If the money is derived from sin - its not "of God", nor does it exhalt Him.
By your measure, tithes of a contract killer would be acceptable for Holy use -
Money is the root of all evil...whats the hard part?
I thought it was *The love* of money is the root of all evil. If the Bible is against wealth, why did the master in Jesus's parable in Matthew reward the two servants who invested his money wisely and punish the one who buried his talent in the ground? Our attittude toward money is what is important; God blesses many good people with wealth and/or the ability to accumulate it.
So money is the reason "good" people do "bad" things? What responsibility do they have to only accumulate money through honest means?
I see..........but who are you to decide what is "of God" and what isn't? Jesus made it a point to hang out with the dregs of society.......and when He did, undoubtedly there were those who gave Him food, wine, shelter.........I assume He should not have accepted them, then.
Where do you work? What do you help produce? How are those products / services used? Are you so certain that they aren't used in some nefarious way by anybody on the planet?
I am in the engineering division of a LARGE computer company. Can I swear that the systems I help design aren't used in some "sinful" way? Does that mean that my income.......and thus my tithes and offerings........are unworthy; not "of God"?
To equate buying a few bucks worth of pieces of paper for a chance at winning bigger bucks with taking a contract for a hit is disingenuous and spurious.
While we're at it, let's attack every chuch fund-raiser known to man. We all know that the money should just walk in the door, so any attempt by churches to raise money for a youth group, let's say, is clearly not "of God", correct?
Look, I believe you to be a very, very decent and good person with a good heart.......but you'd best check your assumptions, my friend.
I've always understood that passage to read "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil" There is a BIG difference. If he just went out and spent it all on himself to put himself in the lap of luxury, I could see your point, but that's not what this man did. He wasn't keeping food from his family's table by playing the lottery, nor did he seem to be harming anyone to whom he was responsible, so I don't see what the problem was in his buying the tickets.