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As gambling is not a sin and is not referenced negatively in the Bible, I'd suggest that Dobson's use of Jesus and Christianity to attack gambling is anti-Christian.
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I was going to ask about this.
I always read/hear Christians (not all of them, obviously) rail against gambling because it's a sin. So there's nothing in the Bible about it at all? This is all just made up?
I have never understood why people think betting money on a card game (or for some, even simply PLAYING a card game) is immoral. If there was something in the Bible about it, I could at least understand fundamentalists having an problem with it.
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Yes, they made it up. Fundamentalist Christians have a long history of basing morality not on the Bible, but on their ideas of what seems right and wrong. For example, some Baptists believe drinking one beer is sinful, yet Jesus himself made wine (a big miracle of His). And, He didn't make it for a sacrament. Rather, He made it for a PARTY!!! Seems inconsistent with the beliefs of people who claim to be his followers. Some fundamentalists think dancing is a sin. And, of course, many objected to all rock music. As for gambling, there isn't a word about it. Here's an interesting article that provides about as much justification as is possible from the Bible:
http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_93.htm#whySin . It's rather convoluted in terms of logic, but it essentially claims that the issue is that gambling is greed-driven. Supposedly, the "greed" is in wanting something for nothing.
One objection I have to this is that I think it contradicts the Biblical story "Parable of the Talents", where making money not from sweat and labor, but from interest and profit, is praised. See Matthew 25:14-30 or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Talents . Other verses in the Bible instruct us to use our gifts to the maximum.
So, am I sinfully greedy if I use my poker skills to make an equivalent hourly income to what I make at my day job (if that were the case)? After all, if the money's the same, is it greed? Am I sinfully greedy for working overtime? Is it sinful if my opponent derives enjoyment from playing poker while I derive income? In that case, it's win-win. I think the answer is "no". Furthermore, gambling existed in Jesus' day. Why no word of it being wrong?