The current campaign is an example in and of itself. The Memphis School of Preaching, a program conducted by the Forest Hill Church of Christ, recently mailed out a tract against the possible state lottery. To my dismay, the tract approaches the question of a lottery from the standpoint of “Will it be good for Tennessee?” The Baptist Church, likewise, will be arguing against the state lottery on political and sociological terms. It puts children at risk. It does little for education. It’s bad for the economy. It takes advantage of the poor. It leads to government corruption.   The arguments posed are supported by a comprehensive study of the existing 38 state lottery systems. The evidence is very strong in regards to the negative effects of a state lottery.

    Oh, and by the way, God condemns the very essence of gambling.

    But never once, in the literature I’ve seen or in the articles I’ve read, has the lottery been addressed as a moral issue. God’s will isn’t even a footnote. In fact, Commercial Appeal religion columnist David Waters recently began one of his columns with the following observation: “Thou shalt not gamble. It’s not one of the Ten Commandments, although maybe it should be. The way Tennessee churches are mobilizing against the Nov. 5 vote on a state lottery, you’d think it was.” I wonder if our local religion columnist even bothered to check the Ten Commandments before submitting that glib statement for publication. If he had, one wonders how he could fail to overlook the tenth and final commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

    For one familiar with the basic concept of gambling, the connection between it and covetousness is not a difficult one to make. The World Book Encyclopedia describes the process of gambling as two or more parties betting “money or something else of value as a stake on the outcome they predict. When the outcome is settled, the winner collects the loser’s stakes.” Compare this to a basic definition of covetousness: “an intense desire to possess something that belongs to another person” (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary).

    The New Testament upholds the principle of the tenth commandment by condemning covetousness as idolatry (Col. 3:5) and recognizing that it results in much sorrow (I Tim. 6:10). Furthermore, the Word of God condemns even a casual involvement in any sinful activity. “Abstain from every form of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22). (And so, “It’s just a lotto ticket” is no better an excuse than “It’s just a white lie” or “It’s just one drink.”)

    Second Corinthians 9:5-7 indicates that even those Christians that press a person into giving what they did not intend to give commit “covetousness.” For the Corinthians’ contribution to be “a bountiful gift,” it had to be given cheerfully. What more grudging, disappointed giver could you possibly find than the fellow on the losing end of a bet? It should be obvious to any person familiar with Christ’s teachings that any form of gambling is opposed to the charity and honest labors of the Kingdom citizen (Matt. 7:12, I Cor. 10:24, Eph. 4:28.

    Political and sociological arguments against the lottery are fine, in their proper place. But even if gambling were good for children, education, the economy, the poor, the elderly, the environment, and world peace, it would still be a form of covetousness.

    And yet, local columnists show surprise at religious opposition to a state lottery. Sen. Steve Cohen, a longtime lottery supporter, has recently said, “There’s nothing that says religion is anti-lottery, and to have a religious person being for the lottery is not anti-Bible.” It is obvious to the public that “members of many other denominations most likely fall into the 60-plus percent that polls show in favor of the lottery.” The journalists’ surprise actually IS shared by most church-goers, and boldly false statements such as Sen. Cohen’s go unopposed. Meanwhile, “Baptist and Gambling Free Tennessee Alliance officials [say] while they oppose a lottery on personal moral grounds, their campaign is based on their belief that a lottery is bad public policy for the state and its people.” One official said, “If we lose this opportunity to defeat the lottery, the future influence of Christians in Tennessee to affect any moral issue will be compromised.” Wrong. If church-sponsored arguments are not BIBLE arguments, Christian influence already has been compromised.

    The fact that religious division exists is because the Bible standard was abandoned long ago. By their own teachings and, indeed, their very existence, denominations have convinced the world that the Bible is not a viable standard. We can understand why God’s Law might not be good enough for the politicians, but when the churches reject it, we can see how far religious error has truly gone. @As Christians, let us actively oppose a state lottery for reasons of godly merit. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (I Cor. 1:20-21).

Questions or comments? Contact Mitchell Stevens at: acts2216@midsouth.rr.com.