The Christian and Gambling
by: Todd Clippard
America is becoming a nation of habitual
gamblers. Conservative estimates place the legal gambling total at $40
billion annually. Probably every state in the union has legalized
gambling in some form, whether it be casino gambling, horse and dog tracks, the
lottery, bingo, raffles, or such like. Gambling is a sin. As such,
no Christian should participate in it or encourage its legalization in any way.
1. Gambling
is sinful, even though it may be legal.
a. Legality does not determine rightness or wrongness.
b. Consider the following legal activities:
abortion; assisted suicide; sale
of tobacco; alcohol;
and in California, marijuana (for medicinal
purposes); prostitution (in Nevada).
c. Betting with odds makers ("bookies"),
etc. is doubly sinful in that it not
violates the law of God, but
also the laws of the state of Alabama.
2. Gambling
is sinful, even if it is for a "good cause."
a. If schools are a good cause, then increase property
or sales taxes.
b. The Catholic Church has sprouted bingo halls all
over the world to
support their heresy, and
Catholics have responded in kind by
withholding their financial
contributions to the church.
c. Romans 3:8 Paul said that some affirmed the
slanderous reported that
he taught, "Let us do evil,
that good may come." It is never right to do
wrong!
d. If a single mother needed money for food, clothing,
and shelter for
herself and her children, could she
prostitute herself? Why not? The
money is a good cause!
3. Gambling
is sinful because of its adverse effect on society:
a. It is additive:
1. There are 4 million
compulsive gamblers in the US (1997)
2. Teens are twice as likely
to become addicted as adults
3. In 1998, thousands of
Californians drove to AZ to buy powerball
tickets and waited in line up to 10 hours to buy tickets. When the
store tried
to close at its normal time, police had to be called to stop
a
potential riot among those who had waited all day and had not yet
purchased tickets.
b. It contributes to
crime. Hancock Co., MS: the following statistics are
for crime in the six months after
gambling was legalized compared to the
six months before legalization:
1. Stolen vehicles - up 188%
2. Assaults - up 185%
3. Burglaries - up 100%
4. Theft - up 218%
5. Child molestation - up 353%
6. Vandalism - up 190%
7. Suicide - up 900%
c. It contributes to
bankruptcy - 18% higher in counties w/gambling
d. It contributes to
suicide:
1. See stats for Hancock Co,
MS
2. In Nevada, suicide rates of
visitors is 155% above average, and the
suicide rate of residents is 60% above average.
e. It takes money from
those who can least afford it:
1. In Georgia, in areas where
the average household income is less than
$20,000, lottery ticket purchases average $250 per person annually,
while
households with incomes of $40,000+ spent only $97 per
person
annually.
2. In Kentucky, 79% of lottery
ticket purchases were in areas with an
average household income of less than $21,000.
4. Gambling
is sinful because:
a. It violates Matthew 7:12 the golden rule
b. It violates Colossians 3:5 - God's law against
covetousness
c. It violates Galatians 5:19-21 the works of
the flesh
d. It violates Romans 12:17 - Provide things honest in
the sight of all men
e. It violates Galatians 6:10 - let us do good unto
all men
f. It violates Luke 12:42; I Peter 4:10 - good
stewardship
g. It violates I Peter 2:21 the perfect example of
Jesus Christ
h. It violates every God approved means of obtaining
money:
1. Laboring for one's living -
Matthew 10:1-10; I Cor. 9:14; I Tim. 5:18;
Eph.
4:28
2. Selling of goods - II Kings
4:7; Acts 5:4
3. Inheritance - Luke 15
prodigal son
4. Free will giving without
thought of gain in return - Acts 2:45