Oklahomans will soon be able to play the lottery. Oct 12 is opening day of Oklahoma government joining 39 other states in preying on its citizens. In honor of this day, I'll have a few posts on the lottery, beginning with why the Christian should not support the lottery.
Christians should oppose gambling (read: lottery) because it goes against many biblical principles. Lotteries are gounded on greed and the get rich quick idea. However, the Bible instructs against this. A stark warning is given in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plung men into ruin and destruction. 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." Jesus instructs against greed in Luke 12:15 and Proverbs 15:27 tells what will happen to greedy people. God clearly shows us that greed is dangerous to the Christian life. Because those who play the lottery are motivated by greed, and greed is sinful, we as Christians should not support the Oklahoma lottery.
Secondly, lottery prizes come from the money of others. Since those who play the lottery want to win the prize, they are coveting what someone else has. The 10th Commandment (Exodus 20:17) forbids covetousness.
Thirdly, Jesus tells us that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). However, in order for one to win lottery prizes, many others must lose their possesions. When we wish pain, suffering, and loss on others, we are violating this command.
Fourthly, Christians are to be responsible with how they use their money. In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. This parable tells us that we are to be wise in how we invest our God-given (and God-owned) possesions. Often times, the money that is spent buying lottery tickets is money that should have been used to buy essential items for the family. Also, one has a better chance of being struck by lightning (1 in 2 million) than winning the lottery (1 in 54 million). Thus, a person who buys a lotto ticket is almost certainly going to lose the money God entrusted to them. 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us that we will give an account to God of all that we did, so we should make wise decisions with our finances.
Finally, gambling, which is what the lottery is, denigrates the work eithc. It implies that one can get something for nothing. In fact, an advertisement in Massachusetts has the slogan "work is nothing but heart attack inducing drudgery. Play the lottery!" Yet that is not how God views work. Proverbs 12:11 states "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he wwho chases fantasies lacks judgement" and Proverbs 28:19 "he who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty." These are just two verses where God explicitly warns against chasing fantasies and instead tells us of the great rewards of a strong work ethic.
Coming tomorrow, why EVERYONE (Christian and non-Christian) should oppose the lottery.
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5 comments:
Well said. Keep the arguments coming :).
Well, Teresa and I have had a lengthy discussion about the lottery on a previous occasion. I personally just don't see what's so bad about it - if people are irresponsible enough to spend their money unwisely, I'm afraid that our economy will let them. Your arguments are, however, well-put. I will definitely have to give the issue some more thought - although I am unlikely to change my point of view.
By the by, there are many ways that people acquire money and yet get around the "laboring" issue. Paid holidays? Maternity leave? Unemployment compensation (of which there are some good forms)? It's tough to make an argument from a labor standpoint - in other words, that money gained without labor is ill-gotten. How do we justify the stock-market?
Well, Justin, don't let the fact that I have been unable to convince you of the problems of the lottery affect your reception of Kevin's much better reasoned and much better arguments :).
Justin,
With regard to your point about unearned benefits (like maternity leave and paid vacation), I see that as an extension of pay. I earn my vacation and sick leave. Were I a woman who worked, I would earn maternity leave. Unemployment compensation is a limited payment to help you get back on your feet because you have earned that through your previous work.
I think Brian adequately addressed the stock market. The idea of a the market is to take ownership in the company. It's not a "get something for nothing" type of deal.
Well, the argument that you are "taking money from others" seems wrongheaded to me since those people freely gave the money to the lottery. I understand all the other arguments about a "tax on the poor," etc. I'm currently just trying to thwart the argument that when I win the lottery, I am "taking money from other people." How? As I said, the lottery is not a compulsory "tax," or something else of that nature. People put money into a large pot, and they hope that in the end they will win the pot. They know full well that it's highly unlikely that they will win - but they voluntarily give up their meager few dollars in hopes that they will win the freely contributed pot.
You're no more taking money from them than you are when you collect your paycheck every payday. After all, that money comes from the consumers in the market - and it is freely given in the same way. The only difference is that the contributors to the lottery are most likely not going to get anything for the money they pay. They know the odds are staggering against actually winning.
Even that last point, however, is debatable since the contributors do get the thrill of thinking they might win. Still, that's only a minor point - I still say that it is freely given, so you're not "taking their money."
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