In many cultures traditional Christianity has demonized the practice of gambling. Pointing out cases of addiction it is spoken of alongside drinking alcohol as sinful activity. I'll save the conversation about alcohol for another time, though I can't help but mention that Jesus drank alcohol.
I have several thoughts on the subject of gambling and Christianity. 1st, if anyone can point out where this dogma comes from I'd be happy to take note. As best I can tell it is derived from the passages concerning financial stewardship. If one is branding this action a sin based on it not being good stewardship I'd like to point out that cable TV, a trip to the movies, eating at restaurants, and going on vacation would also be sinful under this line of reasoning. I would like to point out here that the Apostles gambled after the death of Judas in order to replace him. It was their way of understanding God's will.
Next, we seem to have demonized a game more than others, to the point of ludicrous injustice. Poker is often spoken of in the discussion of gambling. While racing and fighting are the oldest competition on which to be gambled and the lottery is the most popular, poker seems to be singled out. The game its self is often thought of as sinful, even when removed from gambling. Back in my years of traditional Christian education playing poker was expressly forbidden even when there was no gambling involved. Playing poker without money is no more gambling than playing Monopoly with children. As a side note I do want to point out that this same institution hosted an annual Spades tournament in which there was an entry fee and a prize awarded to the winning team. THAT IS GAMBLING!
This brings me to my next point. While some non-gambling is labeled as sinful, some gambling is acceptable. I think the most extreme case of this is the stock market. Many Christians play the stock market and even make there living or fund retirement by playing it. In most forms of stock trading one buys tokens based on the odds of them gaining value, these tokens fluctuate in value based on lots of variables. The person then sells the tokens at a gain or loss based on how the odds worked out. That is almost exactly how poker works too.
I do not have a problem with the stock market, because I do not have a problem with gambling, but I welcome someone to explain to me how the two are not either both acceptable or both unacceptable by Biblical standards.
I really do welcome it. While I obviously have expressed a bias, I am open to learning the logic behind this cultural/religious phenomenon.
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i think addictions are sinful - meaning they make us less than what we were created to be, and we miss the mark of what it means to be fully human.
ReplyDeletegambling CAN be an addiction, so can the internet, so can donuts. so can any hobby that loses its proper place. its like a planet that falls out of orbit with its sun - it usually causes destruction. we are built to be centered beings - and being centered on the wrong thing causes corruption.
i'm not one to put my resources under great risk, so i rarely gamble, but every time i participate in the economy, i gamble. i just bought my third pair of sunglasses this year because the first two were crap and broke within two weeks. believe me - i will never gamble on that brand of glasses again. i think the aversion to gambling came out of the temperance movement...
Hey Alan. I probably should give more thought to this before responding. But, if I procrastinate, I may never respond! So, here are some of my not too-thought-out, not-prayed-over thoughts for what they are worth! I think much hinges on how we define the term "gamble." What if we define the term as "to play a game of chance." Surely, we can imagine many scenarios in which it would be perfectly acceptable to "play a game of chance," especially as a form of entertainment. Personally, I would be hard-pressed to say that spending a few bucks a week on a lottery ticket as a form of entertainment would be wrong. How would this be different from spending $6 on a movie ticket or a pastry or a coffee/soda? Now, I can also see how "playing a game of chance" could be wrong. What if this form of entertainment became addictive? I don't want to be the slave of anything other than a slave of Jesus. What if I am wagering money that my family needs for food and shelter? I imagine that to do so would not be wise stewardship. What if the act of playing those games makes me more covetous? What if playing those games is exploitive? So, in my mind, there would be situations in which it would be acceptable to play those games and times when it would be unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteWhat if we define "gamble" as "to bet on an uncertain future." I'm not sure how anyone could live without "betting on an uncertain future" since this nears the definition of "faith." No one lives without faith. If I am betting on the possibility that you would make a loyal friend am I "gambling." Well, I'm betting on an uncertain future, but I think I am willing to take that risk because of times I have spent with you. I have seen evidence that you would make a good friend, but I am taking a risk to seek you out as a friend. The farmer takes a risk when he or she plants seed. But, it's a reasonable risk based on evidence that in the future the rains will come and the sun will shine. Taking risks, then, is not the same as "playing games of chance."
Enter the stock market. Yes, playing the market could become addictive, it could feed covetousness, it could become exploitive, and it could lead to foolish mismanagement of time and money. But, to some extent, traders and investors are investing in companies which have shown reasonable evidence of growth. So, the risk of investing in the market is a reasonable one. I wouldn't call playing the stock market "playing a game of chance" although it is "betting on an uncertain future." The latter seems much more sensible than the former.
I'm willing to "bet" on the soil or the stock market or your abilities and potential. On the other hand, my odds of winning the lottery may not be a sensible bet. Winning money in a game of poker may not be a sensible bet for me either. (It surely would not be sensible for me!) On the other hand, as a game where the stakes are chocolate and a diet DP, for example, what could be wrong with that?! I've said too much. Talk to you later.
You are both terrible people... leading others astray by accepting the sin of poker... which I am awesome at and could smoke both of you.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Alan... someone read your blog. Peace.