I went to church to witness the baptism of a friend of mine. This friend and I attended school, played cricket and drank in clubs and bars together. We fooled around girls but I am doing one thing that he did not do, gamble.

The pastor at the baptism preached a good message but hit the gambling habit hard. The way he preached, I thought he was saying all gamblers are going to hell. He did not quote any Scripture. My friend told me that the church is against gambling.

So, pastor, where in the Bible does it say that it is a sin to gamble? Please, give me Scripture and verse. I thank you for your help.

S.T

Dear S.T.,

I hope you will not take what I am saying as an endorsement of your gambling habits. But since the question is direct, I will give you a direct answer. I cannot point you to any direct verse of Scripture to endorse or condemn gambling.

I know ministers of religion and some Christian family counsellors have used many verses in the Bible to discourage people from gambling, but the verses they have used do not speak directly to gambling.

I repeat, I do not know any verse in the Bible that directly condemns or endorses gambling.

Many people who gamble have done so at their peril. It is considered a disease. Many homes have been destroyed because some seem unable to control their compulsion to gamble. They gamble their rent or mortgage money, grocery money are been unable to save anything for their future.

Some people enjoy betting on horses, or with cards, and some men play dominoes, and the losers buy beers for the winner. Some often go much deeper and the fun is gone as they lose big but continue to gamble, hoping they will strike it big.

Gambling has been made very attractive in Jamaica today and many church people gamble. However, if such persons cannot control the habit, they need professional help. If a person spends quality time gambling, or lies about his habits, uses money that should pay his bills to gamble, and is always thinking about gambling, he needs professional help.

Pastor