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#1
10-04-2006, 12:22 AM
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The Religious \"Wrong\"
First off, I'd like to join with most of you in showing your extreme disdain against the conservative right. That said, I am a youth pastor at a Christian church in Nebraska and am also an online poker player.
Whether you believe the Bible to be truth or not is your decision, but a lot of the ammo of the conservative right is based scripturally, or so they think. I have searched and analyzed the Bible over and over in regards to poker and what it says about this "evil". I have not found anything that makes me second guess what I'm doing. Therefore, I believe the conservatives to be plain wrong. Would love to hear your thoughts. 
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#3
10-04-2006, 12:29 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
I agree, sending to Politics...
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#4
10-04-2006, 01:18 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
I also consider myself a Christian poker player and know many people at my church that also play poker seriously.
From what I understand, Frist is trying to appease the extreme right wing "bible thumpers" who it sounds like have been pretty disappointed in the Republicans promises so far. http://www.capitolhillblue.com/conte...d_the_bib.html Not sure if this bill is directly in response to their requests, but it sounds like they are disappointed there were no efforts to identify and help out gamblers who are out of control. Spidey74
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#6
10-04-2006, 02:00 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
I also am a Christian who plays poker, and my church is Southern Baptist.
I think the argument against gambling you would make from the Bible would be if you took it to an extreme and you ruined your life or family by it. Of course, this could also relate to many other activities like overeating, smoking, watching TV, etc. To be gluttonous or over the top in a negative way is sinful (in my perception). If I make 100,000 bux a year and i want to spend 10 bux on an online poker tournament and I cam afford it, and it doesnt harm my family life or service of God, I have to think that would be alright. If I start jeopradizing my kids and family then I think it is a problem. For what its worth, our preacher a few Sundays ago said in his sermon that gambling is not specifically outlawed in the Bible. Of course, many people also believe that drinking alcohol is sinful, yet Jesus drank wine and He was perfect so I never have understood where some people come up with things anyway....
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#7
10-04-2006, 02:12 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
I'm also a Christian poker player (you can read more about my views in my post about having lost my political indentity). I agree with you that poker is not condemned by the Bible. If this is to go, what's to stop the federal government from stopping people from going into bankruptcy by controlling their spending habits? "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you don't have a large enough income to afford that cofee maker...I would suggest Wal-Mart." "I'm sorry sir, but the U.S. Database says that you have a cholesterol problem and you can't have fries because they contain trans fats."
Notice that I do not discriminate between parties. Also notice, that, in the beginning in Eden, God gave humans the free will between choosing to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the choice to not partake. Adam & Eve made their choice. No matter if we view it as right or wrong, what good reason does the Government have to interfere anyway? How dare the government deny the freedom given to humans by God himself?
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#8
10-04-2006, 02:43 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
[ QUOTE ]
Of course, many people also believe that drinking alcohol is sinful, yet Jesus drank wine and He was perfect so I never have understood where some people come up with things anyway.... [/ QUOTE ] First off, I agree with you. But, FWIW, the "wine" Jesus drank had extremely low alcohol content and bears no resemblence to any modern alcoholic beverages, in form or function. Back then, people drank wine out of necessity. There wasn't drinkable running tap water in 30 A.D. Jerusalem. There were also no distillation processes advanced enough to produce the high alcohol concentrations we see today. Just thought you might not have considered that.
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#9
10-04-2006, 02:52 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
[ QUOTE ]
But, FWIW, the "wine" Jesus drank had extremely low alcohol content and bears no resemblence to any modern alcoholic beverages, in form or function. [/ QUOTE ] Hogwash. Noah got drunk off his ass centuries before Jesus' time. The deciples on pentacost also had to reassure people, "we're not drunk as you suppose," implying that the way they were acting was common among those who drank to excess. Sounds like the same function to me.
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#10
10-04-2006, 08:15 AM
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Re: The Religious \"Wrong\"
How do you think Jesus looks upon an endeavor in which you are profiting from the ignorance of others? Perhaps not you specifically, but are not those who play for a living(or of whom it can be said their play is +EV and they know definitively this to be the case) exploiting people who may think they can play, but in fact are mere fodder for the sharks. Put another way, what makes you think Jesus looks kindly upon you taking monetary advantage of the weak?
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