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
Gambling
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by buckster75, Dec 28, 2005.
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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.
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be not conformed of this world.
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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. -
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. -
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). -
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. -
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.
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Salamander, We're waiting...
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insuranceman
I don't condone the practice but one other difference: who benifits? -
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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.
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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. -
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). -
Again, attempted correlation of this concept as a scriptural ban on gambling fails. -
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. -
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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