Is it Christian like to invest in the stock market?

[Dexter]

Is it Christian like to invest in the stock market?

[Elaine]

Well, it is Christian like to be a good steward of God's money.
With sound financial advice it could be wise. But there could be another
investment that could be better and safer.

[davidjames]

Yes my friend, you can like the stock market =). Many individuals who are believers work on Wall St. and love their jobs. God has made all of us different. Some like planting trees, some like planting fruit, and some like planting themselves behind a desk and investing in those trees and fruits. God bless you friend and I hope the best for you in any investing that you do. =)

[dcg123]

If God in the person of the Holy Spirit is at peace in you about investing in the stock market.....go for it.  Listen the Living One inside your heart.   He'll never lead you astray.  Jesus told one of the servants in the parable of the ten talents that he should have invested with the money changers to get a better R.O.I. (return on investment)

[fxbroker]

I spent the last 4 years digging and researching into the scripture how Christians
could be investing in the financial markets. I have posted a message here. I don't want to duplicate the post - but check it out and comments are welcome

[Bugala]

@FxBroker

Could you please give us the direct link to that topic that you have posted here, it would be interesting to read it.


Basically i would say that it is okay to play on stock markets, but, and now i bit apologise from hijacking your thread, for this question goes somewhat close to one thing that i have been thinking for some time and is the reason why im actually answering this thread.

For thing is, that i have been wanting to play poker for money.

Hoever, i havent been able to convince myself that it is biblically okay to  play Poker so far, and even worse, as i have been thinking about that logic behind it, i have started to doubt efven stock markets and all (but i do beleive stock markets etc are fine, althogh i havent found the logic yet).

heres the thoughts that i have about the matter.

There are different modes in those poker playing places that you can play.

You can play on tables where everytime you bet, you bet some real money. So if you raise the stake to 1 Eur, then it means that everyone continuing the game will also need to use that 1 Eur.

Then there are so called tournaments. Idea with tournaments is, that you pay for example 1 Eur to get inside the tournament, and in that tournament there can be even 1 000 Players. Then for example top 20 get money prices, rest nothing.


Unfortuanately i wasnt able to find the actul place in bible, but if my meory serves right, there is part in bible that when translated from Finnish version to english, it goes about:
"Do not participate in human random factor games"

This word HUMAN making the distinction between using random factor for things like choosing the new 12th disciple after Judas.

I am not sure if this word refers to gambling actually, or maybe its referring to some pagan random factor thing similar to jewish temples "pray sticks" (or whatever the3y called in english) that you prayed and picked the answer by picking yes/no stick.

But supposing this is referring to gambling, then that would definately take for example roulette out of beleivers life,.

But, where does the line go. For heres the logic.

First i took the normal poker to no good list since despite its skill part, it still involves great deal of luck.

But what about when we take the Tournament version.  Each player gets 1 000 Chips, and guys who can survive till the end, get the prizes. No Houses lost etc. Plus despite tehre being the luck involved, best players usually end up as first ones.

Especially when i started comparing it to other things.

Say i would be skiing a lot. Then tehre would be skiing competition. However, to participate on that competition, i would need to pay 100 Eur entrance fee, and winner would get say 10 000 Eur.

I would first argue that is okay, since there is no luck invovled but skill.

But qactually, there is luck involved in it. I have to make best guess about the weather there. For depending on the weather, i might choose different set of skis to use there, and i might also cream my skies differently.

If i happen to guess weather wrong, i might lose due to wrong creaming, despite me being otherwise better than the one who actually wins it.

Similarly in poker, i look at the cards to best of my skills, i try to bluff to best of my skills, and then theres still somewhat much luck involved in it. But especially in Tournaments, calculating the luck to the game is part of the game.

That in normal poker, if you unlucky, you lost money.

In tournament, you just lost your chips, and you are calculating that you sometimes risk some of your chips, but that you can win them back at later point by taking calculated risks.

Since normal poker is in its core based upon one round (despite that you can play it for as long as you like) while tournament isbased upon many many rounds. For it doesnt matter if you lose several rounds, as long as in the end your the last one with chips left.


Despite thsi example, i would still argue that skiing is okay, since its mostly skill.

But what about say i would particiapte in Monopoly world tournament?

Theres lot of luck involved, propably more than in Poker. If dices dont get you to land on right pieces, you just cant win.

OR what about i particiapte in Chess Tournament?

Thats both skill and luck. For isnt it all about luck on what does the other opponent decide to do?

you dont play same scenario each palyer and then one with best solution win. No. You play against each other, and random factor is what the other does.

And from this all we get to Stock markets and even running own business.

For although we can make analysis on stock markets, there stil llot of luck involved in it too. What if that  company doesnt get any orders, what if some unexpected change in market happens and your stocks go up or down?

Or even more. I release some Christian Bands Cd. To best of my skills i look wether i think it would sell or not. And then i can just hope i was right and there doesnt come another band at same time that is more interesting and similar and that band can pull themselves through etc. etc.

similarly i look at cards and to best of my skills decide these are the winning cards and bet y chips on them on tournament.


Any comments about Poker playing?

I would really like to play those Netpoker tournaments for money, but so far i havent been able o convince myself it to be okay thing to do, but i cant really find why wouldnt it be okay eitehr after looking at this logic i just explained.

For if i can join the skiing competition, can play in stock markets, run my own business, then how can i not play Netpoker Tournaments for money too then?

I dont know, but im not convinced enough to play anyway.