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The church that I went to when I was young, until we stopped going all together.. believed that paying cards.. or dominos (no money involved) was a sin. My grandparents, friends and family would all gather at their house... out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road, to pay cards. No poker. Just various card games. I can remember the kids being the lookout in case the pastor decided that was the day he wanted to come by for a visit! lol...
Life is one big gamble (because only death is certain), but one could become addicted to the adrenaline rush when one puts his life (at least his financial life) on the line.
It also is often the case that gamblers who win believe that God or destiny wanted them to win, while it often is just the luck of the draw. People who actually believe that God or destiny wanted them to win often become addicted to gambling, which generally means that they worship their gambling addiction instead of God.
As long as you are not throwing away money on a lotto ticket that needs to be spent on groceries, shelter or other necessities, I don't think I consider it a 'sin'.
I buy a couple of tickets a week- sometimes I forget or dont feel like it.
There are a lot of things that I would like to do for my friends who have been there for me everytime I needed it, and their church (that I loosely affiliate myself with), and several charitable organizations I would really like to give a nice sized donation to someday!
When it becomes a PRIORITY, and comes before providing for your needs, or your family needs then it definitely becomes an issue. Some people have an 'addictive' type personality and easily fall into the trap of 'just one more ticket and I'll win'.
This makes me wonder: the NT says (in so many words) that even if God doesn't really consider something "sin", that if to us it is, then it is.
For me it is a sin, I think of gambling the same as drinking.
If I were buying beer or a lotto ticket I would try to buy it where no one would know me. If I have to hide and do something or worry about what someone would think if they saw me then to me it is a sin.
I not judging, I just feel God wants me to be a good steward of my money and taking a chance with it doesn't feel right to me.
When I was a kid I would always see matchbooks from Harrah's Casino with pictures of guys wearing barrels with suspenders.
I figured that the casino must give them to you to wear so you wouldn't have to be naked after you lost everything.
But I now realize that I was young and naive to believe that.
I'll bet you have to buy your barrel before you start to gamble, unless of course you don't mind walking around naked.
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Life is one big gamble (because only death is certain), but one could become addicted to the adrenaline rush when one puts his life (at least his financial life) on the line.
People who actually believe that God or destiny wanted them to win often become addicted to gambling, which generally means that they worship their gambling addiction instead of God.
