Spurly, I can't say I disagree with anything you say.  I've done the scripture searchin years past, and no, there's nothing there.  My biggest objection, I guess, is that casinos are by their nature not fully honest businesses, in that in order to make money they have to both give the impression that winning is, if not likely, very possible and at the same time make sure that winning isn't too likely.  My other objection is that in every case where a type of gambling has been legalized in this area, related political corruption has followed.

In the end, though, I don't know.  We are in such desparate need of economic development here that I hate to dismiss anything entirely.  Too many people need jobs, and if this can bring in jobs, who knows, maybe its worth it.

I probably won't take an active part in the arguments for or against it, but our church seems to be getting involved with a coalition of area churches opposing the move (there's that ecumenical involvement you asked about on another post).

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (spurly @ Oct. 05 2002,03:57)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--][!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote [/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]As to crime and political corruption, I have observed that political corruption always seems to involve politicians so perhaps we might be better off just banning politicians.[/quote]
Thanks for giving me a great laugh this morning booty!

Kevin[/quote]
Top o te mairnin te ye and glad te be of survice!

Do ye know tet I was not serious? ;)

So, if you were a member of a tiny congregation, and your preacher (who happened to be your stepfather) said:  "you're always talking about how we ought to cooperate more with other types of churches, how 'bout we all get real active in this anti-gambling coalition the Baptist church down the road is heading up?" what would you do?

Purely hypothetical situation, of course.

Some politicians in our state (WV) taking advantage of our perpetually depressed economy, have decided that we can bring jobs by introducing "limited" casino gambling (oops, I mean "gaming").  Although I hate to oppose any type of economic development in this area, I can't see any good coming from this, particularly given the history of bribery and political corruption surrounding our lottery and greyhound racing industry.  Any thoughts?  Some of you who live in areas where this is legal, how has it worked out?  Is there a real downside, or are the stories we hear exaggerated?

I can't speak for all casinos but I do know there is mafia involvement in casinos.

We had a brother in the congregation when we lived up North who was some sort of pit boss in a tribal casino.  I don't know if he was in on the division of some gambling profits; it would depend on whether or not he took advantage of whatever was coming to him as a member of the Sioux Nation.  Either way, he worked in the casino.

I met an enthusiastic sister at our between-the-hurricanes Islam seminar, who lives in North Louisiana and travels to her job in Mississippi at a casino.  She has made a mission field of it & is constantly setting up Bible studies and passing around inspirational materials and sending folks interested in the church to a congregation near the casino.  She says she sees more heatache and wide-open need of the Lord among the employees than she does among the gamblers.

The only time I recall Biblical "gambling" is when lots were cast, as in a roll of the dice (or the temporal/cultural equivalent), when the remaining apostles wanted to replace Judas, and when the soldiers who did not want to ruin Jesus' clothes gambled over who would get his seamless garment.

To be a farmer or to invest in a business is to gamble.  We take chances on success or failure, seeking God's blessing but knowing it may be His plan to allow failure... Life's a gamble.

Mike just now left to go down the bayou amongst the debris and snakes to find a place to help people get their lives back together after the hurricane's flood.  (No particular place; the people we know personally are mostly down the other bayou where our "plant" church is, & they have help.)  That's a risky proposition.

Jessamyn spent the morning helping to unload an 18-wheeler of donated disaster supplies, mattresses, food, etc., at the church building, so that we can caravan it down the bayous as soon as the police and National Guard let us down there.  She gambled her time and back muscles on the idea that we would be able to get the supplies to people who really need it, and the Churches of Christ who cooperate in the disaster relief program gamble their time and money and supplies on everything working like clockwork down the line through us to the needy.

I hate the bad stuff that comes with setting up an environment where people chase any pleasure... but I don't want to burn down all the theaters and chocolate shops, do I?  I confess I'd like to burn down the places where I see no innocent pleasure, like strip joints...

People need to take into their own hands all that they do, and hold it all up for the Abba's inspection, to see if it seems to be worthy of Him.

Yeah, his camp would have been quite rough on me, as my knees are so very, very close to the ground.