I call him Gamblor!
Gambling's great. Everyone should do it. Can anyone help me think of ways to preach the benefits of gambling to a congregation? Doesn't the Bible say something about this?
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Kathryn said,
November 17, 2006 @ 1:16 pm
I don't understand why gambling is great. Can you explain to me why gambling is so great?
dbiddy said,
November 17, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
Nope, it just is. I need someone to tell me why it's a sin... please use Scripture to make your point.
Kathryn said,
November 17, 2006 @ 8:39 pm
I'm definately not a scholar, and I don't know a bagillion bible versus off by heart to share with you (sorry) but I would like to argue this subject on another point, if that's alright.
As far as benefits go, I heard something about tax money on gambling machines themselves...but that's not the issue I want to get into.
As far as I can tell (again, not a scholar here), gambling itself is not a sin (maybe it was the Catholics that brought that in?). However, that's not the point either. It's a matter of the heart.
What happens to you when you gamble? For many people it becomes an obsession. They gamble all the time, or they just gamble every other weekend, or they'll only gamble on a few random days of the week or every other month to convince themselves that they are in control of gambling. Other people become supersticious. If you've ever had to volunteer for a bingo game, you probably know what I'm talking about when I mean people can become supersticious. It's easy for someone to become addicted to gambling. They win once, and they think they can win every time. Or they keep holding out, thinking luck is on their side. God is taken out of the picture - it becomes about 'luck'. There's always a chance you can get more. Maybe if you hold out long enough...
Here's an extreme case I just want to throw out there: I saw in the newspapers a few years back an article about a man who was arrested because he was in a huge amount of debt and couldn't pay for or repay anything. Why? Because he had spent over $150,000 in lottery tickets.
I know I haven't used any Scripture passages to back any of this up, but I hope you still see the logic behind my arguement.
dbiddy said,
November 21, 2006 @ 11:31 am
Heard it all before. I guess we'd better abstain from social drinking and fatty foods too.
Kathryn said,
November 22, 2006 @ 12:30 pm
I guess I didn't answer either of your initial questions. Sorry.
Kathryn said,
November 22, 2006 @ 12:37 pm
Merg, take that "guess" out of there - I definately didn't answer either of your two initial questions, lol. Sorry.
john said,
November 23, 2006 @ 6:28 pm
If you say gambling is a sin then you are discriminating against dbiddy's religion. It is not PC to say Gamblor is a false god. To be PC you must say all religions are equal, including this new religion of Gamblor. All hail Gamblor!!!!
-Gamblor and Jesus were having a conversation. Jesus said "I am the way/" BUT Gamblor interrupted Him and reminded Jesus that saying such things is discriminatory, everyone is free to choose their own way. Gamblor deserves equal rights and opportunity to Jesus, Buddha and any other garbage PC notions that I want to joke about right now...
Ok, before I get too cynical sounding, Amanda is going to tell you why worshipping Gamblor is a sin. (go easy on her or I'll beat you)
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It is dishonest – you are usually taking money from criminals or from people who could have used it in a better way! Especially in Alberta, you are basically giving your hard-earned money to drug dealers and money launderers. The point of gambling is to get money without giving anything in return. Contrast this to work and investments, which are to get money by giving something in exchange. Gambling is about winning whereas work or investing is about earning. Poker is a good example of gambling because it is based on trickery and deceit in order to take others money without giving them anything in return.
Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. Proverbs 13:11
Gambling is a very poor way to use money, usually it is a better way to lose money.
You could have used that extra money to give to charity instead! God rewards those who give:
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
And last but not least, you are worshipping money! The only point of gambling is to get money without doing anything good in the process. In this way you are worshiping money because it is the only reason people gamble. Work can be like this as many people worship money, but often work is about and always involves being a productive member of society. Gambling produces nothing but problems and unrealistic hopes. I am sure you and your friends who play poker are like the others I know who daydream about being professional gamblers, to dream of living a life where you only take and never give as your main occupation. This dream is about becoming rich, not being a benefit to others.
Proverbs 23: 4-5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
The End
ro said,
November 23, 2006 @ 9:14 pm
You want my honest opinion? It's bad bad stewardship. There is a higher morale value at stake, maybe it's not sin, but it's not taking good care of God's provision. I'll dig up something on stewardship.