The Bible Does Not Oppose Gambling

Fri, Jan 18th 2013, 12:27 PM

Dear Editor,

Today, Bahamians are faced with a similar situation as when I was a young man. At that time independence was the issue. There were those false prophets advocating happy days for every Bahamian when we would have obtained our independence. They were wrong then and now they are wrong again.To all who are surmising that games of chance are sinning, especially "the so-called church", for some time now they have been declaring that taking chance with your own money is wrong or immoral. Let me state emphatically now, taking chance is not immoral. Oh, by the way, I did use the phrase "so-called church". The Bahamian society for years classified itself as a Christian people or nation and their churches as Christian churches.

This classification is wrong, again. Whenever you see the word church in Scripture it is referring to the "called out ones". The word church in the Greek is ecclesia, "called out ones". They are the individuals who had accepted the atonement, sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ, and made a commitment to imitate Jesus, the Christ, in all his teachings or instructions. His teachings never were understood by the religious church leaders at that time. The soon coming King stated, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's" (Matt. 22:21).

Jesus the Christ displayed the highest standard of morality the world has ever experienced, setting an example for us to follow. At this juncture, let me get back to my intended purpose - that is, to establish once and for all that gambling is not immoral. Anything that is immoral is sinning against God's government and the penalty is death. There is absolutely nothing about gambling in the Bible. Jesus said render to the government things that belong to them and to God what he requires. Let us look at the word gambling. The Random House dictionary, college edition, page 542 states: "To play at any game of chance for a stake." Another definition is "any matter or thing involving risk". By this connotation all potential candidates are gamblers?

They put money down, they do not win sometimes. This example is a little farfetched, but it seems to illustrate the point. The "so-called Christians" have many established customs which are wrong, yes wrong again. Time does not permit me in this letter to expose them all, but I will try to draw my reading audience's attention to a few. The very first principle upon which the hope of eternal life is based is God; they do not know who or what is God. They say that God is three persons in one, wrong again. Here is another: When they die they are going to heaven. Wrong again.

If you do not get saved now here before you die, you will go to hell. Wrong again. Oh, by the way, there are many issues the "so-called Christian wrong again churches" have to talk about such as drinking, stealing, homosexual pastors and lesbianism among sinners and Christians. I am a child or a son of God. First John 3:1 says: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God or children of God." To all these individuals who claim that gambling is wrong, I am going to vote yes because there is no scripture in the Bible that says it is wrong. So please find one Bible verse of scripture that will stop me from going to hell. I want to put up some money but you all don't gamble, so just find the scriptures for me please. - Aaron Johnson

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