If you're religious, how does your religion feel about gambling?

[pacers31]

Believing in any religion is a gamble anyway. True believers like to think that they know the answer, but the truth is none of us really know. Roll the bones, and take your chances. One way or another, someday we will all find out if we are right about it or not. Best thing about religion is the message of love and peace. The worst thing about it is the wars and prejudices that it purports. Amen.

[uungy]

Thanks everyone. I wasn't trying to start a holy war. I'm not very religious myself. Haven't been to church in years, but I kinda feel like god is a cool idea. I never learned anything about not gambling, but then these moslem people I was chatting with said that Islam is really against gambling, and so is Judiasm. But then they said that only Jews were gambling in the casino in Jericho before it got blown up, so maybe they didn't understand about Jews.

Does anyone know about Jews and gambling?

As far as I am aware, there is no definitive ban on gambling by any religion.

Obviously any religion would preach against it, simply the preachers are there to advise the followers.

[BingoT]

I'm so happy that she won! Maybe now she can afford some teeth!

That is my Aunt

[james01]

That is my Aunt

Sorry BingoT - I hope your teeth haven't left too

So I looked up Jews and gambling, cuz I was curious.
from: http://www.torah.org/features/secondlook/gambling.html

Gambling, in all of its forms, was frowned upon if not actually forbidden by the rabbinic authorities of the ages. Gambling for money was viewed in the Talmud as a form of thievery, since the loser never really makes peace with the losses that were sustained and does not forgive or forget the winner. People who were professional gamblers were disqualified by rabbinic law from being accepted as legitimate witnesses in a Jewish court of law. They were categorized by the rabbis as being unfit for testimony since they "did nothing to promote the benefit of society."

Islam:
http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/f..._gambling.html

When Islam came, it described the evils of gambling in the most effective language and prohibited it for the Muslims.

"O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that you may prosper."
[5:90]

Gambling is mentioned in the Quran, alongside drinking alcohol as an abomination, a sin, and a grave harm to mankind. It was made clear that prosperity does not come through gambling. That gambling, among many other things, causes families to break, societies to suffer, and the economy to deteriorate, damaging and ruining the ethical foundation of any decent society.

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Looks like the Moslems take it pretty seriously. Jews seem to be less so.

[w8n4win]

I'm a Christian who attends a Baptist church, here's my take on 'being allowed to gamble', churchs pick and choose what is right and wrong, the Bible does not mention that gambling is not allowed, it does say we should be good stewards of all we have. Baptist churches also preach against drinking and smoking, but never about over eating which is bad for your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. The stock market is a gamble, but they don't discourage that. Most chuches now are so affraid of stepping on toes they don't even preach on the basics, like the fact young girls (and sometimes older women) come to church dressed like street walkers, where are the sermons about lust and causing lust, which is addressed in the Bible, where gambling isn't!

[pacers31]

I'm a confirmed agnostic, but I have to ask the question: Does god's light guide us, or blind us???

[GGW Laurie]

I'm a Christian who attends a Baptist church, here's my take on 'being allowed to gamble', churchs pick and choose what is right and wrong, the Bible does not mention that gambling is not allowed, it does say we should be good stewards of all we have. Baptist churches also preach against drinking and smoking, but never about over eating which is bad for your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. The stock market is a gamble, but they don't discourage that. Most chuches now are so affraid of stepping on toes they don't even preach on the basics, like the fact young girls (and sometimes older women) come to church dressed like street walkers, where are the sermons about lust and causing lust, which is addressed in the Bible, where gambling isn't!

Amen

[james01]

I'm a Christian who attends a Baptist church, here's my take on 'being allowed to gamble', churchs pick and choose what is right and wrong, the Bible does not mention that gambling is not allowed, it does say we should be good stewards of all we have. Baptist churches also preach against drinking and smoking, but never about over eating which is bad for your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. The stock market is a gamble, but they don't discourage that. Most chuches now are so affraid of stepping on toes they don't even preach on the basics, like the fact young girls (and sometimes older women) come to church dressed like street walkers, where are the sermons about lust and causing lust, which is addressed in the Bible, where gambling isn't!

Interesting, I know that a lot of churches run bingo. I spoke to a clergyman who said that technically, the stock market isn't gambling, because you're purchasing something - i.e. a minuscule part of a company. Sounds like semantics to me, but then again, there is certainly a qualitative difference between buying stock in Microsoft and pulling the arm of a one-armed bandit.

[w8n4win]

Interesting, I know that a lot of churches run bingo. I spoke to a clergyman who said that technically, the stock market isn't gambling, because you're purchasing something - i.e. a minuscule part of a company. Sounds like semantics to me, but then again, there is certainly a qualitative difference between buying stock in Microsoft and pulling the arm of a one-armed bandit.

Yes, it's true what you say about the stock market vs slots and I don't know many people that have an adiction to buying stocks! But, I feel it is still a gamble and it's still trying to make easy money.

[uungy]

Everything nowadays involves a "risk factor" which isnt gambling, its "risk taking". Gambling is considered "wrong" since many gamblers regret what they have spent. Playing slots or the ike is in my opinion not gambling as you know what you want to play and lose before you quits. Putting money on the horses is what you put dwon and hope to win on that.

I am not saying its wrong to gamble, I am just stating the differance