Christians and the state lottery

[jackie d]

I don't want to participate in any activity that puts my Christian witness in a negative light. That makes a lot of decision for me, and it doesn't create any further debates. It is the main reason I avoid "Hooters" and most sports bars...even if the food is good.

how about a blind fold David? ....then you could enjoy the eats and your eyes would not cause you to sin

disclaimer: in case anyone takes offense, that was a joke

[Ddavid from NC]

pass the ketchup please...please put it in my hand...do I have any BBQ sauce on my face? Why is everybody laughing?

[Vickilynn]

I don't want to participate in any activity that puts my Christian witness in a negative light. That makes a lot of decision for me, and it doesn't create any further debates. It is the main reason I avoid "Hooters" and most sports bars...even if the food is good.

Shalom David,

Yup. I believe I said the same thing. Although "Hooters" isn't my idea of a freedom that I would participate in.

[jackie d]

pass the ketchup please...please put it in my hand...do I have any BBQ sauce on my face? Why is everybody laughing?

no but you've got mustard on your tie!! at least I think that's mustard

[Guest Biblicist]

Does anybody ever say to themselves?...you know this is a questionable activity...a lot of people feel it is wrong...I'm not sure for myself it is wrong...but if this many people see it contradictory to Christain faith, maybe I just don't need to participate...because its just no worth the risk of appearing like my rights are more important than the risk to appearing like I'm compromising....

Now, if someone would be offended or stumble by our doing these things, we would certainly lay them down! Not because they are wrong, but because the Scriptures state that whatever we do, if it makes our brother stumble, we should be willing to lay it down. And we would, in a heartbeat. Anything we wouldn't lay down could be an idol.

A hearty AMEN!

[Guest LadyC]

Does anybody ever say to themselves?...you know this is a questionable activity...a lot of people feel it is wrong...I'm not sure for myself it is wrong...but if this many people see it contradictory to Christain faith, maybe I just don't need to participate...because its just no worth the risk of appearing like my rights are more important than the risk to appearing like I'm compromising....

Shalom David,

Actually, we pray about things and see what G-D says about them. We really don't live our lives by what other people say, but rather what G-d says. It's only "questionable" to those who have a problem with it. It's not "questionable" to everyone.

AND, as I have said before, if I know that someone is offended by something that I am doing, even if I am not convinced that it is wrong, I WILL lay it down rather than offend someone, or cause them to stumble. There are people who refuse to do even that with other things, yet condemn lotteries.

I believe we as Christians should lay down our convictions concerning freedom that causes a brother to stumble, otherwise that thing could be an idol. That includes drinking alcohol, playing Lotto, women wearing pants , etc.

:whistling:

[Guest LadyC]

this reminds me of a thread from several years ago in which the question of whether hooters was an establishment any christian should be seen in. funny thing about that thread... it didn't get very far because it was locked... and the reason? was because so many members were complaining about the NAME of the restauarant being in the thread title! yep, i'm not even kidding. the word "hooters" was deemed "dirty" by many members.

[Ddavid from NC]

this reminds me of a thread from several years ago in which the question of whether hooters was an establishment any christian should be seen in. funny thing about that thread... it didn't get very far because it was locked... and the reason? was because so many members were complaining about the NAME of the restauarant being in the thread title! yep, i'm not even kidding. the word "hooters" was deemed "dirty" by many members.

Ain't that a hoot?

[Massorite]

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 convince 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? Occasionally, 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?

Hello David

I live in Georgia and we have had the lottery for several years now. When it was first created one could sit at a store and play and win for several hours because the odds were good. Buy 3 or 4 tickets and it was a guarantee that you would win at least once. After they got people hooked by giving good odds they started raising the odds so that one had to buy 4 or 5 tickets to win once. I don't know what the odds are today because I haven't played since I got saved. The tickets started out to be one and two dollar tickets but now they have tickets that cost 10 bucks. We started out with cash 3 tickets and then fantasy 5 tickets came along. It is easier to pick three numbers in a row then it is to pick 4 or 5 numbers in a row but now cash three is no longer.

Today when I go to the store there are times when I have to wait in line for ten, fifteen, or even twenty minutes just one person to cash in and or buy more tickets. They never win very much and they always look like they need to be spending that money to by food or cloths instead of lottery tickets. Today I see the lottery as something that sucks money from the poor man because he is always hoping to strike it big and pull him out of his poverty. Most people who have money don't buy lottery tickets because they are don't need to strike it big.

The lottery is gambling and there are hundreds of thousands of Georgians who are in bondage to the lottery. I have seen people buy lottery tickets who should have been buying food for their family.

Anything that leads people to being addicted to it si very sinful.

Biblically speaking there is nothing written anywhere in the bible that speaks out against gambling per say. But God is all about His people being good Stewart's with the money He provides for them. I mean after all it is all His money, Right?

The odds are always against those who buy lottery tickets and it is not at all a very good investment. If you want to be a good Steward of the money God provides for you don't lottery tickets with it.

[jackie d]

this reminds me of a thread from several years ago in which the question of whether hooters was an establishment any christian should be seen in. funny thing about that thread... it didn't get very far because it was locked... and the reason? was because so many members were complaining about the NAME of the restauarant being in the thread title! yep, i'm not even kidding. the word "hooters" was deemed "dirty" by many members.

Ain't that a hoot?

Hoot Hoot beneficial!!