Gambling, Religion, and the Bible: Reconciled Once and for All

Ask just about any Christian today whether gambling is a sin, or at the least if gambling is a bad thing to be doing. Universally the believer will unflinchingly answer "Yes."

• After all, he's heard that all his life.
• After all, he's heard that from the pulpit at church.
• After all, he's heard that in Sunday School.

For such a universally accepted negative act, one might think that perhaps God should also be given a chance to speak on the matter. After all, He created the universe, doesn't He deserve to at least be heard?

What does He show us in His book that He inspired for us? Does He show us any truths about gambling, about chance, about whether either is a sin or not?

It turns out that God does show us some rather clear aspects of gambling. And what He shows... seems to go counter to what virtually every Christian today says about it. As Jesus taught, the majority is almost always wrong.

Whether gambling for money is the smartest investment or not is not the issue. Is it a sin?

What God allows, let no man forbid. If you violate that principle, you more than risk being a legalist at best. Through a real-life example of a public Christian figure who got "caught" gambling, we can learn several truths about gambling and the Bible.

Let's see what God says for a change. He at the least deserves that.