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Friday, December 29, 2017

Church Gambling

Archbishop Apuron banned raffle drawings and all forms of gambling in the parishes and Archdiocese.  During those times, not a single parish closed down.  The Archdiocese under Archbishop Apuron did not rely on gambling to sustain their parishes.  The NCW mission families and itinerants are also living testimonies of God's providence. The RMS priests and seminarians who participated in the two by two mission can also testify.  For two weeks, they went out with nothing but their clothes on their back and with their Bible in their hands. 

The RMS on Guam is another example.  RMS did not rely on the Archdiocese for money.  In fact, they got very little from the Archdiocese.  In the last year, they got nothing.  Yet, RMS was able to stand.  It sustained itself without any money from the Archdiocese.  Why?  Because God is our true provider.   Mammon, on the other hand, only leads to disaster.  Mammon is never satisfied with what it has and will always want more.  

The article on Church gambling was dated July 2011 and worth a read.  You can find the article here.
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Take no chances: Survey on church gambling


The parish hall is no place to develop a gambling habit.
Image result for Raffle drawingSt. Agatha’s Catholic Church in Milton, Massachusetts is sometimes referred to as the “Caesar’s Palace of Massachusetts bingo.” On Monday nights as many as 400 people show up to compete for the $3,000 top prize. In 2009 St. Agatha’s and the other licensed bingo hall in Milton generated more than $1.2 million in gross revenue. Bingo generated $44 million in revenue in all of Massachusetts that year. The proceeds from St. Agatha’s supports the grammar school. Bingo is the school’s largest fundraiser.
Like St. Agatha’s, many Catholic parishes have become dependent on gambling revenue from bingo and raffle tickets in light of dwindling numbers of parishioners and lower overall giving. It is not uncommon for a parish to fund its building project or a youth group event with a raffle, sometimes with exorbitant ticket prices, such as $50 tickets that offer the chance to win anything from a flat screen TV to a new Mustang convertible.
Sure, the funds from gambling at church are for a good cause, but there’s something wrong with this picture. In the words of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, “Gambling, whatever its benefits, [comes] with undeniable and significant costs.”
Ironically, while voicing opposition to the expansion of casino gambling in Massachusetts in 2009, the church in Massachusetts was sponsoring its own gambling houses. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church was affiliated with close to one third of the bingo parlors in the state.
In light of the conference’s arguments against casinos, I think it is important to reevaluate what kind of example the church is setting by sponsoring its own form of gambling.
The Catholic Church has a complex history in its moral thinking about gambling. Although the Bible does not forbid it outright, early Christians were largely opposed, with some of the earliest accounts of canon law forbidding games of chance under the pain of excommunication. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) forbade clerics to be even present at games where any betting was taking place.
St. Francis de Sales in the 16th century addressed gambling in his Introduction to the Devout Life under the title “Of Forbidden Amusements”: “Dice, cards, and the like games of hazard are not merely dangerous amusements, like dancing, but they are plainly bad and harmful, and therefore they are forbidden by the civil as by the ecclesiastical law.”
Today, however, gambling is generally considered a harmless pastime, dangerous only when indulged excessively, as reflected by the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement.”
This is also the argument the Massachusetts Catholic Conference made in its legislative testimony: “The Roman Catholic Church is not opposed to gambling,” wrote the conference, citing the above passage from the catechism. But in light of the many dangers associated with gambling—such as abuse, victimization of the poor, addiction, and broken families—the conference argued that “the state should not depend on gambling for resources to pay for needed services.”
Neither should a parish. The problems with gambling in general apply to church-sponsored gambling as well, but there are several more.
Gambling is not an efficient way to raise money. Administrative costs, marketing and advertising, and prize payouts mean lotteries, for example, bring in significantly less revenue than a broad-based tax. Nationally, an average of 71 percent of lottery revenue goes back into prizes.
Parish-sponsored bingo may be even less efficient at generating profit. According to statistics on charitable bingo in Michigan, 77 percent of net revenue went back into prizes. Parishioners who play “for a good cause” might be surprised how little is actually going back to the church.
Gambling doesn’t generate a significant percentage of income. State lotteries still only bring in an average of 2 percent of a state’s budget. Even though bingo is often the biggest fundraiser for a given parish, as it is at St. Agatha’s, the overall revenue earned is only a small percentage of what the church or school needs to function.
Moreover, the revenue earned through bingo is an unreliable source of income. Most parish-sponsored bingo halls have lost money during the recent recession as attendance plummeted. As a result, parishes have had to seek out other sources of income to fill the void left by bingo.
Gambling revenues are also regressive, unfairly distributing financial burdens to the poor while benefitting the rich. While both poor and rich gamble, the “recreational cost” is a much higher percentage of the poor’s overall income than it is for the rich. In Massachusetts welfare dollars can be used for lottery tickets, which is especially problematic for poor people who are trying to dig themselves out of a hole on the off chance of a big win.
Church-sponsored gambling is also regressive, but more important, it also potentially preys on the poor, who may not have the money to spend on Friday night bingo, yet still play. One member of a parish that had to shut down its bingo operation recalled a woman who came to play with a check from the government. He was concerned that this may have been her only income, but he still let her play.
Even for those who win, gambling is problematic. About one third of lottery jackpot winners will end up bankrupt. More will end up divorced or estranged from family and friends.
The repercussions may not be as grave for those who win smaller prizes at the local bingo parlor or parish lottery, but the excitement of the win still fosters a sinister materialism and greed that is ultimately antithetical to the sort of character the church aims to foster in its members. Church leaders should ask themselves if the call to discipleship really includes fostering a competitive spirit for a $3,000 payout.
While church-sponsored bingo may unintentionally prey on the poor, parish lotteries may also exclude the poor from what amounts to an important social event in the life of the parish. A struggling family is not likely to have the ability to afford many raffle tickets, despite the allure of the prize. Wealthier parishioners can fork over relatively large sums to support a parish fundraiser—despite the fact that the “prize” is not likely to benefit them as much.
The biggest problem with church-sponsored gambling is that it gets people used to seeing gambling as fun, exciting, or even charitable, making them more inclined toward more dangerous forms of gambling that the Massachusetts Catholic Conference opposed in its testimony.
A fundamental insight of Thomas Aquinas’ moral theology is that we form our character through our actions. Those who gamble at a church-sponsored bingo parlor are more likely to see casino gambling as a desirable pastime—and indeed, once casinos come to town, churches have had to close their bingo parlors. For the clientele, it makes little difference whether the revenue is going to the church or to the house. The act itself is the same.
The habits developed by church-sponsored gambling feed societal enthusiasm for more insidious forms of gambling and all their associated dangers. We saw this with William Bennett, the Secretary of Education under President Ronald Reagan, who lost millions gambling. Bennett’s gambling problem began with church bingo.
It is hypocritical for the church to oppose these “predatory” forms of gambling while fostering in their own parishioners those very same habits that support a more widespread cultural acceptance of gambling.
A fundamental moral precept of the church is that “the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the church, each according to his own ability.” Maybe the next time the collection plate comes around or we get that letter in the mail from our parish priest requesting a pledge, we will remember our obligation and give a little more abundantly.
The solution to the church’s “gambling problem” rests largely in our own hands—and wallets.
"And the survey says..."
1. Bingo and raffles are harmless ways to raise money for the parish that have the added benefit of getting parishioners to socialize.
50% - Agree
34% - Disagree
16% - Other
2. My parish:
52% - Sells raffle tickets as a fund-raiser.
23% - Does not hold any events that include gambling or games of chance.
12% - Holds a regular bingo night.
12% - Hosts other games of chance.
3. I would give more money each month if my parish would stop asking members to gamble in order to raise funds.
20% - Agree
56% - Disagree
24% - Other
Representative of “other”:
“I give what I think is appropriate. Others may give by buying raffle tickets or playing bingo, but that is irrelevant to my own giving.”
4. If we were to get rid of bingo night and raffles, my parish would go bankrupt.
10% - Agree
72% - Disagree
18% - Other
5. The church should ban gambling at parishes.
34% - Agree
59% - Disagree
7% - Other
6. I gamble:
55% - Infrequently (less than once a month).
31% - Never.
3% - Semi-frequently (one to three times a month).
2% - Frequently (once a week).
9% - Other
7. I’ve had a family member or close friend with an addiction to gambling.
25% - Agree
73% - Disagree
2% - Other
8. Responsible gamblers shouldn’t have to quit gambling just because others have a problem with it.
62% -Agree
25% -Disagree
13% - Other
This article appeared in the July 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 7, pages 23-27).
Results are based on the responses of 102 USCatholic.org visitors.

22 comments:

  1. While were banning bingo, let's ban all drinking which causes alcholism and destroys lives.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 6:07 am, 

      If we were to ban alcohol, the wine we use in our Mass would also be banned and you would end up drinking grape juice. The Church says that alcohol and gambling are not sins. But between the two, gambling yields more temptations to sin because of money. Christ said you cannot worship God and Mammon. Money leads to a greater temptation to sin than alcohol.

      Delete
    2. I know a few things about alcoholism and you are not right. Give a spoon of wine to a sobered-up alcoholic and he will fall back. Addiction is killing. Alcohol is a hardcore addiction that causes fights, murder and misery.

      The young cannot smoke anymore until they are 21. This is to protect them from addiction. Addiction is killing. Smoking causes declining health, cancer and death.

      Delete
    3. Dear Joanne,

      Alcohol affects people in different ways. For some, people will act violently. For others, it will knock them out and then wake up in the morning with a big hangover.

      Also, alcohol has been banned at one time when the US Congress passed the Prohibition Act. The law was later repealed. Too many people were ending up in jail, not for being drunk, but for drinking, purchasing, and selling alcohol. In other words, even those who are non-alcoholics were being placed in jail.

      Delete
  2. Diane re your "But between the two, gambling yields more temptations to sin because of money. Christ said you cannot worship God and Mammon. Money leads to a greater temptation to sin than alcohol."
    This is part truth - Truth "Christ said you cannot worship God and Mammon."
    But, "but between the two, gambling yields more temptations to sin because of money." and "money leads to a greater temptation to sin than alcohol?".....
    Where is your proof to these two statements?
    Picking and choosing scripture to verify beliefs which actually may be false, is not right.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 2:37 pm,

      People gamble because they want more money. That is greed. That is already a sin.

      However, the reason many people become drunk is due to a problem they are facing. They drink to forget the problem. A man who lost his job, his house, and his wife can easily turn to alcohol rather than to gambling. Alcohol has a way of making people forget their problems. Losing your job, house, and wife are not sins. They're problems that some people have faced in life. Some people can find constructive ways to cope with problems while others find destructive ways.

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    2. And we gamble every day of our life if you didn't already know. So we must all be greedy.

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    3. Dear Anonymous at 8:06 pm,

      Do not twists things around as the jungle does. It is normal to make daily decisions in our life. That is not gambling.

      The point in my post is church gambling. I find it hypocritical that the Church opposes casino gambling, praising Senator Nelson in taking the right step in banning gambling at the Liberation carnival and then turn around to approve its own form of gambling.

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    4. Bingo and raffle are not casino and not gambling. If you don't know what is gambling then go into a casino and you'll see the addicts big time.

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    5. Dear Joanne,

      According to Wikipedia:

      "A raffle is a gambling competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each ticket having the chance of winning a prize."

      Bingo is also considered a form of gambling. I highly suggest that you once again read the Catholic website I posted. It stated:

      Sure, the funds from gambling at church are for a good cause, but there’s something wrong with this picture. In the words of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, “Gambling, whatever its benefits, [comes] with undeniable and significant costs.”

      Ironically, while voicing opposition to the expansion of casino gambling in Massachusetts in 2009, the church in Massachusetts was sponsoring its own gambling houses. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church was affiliated with close to one third of the bingo parlors in the state."

      Delete
    6. That's right. Bingo, Massachusetts! Bingo is no gambling. Are you unable to make subtle distinctions? Whatever your Wikipedia is telling you is either true or false! You should not believe every silly things an online source tells you that is edited by everybody on the wide Earth whoever just wants to edit it freely.

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    7. Dear Joanne,

      Are you reading the article correctly? It is saying that Bingo is gambling. If you do not trust Wikipedia, you can always use the dictionary. It will still tell you that a raffle is a form of gambling.

      Delete
  3. 12:57 pm,,,,,, sounds like a what's in a casino!!

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  4. How ignorant can you be about gambling Joanne?? OMG....

    "I'm not good with the computer!!"

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    Replies
    1. Believe me, I know a few things about addictions, alcohol, gambling, drugs, etc. You them drooling from their mouths like dogs. Addiction is truly evil, killing good people and bad people alike! Those playing innocent bingo in small amounts are not among them.

      Have you heard of the 12 steps program to overcome addiction? That saves millions and millions of people around the world! Well, it cannot save all though, only those who have the will and determination to sober up.

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    2. Go down to "Reply as" and look at the drop-down list by clicking on the small black triangle. Select Name/URL and click on it. Then in the miniature pop-up window "Edit profile" type in your Name: "I'm not good with the computer!!" Leave the URL information blank! Click on Continue then the pop-up window disappears. Click on Publish and you are done. Did this help?

      Delete
  5. Diana, Re your: "People gamble because they want more money. That is greed. That is already a sin."

    Untrue comment, on two accounts:

    (1) Incorrect "that is greed" - not always. Desperation - because of such things as poverty or job loss or no insurance for medical bills and medicine or "etc" may cause them to gamble, NOT GREED.
    (2) Incorrect. I know people who buy tickets to support the cause. They don't "expect" to win, but rather consider it a donation. And for bingos, many people go not expecting to win, but rather because they like the company of others. THIS IS NOT GREED, NOR IS IT A SIN.
    And, I know of people who generously buy articles at bargain prices specifically so that the articles may be donated for Silent Auctions, prizes for Bingos, and Raffles for their church needs.
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    Would I prefer to see that people donate 10% (tithe) so that the church would not need to have "these" "unsinful" acts mentioned above....of course I would, providing alternate activities are provided to socialize - esp for the elderly.

    Would I prefer to see that the NCW members donate l0% (tithe) to the Church rather than black bag donations to the NCW which promotes Liturgical Abuses...of course I would. (Did you know the NCW in our Church sold raffle tickets?)
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    The Catechism of the Catholic Church is true.
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    PS: Thank you Joanne for posting how to post an annoymous name. It was helpful. (Another View)

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    Replies
    1. Dear Another View,

      I stand corrected. MANY people gamble because they want more money. That is greed. People who are living in poverty and have no job would not gamble because they do not have the money in the first place. To gamble, you need to have money first. So, that leaves out the jobless and those in desperate poverty. In other words, you will not see the homeless buying raffles or playing bingo. They’re too busy trying to find their next meal. It would be the low to rich income who would gamble. As for those with medical needs, I see most of them in the street corners pan handling. When my cousin had cancer, she did not go to the bingo parlors because she knew there was a 50 percent chance to lose money. Instead, she held a fundraiser....a dinner night where she knew 100 percent that she would get at least some of the proceeds while the rest goes to the vendor.

      Yes, that is how it always starts. You give to a good cause. When you do win, you receive a high feeling, which becomes an incentive to bring you back into gambling. That is how the casinos work. Please read the article I posted.

      The NCW did not sell raffle tickets because we do not fundraise. If something is needed in the NCW, the communities pay for it through the black trash bags, which you clearly mentioned. The only fundraiser the NCW do is the World Youth Day, and the youths do not do bingo and raffle drawings.

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    2. I can agree with that. A person with cancer or who needs medicine isn't going to gamble when they need the money most and thinking they're not going to win. It makes more sense for the person to hold a fundraiser for their medical treatment. That way you know for sure that you are getting something in the end. In bingo, there is no guarantee.

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    3. The rich gamble? The middle class gamble. I play bingo maybe twice a year and it amazes me to see many who are on assisted programs play bingo not with one machine but 3,4,5,6. Each machine holds ten packages not to mention paying for throw away cards. Some hold car washes and say medical bht in reality it's to pay bills.

      One sign at the corner had a child hold a sign that said please help we need food. I went to McDonald's bought 4 happy meals and went back to site. Parked my car car and wakked up to the kids to give it to them. Mother replies we need the money more the kids don't need the happy meal. Sorry, but i don't give anymore. End of story!

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  6. Hello there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group?
    There's a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content.
    Please let me know. Many thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 3:51 pm,

      My blog is already public so it can be shared.

      Delete