Christians and gambling!

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As in playing the lottery etc. Is it discouraged? I seem to remember my church won't hold raffles as fund-raisers or something weird like that!

Sorry if its a really stupid question

I think it's down to individual choice really. Many Christians believe that gambling is wrong because it involves putting your faith in something other than God.

Most catholic churches would not have a roof if it were not for tombola.

Hmmm just what I was thinking hens. Although chippy, I agree with you. My current church (evangelist) seems to be v against any gambling inc but churches I've been to in the past, esp Catholic ones, do seem to have raffles, tombolas etc to raise money.

It's about being good stewards with money. Better things can be done with the money.

Ho Oxo, I believe that gambling is wrong because we are told to be careful with our money and gambling is addictive and can cause all sorts of problems when it escalates.

However, I dont really see a problem with the small charity raffles and such-like, but some people see them as the same thing

You can see why god wants us so be careful though. Just look at what money causes. Greed, jealousy,poverty, theft and addiction.

Sorry me again. Just look at Vegas. It's called sin city.

I think you can draw a distinction between gambling and raffle tickets. With a raffle for a good cause you are effectively donating the money and then if you get something back that's very nice. With everything from the lottery upwards you aren't donating to a specific good cause, you are throwing your money up in the air on the chance it will multiply many times. It's about being feckless and greedy - not good really. That said we don't do raffles in our church either.

Money also can cause life, health, freedom from pain, food, a roof over people's heads, clothes on their backs. Like everything on this earth it's a tool for both good and evil, depending on how it's used.
We had a member of family who gambled away every penny the family had, so I'm not keen on gambling. But raising money for a church via a raffle or tombola seems like a fairly harmless thing?

It's not just raffles: our baptist church wouldn't let the boys brigade hold a bingo night to raise funds because this was seen to be encouraging gambling. Yet the C of E church where I was brought up often held raffles and tombolas to raise funds.
I do support the above when I know where the money's going e.g. school PTA but wouldn't buy a national lottery ticket for same reason as northernlurker.

it depends on what the gambling is, really.

If the proceeds of the bgamble are going to the churc hfunds, then why not?
It's usually a bit of harmless fun - not card games or that kind of thing, but a raffle or a tombola are okay.

personally I don't do the National Lottery, but will happily buy raffle tickets, or take part in a tombola or similar, for a local or national charity.

I play cards, not for money, but will score using pen and paper or chips for example, and would go to a charity 'race night' or 'casino night' where you pay a fiver to go for a fistful of chips - all money goes to the charity but the winner of the most chips at the end of the night would have a prize.

I'm prety sure our church wouldn't hold a raffle themselves however.

DH does the lottery - but we've planned what we'll do wit hthe money, and it seems that our church will get morethan half....