Church Rejects $600,000 Tithe From Lottery Winner

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Sherri

I just used tithe because that's what I thought CC1 used. And yes, we DO preach against gambling. And no, so far, no one has given any money from gambling that I know of.

So what exactly is it, concerning gambling, that you preach? How do you back it up?

[tbpew]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

Here's one for you.

I have never heard of a preacher preaching against saints sending in the Reader's Digest sweepstakes entry form.

They always say, "But, that's free!"

My question is "What's the the price of a stamp?"

How much do you have to spend before it becomes gambling?

where is the principle of a matter?
Generally folks here get their shorts in knot over hyper legalistic minutae being applied as error based in "adding to the scripture"...but can anyone receive the heart of the matter and express a godly principle that can edify all of us?

I'm not out to stop anyone wanting to send a card into publisher's magazine and put themselves on every tormenting follow-up call in the hopes that Ed McMahn will knock on their door.

Is there any principle here that can guide us and be the source of a general agreement that is both good to us and good to the Holy Ghost?

[Rico]

Originally Posted by tbpew

Rico,
you completely miss my point and I have no interest in revisiting it.
Money given from your compensation for vocational labors is ever man's priviledge.

Money openly originating from actions taught as being a snare, a road to poverty, an error, can not arrive in the work of God as a blessing.

Maybe you missed the part about people paying their tithes to GOD. Whether the pastor gets it or the church gets it, it's given to GOD. It's up to God to decide if He will accept it, not the pastor to decide for God if He will accept it. The same pastor I told you about told me he would accept the tithe on a lottery win, but he wouldn't keep it. He would put it in the church treasury. This is a man who believed in the pastor getting all the tithe money too. He was, however, smart enough to know that people weren't paying their tithes to him. They were paying them to Him. It wasn't up to him to decide if he would accept a tithe, regardless of the source. It was up to him to decide if he would keep it or not.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by tbpew

where is the principle of a matter?
Generally folks here get their shorts in knot over hyper legalistic minutae being applied as error based in "adding to the scripture"...but can anyone receive the heart of the matter and express a godly principle that can edify all of us?

I'm not out to stop anyone wanting to send a card into publisher's magazine and put themselves on every tormenting follow-up call in the hopes that Ed McMahn will knock on their door.

Is there any principle here that can guide us and be the source of a general agreement that is both good to us and good to the Holy Ghost?

My question was a serious one.

Let's say that a person spends one dollar and wins a million. Is that really bad stewardship?

Let's say they spend one dollar every week for a year and never win a thing. $52 over the course of a year. Is that bad stewardship? Not in my opinion.

Now, let's say that a person spends 100 dollars a day at the casino, and their home gets repossessed, their kids go hungry, their bills are unpaid.

Is that bad stewardship? Absolutely!

So, how do we REALLY preach against gambling? Don't spend more than you can afford? Or don't do it at all?

[Neck]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

My question was a serious one.

Let's say that a person spends one dollar and wins a million. Is that really bad stewardship?

Let's say they spend one dollar every week for a year and never win a thing. $52 over the course of a year. Is that bad stewardship? Not in my opinion.

Now, let's say that a person spends 100 dollars a day at the casino, and their home gets repossessed, their kids go hungry, their bills are unpaid.

Is that bad stewardship? Absolutely!

So, how do we REALLY preach against gambling? Don't spend more than you can afford? Or don't do it at all?

I think many Gamble with their $2.00 bill more with their life than a lottery ticket.

Every time a saint of God stops for that big mack and fries.

They will gamble with their health, but not their wealth.

[tbpew]

Originally Posted by Rico

Maybe you missed the part about people paying their tithes to GOD. Whether the pastor gets it or the church gets it, it's given to GOD. It's up to God to decide if He will accept it, not the pastor to decide for God if He will accept it. The same pastor I told you about told me he would accept the tithe on a lottery win, but he wouldn't keep it. He would put it in the church treasury. This is a man who believed in the pastor getting all the tithe money too. He was, however, smart enough to know that people weren't paying their tithes to him. They were paying them to Him. It wasn't up to him to decide if he would accept a tithe, regardless of the source. It was up to him to decide if he would keep it or not.

any man who desires the office of a guiding overseer should be of good report to them that are WITHOUT.

Rico, I could care less about tithes and pastors making decisions about right and wrong.....I care about how the community of faith is seen by those who are WITHOUT.

If teachers and guides among the community of faith instruct concerning the error of seeking gain through a wager, a bet, or gambling....to then receive the increase from these actions as a blessing is nothing but a stumblingblock for those who are WITHOUT.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by Neck

I think many Gamble with their $2.00 bill more with their life than a lottery ticket.

Every time a saint of God stops for that big mack and fries.

They will gamble with their health, but not their wealth.

Rico is with us on this one.

[tbpew]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

My question was a serious one.

Let's say that a person spends one dollar and wins a million. Is that really bad stewardship?

Let's say they spend one dollar every week for a year and never win a thing. $52 over the course of a year. Is that bad stewardship? Not in my opinion.

Now, let's say that a person spends 100 dollars a day at the casino, and their home gets repossessed, their kids go hungry, their bills are unpaid.

Is that bad stewardship? Absolutely!

So, how do we REALLY preach against gambling? Don't spend more than you can afford? Or don't do it at all?

If your heart doesn't condemn you, either do I.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by 1399

So what exactly is it, concerning gambling, that you preach? How do you back it up?

We teach that it's better to stay away from it; it's a bad witness and some people cannot handle it. We had one man who lost his family, his house, his job, everything because of a gambling addiction. It's also an example of very poor stewardship.

To me, it's like alcohol. A drink won't send you to hell, but we teach abstinence because it can cause someone to stumble, it's a bad witness, and some people cannot handle it casually.

We do NOT teach that gambling or drinking are heaven/hell issues, but issues of discipline.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by tbpew

If your heart doesn't condemn you, either do I.

I like Sherri's answer!