poker and christianity

[David Sklansky]

I think you might be wrong. What does he say about lighting a cigar with a $100 bill?

[sexdrugsmoney]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you might be wrong. What does he say about lighting a cigar with a $100 bill?

[/ QUOTE ]

Wait, I'll ask him.

[baggins]

what makes you think that Sin is breaking some rule?

Sin is the condition of your heart if you are allowing anything other than Christ to rule your heart. it is the separation from God.

or, from my protestant catechism "Sin is all in thought, word, and deed that is contrary to the will of God."

Sin is not just breaking some rule or law.

also, in some cases, sin can be a relative thing. some actions may not cause you to stumble in your faith or represent Christ horribly. and for some other people, those same actions my be a huge trial they are attempting to overcome, and for them to partake in such an activity would represent Christ horribly.

True the casting of lots was a fulfillment of prophecy, we (you and I) know that, my point was that a lot of pious Christians don't and they use this as an example of 'gambeling'

[Jeff V]

Where does it say in The Bible "Thou shall not Gamble"?

[baggins]

Xianity and Gambling

very quickly, my thoughts on the subject:

we as christians are taught in the bible to be good and faithful stewards of the wealth and posessions that we have been blessed with. whether through gifts or hard work, we have been trusted with these things, to use them toward good ends.

now, consider what most people consider 'gambling' and you have someone taking that money/wealth/gift/whatever and betting in a -EV situation (most 'gambling' situations would be considerd -EV, no?) you are getting the worst of it, and you could lose everything on the roll of the dice or the turn of a card or the spin of a wheel. this is not considered good and faithful stewardship. it is (rightly so) considered foolish squandering. it is sheer stupidity, and a stupidity that you knowingly buy into from the start, should you choose to 'gamble' with your money.

now, as poker players, we know that this game is beatable, and profitable. we know that, in the long run, if we are good enough and astute enough and play well, we will win. most people from the church who are against 'gambling' don't know this about poker. some that do would consider it stealing, then, to willingly take money from someone who doesn't know what they are doing. this is one moral ambiguity I haven't really agreed with, but don't quite disagree with, either. so I don't have a definitive thought with regards to poker as stealing. but, i think that should explain the origin of gambling as being a 'sin'.

[spaminator101]

I think Ill ask them that.

[RJT]

Ask them if they know who replaced Judas as the 12th apostle. Then ask them how this man was chosen.

Hint: Acts 1:26

[KeysrSoze]

Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And as we all know, the bible should be taken literally in all things: it is impossible for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle, so therefore it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom (heaven I presume). So a rich degenerate gambler who throws his entire wealth away at the poker table or roulette wheel is just removing an obstacle to his ascendency into heaven.

Oh, and Pat Robertson (whose net worth is estimated to be over $200 million) is going to hell. That is all.

[baggins]

"And as we all know, the bible should be taken literally in all things"

when did anybody ever establish this?

also, unless you have studied ancient Greek, your 'literal' interpretation of this passage is quite lacking.