Christians and the state lottery

[Guest LadyC]

you ARE aware that the mob no longer controls vegas, right?

Are you saying that there is no organized crime in Vegas?

ya know, i would imagine there is an element of organized crime in EVERY major city. but the days of las vegas being in control of this city are a thing of the past. if you fail to pay your debts, guido doesn't take you out into the desert and blow your kneecaps off.

i seem to have a page or two to catch up on, but as far as i've read so far, you haven't bothered to acknowledge that you highly offended me by saying that people (like me) are in denial as you attempt to judge my motives or my heart. i don't gamble because of a love of money, nor do i gamble with the hopes of getting something for nothing. i gamble for entertainment, pure and simple.

[Guest LadyC]

i think most people who criticize hooters has never been there. heck, from the time my youngest daughter was 12 years old until both kids had left home, every birthday was celebrated at hooter's. not just mine and mark's, but theirs too. and that was at THEIR request, always. they absolutely love the food.

Shalom LadyC,

As an aside, I've never been to Hooter's and really have no desire to, but I've heard it's not very family-oriented, more like a topless bar. I find it interesting that you say it's not like that. Still don't wanna go though!

and that's EXACTLY what most people who haven't been to hooter's think, vickilynn, so you're certainly not alone. for the record, i've always found hooter's to be fairly family oriented, at least if the whole family enjoys deep fried food and sports! (my back is always to the tv...) i'm always amazed at how many people think of it as being similar to a topless bar. LOL, not even close, i promise! heck, they even wear hose under their shorts! the only bare skin on those girls is their faces, necks and arms. and the waitresses don't dance

i always wonder why it had such a nasty reputation. i suppose the name of the place makes people of our generation think of what WE thought hooters were when we were in high school. ironically, the majority of the waitresses there are NOT very well endowed at all!

anyway, sorry, i'll shut up now and get back on topic LOL.... although it has been rather fun wandering down the bunny trails!

[ladygirl21]

I don't think it's wrong to play the lottery. I feel though when it becomes abusive like anything else and we began to make it an addition or an idol then it becomes wrong in God's eyes. Because God is a jealous God you can't serve him and money together. That includes drinking, smoking, partying, anything else. Everything that lifts itself higher then the almighty God becomes a sin.

[Guest man]

ya know, i would imagine there is an element of organized crime in EVERY major city. but the days of las vegas being in control of this city are a thing of the past. if you fail to pay your debts, guido doesn't take you out into the desert and blow your kneecaps off.

i seem to have a page or two to catch up on, but as far as i've read so far, you haven't bothered to acknowledge that you highly offended me by saying that people (like me) are in denial as you attempt to judge my motives or my heart. i don't gamble because of a love of money, nor do i gamble with the hopes of getting something for nothing. i gamble for entertainment, pure and simple.

I don't remember naming names. I don't remember pointing a finger at anyone in particular. If you take offence then you take offence toward my beliefs and I'm sorry but I'm not about to change them for anyone. And I'm not going to apologize for what I believe in.

I've worked in the gaming industry and I've seen what gambling can do to people. I've seen lives and families ripped to pieces. I've seen people kill themselves because of what gambling did to them and their families. I've seen the shame. the greed, the lust. I've seen the underbelly of the beast that gambling is.

You want to play your nickels then go play your nickels. But don't sit here and tell me that gambling is harmless. Take a look at that city you call home. Where do you think they got the money to build that? Casinos are built by losers, not winners.

My advice to you is to ignore me. If you don't like what I have to say....just move on....it's as simple as that. It works for me.....I'm sure it would work for you....give it a try.

As for organized crime.....you are very naive if you think the days of the mob are gone.

[Guest LadyC]

man, you love misrepresenting things don't you?

NOT ONCE did i ever say gambling was harmless. in fact, i was pretty specific about how harmful it can be to those who abuse it. i even told the story of the woman i used to babysit for who couldn't afford to pay me because she would cash her check at a casino and not leave til every penny was gone.

what i DID say was that not everyone who gambles does it for the reasons YOU stated, and called you out on saying anyone who disagrees with you is in denial.

and while you didn't call me out by name, you made that statement after i had answered the question of "why else". so your reference to "anybody who says otherwise" was indeed including me.

and again, NOT ONCE did i say the mob is extinct. what i DID say is that the mob no longer is the controlling force in this city.

but that's ok, you go ahead and believe what you want to believe. you're wrong.

and no, i'm not going to put you on my ignore list. that's reserved for people i really can't tolerate, and you're not among them.

however, my advice to you is to pay attention to what people say before you let your fingers do their walking all over the keyboard.... and to quit assigning motives to everyone's heart just because it measures up to your own emotional reaction to an issue.

[Richard_yaash]

It may be a manipulation of statistics but the research done by those opposed in our state found the most frequent participants are predominantly low income...meaning they can't afford to play...

In my area, sadly that seems to be the predominant case as well. Also in this area, I felt that getting it passed was perhaps 'misrepresented'.

If this is true...you may be able to afford it but you are supporting an institution that is raping the poor.

Regrettably, there are many such 'institutions'.

It is also said to be a backdoor double taxation ploy.

Reminds me of a movie I saw years ago. I think the name of it was "Kidco". In which the young kid was making fertilizer from horse manure. His argument when they went to court was that they were literally being taxed at both ends [of the horse]. For his dad had already paid taxes upon the feed.

[Richard_yaash]

Where do we draw the line?

In the sand with one's finger?

John 8:8

[Richard_yaash]

or what about starbucks? is that not a snare for people?

Alright now LadyC, them there's fightin' words

[Guest LadyC]

or what about starbucks? is that not a snare for people?

Alright now LadyC, them there's fightin' words

meet ya out back with a big stick in my hand!

[Ddavid from NC]

or what about starbucks? is that not a snare for people?

Alright now LadyC, them there's fightin' words

meet ya out back with a big stick in my hand!

My thread...leave Starbucks out of it!