Life is filled with uncertainties; we daily walk in the realm of the unknown. We seldom know what will happen next, what will be the consequences of our own actions, and we certainly don't know what the results of other people's actions will be on our lives. Daily we take incalculable risks. Walking across the street; investing in the stock market; purchasing a gift when we're not sure it will be liked; climbing into an airplane - all of these contain an element of risk. So we purchase insurance policies, and hope to beat the odds in the actuarial tables. Of course we understand that some activities are more risky than others, such as: bungie jumping, sky diving or surfing, or climbing up Mt. Everest.

Today, those who advocate the practice of gambling often will be heard saying, "All of life is a gamble," as though playing the lottery, pulling handles on the slot machines, engaging in card games or Bingo for prizes, or betting on the score spread is nothing different from walking out of the house in the morning. And the tragedy is that they seem to be winning the widespread acceptance of the American public. George Barna has reported that even among American Christians, 30% play the lottery. Whole businesses such as casinos are based on gambling activities, and most major sports have gambling connections. In addition, states, clubs and even churches are using gambling as fund raising activities. Gambling has even taken to the skies. At the present, this is only happening on foreign airlines, but it won't be long before gamblers will be able to place bets right from their seats. "With touch-screen video, passengers will be able to play the slots, poker, blackjack, lotto, keno or bingo after one swipe of a credit card."

Some time ago, "U.S. News and World Report" reported that the state of Illinois declined to renew the license of the Silver Eagle riverboat casino in rural Jo Daviess County. However, the fact is, Illinois didn't rescind the riverboat's license because the casino attracted gambling addicts or led to personal bankruptcies (though, like most casinos, it did both). Rather, the Silver Eagle was closed down for "unacceptably low . . . revenue performance." Because tax receipts rise with casino profits, Illinois wanted to give the Silver Eagle's license to a casino that would attract more gambling.

Consider these notes:

1. In one year, more than 550 billion dollars are spent in legalized gambling. Each day, 88 million dollars are spent on lotteries alone, more money than is spent on food.

2. Ten million Americans have a gambling addiction. Six percent (6%) of all adolescents are addicted to gambling - 3/4 of high school students are involved in some form of gambling. When gamblers come to the point of seeking help, their debts range between $18,000 and $50,000.

3. When legalized gambling enters a new area, there is a 100%-500% rise of compulsive gamblers. At least 2/3 of compulsive gamblers turn to crime to finance their addiction.

4. Gambling causes a wide range of social problems:

One county in Mississippi has had an increase of 500 divorces since a gambling casino was introduced there.

A Colorado city realized a six-fold increase in child protection cases the year after a casino arrived.

Domestic violence and child abuse dramatically increase.

20% of compulsive gamblers attempt suicide.

"U.S. News" reported, "Crime rates are higher in places with gambling, 1,092 incidents per 10,000 population in 1994, compared with 593 per 10,000 for the entire nation."

5. In a testimony before a U.S. Congressional Committee on Small Businesses, the statement was made that for every $1.00 the state receives from gambling revenue, it costs that state at least $3.00 in increased services such as criminal-justice, and welfare.

6. About half of the college students surveyed in the United States and Canada said they had gambled at a casino during the previous year.

7. In New Jersey, "gambling is festering in every high school and college," said Edward Looney, director of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling. "It's absolutely epidemic. Just about any college in the country has students who gamble at racetracks and casinos."

Here's a story printed in the New York Times:

Gambling Up Among College Students

KANSAS CITY, MO -- Michael Hudspeth started gambling when he was in junior high, shooting craps for lunch money on the cafeteria floor. When he went off to college, he played dice aboard Missouri's riverboat casinos. His losses grew from the $2 a day his mother gave him for lunch to $2,000 he once borrowed as a student loan -- and he lost that in one night.

"I would go to the boat every day," said Hudspeth, 24, who often skipped his classes at Missouri Western College in St. Joseph to gamble five minutes away at the St. Jo Frontier Casino. "I don't know, it's just something about all the people and excitement that keeps me going back."

Hudspeth was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and gambling had been around him all his life. He would borrow a driver's license from his best friend to get into the casinos, and also bet on sports, sometimes with money his mother sent him for rent.

He maxed out his credit cards and took out student loans to support his addiction. He did not finish college, and instead went to work full time to pay off his debts.

What exactly comes under the definition of gambling? "Any activity in which the exchange of wealth is based solely on chance, and where the gambler voluntarily takes an unbalanced risk of loss."

With gambling, three factors are present:

(1)the lure of easily gained money or merchandise;

(2) a prize to be acquired primarily by chance;

(3) a payment of money being required in order to be involved in the activity.

Some will argue:

"It's an innocent activity where no one gets hurt, where there's no violence, even unlike some socially acceptable sports such as football."

"Besides, people should be free to engage in their own choice of entertainment as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else."

"Everybody is doing it, so it can't be all that bad."

"Just because other people have a problem stopping, that doesn't mean I do, or will."

But isn't this like what people say about drinking alcohol? When are we going to learn that drinking alcohol is rarely a mere personal matter? It almost always results in other people bearing harmful consequences. It's the same with gambling.

RESPONSE #1 - It is not acceptable for Christians to be involved in any form of gambling.

Recently David Wilkerson, Pastor of Times Square Church told about receiving a letter from an irate Christian woman. She said, "My husband, who is supposed to be a Christian, is a big time gambler, in the millions." She said, "I've been so concerned with the crowd and the danger he is in. I thought, I'll urge him to go to the pastor."

She said, "Brother Wilkerson, you will not believe what happened. I am so angry, hurt and confused. I sent my multi-million dollar gambling husband to my pastor. He said, 'I have searched the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and I can't find one thing in the scripture against gambling. I see no sin in it, enjoy yourself.'" She was dumbfounded, "How can a man of God say such a thing to my husband?"

Now before we go any further, let me point out that it's a very flimsy argument to say, even if it were true, "I see no sin in gambling, for I can't find one thing in the scripture against it." For one thing, maybe, just maybe, you haven't looked hard enough. And furthermore, do you say the same for heroin use? For child molestation? For wife beating? For cloning? For euthanasia? For Internet pornography?

Now before we're through, I'll show you a scripture which directly speaks against gambling. Bur first, allow me to make a couple of points, for when deciding whether or not gambling is acceptable to Christians, we have much more to go on than just one Bible verse.

The leaders of our denomination have published a Position Paper on this matter, and in that paper, three reasons to reject gambling are given:

1. "Gambling is wrong because it is a disregard of responsible stewardship."

"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1)

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (I Corinthians 6:19, 20)

According to Matthew 25:14-30, we are accountable as servants.

2. "Gambling is wrong because it involves a chance to gain at the expense and suffering of others."

The reality is, gain only happens when others endure suffering.

This is a contradiction to the commandments reiterated by Jesus: "The most important one [commandment]," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31)

3. "Gambling is wrong because it is inconsistent with the work ethic of Scripture."

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment." (Proverbs 12:11)

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.'" (II Thessalonians 3:10)

"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." (Proverbs 13:11)

"A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 28:20)

There's one other reason we might cite, a reason not mentioned in this Position Paper: "Gambling is wrong because it tends to be habit forming and controlling."

Paul said, "Everything is permissible for me -- but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me -- but I will not be mastered by anything." (I Corinthians 6:12)

However, for those who need a proof text against gambling, it is found in Isaiah 65:11,12: "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not." (KJV)

The Hebrew word for "troop" is a name of a pagan deity named "Gad", worshipped as a "giver of good luck"; and the word for "number" is the name for "Meni", the "deity who apportions men's fortunes to them."

Thus in the NIV this is translated, "But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me."

The Moffatt translation is, "But ye who have forsaken the Eternal, ye who ignore his sacred hill, spreading tables to Good Luck, pouring libations to Fate, I make the sword your fate."