Ronny Dorge: So Native Americans who own Casinos are sinners because your morality terms them so? How about the religious people that destroyed their cultures and societies in the first place.. are they sinners too?I don't use casinos or gamble - not even bingo which many churches have or the lottery. However, if done responsibly, like anything else in moderation, I see no problem with it.Anything can become an addiction and an obsession, not just what is in your world view considered sinful....Show more
Devon Kalberer: "Atheists does it bother you that you'll never really be able to ever prove god doesn't exist" -> to you, you mean. No, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I've proved to myself that God does not exist, and that's enough. "yeah, yeah i know the "well prove god does exist" lines are coming" -> But do you know why? Simply because your entire question relates just as much to your belief as mine. if that was me i'd always feel like I didn't live lif! e to the fullest...that i was nothing but a failure and a fraud " -> It's very sad for you that you think that the most important thing in your life is being able to prove whatever religious belief you hold. YOU can't prove that God exists to anyone who doesn't believe, just as I can't prove He doesn't to anyone who does. Yet you somehow think that makes me a fraud and a failure and not you. I think in your mind somewhere, there is a logic switch in the "off" position.
Lourie Mcroberts: I think for myself personally , there enough places to spend money , in a responsible way and We worked hard enough to get the necessity's , that gambling is a disease of greed . In this world few people get anything for nothing and those that do, are never content or happy once they've gotten it. Personal Opinion.
Joey Mekeel: So, because you can't prove or disprove God, it means what! Haha! Is this the agnostic position
Loise Mausser: I don't see anything wrong with ga! mbling unless it's done in a Church.
Mel Crapo: For the ! would-be Christians who can't understand what I am talking about, read what tdon61 below has to say. If you still can't understand, I give up on you.
Idell Syed: Well, I used to work for Off Track Betting, and my sweetie works in a combination raceway/casino gaming establishment. That's how we pay the rent, you know? I have no problem with people gambling for fun, like on the Derby or something, or even on lotto. It's when you're living for the next race, the next lottery drawing, the next hand of poker, that it's a bad thing.
Erica Bottaro: The problem with the second part of that question is that a lot of atheists feel that way. And not reflecting on the religious is near impossible, since plenty of us think that way. And I don't feel like a fraud, because I try my hardest to be an honest person. Nor do I feel like a failure, since my grades have been high and my work ethic is good (or so I have been told). I also don't understand how you would feel like you! weren't living life to the fullest, since the religious folk have to follow all these rules and rituals obediently just to find eternal happiness or whatever with their chosen deity. Personally, I feel freed.And here comes the dreaded phrase- prove your god DOES exist, buddy!
Kiersten Clayburn: Absolutely. Christianity, or to be more specific, Catholicism religion is probably the most hypocritical religions known. They preach and preach, then they go home and do all kinds of "un-godly things", but as long as they're in that pew on Sunday, they're good people. Take all their ranting about gay marriage. They are the ones making the biggest noise against it, but bring up their pedophile priests, and watch their reaction. I'm from MA, and when gay marriage became legal, the catholics went nuts ! But now, after a couple of years, the sky didn't fall, the earth didn't open up and swallow all the sinners, the sun still comes up & how has it really affected traditional marri! age, which was one of their biggest "concerns". King Pope just wants to! be the supreme ruler, along with his buddy King George of America. If people REALLY followed what the Bible says, it would be a happier world indeed. The Christians just warp it all to satisfy their own agenda. Do your own thing, as the happy old Hippies used to say. You'll be happier - screw what all the religious bigots say....Show more
Sherrill Botting: Unless the casino owners are pointing a gun to someones head and saying "play or die", then they are not supporting any ones habits. Is it a sin? it depends on how you read your Bible. I know of a lot of churches and schools that hold raffle's, and they seem to think that's OK.I live in a state that thinks the lottery is a crime along with any type of gambling, but yet these same people hold raffle's.I don't get it ,either way I lose a dollar.
Keven Drumgole: I'm not sure if "most" Christians would even say it's a sin. I'm a Christian, and I don't think gambling in and of itself is a sin. Just like, drink! ing, for example. However, I think EXCESSIVE gambling / drinking is a sin. And obviously the definition of "excessive" is different for every person. If I lose $20-40 spending 3 hours at a casino, I just consider that my entertainment expense. No different than dropping that kind of money on a movie and popcorn, or a sporting event, etc. (Yes, I can spend 3 hours and 'only' lose $20-40, cuz I happen to be cheap but that's a different thing altogether). I think the problem with the gambling is when people think they'll one day hit the big one and never have to work again (ok maybe not exactly that, but you get the idea). So the PURPOSE of the gambling makes a difference too. Re: the owners of the casinos. Sometimes it's the government. Are you saying the gover.....hmm wait, no argument there. :-)Edit: I don't think the Bible says anything specific about gambling, but it does say people should work and earn their living. That's open to interpretation. Some funda! mentalists would probably say investing in stocks is gambling. Which I! suppose it may be if all you do is go for the high-high-risk stocks hoping to, again, hit the big one, but in general, no, it's an investment....Show more
Arleen Bussing: Gambling can be a really lucky miracle or a really horrible mistake. Honestly, Gambling seems very addictive so I dont think I'd ever like to get into it.
Tosha Tawney: I know he doesn't exist because i look at the world today and it seems i can't turn on the tv or read the news w/o hearing of some innocent child being murdered, raped ect. If your god exist then why does he allow the innocent to suffer so much?
Omar Phipps: Well, I won't get best answer for this one, I know. I like to play lottery games and have been pretty successful. I don't overplay, but sometimes I get a feeling about the minor games and win. I have never been to a casino. I have played slots on a cruise ship and came out with a lot more than I came in with. I don't think it is a sin. I know church-goers who play a! ll week long and can't bring themselves to play on Sunday. Ha ha. I think most people who play are risk-takers and sometimes that risk pays off, it has for me, to the tune of 500, 900, and nearly 5 thousand dollars. I also had a boyfriend who grew up with a father who lived at the dog tracks and kept them starved most of them time. He told me that one time there was nothing to eat in the house but some old ground beef that smelled really gamey, but cooked it and ate it anyway because he was so hungry. I think gambling in moderation is okay, like once in a while, but when it turns into an obssession, it's very wrong....Show more
Jasper Mangel: I think it's like anything else - if it's done in moderation, it's not a big deal. If it's OVER-done, then it's a problem. I don't think it's "sinful," I just think it's potentially harmful to the person and to their families when it gets out of hand. I think the idea of saying that someone has "sinned" because they go and buy! a lottery ticket is nuts.
Carmelina Enoch: Atheism isn't like a ! football team I'm rooting for. It's just a lack of belief in deities. Besides I'm also agnostic so I've already come to terms with the impossibility of knowing for sure some things.
Maria Bengston: Sir Thomas Henry Huxley, the man who coined the terms, agnosticism and agnostic, used his agnostic arguments as a logical and ethical defense of his atheism. Agnosticism is the (rather obvious) admission that hypotheticals, which are defined as being unknowable, in principle (like hypothetical, invisible deities that cannot be detected by any means, in principle) cannot be known. He further argued that it is immoral for anyone to insist or coerce anyone else to believe in the reality of any such unknowable hypotheticals. It seems like a pretty obvious position to most of us, now, but history (right up to Huxley's life) records centuries of people being coerced or punished or killed because they were unable to believe in certain unknowable hypotheticals, by those who h! ad faith in the existence of such hypotheticals.By Huxley's definition, everyone who is both sane and ethical is agnostic, whether or not they have faith in the reality of any particular unknowable hypothetical. His arguments are that clear and logical.-- Regards,John Popelish...Show more
Jen Maday: Probably. Jesus was pretty controversial, yet most people calling themselves Christians are just going with the flow.Matt 7:12-14 Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about. Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. But the gate to life is VERY NARROW. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only A FEW PEOPLE find it. CEV...Show more
Toney Flaten: Why else do they have Bingo in the Church basement? ;););)
Donnie Bolio: They tried to, but failed, big time.
Davina David: Yes, that is ! one of the themes of the Jesus story. Martyrs are only loved when they ! are dead.. Even Jesus said so at the very end of his life when he cried out in total pain, "Why has Thou Forsaken me?" God did not forsake Jesus, Jesus had no way to know that the path was painful unto doubt and disbelief, and even if he did, he would not have avoided the fall.One of the ironies is that no amount of faith will survive the transformation. Transformation by it's nature is total, just like birth! You and I will be hefted up on the cross someday, and you can not prepare for it, accept if drafting a final letter for your loved one is important to you....Show more
Ayesha Genova: "Most" Christians do not say it is a sin, there are some who do and most who don't. Try reviewing poll data.Gambling is a lot like playing video games at the arcade, except generally the game is shorter and you don't get the benefit of developing hand-eye coordination.Gambling is a waste of money and wasting the gift God gives you is sinful, but, as Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastic! s there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy the fruits of their labor so if you gamble occasionally for fun it is not a problem.It is wasting what God gives you that is sinful, not enjoying yourself....Show more
Joey Mekeel: I don't gamble, but that's just a personal choice. I can't see anything wrong with it in theory, but in practice people do become addicted and end up homeless, or start pinching stuff. There is a big move towards legalized gambling in my country (UK) and I'm not very happy about it.
Damion Oleksa: Which god? Some are self-contradictory in their descriptions and are easily disproved. For example an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent god with a world that has suffering. Begging for forgiveness from an imaginary being for imaginary slights doesn't sound like living life to the fullest to me.
Penelope Armond: We are told by the bible to be a good manager of our money. When you just go out and throw it away, it is sinful. Since ! all that you have comes from God, you are gambling with God's money...no! t a smart way to go.
Kizzy Hett: I think any fundamentalist, soap box varsity testifier and their minions are gamblers regardless of faith.
Bethanie Menden: both parties are sinner... and come to think of it... casino owners wouldn't be casino owners if people did not want to gamble....
Sena Highman: No, only about 75% - the rest are smart enough that they actually read the Bible and get what Jesus was saying.
Giovanni Malool: Do you believe that 99% of Christians do their own thing?What is the source of this great wisdom?If you did what Jesus wanted you to do, the first thing on the list would be not to judge others and make broad, unsubstantiated hurtful statements.Good Luck and God Bless!...Show more
Dick Baumgarten: I am not particularly interested in whether it's a sin or not, it just strikes me as a completely stupid thing to do with one's money.
Johnnie Pummill: The bible never actually says anything against gambling.It just says t! o pay your debts.-My dad told me that and he's a preachers son. I don't think it's a very wise thing to do with your money, though....Show more
Angel Klym: They say the burden of proof is on the believer. Still why would an atheist want to prove that God doesn't exist? Their mind is made up, hence the atheism.
Katheryn Skrobacki: if that was me i'd always feel like I didn't live life to the fullest...that i was nothing but a failure and a fraud because no matter what you do, you'll never be able to prove that god doesn't exist. yeah, yeah i know the "well prove god does exist" lines are coming..... thanks in advance for those. please don't reflect onto those who do believe. this question is solely about *your* belief :)...Show more
Garrett Detone: What is it that you think Jesus wants you to do that would cause other Christians to hate you?
King Bringle: Like any addiction...it can cause great harm to the gambler and his/her family(if they have one).! Also, if it takes the person away from God...then it should be viewed! as a sin....
Dorinda Metzer: Why is everything that is even remotely amusing, fun or pleasurable considered a sin? Who exactly am I hurting if I go to Las Vegas and risk a few bucks? Of course if I start to gamble away the household money that's another story, but enough already with the sackcloth and ashes.
King Bringle: No... but the more relevant question is: Does it bother you you'll never be able to prove he does exist? You're the one who has based the purpose of your life on a supernatural entity you can't prove exists, not me. Can you name a testable hypothesis for the existence of God? Can you name a single line of testable evidence supporting your belief? If you can't, your notion that God exists is just your religious opinion... and one which absolutely nobody is obligated to take seriously.
Serena Doak: I am convinced nothing good comes of gambling, but as a bible believing Christian I find nothing specific to condemn a person who throws ! a few bucks at a game. It seems to me the sin would be in excessive gambling, drinking, eating, or just about any thing you can think of, if done in excess. I agree with you about the profiteers, with the exception of of the casinos on reservations. Believe me, that was not the Original Americans idea of what they wanted to do with the land that they so respected. It was one of the few avenues left open to them by American laws. Only a few really profit, and are known by the people as "Apples", red on the outside, white on the inside....Show more
Merlin Fleischhacker: Alot of modern day christians don't obey the teachings of the bible and just pick and choose certain things to obey...but do what you think is right, unless it's something horrible.
Chris Rosenkranz: Hmmm....I think it would bother me more to try to prove the existence of God and in the end what I come up with is a baby killing god (egypt's first born) that is emotionally unstable (anger, jealousy)! and is also a major narcissist (ego so big it wants to be worshipped f! or eternity by lesser beings)...that would really bother me, and most likely I would not be a believer in that kind of humanistic baby killing god for long.
Ervin Laeger: Jesus wanted you to love others as you love yourself, and treat them the way you wish to be treated. I'm not seeing why people would hate you for that.
Gerardo Greist: I guess its not a sin. Just better know what you're doing or you'll loose it all!But remember the root of evil is greed! Or something like that.
Loise Mausser: no I wouldn't hate you. I think it would be great if you do as Jesus taught we all need to. ( and I don't do "my own thing") I do my best to follow the Word and his teachings. But like the previous statements something is lacking in your question.
Lenard Ginyard: I think gambling is a sin. I don't think it is right to profit off of someone else's loss, like the roman centurions who gambled to see who would get Jesus garments after he was nailed to the cross.
Donovan Stallons: I have never felt the need to prove my belief to you because I am never going to try and convince you to agree with me. Simple as that. The one demanding that the other person accept a certain belief is the the one who bears the burden of proof.
Dorinda Metzer: I think gambling can be an addiction for some. Sad but true.It is not my place to tell someone else if they can spend their own money on gambling.
Jestine Osumi: No, they wouldn't hate you and your statistic of 99% is a little harsh. I though Jerry Falwell died . .. . If you did everything Jesus wanted you to do, then you would be the only one in the world. We don't proclaim to be perfect, but we do love one another, try to love others, and pray alot.The fact is, we're only human, but we have a awesome God....Show more
Stevie Goldey: No, it isn't my job to prove a god doesn't exist. It's the theist's job to prove his own claims, not my job to disprove them.I don't nee! d to prove Thor doesn't exist to live a fulfilling life. I'm not defin! ed as a person by disbelief in gods.>> "yeah, yeah i know the "well prove god does exist" lines are coming" Then why even post such a ridiculous question?
Nadia Crauswell: Jesus taught, and just do their own thing?