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Gambling

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by buckster75, Dec 28, 2005.

  1. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    it is illegal in some places. that makes it a sin last I checked.

    and I am not following that last part. No one added anything
     
  2. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Then firing a weapon is a sin, since it's illegal to fire a weapon in some places. A husband and wife having sex is a sin, since it's illegal in some places. RV's are a sin, since they're illegal in some places. Flying is a sin, since it's illegal in some places.
    You're caiming that gambling is scripturally wrong, and a sin. But you fail to provide scripture for your claim. Therefore, by making the claim, you're adding to scripture.
     
  3. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    be not conformed of this world.
     
  4. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    Gambling is always wrong 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.
     
  5. WHYME

    WHYME New Member

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    Yes I believe that gambling is wrong. I spent a lot of time with a friend of mine in the 60's who was a professional gambler. I never got the urge myself, I guess I was afraid of losing. But what I am telling you I learned from traveling several states with him and have seen him with as much as $100,000 in his clothes and two weeks later he would be waiting on me when I got to work wanting to get $2 to eat breakfast with. This happened more then once.I saw a man start out with $500 and have as much as $150,000 in front of him during the game and in the end cash out 2 chips worth a dollar each. That Christmas the local church had him on the list to take a food basket by for his wife and children. Like the Naked City there are a lot more similar stories.
    Where you have gambling (easy money)you always find prostitution and alcohol. Group the three together and that spells CRIME. If you don't believe it ask the good people of Tunica, Mississippi or along the gulf coast.
    Just as most addicts started with marijuna, most people hooked on gambling started with "charity" bingo or a lottery ticket purchased at a covenience store.
     
  6. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    To entice someone to gain money at the certain loss of another violates virtually every principle taught by Christ. It breeds selfishness, greed, and covetousness and, in fact, promotes them.

    "For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things" (Philippians 3:18-19).
     
  7. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    Regardless of how socially acceptable gambling has become, it's still preying on the weaknesses of others. This runs counter to the Scriptures, which encourage us to help the weak and seek good for all men. "And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men" (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15).

    Many Christians are guilty of supporting lotteries, bingo, racing, and so forth under the assumption that gambling really doesn't hurt anyone. That's exactly what Satan would have us to believe.
     
  8. insuranceman

    insuranceman New Member

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    Most churches and pastors take a stand against the lottery and gambling. Yet is not unusual for them to hold a raffle in order to raise money for a youth program, etc. The only difference between the raffle and the lottery is the size of the prize of the winning ticket.
     
  9. mhoward1999

    mhoward1999 Member

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    Salamander, We're waiting...
     
  10. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    insuranceman
    I don't condone the practice but one other difference: who benifits?
     
  11. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    which part are you speaking of?
     
  12. mhoward1999

    mhoward1999 Member

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    I didn't see how the Romans 14:4 related to gambling, but as you continued your dialogue, I figured it out. Thanks for following up.
     
  13. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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  14. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Then, entering contests and sweepstakes is wrong, because it's an attempt to get something for nothing, while most people lose.
    It's quite the stretch to say that this equates to a biblical ban on gambling.
    That would make any form of competition wrong. Sorry, it doesn't hold water scripturally.
    Again, that means any drawing or contest is wrong. Sorry, scripture doesn't appear to say what you're implying.
    Yet another stretch to make this verse be a ban on gambling.
     
  15. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Indeed, if one is engaging in selfishness, greed, or covetousness, then by all means, refrain from gambling. If, otoh, you enjoy playing blackjack, poker, etc, for fun and not for greed, then it's perfectly permissible. You don't exactly get "rich" or get a "jackpot" off of these games.
    Obviously, that man was an abuser. Abuse of anything, including gambling, is clearly and abundantly condemned in scripture as a sin.
     
  16. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    I found a penny and was wondering if it was worth the time to pick it up. Then I thought it has the same value of every penny which makes up all the millions given to God's work.

    The same thinking is applied to funding work not of God.

    To contriute to an industry (even a penny) which may hurt another (in fact it counts on it to survive) is wrong.
     
  17. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    tell me how participation in gambling does this?

    "And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men" (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15).
     
  18. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Then we should all be refraining from contributing to the fast food industry, the sports industry, the scrapbooking industry, and the retail housing industry.

    Again, attempted correlation of this concept as a scriptural ban on gambling fails.
     
  19. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Tell me how that verse makes playing a hand of blackjack a sin, but does not make a cake walk, dunk tank, church raffle, or entering the publisher's clering house swepstakes a sin.

    Buckster, so far in this thread, every argument you've brought up to make a case for gambling being a categorical scriptural sin has been adequately refuted, and you so far have not responded to any of those points I've brought up.

    At best, you make a case for abuse of gambling being a sin (and no one disagrees with that point). But your case for making gambling, in and of itself, a sin, has failed.
     
  20. buckster75

    buckster75 Member

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    tell me how participation in gambling does this?

    "And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men" (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15).
     
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