Christians and the state lottery

[Ddavid from NC]

In North Carolina the state lottery has been in existence for a little over a year. I am aware that it exist in most other areas of the country. In this state it supposedly supports the education of our school children. Conservatives politicians fought the good fight for many years to try and prevent it from being reality. To make a long story short, it passed one weekend when the deciding vote was out of town getting married, and the Leutenient Governor walked it through the legislature that weekend. Anyhow, it is reality now in our state like most. People dreaming of hitting it big, play it at the local convience stores all across the state. Now that preventing it is a lost cause, conservatives never mention the evilness of it again. They have moved on to other issues. As a Christian can I play the lottery and not be guilty of gambling? Occassionally, I will engage someone in a conversation about this in checkout line at the local 7-11. Not in accusatory way, but in a curious tell me what you would do if you won. They all say, make a huge contribution to the church right up front. I asked a pastor friend of mine would he take a donation from a lottery winner, He smiled.... Perhaps you don't see a problem playing the lottery, how do you rationalize this in your mind and heart? If you consider it a sin, under what grounds do you see it that way?

[Guest LadyC]

what is it that we're not supposed to have? a love of money. and what are we supposed to do? be good stewards of what God has given us.

so is the lottery wrong? is gambling wrong?

i don't believe that either is inherently wrong. what makes those activities wrong is the motive and intent. we don't have a state lottery here in vegas, but when i lived in texas, i did enjoy buying little scratch-off tickets, and sometimes bought regular lottery tickets. i didn't expect to win... the problem is, those who DO win tend to be terrible stewards of the money they have gotten.

(and before anyone asks, yes, there are times when my husband and i drop a $20 in a nickle slot machine for a few hours of entertainment, IF we can afford entertainment that week.)

[AnExample]

what is it that we're not supposed to have? a love of money. and what are we supposed to do? be good stewards of what God has given us.

so is the lottery wrong? is gambling wrong?

i don't believe that either is inherently wrong. what makes those activities wrong is the motive and intent. we don't have a state lottery here in vegas, but when i lived in texas, i did enjoy buying little scratch-off tickets, and sometimes bought regular lottery tickets. i didn't expect to win... the problem is, those who DO win tend to be terrible stewards of the money they have gotten.

(and before anyone asks, yes, there are times when my husband and i drop a $20 in a nickle slot machine for a few hours of entertainment, IF we can afford entertainment that week.)

Conservatives politicians fought the good fight for many years to try and prevent it from being reality. To make a long story short, it passed one weekend when the deciding vote was out of town getting married, and the Leutenient Governor walked it through the legislature that weekend.

I find what you said above interesting because this is also way that our income became taxable without being eradicated by the majority of congress who were on Christmas break in 1913 when it was made law that we would pay taxes on our earned income. Taxes on our income slipped in through the cracks illegally! Ask the IRS.

[Ddavid from NC]

what is it that we're not supposed to have? a love of money. and what are we supposed to do? be good stewards of what God has given us.

so is the lottery wrong? is gambling wrong?

i don't believe that either is inherently wrong. what makes those activities wrong is the motive and intent. we don't have a state lottery here in vegas, but when i lived in texas, i did enjoy buying little scratch-off tickets, and sometimes bought regular lottery tickets. i didn't expect to win... the problem is, those who DO win tend to be terrible stewards of the money they have gotten.

(and before anyone asks, yes, there are times when my husband and i drop a $20 in a nickle slot machine for a few hours of entertainment, IF we can afford entertainment that week.)

Conservatives politicians fought the good fight for many years to try and prevent it from being reality. To make a long story short, it passed one weekend when the deciding vote was out of town getting married, and the Leutenient Governor walked it through the legislature that weekend.

I find what you said above interesting because this is also way that our income became taxable without being eradicated by the majority of congress who were on Christmas break in 1913 when it was made law that we would pay taxes on our earned income. Taxes on our income slipped in through the cracks illegally! Ask the IRS.

I guess history does have a way of repeating itself if we don't learn the dirty games played in representative government. By the way, the Lt Gov who did this is running for Governor this year.

[Fraught]

"thou shalt not gamble"? i don't see a problem either. here we have an example of spirit of the law or letter of the law, i suppose.

keeping in mind, tho, that christianity is not a religion of rules but of relationship if gambling is wrong for you then don't do it. some must have strict rules in order to stay on the path but if they stay loving, that's okay too.

[Hunterpoet]

ADL.....activities of daily living...if something, anything, you are doing disrupts or interferes with your ADL...then you should stop doing it.

[irishcowboy]

In North Carolina the state lottery has been in existence for a little over a year. I am aware that it exist in most other areas of the country. In this state it supposedly supports the education of our school children. Conservatives politicians fought the good fight for many years to try and prevent it from being reality. To make a long story short, it passed one weekend when the deciding vote was out of town getting married, and the Leutenient Governor walked it through the legislature that weekend. Anyhow, it is reality now in our state like most. People dreaming of hitting it big, play it at the local convience stores all across the state. Now that preventing it is a lost cause, conservatives never mention the evilness of it again. They have moved on to other issues. As a Christian can I play the lottery and not be guilty of gambling? Occassionally, I will engage someone in a conversation about this in checkout line at the local 7-11. Not in accusatory way, but in a curious tell me what you would do if you won. They all say, make a huge contribution to the church right up front. I asked a pastor friend of mine would he take a donation from a lottery winner, He smiled.... Perhaps you don't see a problem playing the lottery, how do you rationalize this in your mind and heart? If you consider it a sin, under what grounds do you see it that way?

first off, there is not really a lie, but a deception in the writings that they have put in the rulings..... that so much of a percent will go towards education......

while this is true, a certain percent may go towards the education, the education budget has not changed, nor have the teachers or administrators or the equipment or building been improved from the monies that have supposedly gone into education....... what has really happened, is that the money has gone there, but that just released other money that was already there to be used for some where else, some pet project of some congress person or senator.... or governor or something else.....

this is no different then money going towards abortion clinics, planned parenthood....... money given as grants and such are not suppose to go directly to the act of aborting (murdering) the children, it does free up monies from their administration and counseling areas to be re-routed so that more money is free to use for committing this murderous crime......

I do not play, why? for one, it is not being a good steward with what God has provided me..... second, the chances of hitting it big are less then getting struck by lightening..... twice......

this past couple weeks, this lady hit it big.... one point something million dollars....... right here in this town.....

whooooopssss,

she lost it....... ALREADY........

it seems, that she had signed a deal at the casino, that banned herself from the casino.... totally voluntary....

and it was at that casino, that she won..... now, she not only lost the money she won, but she had lost the money which she was playing with..... not a good thing..... now there is no money to feed the kids.....

she not only lost that money, but now she has to reimburse the state back with the money she was playing with, for it was money that had been alloted to her to go to the doctor......

this woman, because of the problem she has with gambling, is in worse shape now, AFTER WINNING, then she was in if she had never set foot in the place......

if she was a church goer, what witness would this give to those that know she is a church goer?????

who is her god? money......

who is your God or god?

mike

[Vickilynn]

Shalom,

I have always thought of the Lottery as gambling and we have never participated in it.

However, in our Ladies' Bible class recently, one of the gals gave us something to think about. She said that she played the scratch off every week ($2.00 I believe) and it did not take away from any funds for their family and she WAS under the impression that proceeds DID go to the school system (at least a percentage) and that if she won, it would benefit the church as well as herself.

She felt it was no different than a raffle (cost $2.00) that the Christian school has from time to time to raise funds.

What do y'all think about what she said?

[Smalcald]

I guess I don't like my government sanctioning this activity, and indeed promoting it as something "good". Sure a raffle among friends, even a card game among friends, but in general big time gambling, professional gambling which is what this is for me is a negative for our culture. Wherever big time gambling is found all other vices follow, it is an indicator of sleaze. Besides that the lottery is a scam and in large part takes money away from those who can least afford it, and it is addicting.

Why not just have government sponsored prostitution, or maybe we could legalize pot and fund our schools with the tax revenues from that?

[Vickilynn]

Why not just have government sponsored prostitution, or maybe we could legalize pot and fund our schools with the tax revenues from that?

Shalom,

Oh Smalcald. <sigh>

OK now, the state lottery is the same as legalized prostitution and marijuana use?

Can we say STRAW MAN fallacy?????

Back to the question at hand, how is a $2.00 scratch off ticket per week ANY different than a $2.00 raffle from the Christian school per week? Some of the proceeds help the school. The person buying a $2.00 ticket CAN afford it and is not out breaking in homes and selling drugs to raise the $2.00.

So, is the $2.00 scratch off any different than a $2.00 raffle ticket from a Christian school?