If I remember correctly, in the New Testament, Jesus got a bit angry when some of the people in the temples were gambling as a temple or church should be used for a place of worship or learning. I am not sure of all faiths but there seems to be many Friday evening Bingo and Raffles going on at some churches. I imagine some of the prizes are actual money, so how do the participating churches validate this gaming?
I would think that the church people running these activities, don't look at it as gambling. I know in states that have laws against gambling, churches are able to have charity "Casino nights". They look at it as a fundraising activity, not gambling - although they are playing the same games and winning money. If you put your mind to it, there's always a way around those pesky rules, whether they are laws of men or laws of church!!
I see these activites as fundraisers and a way for the community to join together and socialize. I look at the good these acitivies do for the community and how it would impact the community if they were taken away.
I have never really given this much thought. When I was growing up the church I went to had a bingo night. However, it was held in their hall down the street not in the actual church itself. Also, it was done to raise money for the church and other charieties as welll. Yes, people could win prizes but the whole thing was done as a way to raise money none the less.
Our church not only had BINGO but it also did an Oktoberfest complete with beer and wine drinking. Now that used to strike me as ironic. Drinking beer in the basement of the catholic school. It was fun though, they had German bands and all sorts of pretty pg rated sing along. I think the thought was people are more responsible if they are in the shroud of the local church, as opposed to the corner gin mill. No one fought or swore, no one to my knowledge went home to beat the wife or kick the dog. The church where I live now does a huge annual festival with rides and Monti Carlo night, it is a fund raiser (so they say) But again it is all community, mostly the kids go these days, and it is police patrolled and very controlled. We have a similar 4th of July celebration in the village that goes for like 4 days, and really the issues are pretty minimal for how many people attend. I think overall- if people are attending functions where they are known, by the priest or by the population of the area, they are less likely to do things like riot and cause chaos. It is embarrassing to the individual and their family when they behave poorly in public where everyone knows them. I guess I live in a bit of a backwards area, all these people around here all went to school together and know each other sometimes their entire lives. It's not a bad thing.
Hi Jenn! I think at times "backwards" is a lot better than "forwards!" Sometimes there are so many rules in productive areas that you probably could get arrested for not breathing in cadence with your neighbor.