1964 Awake! - Theocratic Collector.com

extort any money from him? How far
apart the two are! No wonder that the
Bible says that extortioners w1ll not in­
:p.erit the kingdom of God!-l Cor. 6:9, 10.
That gambling is incompatible with the
worship of Jehovah God can further be
seen from the only direct reference to it in
the Scriptures, at Isaiah 65:11, for there
it tells that those who set tables in order
for the god of Good Luck had 'forsaken
Jehovah and forgotten his holy mountain.
This fact was recognized by the Jews, for
in their Mishnah gamblers are forbidden
to testify in court.
In view of all the foregoing, gambling
obviously is not right for Christians, and
that follows even though the gambling
might be sponsored by philanthropic or religious
organizations. Never do ostensibly
good ends justify questionable means. In
fact, many compulsive gamblers claim to
have the finest a1truistic motives for gambling.
Gambling is wrong whether indulged
in for selfish gain, "charity," or merely
the thrill of it, which really is a form of
sensual pleasure.
Where to Draw the Line
Gambling being basically wrong, no dedicated
Christian should have anything to do
with it, either in gambling himself or in
helping in any way to operate a gambling
enterprise. Although according to some
theologians it is not wrong for a man to
gamble if he has the money to spare, that
is merely evading the issue. He certainly
is not betting to lose. And if he wins he
is getting from others money with which
they do not want to part. He is an extortioner.
He has not worked for it; he has
given neither goods nor services in return
for it, and what he receives certainly is not
a gift.
Is it wrong, then, for a man to attend
a horse race or other sporting events?
No, not so long as he does not gamble. As
MAROH 8, 1964
a Christian he is free to choose his recreation
so long as it does not conflict with
Bible principles. However, it is also well
to consider the associations involved and
the effect this could have on his life.
-1 Cor. 15:33.
But can it be said to be wrong just to
put a few pieces of change into a "football
pool" at the office or for youths to pitch
pennies at a line on the sidewalk to see
who comes closest and who will win all?
The amount makes no difference. The principle
is the same.
Does this mean that all games involving
an element of chance are wrong? Not at
all. If no "stakes" are involved, it is not
gambling, for there is then no extortion.
And as for the matter of chance, usually
in such games the players endeavor to eliminate
that element to the extent possible
by their skill. However, if there is an in·
voking ot "Lady Luck,» to win, even if no
money is involved, it is wrong, for this
amounts to leaving Jehovah and turning
to false gods.
Then what about receiving a prize from
a business establishment that gives out
tickets to its customers and then at a
"drawing" announces the winning number?
If this is simply their way of making an
impartial selection of customers to whom
they will give gifts as a form of advertising,
and the customeB do not pay lOI' the
tickets, they are not gambling. So it is an
individual matter as to whether a Christian
wants to try for the gift or not and
then accept it if he wins.
The crux of the matter is this: Did you
pay for your "chance" and do you stand
to win what others have paid for like
"chances"? Does it pit you against your
neighbor and put you in line to be, in ef·
fect, an extortioner? Or do you invoke
"Lady Luck" to win? If so, then it is
gambling and it is not right for Christians!
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