I haven't done a lot of opinionated introspective writing here yet, but that changes a bit today.  I'll start by admitting that by nature, I am a bit more of a deconstructionist.  I spend a lot of time thinking about why we do what we do, and whether those reasons are really legitimate, and if not, then what needs to be changed.  I think especially given the climate in which the Western church exists today - one of constant questioning and scrutiny - we really need to understand why it is we do what we do, and why it is we believe what we believe.

The whole issue of lotteries and gambling and the like kind of was raised in my mind yesterday at the city ministerial meeting here.  We were talking around the table and somehow the issue of the church accepting money won in a lottery was raised.  The Baptist minister said that he couldn't possibly accept money won in a lottery according the some of their church bylaws.  Then the Salvation Army minister said that they would be willing to accept money won in a lottery, but it would have to be on a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of basis.  If you don't tell us where the million dollars came from, we won't ask where it came from and then we are all happy.  Then another pastor said, "I'm not proud.  I'd gladly take it if they're willing to give it."

Then it occured to me, what moral/biblical issue do Christians really have with lotteries, or even accepting money won in a lottery or gambling?  The bible obviously doesn't say, "thou shalt not play the 6/49", so where do we get this idea from that lotteries or gambling is wrong?  If we are going to take a step out, as we have, and say difinitively that lotteries and gambling are anti-christian, we better have a good reason for it.

So today I took a look in my handy "Christians and Lotteries" pamphlet distributed by the MB to see what wonderful and legitimate reasons they have for saying lotteries and gambling have no place within the life of a Christian.  Unfortunately, I found few legitimate reasons, and more straw men than rock solid reasons.

First of all, there is the reason that I had always heard: the good stewardship issue.  Obviously the bible teaches us to use our money wisely.  Beyond even biblical standards, basic logic would tell you to use your money wisely.  But this just isn't enough to justify such a harsh stance against lotteries.  "Is it right to spend money on something which has no promise of return . . . ?"  Well, last time I checked there is no promise of return on stocks or mutual funds, but yet we would never condemn a Christian for "investing" in the stock market.  Why is the chance taken in the stock market an "investment" while the lottery ticket is "gambling".  The both contain no promise of return on investment, and if anything the lottery ticket at least provides a higher potential return on initial investment.  If we are so concerned about the stewardship issue than why don't we ever have pamphlets or sermons on the evils of buying Tim Horton's coffee everyday on the way to work?  That's $10 a week compared to the other guys $2 6/49 ticket per week, and the lottery ticket has potential returns on that $2 where as once the coffee is gone, it's gone.  Not to mention that what money from the lottery doesn't go into the prize goes into supporting charities and community initiatives.  The moral argument of stewardship as it relates to lotteries just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Then there was another explanation of " . . . can I buy something (hoping to be a winner) which is based on many losing so a small number can win?  Does that not fly in the face of Christ's call to us to look after each others' interests and not just our own (Phil. 2:4)?"  To me, this seems to be such a blatant proof-text that it makes my exegetical teeth grind.  This passage is saying that as believer's we need to make sure not to take advantage of eachother, and to look out for eachothers needs; it has nothing to do with whether there should ever be winners and losers.  What if the lottery winner was to take and use much of the money to care for the visible needs of those in their community?  Would this not be far closer to following the spirit of this passage, than just letting the non-believer win and use all the money on themselves?  There are always going to be winners and losers in any competition.  Would the writer of this pamphlet say that believers should have no part in competitions or sports of any kind because someone will have to lose and that would be an example of not looking out for the needs of others?  How then can we have elections for church positions then if this is the case.  I can understand the idea that we should not take advantage of other believers, but it is preposterous to think that buying a lottery ticket is equivalent to taking advantage of others.  If anything the contributions given to community groups from money not given out in prizes shows a desire to take care of others rather than hording the money for one's self.

The final explanation given is that "gambling or buying lotteries can be addictive to themselves or to others."  Of any of the seeming explanations, this would seem to be the most legitimate of them.  However, the possibility of addiction is no reason to condemn something outright.  There are examples throughout scripture of addiction being condemned, but rarely, if ever, the activity itself.  Drunkenness is condmened, but the use of alcohol is clearly encourage in other places so long as it is not taken to excess.  One can become addicted to nearly any substance or activity if taken to excess, but that is no reason to outlaw that substance or activity all together.  It is merely a call to caution.  To overreact and outlaw something all together because of the possibility of addiction is to eliminate Christian freedom and to boil our faith down to just another series of laws to be followed.

I guess, in closing, I just don't see a good moral/biblical reason to condemn gambling/lotteries.  If one person chooses to spend $2 a week on a 6/49 ticket for the possibility of winning money or even just for entertainment, who are we to condemn them while leaving the person who spends $5 a week on r-rated movie rentals to keep on in that direction, excusing them on the basis of their Christian freedom and conscience.  Which person has truly done something wrong?  I'm not saying that you should all go out and by your lottery ticket this afternoon, but if we are going to be against it we better come up with a good reason to, and if nothing else, certainly temper our response to lotteries compared to our response to other activities.