What about Gambling?
by Travis L Quertermous
From The Reminder, May 1, 2011
At one time, practically every American understood that gambling was a sinful vice. George Washington, understanding the corrupting influence of gambling, forbade it among the soldiers of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. I once knew a church of Christ that was nearly bankrupted because its treasurer was a gambling addict who embezzled over $100,000 of the congregation’s money buying lottery tickets. The only place in recent history where it was legal was in Nevada, and it was not for nothing that its gambling capital, Las Vegas, was known as “Sin City.”
But now it is different. Practically every state in the Union has some form of legalized gambling, whether it is a lottery, dog or horse racing, slot machines, or raffles. Poker is now all the rage, to the extent that professional leagues have formed. Television shows are devoted to poker tournaments and matches with the best players becoming minor celebrities.
The gambling industry has very neatly “re-habilitated” itself in the eyes of the public. They have distanced themselves from the mobsters that once ran the gambling rackets. They have persuaded politicians, always on the lookout for more revenue, that gambling is the ticket to financial prosperity. They have sold their addictive vice to a gullible public by claiming to produce good jobs and that their ill-gotten gains help schools. Most importantly, they have “re-packaged” their pernicious product as “gaming” instead of the more negative term “gambling.” And, presto, with that bit of sophistry, they have turned what was once all but universally condemned into an accepted form of entertainment!
But we must not be fooled by such word games. The ends never justify the means. There is no doubt that gambling is both sinful and immoral. Gambling is more than just taking a chance or a risk. Gambling is placing a wager on the outcome of a game of skill or luck. The odds are so high on the side of the casino that gambling is really just stealing by consent, and we all know what Scripture says about stealing. The soldiers who gambled for the Lord’s clothing on the cross are condemned by all four gospel writers. The other example of gambling in the Bible, Samson in Judges 14:1-20, is also portrayed in a negative light. Gambling places one’s faith in the god of luck and chance, rather than in the providence of the one true God. It is an addictive habit that has ruined many lives, families, and souls. Christians should not gamble and that includes buying lottery and raffle tickets.