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I have never been in a casino or placed a bet on a horse or a dog. Where I grew up there was
a cock-fighting place near by with a pit full of chicken bones in the rear. But I have never
had a burning desire to visit any of these places. For me they are just dens of covetousness;
places devoted to taking advantage of the weaknesses of others.
But we now have such a place a little over an hour from us. Near Hobbs, New Mexico a gambling conglomerate has opened Zia Park/Black Gold Casino. The casino opened last week and the horse track will open in the future. Advertisements herald the casino as "convenient" and "a thrill at every turn". It has 600 slot machines as well as opportunities to place bets on horse races throughout the land via satellite. The Carlsbad Current Argus reported that at 5 p.m. the day it opened, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004, all 600 slot machines were being used and the parking lot was full. We can assume that among the throng were many that would claim that they were "Christians". A Scripture comes to my mind regarding this, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Ex. 23:2). But how many in our land truly see gambling as "evil"? Gambling has made deep inroads in the American psyche. Scratched off lottery tickets litter the streets. The Internet is filled with online "gaming" sites. Poker championships have become major attractions on cable TV. And there is a famine in the land, "not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8: 11). God has always intended for man to work to provide for the necessities of life. Because of his sin God told Adam, "cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life" (Gen. 3:17). But God turned that curse around, in a sense, to our benefit. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men" (Prov. 22:29). New Testament Christianity has brought labor to full flower in the form of Jesus Christ, the diligent servant: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5:17). Jesus' servant, Paul, commanded, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you" (1 Thess. 4:11). Later he added, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thess. 3:10). Gambling is not working. It is not honest investment or trade. It is not even a gift. God did not intend for us to provide for our needs by preying upon the weaknesses of others. If I win $10 from the slot machine have I earned it? Is it a "gift" from the benevolent casino? My prize comes from the loss by another person of their bet. In this sense gambling is a form of legalized theft. (Why do you think a slot machine is nicknamed a "one armed bandit?"!) Each day in the United States slot machines take in an average of more than $1,000,000,000 in wagers (The New York Times Magazine). Only God knows how many hungry children result from that loss of income. I understand that everything in a casino is geared to separate the customer from his money by gambling. The flashy interior, cheap food and alcohol, and skimpily clad waitresses all appeal to the flesh or sin prone side of the human mind. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). The devil and his accomplices have been honing their deception since Creation. The casinos' purpose is not only to get the "fool" (Prov. 10:16) to lose his money but produce a gambling addict as well. Electronic Gambling Machines are programmed so that the "house" ultimately wins. The National Gambling Impact Commission found that Electronic Gambling Machines are the "crack cocaine" of the gaming industry. They also found that the population of compulsive gamblers doubles within 50 miles of casinos. http://www.bpnews.net/ What can the Christian do? First, we must accept our own responsibility "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). This means not only avoiding casinos but also teaching our children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors of the sinfulness of gambling. It may also mean repenting of our own gambling. Second, oppose any further expansion of these predatory establishments. This means we should be a light in the darkness by proclaiming to our communities what the Bible says about gambling in the form of petitions, letters to newspapers, and phone calls to politicians. We should remember the words of the Lord Jesus; "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid" (Matt. 5:14). |