Gambling Christians

[Bonairos]

Is it fair to say gambling is a sin and a Christian should not participate?

Wait! Define gambling. Is it rolling the dice? Throwing coins in a slot machine? Buying a lottery ticket? Playing the stock markets? Contributing to a 401K and allow others to invest/take a risk with your money for you? Or is it altogether something different?

Is it right for a Christian to gamble?


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[elijah23]

I am from Reno, Nevada, where legal gambling is a big part of our economy. Even so, I think gambling is a sin.

 

[Mike]

Bonairos,

To be consistent with the smoking thread, I submit that gambling is not always a sin. If I'm playing nickle/dime Texas Hold 'em with some friends, and my concern is not winning but having some fun, if I'm content with losing at most $20, I say this is not a sin. It has no hold on me, and my heart is not fixed on hitting it big. To me it all comes down to where the heart is. What is our motive.

 

[Igor]

I would agree with Mike, and also would ask anyone who feels it is a sin to show us what scripture says this. Like many non-sinful things, there may be aspects of it that can lead to sin, or even just to irresponsible actions. But where in scripture are we told it is a sin against God to gamble?

 

[Rinid]

bible tells us to be a good steward with what he has given us. now if $20 and you get someone to open up to you then maybe you are being a good steward. 20000 and you lost your house is another story.

 

[Bonairos]

To me it all comes down to where the heart is. What is our motive.

Wisdom to reach the world! HAHA!

My wife says, based on how the question was posed, she would reply,

"No it's not . . . as long as it's done in FAITH!" HAHA!

I intend to follow some of your postings.


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[makinbacon]

Is it right for a Christian to gamble?

Is it permissible? Yes. Is it wise? That depends.

I see no reason why a Christian, being wise and a good steward, cannot participate in gambling. We spend money on various forms of entertainment and hobbies without much thought. If someone enjoys a few rounds of blackjack or the slots, there is no harm.

That said, there are two serious concerns. First, the Christian must be controlled in his or her gaming. If he or she bets the house on a hand of cards, then clearly he or she should not be playing. Second, some gambling establishments have been known to pry on gamers. I think the socially conscious believer would do well to avoid such establishments.

Thus, I believe gambling is permissible when done under the guidance of wisdom.

 

[Drew]

Bonairos,

To be consistent with the smoking thread, I submit that gambling is not always a sin. If I'm playing nickle/dime Texas Hold 'em with some friends, and my concern is not winning but having some fun, if I'm content with losing at most $20, I say this is not a sin. It has no hold on me, and my heart is not fixed on hitting it big. To me it all comes down to where the heart is. What is our motive.

Well, I would agree that gambling is not always sin. Unlike smoking, it is at least possible to engage in gambling without working against God's programme of redemption. This is not true of smoking - its always bad.

In any event, lets be clear: the "its where the heart is" line does not always work. One cannot say "I choose to murder but I am doing it for the right heart motive". So while I do agree that the "its where the heart is" argument can be applied in some contexts, it cannot be applied in all.

 

[Bonairos]

Is it permissible? Yes. Is it wise? That depends.

I see no reason why a Christian, being wise and a good steward, cannot participate in gambling. We spend money on various forms of entertainment and hobbies without much thought. If someone enjoys a few rounds of blackjack or the slots, there is no harm.

That said, there are two serious concerns. First, the Christian must be controlled in his or her gaming. If he or she bets the house on a hand of cards, then clearly he or she should not be playing. Second, some gambling establishments have been known to pry on gamers. I think the socially conscious believer would do well to avoid such establishments.

Thus, I believe gambling is permissible when done under the guidance of wisdom.

makinbacon -

First of all, Though I may or may not agree (and I'm not saying either), I would like to say your position was very well articulated.

It wasn't just what you said, but also the manner (heart? attitude? passion? faith?) in which you spoke.

Having said that, and just for clarity, would one be right to conclude that you correlate 'gambling' with 'entertainment' ?


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[Hitch]

Well, I would agree that gambling is not always sin. Unlike smoking, it is at least possible to engage in gambling without working against God's programme of redemption. This is not true of smoking - its always bad.

In any event, lets be clear: the "its where the heart is" line does not always work. One cannot say "I choose to murder but I am doing it for the right heart motive". So while I do agree that the "its where the heart is" argument can be applied in some contexts, it cannot be applied in all.

Nahh a pipe well packed with the proper mixture makes a fine smoke.

 

[makinbacon]

First of all, Though I may or may not agree (and I'm not saying either), I would like to say your position was very well articulated.

It wasn't just what you said, but also the manner (heart? attitude? passion? faith?) in which you spoke.

Thank you.

Having said that, and just for clarity, would one be right to conclude that you correlate 'gambling' with 'entertainment'?

Generally, yes. It depends on the purposes for which one engages in the activity. I believe most people engage in the activity for entertainment purposes. Hence, I believe it is proper to call gambling a form of entertainment.

 

[Bonairos]

Generally, yes. It depends on the purposes for which one engages in the activity. I believe most people engage in the activity for entertainment purposes. Hence, I believe it is proper to call gambling a form of entertainment.

I like it, I like it. Right-on! HAHA!

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve (perhaps being naïve) heard of gambling to be taking a risk on an outcome based solely on chance.

And with that, I can agree with you that most people do it for entertainment purposes. But what about the rest? For the sake of dialog, What would you say they do it for, if not entertainment?

Yet I must ask, “Would playing the stock market fall into any category?â€


Be blessed, Stay blessed!

 

[makinbacon]

Correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve (perhaps being naïve) heard of gambling to be taking a risk on an outcome based solely on chance.

This may be one definition. It is not the one I had in mind though.

And with that, I can agree with you that most people do it for entertainment purposes. But what about the rest? For the sake of dialog, What would you say they do it for, if not entertainment?

There are professional gamblers. They gamble as a career. They are not addicts or risk takers. They play games in which the house odds are the lowest and which "chance" is more probability than random.

There are some who do it out of addiction. There are some who do it out of a desire (naïvely) to hit it big. I think these last two groups are a problem. They are also the ones vulnerable to gaming establishments which pry on them.

Yet I must ask, “Would playing the stock market fall into any category?â€

I did not have the idea in mind when talking about gambling. However, it is a form of risk-taking. In fact, most financial planners will talk to clients about risk tolerance (i.e., how comfortable they are with taking on risk investments).