$30,000 lottery ticket in church collection plate

MSNBC ^ | 03/20/2011 | WBALTV.com

[caldera599]

BALTIMORE — Maryland Lottery officials said the pastor of a struggling parish recently came across a generous donation in the collection plate — a $30,000 scratch-off ticket.

Lottery officials didn't release the name of the church but did say the ticket had been scratched off when it was placed in the collection plate earlier this month.

The pastor found the ticket when tallying that Sunday's contributions.

[caldera599]

A wonderful act of unselfishness, although the comments on the article are disgusting. It would appear the mantra of the left is "give everything away, let the churches rot".

[kbennkc]

I have seen Camel bucks and various coupons offered before, I assumed they gave what they had. My former pastor would have returned the ticket to the lottery commission, since he preached gamblers were among the most accursed of sinners every since the day they cast lots for the Saviors clothes.

[al baby]

Would the church still have to pay taxs on it ?

[Badabing Badablonde]

I’ve heard of Vegas and Reno churches getting casino chips in their plates, and making weekly trips to the strip to cash them in. Interesting twist on tithing.

[youngidiot]

My former pastor would have returned the ticket to the lottery commission, since he preached gamblers were among the most accursed of sinners every since the day they cast lots for the Saviors clothes.

My wife used to make the same argument to me. I told her, "It's not gambling, it's just a VERY VERY risky investment."

[kbennkc]

Would the church still have to pay taxs on it ?

Cops are cops. The pastor will be accused of playing the lottery himself with church funds and falsifying this story unless he agrees to pay taxes on the winnings as if the church had been a player, taxable, instead of a donee, nontaxable.

Standard shakedown MO. More frequently observed in fire insurance claims due to the revolving door between the State Fire Marshal arson squad and insurance company investigators.

"Play ball or defend yourself in court. You have a chance to help yourself. We don't know if you did it or not, we can only present the evidence to the jury, it will be up to them."

[kbennkc]

My wife used to make the same argument to me. I told her, "It's not gambling, it's just a VERY VERY risky investment."

I will adopt your position, and discard my old one "it is not gambling because there is no way I will win and you know it and have said it a million times!"

[al baby]

What about Bingo

[Safetgiver]

However, there is no commandant against gambling. Did your pastor say giving vinegar to your neighbor is a sin ,too?

[al baby]

I never gave it a thought that the Pastor may be a bad guy

[kbennkc]

However, there is no commandant against gambling. Did your pastor say giving vinegar to your neighbor is a sin ,too?

I don't remember vinegar being mentioned, but he did make frequent use of the adage "Better than a poke with a sharp stick". I never made the connection before, he was wacked out alright, hence former.thanks.

[EDINVA]

He’d have been my “former” pastor, too. Gambling to the extent of losing all or even a significant share of one’s resources and taking from his/her family is indeed a sin, but even at that level, far from the worst of all sins. I just couldn’t take a pastor seriously who made that argument.

[kbennkc]

I never gave it a thought that the Pastor may be a bad guy

No sane person would. Did I say that?

[boatbums]

If our Lord could tell Peter to catch a fish to pay a tax, and inside he found a gold coin, then certainly a struggling church can rejoice in the provision of a loving God. It would have been neat if the ticket had NOT been scratched off first and the pastor had been the one to discover the value. God has provided for me in many miraculous ways over the years and every time my faith has grown and my confidence in "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)

[Boogieman]

“It would have been neat if the ticket had NOT been scratched off first and the pastor had been the one to discover the value.”

Yeah, but imagine how many people would start tossing scratch-offs in the plate, figuring that God would take care of the tithing for them if the parish really needed the money :)