford to lose.

Cheers,

Jim

Thanks for clarifying...I think. Or did you clarify? I'm not sure at this point. Do you see a difference between gambling (as in the lottery, poker, slot machines etc.) and investing in the stock market or do you not?

The laws governing the stock market and gambling are essentially different, IMO. The current laws governing the stock market grew out of the 1929 crash with the goal of preventing a second such crash, and protecting the investor from unscrupulous practices by the companies (inside trading, etc.). On the other hand, gambling laws take two forms: where gambling is completely prohibited because of the dangers it poses (addiction, Mafia involvement, etc.), and laws regulating how it is done in order to protect the gambler (and give the government its maximum take, of course).

As for seniors who lose their investments, that is exactly what the laws are designed to prevent, so it is a failure of the system when that happens. On the other hand, when gambling is allowed, the very purpose of the "house" existence is to fleece the gamblers--not let them profit. That is why in every case, in every single gambling game where a casino is involved, the odds of winning are heavily tilted in favor of the "house."

Educate yourself at www.addictionrecov.org.

 

[John of Japan]

wanna place a bet on it?

sorry...Had to do that. Someone will set me straight I'm sure...I hope so, I'm feeling flush at the moment. Maybe it's the full house I'll have later tonight.

I'll offer another pair of responses later. Maybe I'll even go fishing for a compliment.:applause: :tongue3:

:laugh: :laugh: Six gets you one someone would place a bet on those angels.

 

[Helen]

Interesting thread.

Anyone know "Hand and Foot"? -- I had never heard of it until our oldest son and oldest daughter introduced us to it. It's a lot of fun -- half luck and half skill and great for socializing time!

Something about the 'angels on the head of a pin' thing I didn't know that I learned recently -- the argument had to do with the corporeal existence of angels -- or were they just spirits. That evidently was the foundation of that famous 'discussion.'

About stocks and gambling. When you invest in a stock you are taking part ownership of a company. You are allowed to vote regarding the company's management and you receive dividends if the company is doing well. The idea with stocks is to diversify so all your income from that source is not based on one or two companies. Bonds are you loaning money to a state or institution for a specific return on that loan. Both these things are a very far cry from gambling.

Gambling is set up so that the majority of people will lose. That is how they stay in business. You are buying nothing but a chance of winning something. You own nothing but an empty wallet. Those who gamble in the hopes of winning are simultaneously hoping others will lose, and I'm just not real sure that's loving your neighbor as yourself!

 

[El_Guero]

:laugh: :laugh: Six gets you one someone would place a bet on those angels.

If that is a bet - I'll hold the money . . . nothing less than a cool 40k each . . .

 

[John of Japan]

If that is a bet - I'll hold the money . . . nothing less than a cool 40k each . . .

Nope, I can't bet unless it's in yen. I'll bet a maximum of 40y (what, about 35 cents?).

 

[John of Japan]

Gambling is set up so that the majority of people will lose. That is how they stay in business. You are buying nothing but a chance of winning something. You own nothing but an empty wallet. Those who gamble in the hopes of winning are simultaneously hoping others will lose, and I'm just not real sure that's loving your neighbor as yourself!

Good point, Helen.

 

[Apreacher4Him]

So is the concensus

So is the concensus...?

Do not be a stumbling block to others while you are pursuing innocent entertainment?


I still think the best post on this thread was the earlier one that excerpted John R Rice and others... but I think that sentence summarizes it?

What think ye?

 

[Lagardo]

Do not be a stumbling block to others while you are pursuing innocent entertainment?

This is sound advice, but we do need to be careful what we assume a stumbling block is. The only people I have ever met that were offended by a deck of cards were not lost and were not people with gambling problems.

Cards are so commonly used for games other than gambling, that I think most do not make the connection as easy as some think they do.

But, you should know how your behavior is going to influence those around you.

Now...anyone play canasta? Its super evil because it requires TWO decks! :thumbs:

 

[John of Japan]

This is sound advice, but we do need to be careful what we assume a stumbling block is. The only people I have ever met that were offended by a deck of cards were not lost and were not people with gambling problems.

I would far rather make a mistake and think that something was a stumbling block when it wasn't, than to think that something was not a stumbling block when it was. Catch my drift? :type:

 

[HankD]

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.


HankD​

 

[Alcott]

About stocks and gambling. When you invest in a stock you are taking part ownership of a company. You are allowed to vote regarding the company's management and you receive dividends if the company is doing well. .... Gambling is set up so that the majority of people will lose. That is how they stay in business. You are buying nothing but a chance of winning something. You own nothing but an empty wallet. Those who gamble in the hopes of winning are simultaneously hoping others will lose, and I'm just not real sure that's loving your neighbor as yourself!

What's the real difference? If are into stocks, particularly if you 'play' the market with frequent buying and selling, and want to buy low and sell high(er), how could that be so unless other investors buy what gave you a profit and thus decreases appreciably the probability of these 'neighbor's' gaining.

Besides, consider another angle on this reasoning... if you go in for a job intereview, you obviously want the job, but you also want other candidates to not get the job. Right?

 

[John of Japan]

Internet Gambling is set up so that the majority of people will lose. That is how they stay in business. You are buying nothing but a chance of winning something. You own nothing but an empty wallet. Those who gamble in the hopes of winning are simultaneously hoping others will lose, and I'm just not real sure that's loving your neighbor as yourself!

I am reminded of when I decided to teach my son what was wrong with gambling. I had a C-64 computer for which I found a public domain poker program, so I sat the boy down and said, "Watch what happens, son." I played against three computer opponents, and we all had $600 computer dollars. I was sure I would quickly go broke, and there would be my little object lesson, all packaged! :smilewinkgrin:

However, I had an incredible string of luck, considering how little I knew about the game, and in a short while had gotten $600 from each computer player and had all three of them in debt. Man! That wasn't how I planned it! What to do now? :tonofbricks:

The Lord gave me special wisdom after a quick prayer, so I solemnly said, "Son, do you see how I got all the money my three friends had? Do you think they are happy about that? They probably don't want to be my friends anymore!" Paul solemnly nodded. "I see, Dad." So, "Love your neighbor as yourself" and you won't gamble, right?:thumbsup: