~pearl Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 700 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/17/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/11/1977 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Look at the whole Las Vegas city funded advertising campaign, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" Usually the commercials have some sort of guy or women cheating on their spouse etc. The whole thing is rotten to the core. This is ot but in a magazine I subscribe to there is a comic with men sitting amongst flames saying "I thought what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas". Its a comic but it is certainly not funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie d Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 25 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,081 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/29/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/08/1967 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Vickilynn Said: If someone does not have a problem with the State Lottery, or even gambling, then they are not in sin if they indulge. Regardless of what other people say. The same goes for drinking. Now, we, don't do either, but that is our CHOICE, it is not a Biblical mandate and those who are pushing their choices on others are wrong. And usually the same ones that come unglued about other topics that challenge their freedoms! Just see it for what it is and ignore it. Hypocrisy. We already had one admit to being a hypocrite on the issue and I agree. having a drink and getting drunk are two different things...but there is speak of such in the word of God telling us that to become it is a sin and therefore we must be watchful of those things that can lead to emotional, spiritual, economical and physical death.. Eph 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, Eph 5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, dis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalcald Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 32 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 5,258 Content Per Day: 0.76 Reputation: 42 Days Won: 3 Joined: 06/16/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/22/1960 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Gambling does not always = covetousness, any more than window shopping ='s covetousness. It's a game. Some play for fun. And if they win, GREAT. If not...no big deal. Key word = "some". What about MOST? What about the one? It is a snare...a trap...for those seeking a quick buck. But, alcohol is a snare...a trap...for those seeking a quick high, for those seeking to hide from the problems in life. Does that make it a sin for me to drink occasionally? [not like I do, blah, but if I could stand the taste...] No it does not make it a sin for you to have one drink occasionally. But how would you like your government promoting liquor and directly selling booze, encouraging families to drink more liquor to help the schools? This is about what kind of a culture we want to live in, and a culture which encourages gambling including having the government run large scale numbers rackets which is what the lottery is, is not a Christian environment. If you think of it, how can we evangelize other cultures when we ourselves are sitting here with this sort of a culture? For example how does it help us in the Middle East to bring Christ to those people when they look at a country with the majority of people being Christian and they see that we encourage government sponsored gambling? Is this the impact of having a Christian majority nation, that we would have more gambling? I honestly believe lotteries and our recent obsession with gambling in this country is simply further evidence of our cultural breakdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.63 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted February 28, 2008 No it does not make it a sin for you to have one drink occasionally. But how would you like your government promoting liquor and directly selling booze, encouraging families to drink more liquor to help the schools? Shalom Smalcald, I don't see that they are the same at all. Obviously, if you feel this strongly about it, YOU should avoid it. However, making that blanket decision for other Christians is not right, nor is it Biblical. Your views are for you, and you must allow others to have their differing views. It's not about the "culture" at all. It's about CHOICE. And FWIW, we live in NC and the ONLY ones who can sell legal liquor is the state! LOL! Yup, we live in an ABC state and they own all the liquor stores and the proceeds go to the state and I'm sure some of the profits end up in schools. So what? We don't drink, but if we did, there's nothing wring with our purchases being used to help our state's children. I'd rather it go that way than the proceeds going to fund other things such as abortion or homosexual agendas. I think you've over-stating this whole thing and making a wide, sweeping condemnation of our "culture" when it's simply the same as going to see a movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadyC Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Wayne, i have a question for you... yes, gambling can be a snare for some. is that our responsibility? does it make gambling, in and of itself, wrong because some might be lured into it? and if so, then what about every other activity under the sun? others have already mentioned things like smoking, drinking, etc., so i'm going to step outside the box and go a little further. how about fast food chains? that is definitely a trap, a snare, for many many people. does that mean we should condemn all BK's and McD's? or what about starbucks? is that not a snare for people? or laying beside the pool during the summer.... should we condemn apartment complexes for having such a temptation that might lead some tenants to waste their days soaking up the sun instead of being busy about the Lord's work? televisions... oh my gosh, talk about a snare! should we throw our tv's in the garbage and start protesting outside of electronics stores? anything, EVERYthing, can be a snare for some people. there isn't a single activity or consumable product that can not become an idol or addiction in somebody's life... heck, i even saw an episode of "untold stories of the ER" once where a woman was addicted to eating toilet paper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ddavid from NC Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 196 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 1,343 Content Per Day: 0.23 Reputation: 12 Days Won: 1 Joined: 01/15/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/03/1964 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 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.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie d Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 25 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,081 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/29/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/08/1967 Share Posted February 28, 2008 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.... yep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.63 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted February 28, 2008 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie d Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 25 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,081 Content Per Day: 0.17 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/29/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/08/1967 Share Posted February 28, 2008 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ddavid from NC Posted February 28, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 196 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 1,343 Content Per Day: 0.23 Reputation: 12 Days Won: 1 Joined: 01/15/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/03/1964 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts