Topic: Is it a sin to gamble? - page 68. (Read 31233 times)

If your culture allows it then not sin, else mayb be called as a sin

Purely contextual on your society and beliefs. In Iran homosexuality is a sin, in San Franciso, less so.

Sin is a religious concept, so you should consult your pastor/religious leader or the holy book of your choice. If you are into that sort of thing.

Is it morally right or wrong? For me it depends on how it affects people around you. So it isn't right or wrong in itself but it can certainly be wrong if done irresponsibly.

many religions have condemned gambling, and some of them will go as far as calling it a sin so it depends on your beliefs to consider it a sin or not.

Yes. When you gamble, devils take your money away from you. Ouch!

The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting, or the lottery. The Bible does warn us, however, to stay away from the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). Scripture also encourages us to stay away from attempts to “get rich quick” (Proverbs 13:11; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 5:10). Gambling most definitely is focused on the love of money and undeniably tempts people with the promise of quick and easy riches.

What is wrong with gambling? Gambling is a difficult issue because if it is done in moderation and only on occasion, it is a waste of money, but it is not necessarily evil. People waste money on all sorts of activities. Gambling is no more or less of a waste of money than seeing a movie (in many cases), eating an unnecessarily expensive meal, or purchasing a worthless item. At the same time, the fact that money is wasted on other things does not justify gambling. Money should not be wasted. Excess money should be saved for future needs or given to the Lord's work, not gambled away.

While the Bible does not explicitly mention gambling, it does mention events of “luck” or “chance.” As an example, casting lots is used in Leviticus to choose between the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat. Joshua cast lots to determine the allotment of land to the various tribes. Nehemiah cast lots to determine who would live inside the walls of Jerusalem. The apostles cast lots to determine the replacement for Judas. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

What would the Bible say about casinos and lotteries? Casinos use all sorts of marketing schemes to entice gamblers to risk as much money as possible. They often offer inexpensive or even free alcohol, which encourages drunkenness, and thereby a decreased ability to make wise decisions. Everything in a casino is perfectly rigged for taking money in large sums and giving nothing in return, except for fleeting and empty pleasures. Lotteries attempt to portray themselves as a way to fund education and/or social programs. However, studies show that lottery participants are usually those who can least afford to be spending money on lottery tickets. The allure of “getting rich quick” is too great a temptation to resist for those who are desperate. The chances of winning are infinitesimal, which results in many peoples’ lives being ruined.

Can lotto/lottery proceeds please God? Many people claim to be playing the lottery or gambling so that they can give the money to the church or to some other good cause. While this may be a good motive, reality is that few use gambling winnings for godly purposes. Studies show that the vast majority of lottery winners are in an even worse financial situation a few years after winning a jackpot than they were before. Few, if any, truly give the money to a good cause. Further, God does not need our money to fund His mission in the world. Proverbs 13:11 says, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” God is sovereign and will provide for the needs of the church through honest means. Would God be honored by receiving donated drug money or money stolen in a bank robbery? Of course not. Neither does God need or want money that was “stolen” from the poor in the temptation for riches.

First Timothy 6:10 tells us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Hebrews 13:5 declares, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Matthew 6:24 proclaims, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

I think that gambling is OK!!. Why do I say it that way?? Because I feel that that is experiencing the problem gamblers, because 99% of gamblers surely using ambition in the game and that led to a defeat for them. I think you are one of those people who use ambition in gambling so that when you experience a major defeat, you made this thread.

well yes it is okay, in some religions it is a huge sin, but in some it is okay, i mean gambling is just a hobby like any sport or computer games, if gambling is a sin then basketball is a sin too, right?

the problem comes if the person gets too addicted to it and in the end lose vast amounts of money that he needs for a living, then all the problems begin

Don't forget that religions were usually invented long time ago. In the time where people were much more superstitious, have no idea about some laws of nature etc.
Therefore I think that if you blindly follow religious commandments, some of which are simply insanely stupid you are just making fool of yourself.

Yeah and if you are good in gambling then you should go for it as it gives you an opportunity to earn extra money and gambling is really a big fun.

depends which religion you have, some allows it and some don't, but i don't think that it is a huge sin because it's just a hobby, it's not a bad thing just extra way to earn money, yes people gets addicted to but people gets addicted to smoking for example too

That is if you believe in hell.. Do you know those what we call "white lie"? is it a lie or not? Of course, it is still a lie, but did it do harm to someone? atleast no..It even could help.. Just think about gambling as like that...if it harm you or someone else, then it's a sin, and if it's beneficial to you and you don't compromise other people's life, then I think it's not...Well, that's just my opinion..

in my country all kinds of gambling is considered a sin. and if caught by police you can be arrested for gambling. but there are still many people who gamble maybe because this is already common in society and can't be stopped

If gambling is really a sin, thats a ton of people in hell lol.

I mean Id like to think I`m a good person, and I gamble very few times for entertainment. So I guess I`ll see everyone else in hell?

I don't believe gambling is a sin according to the Bible, but the Bible does promote good stewardship of the resources God has entrusted us with and Paul says "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything."  (1 Cor 6:12)

I think as long as you aren't addicted/mastered by gambling and as long as you aren't spending more than you are able, that it is okay.

No it is not sin to gamble. We all do it for fun and that is important for us. There is a chance that you can lose a lot of money.
If you play with small amounts than it will be not a problem to lose some money, because it is not that much.
So you will have fun and lose not that much money, and that is good.

Gambling is for fun if you are looking in this way but if you are doing it to do a leaving I think that is a sin. Better to do proper job rather than risking to do gambling.

take it in funny way , don't gamble with big amount , that what I do .

It is not sin as i think because it is easiest way to have fun for me, i am doing it to make some profit and it is okay for me because it is not prohibited here into my country but i like to play mostly at online sites.

If you are about to do something more noble with your winnings than their previous owner - it is not a sin .