Comments on: Five Reasons Gambling Is Wrong

By: Kevin Loeffler

Kevin Loeffler — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:58:23 +0000

If Vince had bothered to read the entire article on gambling, he would have discovered that it is FILLED with Biblical support/scriptures as to why gambling is wrong. Conversely, I did NOT see any Biblical support from Vince to indicate gambling is acceptable in the eyes of God.

By: lyn

lyn — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:16:22 +0000

So the majority thinks it’s okay if one gambles, becomes addicted, and loses their home, family, etc. Did God invent gambling, or Satan? Would God cause you to basically throw your money out the window on a game of chance?
God wants us to trust in Him to provide all our needs, {do not worry about what you will wear, etc, the pagans run after these things, but seek FIRST His kingdom} so buying a lottery ticket is like saying, “I am not sure God is big enough or willing to meet my greeds”. Let’s face it, most people gamble hoping to get rich. Anything that causes you to overindulge in is sin. Many women are addicted to gambling, there is even a gambler’s anonymous. Let’s not forget this from the book of Proverbs 30:7-9, ‘Two things I request of you, deprive me not before I die. Remove falsehood and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches. FEED ME WITH THE FOOD ALLOTTED TO ME, lest I be full and deny you, and say, who is the Lord, or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God’.
Also this from 1 Timothy 6: 6-8, ‘Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is certain, we can carry nothing out. AND HAVING FOOD AND CLOTHING, WITH THESE WE SHALL BE CONTENT.’
The motive behind the action performed is what is sinful, and everyone I know gambles for ’self’, to get rich quick, for greedy gain. That is where sinning against God comes into being with gambling.

By: Josh Stone

Josh Stone — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:51:43 +0000

stan@power1.com hinted at one of my greatest pet peeves — my eyes glaze over whenever a preacher says, “space-time continuum”. Likewise when it comes to math.

Probability (chance) is a strongly affirmed scientific/mathematical system. It is without which our lives would be unrecognizable — manufacturing, engineering, design, analysis… it’s everywhere.

And when John MacArthur rolls a die (if he rolls dice), he actually does have a 1/6 chance of guessing it right. If we have him do it a thousand times, he’ll be right about 167 times.

What is luck? It’s when an event that has a sub-100% chance of being favorable to you turns out to be favorable. It’s really “lucky” if the favorable odds are very slim. Luck comes when we add semantic meaning to the probability.

I do think gambling is wrong (the other four reasons are great), but we should leave the concept of chance out of it. God built a predictable, orderly universe, with a foundational system of logic that implies chance — let’s not invent a doctrine where the Bible is silent!

By: Steve Scott

Steve Scott — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:56:52 +0000

There's an interesting progression of logic in these last two posts: "PERSONALLY, I don’t see gambling as a legitimate expression of MY stewardship of what God has given to ME." [emphasis mine] There is no verse in the Bible that explicitly says, “Do not gamble.” Five Reasons Gambling Is Wrong I don't quite understand.

By: Bill Toothman

Bill Toothman — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:59:39 +0000

Thank you for the article. I linked to the transcript of the sermon and found it very insightful. I have preached on the subject of gambling and I agree with the main five points. What I really found insightful were the quotes from saints of old. Thank you again.

By: Nate B.

Nate B. — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:04:06 +0000

Vince,

You wrote: “Please note that the five arguments for showing gambling is wrong did not provide any biblical support – thus it is the opinion of a group of men, not necessarily inspired.”

Please note that these points came from the sermon that was linked to in the article. The sermon provides more context, explanation, and biblical support for each of the five points.

Blessings,
NB

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:18:19 +0000

I am in full agreement. Unfortunately this is an off-limits topic in some Christian circles because it is not specifically and expressly (by name) forbidden in God’s word. If we used that test for all modern dilemmas we would be in pretty bad shape. Thanks for thinking Biblically on the topic.

By: stan@power1.com

stan@power1.com — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:05:09 +0000

Point 1: I don’t agree with point one at all. When I play cards, whether it be poker, Hearts, Spades or whatever, I know there are 52 cards divided evenly between four suits. The odds are 1/52 that a particular card will be dealt first, 2/51 that a particular card will be dealt second, etc. Probability (which I guess is what was meant by “luck or chance”) is not a “thing.” It certainly doesn’t involve denying the reality of God’s sovereignty. Would an actuary doing their job involve denying the reality of God’s sovereignty? They deal with probability all day.

Point one is guilty of a logical sleight of hand.

Points 2-5: I agree to some extent with these points.

By: Kai

Kai — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:38:24 +0000

Ok, so I got a little hot at the last post. Yes, buying a (many) lottery ticket(s) can be evil, but I think it is mostly harmless. It is not worth addressing as the church, except to those few who struggle with it as an addiction–who deserve all the love, wisdom and compassion that Christ would bring to anyone struggling with an addiction.

Perhaps that is Mr. MacArthur’s point here, it is well taken, and I am sure that it is love which motivates the warning. And yes, we should take the time to prevent such addictions by helping them not to form in the first place. Fine.

But just leave it at that.

By: Kai

Kai — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:24:50 +0000

Oh please, get over your over-serious self. There are lots of things that lead to a far greater headlong fall into sin.

The love of material wealth for one. Most people (Christian or not) are completely aware of how far they have been sucked into loving money over God.

How many Christians over the nominal poverty line in the US give more than even 3% of their annual post-tax income to anyone other than themselves? Very few.

How many people die in this world due to lack of access to clean water (which is totally preventable with a little extra cash)? Millions. How many people die every year of preventable childhood diseases (which, obviously, is totally preventable with a little extra cash) Millions. How many adults and children suffer unbelievably each and every day due to crushing poverty (which, even more obviously, is totally preventable with a little extra cash) Literally Billions!

And to really embarrass us sanctimonious US Christians with too much…I wager that more people die (and kill others) each year in the US because they are talking on their cell phones driving in their SUV’s than do of gambling addictions and related issues. (Yes, this is tongue-in-cheek)

If you want to talk about raw power to destroy human life…talk about some of those things.

Sorry, but this post (and especially as it relates to the previous one) comes off as sanctimonious white washed tomb-speak to me.

To make my point clear, here is a quote from the previous post: “The people who buy the tickets are the people who can least afford to buy the tickets. An already poor populace are literally consuming those things. It plays into the hands of the people who need to learn how to work productively and not hope against hope. It is another expression of “They that would be rich fall into many snares and hurtful lusts.”

There are a few people addicted to all sorts of things (materialism, cell phones, big houses, hoarding against a sister’s/brother’s need) and gambling is one of them, but stop majoring on the minors.

The world is being crushed under sin and circumstance out there and in our own neighborhoods and we barely leave our houses of stone and gold to stoop to aid those in need. Blaming them for their poverty via gambling is kicking Jesus when he is down (what we do…or don’t do for the least…).

The truth is that a tiny percentage of people who buy lottery tickets get addicted. I would argue that nearly all Christians in the US are addicted to their ’stuff.’

And it should be mentioned, most people who buy lottery tickets do it as an act of hope. They in some ways “hope in” the lottery. It is to our shame that we are so ungenerous in spirit and in fact that they do not ‘hope in’ God (or God through us) to rescue them from their poverty. Apparently, the chances of winning the lottery at 350 million to one is far more likely to bring them out of their poverty than the chance of the church reaching into their life and circumstance, incarnating there as the love of Christ and loving them out of it.

No, far from being a shame to look down upon…every lottery ticket that is bought ought to be a shame to make us look within…