Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t
have. Real life is not measured by how much we own. Luke 12:15
Today is part
two of reasons why I will not participate in the lottery, or any other form of
gambling....
REASON #2 GAMBLING IS EXPLOITIVE TO THE POOR
Anything that promises
great wealth as if it is actually a possibility for most people, yet has odds
of 10 or 20 million to one is dealing in false hope.
I checked the Internet for
some hard facts 1 from the New York Lottery official website:
Today's Question: What are my exact odds of winning the New York State lotto
jackpot? The Answer: Your chances of winning on a $1 bet are 1 in 18,009,460.
As has already been noted,
the Lottery is deceptive. It leads astray. The folks most severely affected are
the poor and undereducated. They are also the ones who can least afford it.
They are also most easily led astray.(1)
The point is self-evident. Addictive regressive
gambling robs the poor of
needed self-respect and dignity by using their agonizing circumstances as a
lure
towards riches that are non-existent.
towards riches that are non-existent.
A survey by the Chicago Sun Times showed the
average per capita lottery
purchase was $221 in the ten Chicago zip codes with the lowest incomes. That's
almost three times greater than the $76 spent in the Chicago zip codes with
the highest incomes.
purchase was $221 in the ten Chicago zip codes with the lowest incomes. That's
almost three times greater than the $76 spent in the Chicago zip codes with
the highest incomes.
The Des Moines Register reported that lottery
ticket sales surge when welfare
checks arrive. A supermarket's records show that on Thursday, July 31, 1990
only thirty-seven instant tickets were purchased. Welfare checks arrived on
Friday, and on Saturday the store sold 348 tickets; a nine-fold increase. In
effect, what the state is doing is taking back its welfare through the lottery
system."
checks arrive. A supermarket's records show that on Thursday, July 31, 1990
only thirty-seven instant tickets were purchased. Welfare checks arrived on
Friday, and on Saturday the store sold 348 tickets; a nine-fold increase. In
effect, what the state is doing is taking back its welfare through the lottery
system."
A person who gets ahead by
oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty. Proverbs 22.16 (NLT)
That this is intentionally directed at the poor
cannot be denied. Prove it, you
say? If you analyze the distribution of ticket sales outlets for the Florida
lottery, it tells the story. In upper class neighborhoods, sales outlets average
one for every 17,000 people. By contrast, in the poorest parts of towns the
average is one outlet for every 1900 people.
say? If you analyze the distribution of ticket sales outlets for the Florida
lottery, it tells the story. In upper class neighborhoods, sales outlets average
one for every 17,000 people. By contrast, in the poorest parts of towns the
average is one outlet for every 1900 people.
I stood in
a convenience store on the poor side of a town one day. It must
have been payday .... One after another they laid down dollars for "Cash 3" and next to the dollars were food stamps.
have been payday .... One after another they laid down dollars for "Cash 3" and next to the dollars were food stamps.
Yes, gambling exploits the poor immeasurably .... and I won't be
part of it.
Again, there is a common "Christian excuse": I'm not forcing anyone to
participate. Well, like God told Cain in response to the question, "Am I my
brother's keeper?", He said: "You got it, Bubba" (Brownworth version).
Again, there is a common "Christian excuse": I'm not forcing anyone to
participate. Well, like God told Cain in response to the question, "Am I my
brother's keeper?", He said: "You got it, Bubba" (Brownworth version).
Ezekiel 18:4 tells us that all souls belong to
God. And your actions have
an
effect on the soul of your brother. And your brother's Owner won't be happy if
you mess with His property!
effect on the soul of your brother. And your brother's Owner won't be happy if
you mess with His property!
For You, Today…
Yesterday I asked you to ask God to reveal truth
about lotteries.
1 http://aolscv.aol.infoplease.com/askeds/12 -26-00askeds. html
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