[no gnu taxes]

http://www.letusreason.org/current110.htm

People can do things in desperate times they normally would not think of doing. There are numerous activities that we waste time and energy on that do not affect us adversely and there are numerous activities that can bring bondage affecting both the participant and others they care for.

The Bible does not specifically mention gambling, or participating in the lottery. However there are some Biblical principles that we need to apply before you involve yourself in this kind of activity.

The Bible warns about the pursuit of being rich which certainly would be the case in most people who are attracted to gambling (1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). Scripture also encourages us to stay away from attempts to “get rich quick” (Proverbs 13:11; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 5:10). Proverbs – skills for living has a lot to say about being hasty to become rich. Proverbs 28:22: “A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him.”

Gambling attraction is about becoming rich, it tempts people with the promise of quick and easy riches. In times where jobs are scarce one has to be extra careful not to fall into the trap of hitting it big that one time.

Responsibility: Gambling when done occasionally may not immediately be seen as detrimental but will it stay under control? The majority of times it does not. It can begin as fun, a challenge of wits and can seem exciting. But what happens when one becomes addicted to the impulse to indulge? So many start off lightly and end up losing heavily, everything they worked their life for. Are you ready to bring damage to you family if you lose. This is what one needs to ask themselves before they even begin to indulge in this kind of addictive activity.

Yes, people lose everything they have worked all their lived for when they gamble. Very few make it big; the odds are certainly not in your favor. Most say they are in control until they lose their business, their homes and see their families fractured because of their frivolity.

Even when one sees some success they try again and again for more. Prov. 21:25-26: “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long.”

God is not against riches if one works for them but he warns consistently on how to use them. 1 Tim. 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

As believers we need to be aware “and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). It has been said once ones got the bug that is what they will live for.

1 Tim. 6:9-10: “But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing. For the love of money is a root of all evils, and it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many mental pangs. (Amplified Bible)

Is gambling be acceptable if you win? Someone can win, the reality is that majority of people that gamble lose. You may be successful one time but next time lose it all, that’s how it works. The Devil schemes- he gives someone the pawn for the queen. This “fun” indulgence develops into an addiction. It gives the participant a high, a feeling of euphoria when playing. One becomes hooked on the rush, the feeling when engaged and it affects them like a drug.

Paul writes:
1 Cor. 6:12: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Paul says he only wants to do what is beneficial. Again he repeats this principle in 1 Cor. 10:23: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”
Not everything we have freedom to do is beneficial, some are obvious some are not so obvious and have to be measured out. Gambling can bring one into bondage. It trusts in the arm of the flesh, it titillates the flesh and has it chase the satisfaction of winning which rarely seems to be in reach.

Continually spending money for lottery tickets would be considered gambling. Although an occasional purchase would not be a considered an addiction; it is a waste of money. This does not mean if you buy a lottery ticket once in a while you are sinning. But one must ask does the desire to gamble control your emotions? Do you look to buy one every time there is new lottery?

We can waste money on all sorts of activities. We can waste money going to the arcade and playing a game, which turns into numerous games to win; or purchasing a worthless item in a store we do not need. But our wasting money in these areas does not justify that we can gamble. Money that is wasted on these things do not compare to what happens in gambling when you lose. When one is hooked on the feeling they dispense with all logic and run on pure emotion. The pleasure one may derive from gambling is fleeting and quickly over as it began.
We are to be responsible for our money, as believers it is the Lord, we are stewards and should not be wasting it. Any excess money accumulated should be saved for future needs of the family or used for the Lord's work to help others, not for frivolity in gambling. We have all heard the saying, “idle hands is the Devils workshop,” sometimes busy hands can be also.

Some may point out that they cast lots in the Bible. Joshua cast lots to determine the dividing of land for the various tribes of Israel. Nehemiah cast lots to determine who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem. The apostles cast lots to determine the replacement for Judas in Acts 1. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” This is about determining a decision between two choices, not gambling for riches, (rolling the dice) there was no coveting involved. Taking risks can be found in nearly everything. Buying a house one takes a risk. We can take a risk in business but this is more dependent on supply and demand, the customers than chance. Playing the stock market can certainly be considered a risk; even if one does have money to spare to lose what they invest. Taking chances with investments are not the same as gaming. Even buying gold is a gamble, you are taking a chance (though the odds for now are in your favor). Some who bought it when it was far less can justify their purchase with it now at $1,500 an ounce. But this does not mean it will stay at this price and go higher. Spending a percentage of ones savings they can spare on a future investment can be prudent. However if gold turns out to be a bubble and goes down, their investment is quickly gone. These investments often mean one took a chance but they hardly compare to the chance one will take in a casino gambling.

Casinos use all sorts of advertising and marketing techniques to entice those who are willing to take a chance to risk their money for a win. Gambling is like a potato chip, you can’t eat just one. They offer cheap flights and rooms at hotels, cheap or complimentary alcohol etc. Knowing that intoxication will decrease ones ability to make good decisions and give them the advantage. Everything in a casino is perfectly fitted for taking ones money and giving them nothing in return. Online gambling makes it far easier for one to have their money part.


Lotteries are cheaper but are just unsuccessful and addictive. However, studies show that lottery participants are usually those who can least afford to be spending money on lottery tickets (they buy more than one). The allure of “getting rich quick” is too great a temptation to resist for those who are desperate. The chances of winning are minuscule and the results are seen in many peoples’ lives being ruined, even those who win. Reports show that the greater part of lottery winners in a few years are in a worse financial situation than they were before.

Many people claim they play the lottery so that they will have money for the church or contribute to help others. While they may have good intentions, reality is that few use gambling winnings for good or godly purposes. Even if they were, it would not justify once participation. Some throw their money away on tithes and offerings that make others rich because they are manipulated in believing they must do this, it is their duty or that God will bless them back.
Events of “chance” that lead to good fortune can be entrapping as well. Prov. 15:27 “He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house.” Prov. 1:19: “So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.” Being tempted to pursue riches (by gambling) will eventually lead to calamity.

Proverbs 13:11 says, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” God provides our needs through honest means of work, even if it is an inheritance from the family. Prov. 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Prov. 19:14 “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers.” God has a way of transferring money when he sees fit.
Gal. 5:13 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh.”
We have freedom to do many things but we should avoid using our freedom for vices. Hebrews 13:5: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” A Christian should be content, have peace and not be anxious.

Prov. 23:5: “Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” What seems like a good idea at the time often is seen differently when one waits. We live in times of hardship and one should be extra careful before they allow themselves to pursue what seems to be a sure thing.

Let me sum this up with the biggest gamble one can engage in, which is spoken by Jesus. It is the pursuit of riches and power which when tasted never seem to be enough. Luke 9:25: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
One can spend their in pursuit of making it rich or get wisdom and have the riches of God. He leaves that choice to us.

[BranchDavidian]

Why do you fairytale believers constantly insist that the rest of rational society follow "rules" based upon your interpretation of God's wishes? Which, by the way, will be contradicted by the next believer that wants his "rules" to be enacted. How about just keeping your religion to yourself and out of politics and law.

[Cuse4tw]

I wasn't supposed to read all of that right?

[no gnu taxes]

Why do you fairytale believers constantly insist that the rest of rational society follow "rules" based upon your interpretation of God's wishes? Which, by the way, will be contradicted by the next believer that wants his "rules" to be enacted. How about just keeping your religion to yourself and out of politics and law.

Perhaps you saw something in that essay that advocated any sort of laws concerning gambling,but I certainly can't find it.

[Smoke]

First we need to ask, just what is gambling anyway? Gambling involves betting, whether individually or in pools, in games of chance where the odds of winning or losing are artificially created so that those who win do so (at least in part) at the expense of those who lose. The winnings are not earned; rather, they are the product of luck and maybe a little skill in working the odds.Next we need to look at the particulars of the debate itself. Most Christian theologians and philosophers have argued that there is nothing inherently wrong with gambling. Instead, the dangers lie in an excess of gambling: when a person is unable to control the urge to gamble and/or gambles to the point that other basic needs go unmet, then the gambling is wrong.
This is basically a sociological rather than a theological position because it criticizes gambling, not based upon scripture, revelation, or religious tradition, but rather because of the sociological effects it produces when pursued farther than it really should be. Thus, these arguments against gambling could be made by anyone - there is nothing especially "Christian" about them.
There is another, much stricter Christian position which is theological in that it is based upon scripture, revelation, and tradition. Specifically, it argues that gambling is always wrong, no matter what the ultimate effects, because it is an attempt to get something for nothing and at the expense of those who must ultimately lose.
This is considered wrong because it contravenes Jesus' command that we should love our neighbors as we love God. Since we would never try to gain at God's expense, then we certainly should not try to gain at our neighbor's expense. It doesn't matter how much control a gambler has or how much the gambler is able to lose - what matters is the gambler's interest in receiving an undeserved gain while others at the same time lose. Gambling is, then, a violation of Jesus' most basic commandment for humanity.
These two conflicting positions lead to a further conflict in how a Christian should react to gambling, whether on a personal or political level. Should gambling be outlawed or at least strongly discouraged because it undermines basic Christian values? Or should gambling be permitted but not encouraged, much less publicly financed and supported, lest it get out of control and cause social harm?
Conflicts and Scandals over Gambling
The stricter position that gambling is always wrong is not openly espoused as often as the milder position that gambling is only wrong when done to excess, but strains of the former can often be found in the Christian community's response to gambling. Indeed, many Christian reactions to gambling simply can't be understood if we assumed that only the milder position mattered; yet when we take the stricter position into account, it becomes much clearer.
For example, Christians often vigorously oppose greater government involvement in gambling, especially when it comes to legalizing gambling and casinos. This doesn't make quite as much sense if gambling is only a problem when done to excess, but if gambling is inherently bad because it causes us to exploit rather than love our neighbors, then it is reasonable.
More interesting in this context are some of the scandals over famous people who have been found with ties to gambling. Pat Robertson was revealed to have owned racing horses - even though he has publicly opposed gambling. William Bennett, American moralist par excellance, was revealed to have been heavily involved in gambling - sometimes losing big money. People were shocked, but why if he can afford to lose big?
The furor over both Bennett and Robertson makes sense when we consider the idea that both were attempting to gain something for nothing at their neighbors' expense. One makes a living from speaking about moral values, the from preaching the Christian message. Neither of those vocations would appear to be compatible with violating Jesus' central message over money.
Sometimes, the idea that our neighbors lose out when we win at gambling can take a back seat to the principle that we shouldn't try to gain something for nothing. Consider, for example, the response offered by "the God Squad" to a question about whether it is wrong to pray to God for help at gambling:
The idea that God, that most exalted and sublime mystery, is a cosmic ATM that you use to get paid off is insulting to faith and spiritually debilitating. ...Our faith must be in a God who is with us and loves us always and everywhere - but not in a God who is constantly negotiating favors or offering us bribes for our faith. We do think God spends a lot of time in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, not as a divine croupier but rather as that still, small voice telling you, "You can't win at gambling, and you can't get something for nothing." "
Presumably the same doesn't hold true, however, when it comes to lotteries and bingo at local churches, both of which are popular fund raisers. Perhaps such gambling is for a good cause, but if the desire to win something for nothing were really unimportant, then church officials would simply ask people to donate funds in lieu of buying tickets or bingo cards. The mere fact of holding gambling events means that they are appealing to people's desire to get something for nothing in the expectation of being able to gain themselves in the process.
Christianity as Gambling
This is where it gets interesting. It seems from the above that praying for gain is just wrong - God doesn't work like that, especially when it comes to trying to get something for nothing as in gambling. At the same time, this is the same God Squad who recommended that if we want peace in the Middle East, we should pray for it.
Granted, peace in the Middle East is a much bigger issue than winning a hand of cards in Las Vegas, but there remains a common principle: asking God to help us get something for nothing. Why is it wrong to think of God as paying us off with money so that we can afford a college tuition or clothing, but OK to think of God as paying us off by making our really difficult interfaith conflicts disappear through bringing peace to a land that hasn't known much peace for millennia? Why should we be expected to work for the former but not the latter?
In fact, Christianity is often based upon the idea that people should be gambling when it comes to cosmic issues. Christianity is predicated upon faith, not proof, that the Christian message is true. Traditional Christianity teaches that if you have this faith (that is, if you bet correctly), then you will be saved and spend eternity in heaven with God, while those who don't have this faith (bet incorrectly) will spend eternity suffering in hell. Achieving this salvation is, moreover, unearned - there is nothing a person can do to "earn" or "deserve" a place in heaven. Instead, salvation is achieved one way or another through God's grace as a free, unearned gift.
The entire context is an artificial system set up by God so that there must necessarily be winners and losers, such that the existence of losers going to hell becomes a necessary precondition for winners going to heaven. After all, if no one lost then there would be no value in faith in the Christian message. Thomas Aquinas took this even a step further when he wrote inSumma Theologica:
That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell."
Gambling is such a fundamental aspect of Christianity that one philosopher, Blaise Pascal, even concocted an argument in defense of theism based explicitly on that - today it is known as Pascal's Wager. Simply stated, it is safer to bet on God and Christianity and be wrong than to bet on anything else and be right, so why not become a Christian "just in case" - that way, even if you are wrong, you won't come out a big loser.
People are expected to pray to God for the gift of faith that will allow them to become Christians, even if there is no good evidence or arguments in defense of Christianity. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Christians would also pray for many other things - peace in the Middle East, the election of a Christian president... or even a winning roll of the dice at the craps table. One quickly leads to another without there being any clear and unambiguous means to hold the line and prevent people from going further.
For some, like the God Squad, praying to God for success at gambling cheapens religion and God - but they already did that by telling people to pray to God for other things instead of putting in the effort to gain them by the sweat of their brow. Praying for more mundane issues that people face on a daily basis is nothing more than the logical and expected conclusion of a process that started when people were asked to have faith in God rather than in themselves and their own hard work

[BranchDavidian]

Perhaps you saw something in that essay that advocated any sort of laws concerning gambling,but I certainly can't find it.

Who do you think was behind the gambling laws that are now on the books? It was the religious zealots that want the rest of the world to conform to their beliefs. Your thread title asks if WE have the right to gamble, or is it a sin. The only reason we do not have this "right" is because of these anti-gambling laws. Then the essay goes on to try to figure out what God wishes. All I am saying to you is, do not try to rule my life according to what you believe some fictional being has decreed. Neither your nor anyone else's religious beliefs should determine what my "rights" are. Half of your flock will hear God tell them that it is OK to gamble, and the other half will hear God tell them that it is, indeed, a sin. Since man created God in his own image, each person hears God agreeing with his own moral compass. That explains why we have so many different versions of what God says. Your determination of what rights we should have should not use religious beliefs for its basis. The separation of Church and State was a good idea, since we do not all have the same religious beliefs.

[Nick Papageorgio]

Why are people typing novels in this thread?

[ACoochy]

Mods, saloon this religious BS, NOW!!!!

[frogsrangers]

I am a Christian, I went to bible school, and all that. But its getting caught in the whole "is it a sin or not a sin" mindset that is exactly what the devil wants. The devil wants you to convict yourself over a sin. Jesus died to cover sin, if we still convict ourselves over our sins, then what did Jesus die for?

As far as gambling being a sin, it depends on the context. If you are doing it for fun, and winning/losing isn't that important, its fine. But when you are doing it to win or lose life changing amounts of money, or are in it for the money and are using money you can't afford on it, then its bad. I don't think gambling itself is a sin, its the negative behaviors attributed to gambling that are, such as greed, spending above your means and the ability to lose self control.

I am a Christian, I like to place wagers on sporting events and the occasional trip to the blackjack table/poker room. I just have to keep an eye on the context I do it in. If so, I think I am OK.

Food for thought: What is the difference between sports gambling and the stock market? Is putting money in the stock market a sin?

[frogsrangers]

Why do you fairytale believers constantly insist that the rest of rational society follow "rules" based upon your interpretation of God's wishes? Which, by the way, will be contradicted by the next believer that wants his "rules" to be enacted. How about just keeping your religion to yourself and out of politics and law.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind against Christians. Why do most atheists like yourself always seem to attack Christians? I am sure you are also one of those "tolerant liberals"

[BranchDavidian]

I am not attacking anybody. I am attacking the idea that anyone else's religious beliefs have any validity in determining what rights I have.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

The bible deems oral sex a sin and everyone here has probably received oral sex besides ttwarrior1 so I guess we are all sinners.

[BranchDavidian]

Should Moslem countries be allowed to stone to death women that have been sexually assaulted? In some countries families do this to women in order to not bring shame on the family. Get this --- the women were innocent of any wrong-doing --- they were raped, yet in order to prevent shame befalling the family, the family would rather kill the woman. Shaping laws based on religious beliefs brings about results such as this!

[Romocide]

Must have been really hard for Jesus to go through all of that. Knowing without a doubt that, by doing so, he was guaranteed eternal bliss in heaven as god's right hand man. Who else would make that kind of sacrifice under those circumstances? Oh, everyone in the world? I see.

[jarvol]

Why do you fairytale believers constantly insist that the rest of rational society follow "rules" based upon your interpretation of God's wishes? Which, by the way, will be contradicted by the next believer that wants his "rules" to be enacted. How about just keeping your religion to yourself and out of politics and law.

+999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999

[jarvol]

I am not attacking anybody. I am attacking the idea that anyone else's religious beliefs have any validity in determining what rights I have.

Abso fukking lutely.