WHAT DOES GOD THINK ABOUT
Part 3: Gambling
Roy Chapman was always a sharp businessman, never afraid to take risks. When car sales slumped because of the gas crunch in the 1970’s, he kept his Philadelphia dealership together by shifting from new big cars to used and smaller cars. Now the family owns 7 dealerships in 2 states. When tragedy nearly forced Chapman out of the horse racing games, he hung onto one red chestnut colt named Smarty Jones. So far that horse has won $7.4 million in races and ran for the Triple Crown yesterday. Forget cars. Smarty Jones has given the Chapmans the ride of their lives (AOL Sports, Chapmans Ready for Ride of a Lifetime, Dan Gelston, 6/5/2004). While some may be happy for the Chapmans, what about the other lives that were impacted by the race yesterday. People much like Dave Thomas.
In 1993, Dave moved his family from Florida to Tennessee to escape creditors and legalized gambling. He knew his family had suffered there from his gambling addiction, especially horse racing. He recalled when he moved to Florida he saw signs as they crossed the state line: "Welcome to Florida. Play the Florida Lottery." Thomas, who had already begun to gamble before moving to Florida, began spending $2-$3 a week on lottery tickets. He justified it because of the low cost of the tickets and the idea he could help his family. He dreamed of buying his parents a better house. Soon, however, the few dollars he spent weekly on lottery tickets grew to $50 by playing the daily "Cash 3, Cash 4, or Pick 5" tickets. Then Thomas was introduced to dog racing. He began asking for advances on his salary. In the 10 years his family lived in Florida, they moved 11 times, often in the middle of the night to escape landlords and often after having the utilities turned off.
How did the race yesterday affect people like Dave?
“Play Responsibility” – like “Safe Sex,” “Drink Responsibly,” and Surgeon General warnings – may salve the conscience of those involved in promoting social ills, but the slogan barely touches the gambling industry’s imprint in Florida.
Despite rejecting casino gambling 3 times since 1978, Florida is home to a vigorous gambling industry made up of 31 racetracks, dog tracks, and jai alai frontons; about 26 gambling boats, a state sanctioned lottery, and at least 6 casinos located on Native American reservations throughout the state. (Joni B. Hannigan, Florida Gaming Laws a Mixed Bag, Florida Baptist Witness, 3/13/2003)
Six hundred billion dollars is wagered legally in the United States each year. That’s $2,000 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. The amount of illegal wagering is likely several times as great. In 1998, Americans spent more money on legalized gambling than on recorded music, theme parks, video games, spectator sports, and movie tickets combined. (Gambling Impact Study Commission, Final Report. Jan. 28, 2001).
With gambling so prevalent in our country and our state, it is time we stopped to ask, “What does God think about gambling?”
I. GAMBLING IS NOT LOVING OTHERS AS YOURSELF
- Mark 12:28-31
Jesus commanded us to “Love our neighbors as ourselves.” As a matter of fact, He said that is one of the 2 biggies. When you gamble, you do not love your neighbor as yourself. You are trying to take something from your neighbor, for yourself, and he is getting nothing in return. For you to win at gambling, others must lose.
In addition to the material goods lost to them, gambling hurts homes and families in many other ways. In areas where casino gambling has been legalized, judges report that gambling now plays a part in 1/3 of divorces, the amount of reported domestic abuse cases increased over 300% in a 4-year period, and the calls to one Gulf Coast Women’s Center crisis line doubled within 3 years. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission reported, “Children of compulsive gamblers are often prone to suffer abuse, as well as neglect, as a result of a parental problem or pathological gambling.
After they legalized casino gambling in the state of Mississippi, pawn shops became the fastest growing business in the state, as people pawned their possessions to pay their gambling debts. In Kansas City, the number of pawn shops increased from 4 to 38 after casinos came to the area (Judy Thomas, “Pawnshops, Casinos thrive in KC Market,” The Kansas City Star, August 21, 1995, A1).
What does God think about gambling? He thinks it stinks, because when you gamble, you aren’t loving your neighbor as yourself.
II. GAMBLING PREYS ON THE POOR
> Proverbs 14:21, 31 The one who despises his neighbor sins, but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy. The one who oppresses the poor insults their Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors Him (HCSB).
The Bible makes it very clear that we are not to oppress the poor in any way. Gambling preys on the desperation of the poor. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission found that those with incomes less than $10,000 spend more on lottery tickets than any other income group. On the national average, lottery gamblers with household incomes under $10,000 bet nearly 3 times as much on the lottery as those with incomes of more than $50,000. High school dropouts spend 4 times as much as college graduates. When the lottery was introduced in Kentucky, the stores in one community reported a 17% drop I grocery sales. Gambling, and lotteries in particular, are a tax on those who can least afford it.
What does God think about gambling? He hates it, because it preys on the poor.
III. GAMBLING LEADS CHILDREN ASTRAY
- Luke 17:1-2
The Bible, God’s Word says that we have a responsibility to teach children correctly, and that those who lead children astray will pay a terrible price. My friends, legalized gambling hurts children.
George Meldrum of the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems says, “This is the first generation of kids growing up when gambling is legal and available virtually nationwide.” The result? According to a Florida high school gambling survey in 1995: 90% of all teens surveyed reported gambling at some time in their life. 6.6% of them are already problem or compulsive gamblers. Nationally, 1 in 10 teenagers have a gambling problem and 1 in 8 college students do.
What does God think about gambling? He hates it, because gambling leads children astray.
IV. GAMBLING IS BASED ON GREED AND COVETOUSNESS
- Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet.
> 1 Timothy 6:9-10
In a recent national poll, 2/3s of respondents stated that the reason they gamble in to win money. The Apostle Paul specifically warns us about the love of money, and God specifically forbids coveting what others own. Gambling breaks both of those commands. In addition, gambling also displays a lack of trust in God’s provision and dissatisfaction in what He has already provided.
What does God think about gambling? He hates it because it is a root to other sins and because it shows a lack of trust in Him.
My friends, God hates gambling. So how are we to respond?
RESPONSE
1. Refuse to gamble. - Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
2. Vote against it – Romans 13:1-5 According to these verses, the God-ordained purpose of government is to protect the welfare of its citizens and to suppress evil. State-sanctioned gambling does the opposite.
3. Pray about it - Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
