Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

Since you clarified (for me) your position then I have to restate what I already posted.

Theoretically, I suppose any form of competition is not Christian.

I really think I can delete the words “I suppose” from the sentence. I’d have to give that some more thought to be certain, before I would want to go on record with advice to you. If you read NotReady’s post, I think he gives some good advice.

I would be happy to give you any more help with your discernment. But, I think a PM would be more appropriate. (Feel free.) Until this forum’s name is either changed to add Religion to the Science, Math, Philosophy or the word Philosophy is dropped from it, I think it inappropriate to discuss (here) subjective issues such as yours. I’ll leave the hypocrisy to the atheists.

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

Every player has weaknesses. When you play the game to win you will have to either exploit the weaknesses or lose. When you see a weak player you know he is weak because you can identify his weaknesses and exploit them. When you see a strong player, you know he is strong because you cannot find his weaknesses, and he can find and exploit yours.
As your game becomes better, more and more players become weak to you, and less and less remain strong.
Play your best and improve your game. Go up in levels and be ready for stronger opposition. This is the goal of your game. With your attitude you have a chance to become one of the strongest players, because you are not satisfied beating the weakest.

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

If you knew the personal lives of most of the people you played against, I am sure you would be more than happy to punish them as God's avenging angel.

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

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If you knew the personal lives of most of the people you played against, I am sure you would be more than happy to punish them as God's avenging angel.

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Spoken like a true Christian (in the historical sense).

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

Gambling is a sin. Here are some resources for you:

http://www.peapac.org/guide_98/98_sb_gambling.asp
http://www.biblestudyguide.org/bible...s/gambling.htm
http://www.rpc.org/morals/gambling.htm
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-g001.html

So, I guess the real question, then, is whether you care more about what God says, or playing poker. Easy choice for me.

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

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So, I guess the real question, then, is whether you care more about what God says, or playing poker. Easy choice for me.

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poker, right?

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

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My Question
Is targetting weak players against Christian principles?

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This is a question that I think would not be even asked in other competitive enterprises. Many NFL players are quite public about their Christianity. They consider a hard fought game to be to the glory of God. Do you think a Christian NFL quarterback would refrain from calling a pass play that took advantage of the other teams weakest pass defender? In poker the worst we do is take money from people who voluntarily put at risk while at the same time risking our own. We do not impact our Christian brothers with great force and attempt to knock or wrestle them to the ground. No one ever (hardly) leaves a poker table on a stretcher. Few people would question the Christian morality of a professed believer who delivered a clean legal hit on an opposing player, even if it left him injured.

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

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Until this forum’s name is either changed to add Religion to the Science, Math, Philosophy or the word Philosophy is dropped from it, I think it inappropriate to discuss (here) subjective issues such as yours. I’ll leave the hypocrisy to the atheists.

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I'm not too clear on why you think my topic is any less appropriate than any of the other religion-based questions in this forum. I consider faith a part of life's philosophy, a set of guidelines and decisions by which people make decisions to live their lives. Just because I set forth my faith as a given doesn't make my argument irrelevant. Many philosophers including Descartes, Hume, discussed God and their beliefs in God. Could you clarify this point for me?

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

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If you knew the personal lives of most of the people you played against, I am sure you would be more than happy to punish them as God's avenging angel.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if you're Christian, but I think it is the wrong attitude to think that being on a higher moral level than someone is grounds to be "God's avenging angel."

In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus says "do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

The vengeance belongs to God, and it is His right to punish and judge, not ours.

Re: Struggling with Moral Issues in Poker from a Christian Standpoint
 

[ QUOTE ]
This is a question that I think would not be even asked in other competitive enterprises. Many NFL players are quite public about their Christianity. They consider a hard fought game to be to the glory of God. Do you think a Christian NFL quarterback would refrain from calling a pass play that took advantage of the other teams weakest pass defender?

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I think a significant difference between other pro sports as competition/entertainment is that they are paid a base salary for what they do. No matter how bad that pass defender is, he's not going to have to pay the quarterback and receiver that exploit his weakness. Am I wrong about this?