Gambling

[MusicMan826]

I remember any form of gambling being strictly forbidden. I don't remember which verse, but there was one that was always pulled out of context to "prove" that gambling was a sin. I went to a casino with a few friends on my 21st birthday. I didn't expect to win any money, just took a small amount and went to have a fun time. I remember my mom's response when I told her. "You know going to a casino is a sin, right?" When I asked how her response was, "You threw away money that could have been given to the Lord." I then asked why do anything fun then when you can just sit at home and throw all of your money into a collection plate at church? Why go bowling, or to the movies, or out to a nice dinner? That money could be "given to the Lord". She just gave up the argument and insisted that, "Well it's just wrong".

Also, one of my dad's co-workers used to always buy a scratch-off ticket for everyone for Christmas. My dad politely refused the gift for years, but in his last several years before retirement decided that there was nothing wrong with it, so he would accept it. He'd never win more than a dollar or two, but one of the elders told my dad that he shouldn't have accepted the gift, and if he did and won even a dollar, he'd be sinning by taking the money. Though I'm sure if the elder was given one that was a million dollar winner, he'd sure change his thoughts on it...

[bnot]

My grandfather, generally a reasonable man, forbade his children from playing cards or having cards in the house. I stayed at their home once as a child with a set of other cousins, and they had brought along a pack of cards and were intent on teaching several of us how to play spades. I'd never played any cards other than Go Fish at someone else's home. My grandfather didn't know about the deck being there until my oldest cousin absent-mindedly left the cards ON TOP OF THE LIVING ROOM BIBLE. Sparks flew, and we all were spanked, whether we'd played card games or not.

Cards on a Bible in the coc? The coc is so terrified of gambling, they will send you to hell even without pulling a verse out of context.

[Moogy]

In my younger days, the approved COC game was "42", played with dominos. At my preacher-grandfather's house, all the COC aunts and uncles played 42 whenever there was a large family gathering.

[KLP]

That's because you were in Texas. In areas of the mid West it is Euchre and the people have never heard of 42 or calling doubles as trump.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euchre

[Heloves]

The absence of legalism does not negate "Love God, love neighbor". Ivy points out the rationale I believe is kind. As a recovering gambler(hoarder), myself I know the pain I have caused. The Spirit has been plain as to personal responsibility toward others. Years ago the song "Fly Like an Eagle" would often run through my mind. In retrospect I think of how caring a God we are to serve in our service to others and how that song was used to touch my heart. But we have to listen.
Public assistance is not necessarily wrong, but if one who claims a relationship with Christ causes their own family or that of another to become a burden to society, due to thoughtlessness, re-evaluation might be in order. The fact that we are our brother's keeper transcends "religion". The story of the prodigal is there for a reason. I worked LEO and EMS for years, seeing the damage, but blinded to self. Much like king David. But also sequalae of legalism.
The hurt caused by legalism is real. Paul addressed it in Colossians 2. Christ addressed it in the parable of the soils. Going over to the dark side is an option, but not a good one.
I can't get back a dime I lost, but worse is the trust, time and respect of family and friends, as well as a good career and peace. Instead of flying like an eagle, I preyed like a buzzard. Instead of feeding the children, I stole from them. And those were my own, not to mention the countless others I never saw, but God knows. Was reading in Luke this morning about being a stumbling block. Forgiveness is real, but Love wants us to live as pain free a life as possible. A seared, pathological conscience is not a good thing.
The stock market, as I see it, is different, As has been pointed out there is no intent to defraud another. Enron and Ponzi schemes happen. Markets fall. Even if all my bills are caught up. I tithe and offer 50%, I WILL hurt another if I purposely engage in gambling. Self sacrifice is a hard learned sign of maturity.
I've never even played a slot machine although I've been in a few casinos. I was good at poker years ago. We played for Monopoly money, matchsticks or pennies we had to put back in the family kitty. I have an analytical mind, I see as a gift. But we have to be careful of how we use our gifts. They aren't ours.

[agricola]

We all gamble, all the time - we gamble that our car won't fail, we gamble that we can make that light, we gamble LIFE - it is a chancy thing, living in this world. But we calculate the chances (sometimes we are wildly wrong) - taking risks is constant. Substituting money for chancing actual lives is, in some ways, a move forward - and mitigation of necessary risk is also a move forward and a necessity. There are ways to mitigate monetary risk in the stock market - you really can't do so much with a casino - except calculating the chances, and making personal choices.

But deceiving yourself, and others - and destroying your reputation, your relationships, your future - now THAT is the kind of 'gambling' which ruins lives.

Hi Heloves - I see you are 'new' (or newly returned!).


Here's a little reasonably good advice -
don't gamble with anything you can't afford to lose.

[Gone4Good]

I remember not being allowed to sell raffle tickets for a school fundraiser. I brought home a book of tickets that I was supposed to sell and the next day *I* (all of about 8 years old) had to return them to the teacher and explain to her that I couldn't help raise money for new playground equipment because gambling was a sin. No way were we going to risk going to hell over a set of monkey bars!

[Struggler]

I was always taught that buying raffle tickets was gambling and that it was sinful. Also encouraged to tell everyone else that, too. Kids should NOT be made to push that sort of mentality on their friends.

[mistertroll]

My dad has lost a lot of money in the stock market. He no longer makes any comments about my lottery tickets.

[ena]

My dad has lost a lot of money in the stock market. He no longer makes any comments about my lottery tickets.

Very common problem. I got out of the stock market in 2001. I decided it was a rigged game. You can make money and/or lose it. Silicon Valley is full of stories of sudden millionaires and sob stories of former millionaires. I've personally known many. Most won't tell you directly but might invite you to see their new car. Comment from my Veep was: Oh I sold some stock. There are class differences that you will not notice until smacked in face with the truth. I have worked in several start ups most fail. The ods are literally one out of ten. Made some money in one but it turns out that Real Estate is better. Inflation is literally built in to our financial system. The treasury needs a billion. The Fed creates it out of thin air and loans the treasury a billion dollars with interest. Where does the interest come from? Trust what God has made not thin air. Gold is still good.