Is Playing Cards a SIN??

Good luck! :laugh:

But we also need to add another principle which has also been mentioned on this thread, that of love for your neighbor. What I do might not be a sin for me personally, but if it may cause my brother or sister to sin I should not do it. That is the second great law, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

And I live by one more principle in these matters, the first law: Love God supremely. Therefore, my entertainment/leisure activities must not only not be for the wrong motives, but they must be for the right motives of glorifying God.

So we rest our minds so that we can serve God. We enjoy time with our families so that we can raise our kids for the glory of God and properly love our mates. And if we are really blessed, we can use our hobby to serve the Lord as I can with my martial arts.

I recently read about how pioneer missionary William Carey had an arboretum where he spent his leisure time. He introduced many trees and other plants to India through his very enjoyable hobby, and ended up being very knowledgeable about plants. That's a far better hobby than gambling IMO. Gambling is like playing with fire as a hobby. Fun and exciting--but you never know who or what it will burn up. :type:

 

I totally do not understand how playing cards today can be wrong, unless you are gambling, or you spend hours and hours playing and neglect other things.

If playing cards is wrong, so is playing monopoly, charades, candyland, etc.

I hope not to sound rude, but I think this question is one of the most ridiculous questions I've seen on the BB. How can this be an issue for anyone?

 

Marcia, as I showed in a previous post it was an issue for much of the history of Christianity from the 14th century until modern times. At least the history should be interesting.

Also, since it touches on the subject of gambling, which can destroy lives, I think it is helpful to talk it through. Someone said on this thread that most people nowadays do not associate "face cards" with gambling. When my wife and I were growing up, everyone we knew associated cards with gambling. It was amazing to me to come to Japan and find out that no one in Japan uses face cards to gamble! They use Mah Jong, horses, pachinko, etc. for that!

So folk, is it true? Do most folk in the States nowadays NOT associate face cards with gambling? I wouldn't know, since I don't live there.

 

On a board of arguing Baptists, you have to ask that? :laugh:

 

* I don't think every instance of gambling is a sin. If it is just for entertainment only and you don't really care about the money, then I don't see where there is sin. If a person gambles for the love of money, habitually, or with* money he/she cannot afford to lose it would be a sin. I have seen many people spend a lot of money on "hobbies" and "entertainment," and nobody thinks anything of it. Many hunters spend big money on guns, clothing, equipment and ammo. Many fisherman spend big on boats and gear. But if someone spent just a fraction of that amount, simply with just a little extra fun money on any type of gambling, just for fun only those same people would call it a sin.
**** Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with spending any of that money on hunting or fishing, or scapbooking, golfing, etc., or any other hobbies. My point is just that if someone gambles purely just for entertainment, like a night out to a good expensive restaurant would be, I don't see it as sinning. *

 

Good point! :laugh:

 

Right, I understand all that. That's why I put the word "now" in my post - I don't get why now it would be an issue.

You must have grown up in a part of the country or at a time when this was an issue. I don't think anyone grows up today automatically associating cards with gambling.

Now, my grandmother did not think cards were good, but it's because in her day it was associated with gambling. But that was quite awhile back! She did not object when my sister and I played Old Maid or other card games. And my mother (the same grandmother's daughter) was an expert Bridge player!

I thought this kind of association was in the past - and long dead and gone.

 

I grew up Fundamentalist, so it was an issue. It is still an issue with many Fundamentalists, but a minor issue.

In my day virtually no Fundamentalist thought any kind of card playing other than "face cards" was questionable. (When I grew up I met someone who thought all cards were wrong--and was quite surprised!) So we played lots of different card games.

At any rate, though it is on a very minor issue, to me this has been a fun thread because there have been a lot of quips and fellowship, but unlike many threads little or no rancor. (Rancor = a beast used by Jabba the Hutt to devour his adversaries, be they Calvinist or Arminian. )

 

Actually, Greg, what I quoted in a previous post was all that John R. Rice wrote on cards that I know of. He never wrote a whole book or even a pamphlet on it, and I never heard him preach on it. Not a big issue!

Ah, memories. I went two years to BJU, so was a Southside member in 1970-1972. I helped in AWANA and had other great experiences there, including my first motorbike accident in the parking lot on cousin John's bike. Uncle Walt and Aunt Libbie are wonderful folk, now retired and serving the Lord as chaplains in a factory.

Interesting that you should use the word "defunct" about Southside. Actually, it changed its Bible version, its stand on many matters (up to an including liturgical dance!), and its name, but it still exists--just not as a Fundamentalist or Baptist church. :smilewinkgrin:

Gotta run!:wavey:

 

My, the ravages of time! Actually, I dropped Southside when they dropped my missionary support. :tongue3: Anyway, I agree with your assessment. Sad but true.

 

Some forms of insurance are exactly what you describe.

I figured out that I had payed out over $40,000 in auto insurance over the years but received only a fraction from the company in terms of claims.

Someone else who totaled their brand new car got all the rest (And the auto insurance company) .

Same thing with health insurance. We pay into it for "the big one", the $250,000 heart bypass operation, the money for which comes from those who don't need one.



HankD

 

I would say yes, most of my generation don't associate face cards with gambling, but with the success of online gambling, and Texas hold 'em TV shows that may change.

But I grew up IFB and we played Rummy.

I would say since the influence of Windows, most people associate face cards with solitare.

 

I only listen to the Holy Spirit and not to people to tell me what is sin. However, I do have personal convictions that are not found in the Bible. "Refrain from all appearance of evil" means that if you believe something to be sin don't do it. However, just because I won't go to a theater doesn't give me the right to tell others that it's wrong. Neither does anyone else have that right unless they can point to scripture saying it's wrong. I had a cousin who thought drinking coffee was a sin. You won't find that in the Bible.

 

It IS an issue to some people. Some people don't think anything is wrong. some people think anything that's fun has to be wrong. Some people (like me) have personal convictions about certain things that are not necessarily wrong, but we believe them to be wrong for US personally. Unfortunately. some people think that if THEY believe it to be sin then it's sin for EVERYONE. They don't have the right to make that decision. Only God does.

 

LOL! I daresay you are right.

 

Only if you play while listening to rock music and drinking a caffeinated beverage...you heath-er-ens!!!!!!:smilewinkgrin:

 

Uh oh! I may be in trouble. I've been playing cards and drinking coffee and if listening to the music on TV commercials constitutes listening to rock music then I'm GUILTY!!!!!

It's Tiny Tim's fault! He's the one that mentioned solotaire!

 

Well, I guess one reason this thing about face cards seems bizarre to me is because I never had any contact with Fundamentalists throughout my entire life until I came on the BB. I'm not kidding. I am not sure I've ever even met one in person.