Does God Pick Lottery Winners?

AP | Dec.26,2002 | self

[Luke21]

I don't play the numbers or gamble myself, but my wife has been known to take twenty bucks to the casinos with her girlfriends. My mother is a Southern Baptist and a wonderful Christian and servant and I was shocked/amused to hear she had gone to the casino with the ladies from the church on a Sunday not too far back!!!

I guess it's like alcohol. I know ministers that drink a glass of wine with dinner using the Scripture that a little wine helps the digestion. Personally, I tend to follow the minister's orders of First Timothy 3:3. On the other hand I have more than enough sins of my own to work on without becoming too worked up about other folks' pastimes.

I'm happy for this gentleman. I hope he spends wisely and uses it for good purposes. I also know the good Lord will provide me with my needs and many of my wants.

[DAnconia55]

The insatiable demand of government for money has lead it astray. It is now preying on the most vulnerable. It disgusts me.

You running for Patty Murray's Senate seat or something?
Seems you have your demonkratic platform down already.

[davidtalker]

I should have said I have a problem with the notion God wanted him to win the lottery. He seems like a great guy. However, it is clear to me he is contributing to the downfall of others who may not be as responsible as he seems to be. By implying that GOD approves of gambling he may give the go ahead to others who will invoke GOD as they slip into an addiction.

I was watching FOX News on Christmas Day and viewing a lot of people standing in line to purchase lottery tickets. Most were minorities. They were flashing wads of cash around and telling correspondent Rick Leventhal how "bad I need this money".

I never meant to put this man down. I meant to get a thread going on the issue of Christians and gambling and Christians and the Lottery. I still believe it is at odds with a Christian walk.

[davidtalker]

From Focus On The Family-

Gambling and the Bible http://www.family.org/cforum/research/papers/a0008570.html

by Ronald A. Reno


Love of neighbor-Jesus commanded, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). Gambling, meanwhile, is predicated on the losses, pain, and suffering of others. For one to win at gambling, others must lose. For many, the ramifications attributable to their gambling losses are profound. Families touched by a gambling addiction are at greatly increased risk for such negative outcomes as divorce, bankruptcy, child abuse, domestic violence, crime, and suicide. More than 15 million Americans already struggle with a gambling problem, and the number continues to grow as gambling expands.

See also Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31, 10:25-37; Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3-4; Hebrews 13:1-2.

Exploiting the poor-Gambling preys on the desperation of the poor. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission found that those with incomes less than $10,000 spend more on lottery tickets than any other income group. High school dropouts spend four times as much as college graduates. Scripture exhorts us to look out for the poor and disadvantaged, and issues strong warnings against taking advantage of their plight.

See, for instance, Proverbs 14:21, 14:31, 22:16; Isaiah 3:14-15; Amos 5:11-12; Zechariah 7:10a.

Work ethic-Work has been part of God's design for mankind from the very beginning. We are to invest our time and energies into labors that supply our needs and those of our families (Proverbs 31, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:8) and that allow us to share with others (Ephesians 4:28). Scripture is replete with exhortations toward industriousness and admonitions against slothfulness. Gambling, meanwhile, portends something for nothing. Indeed, gambling advertising and marketing frequently belittles hard work and diligence.

See also Genesis 2:15; Exodus 20:9; Proverbs 12:11, 13:4, 20:4, 21:25, 28:19.

Greed-Gambling is founded on greed and undergirded by a "get-rich-quick" appeal. In a recent national poll, two-thirds of respondents stated that the reason they gamble is to win money. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:9-10a: "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

See also Proverbs 15:27, 28:20; Matthew 6:31; Luke 12:15; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; Hebrews 13:5.

Covetousness-The 10th Commandment (Exodus 20:17) prohibits Christians from coveting another's possessions. Gambling is precisely the attempt to obtain the resources of others without providing anything of value in return. Some have rightly described gambling as consensual theft.

Stewardship-Christians are responsible before God for how they invest the resources entrusted to them, as the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) makes clear. In many cases, money spent on gambling is money that should have gone to provide for the well-being of one's family or the advancement of a worthy cause. In all cases, it is an unwise investment with an almost-certain negative return. More importantly, such spending propagates an immoral, predatory and exploitative industry.

See also Genesis 1:26; Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:17.

The role of government-The God-ordained purpose of government, as outlined in Romans 13:1-5, is to protect the welfare of the citizenry and to suppress evil. State-sanctioned gambling does the opposite. It victimizes many, especially the most vulnerable. It also condones-and even promotes-a vice that has historically been repressed specifically because of its inherent debilitating and corruptive nature.

Deception-Legal gambling operations are steeped in deceit. Lotteries that conceal or misstate the odds, casinos without clocks or windows to hide the passage of time, slot machines programmed for "near misses," and "riverboat" casinos that cannot sail are but a few examples. Scripture, on the other hand, detests deceitful conduct (Psalm 5:6: "You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors."). Indeed, Jesus describes Himself as the embodiment of truth (John 14:6) and Satan as "the father of lies" (John 8:44).

See also Psalms 26:4, 55:23, 101:7; Proverbs 14:8, 12:20, 24:28; Romans 1:29.

Avoiding temptation-Gambling establishments are often host to other corrupting vices, including prostitution and drunkenness. Christians are urged to avoid such environments (1 Thessalonians 5:22: "Avoid every kind of evil."). In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul writes, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" Other Scriptures warn believers to flee temptation (1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Timothy 2:22).

Lack of trust in God-The Bible teaches that Christians are to look to God as their provider, and that we are to be content with the material blessings we receive from His hand. To engage in gambling indicates both a lack of trust in and dissatisfaction with God's provision.

See, for instance, Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:11-12, 4:19; 1 Timothy 6:6; Hebrews 13:5.

[thepitts]

Does God Pick Lottery Winners?

Maybe,sometimes.

[The Grammarian]

Nothing happens theat is outside of Gods control ..so I do not think he was suprised that the man played the lottery or won.

I agree with you, Mom. At the same time, I agree with david that lotteries are not by any means a good thing. At the very least, the desire to 'get rich quick' indicates a problem with sloth and/or avarice. Ever read Beverly Carradine's book The Lottery? Supposed to be a good read; essentially all about how she shut down the Louisiana state lottery and the reasons why.

[Arthur McGowan]

It is a common fallacy to suppose that the value of a lottery ticket is the prize money times the odds of winning. Thus, if the prize is $1 Million and the chance of winning is one in 2 million, those who fall for the fallacy say that the ticket is "worth" 50 cents. And thus, they say, the person who pays a dollar for the ticket is being duped.

The fallacy lies in the totally arbitrary assumption that the "value" of the ticket can be computed in that way.

When people buy a lottery ticket, they are buying the opportunity to fantasize for the days or weeks between the time of the purchase and the drawing.

Other people may wish to sneer at this form of "entertainment." They are free to do so, but they should do so without engaging in the fallacious claim that they can prove "objectively" that lottery tickets are a "bad investment" or that those who buy them are being defrauded.

[snippy_about_it]

I see you are new here. Please try to debate rather than just rant at people here. I've checked out your previous posts and I really think you should go back to DU, you won't be welcome here very long if you keep posting flaming remarks and leftist rhetoric without being able to intelligently debate the issues. You also might want to try spell check.

[College Repub]

That it is. But it gets them to pay for the services that mainly help THEM. So good for that.

[gunnedah]

Dont forget all of those atheletes who keep signaling to God.Of course this persons church may not accept the money if offered, who knows? But I very much doubt it!If he wants to face the facts I have always been taught everything was Gods and under his dominion,but saying that I dont believe he is involved in the lottery.As magnificient as he may be I would imagine many prayers were lifted up by poor and average people to win this thing and the only ones who will come out in the long run will be those who do not play it.It is just another way of taxing the average to poor person to the tune of over 70%.

[BlessedBeGod]

However, Genesis makes it clear we have a bond with God to work by the sweat of our brow.

If this was the only right way to gain money, we would have to give back any inheritances we received.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

2. The Covet aspect of wanting what your neighbor has to the point of being dishonest about how you get it.

Actually, no. Dishonesty is covered by the stealing and lying commandments. Coveting is simply desiring intensely something that is not yours. And you're right in the sense, it is desiring it not as a goal of something to work for, but just something to GET, without work.

The essence of coveting is the opposite of God's nature, which is to give. It is the essence of Satan's nature, which is to get. See Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 27 for descriptions of Satan's nature.

That said, I doubt the man in question was coveting the lottery winnings. He gave credit to God for his blessing. He probably just played the lottery for entertainment. I don't think God was involved. As another poster noted, random chance happens. Ecclesiastes says "Time and chance happens to all".

On the third hand (See the book "The Mote in God's Eye") God DOES intervene in random events. The lot was used by God to decide which lands the various tribes of Israel received and to decide which disciple would replace Judas as apostle. So we can't exclude God's possible intervention, nor limit Him in any way.

[mhking]

I didn't expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition over this!!!

[Mr. Mojo]

Evander says that was [an] earfull...

[Torie]

Excellent post, and entirely correct. I just don't think teh government should be hawking this rather costly excusion into fantasy among the more impecunious elements. It is infra dig, and well, wrong. But I have already said that.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

The big guy is definitely a fixer with a chalkboard and a big pinkie ring - his last name probably ends in a vowel, too.

;)

[Cultural Jihad]

It is now preying on the most vulnerable. It disgusts me.

As they say, the lottery is a tax upon those who never studied math. As such is a regressive, unjust tax which hits the poor and the uneducated. One person spends $1.00 on a lottery and another person spends $500.00. Has his chances increased 500-fold? No. Their chances at winning are virtually equal, but the popular illusion rakes in the dough of the uneducated.

It is indeed a Demokratic institution. It doesn't create wealth, but merely redistributes it. A lottery tells people: "Don't bother working hard and being productive and making something of your life. Just place your life in the hands of Lady Luck, and maybe someday she will smile upon you, too. You are all helpless and hopeless as individuals. There is nothing you can do to effect any changes in your life. It's all society's fault that you are poor right now anyway, and only society will lift you out of poverty. Your lot in life is dependent on the good will participation of other poor people chipping in their large stakes, too. And if your boat didn't come in this time, then just be patient, and maybe invest in more tickets next time, and properity and happiness will truly be yours."