A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON LOTTERIES AND GAMBLING

RESOLUTION AGAINST GAMBLING
(TWO EXAMPLES)

Local Baptist Church  (Put the name of your church where the word "Local" appears.)
November 25, 2001

RESOLUTION TO KEEP TENNESSEE GAMBLING FREE

          WHEREAS, On November 5, 2002, Tennesseans will be faced with a referendum seeking to amend the State Constitution in order to provide for a state-sponsored lottery, and

          WHEREAS, The entire enterprise of gambling is completely opposed to the principles in God’s Word, reveals a dissatisfaction with God’s provision, encourages a desire to gain something for nothing, and also leads to the moral demise of society, and

          WHEREAS, Gambling, by definition, earns its revenues from those who lose, thus causing the state to become a predator of its people rather than a protector, and

          WHEREAS, For every $1 the gambling industry brings into a state it will cost the residents between $3 and $7 in hidden costs through increased need for criminal-justice and social-welfare programs, etc. (Kindt, University of Ill., http://www.ncalg.org/ncalg01.htm), and

          WHEREAS, State sponsored gambling is a regressive form of taxation, the revenues of which come disproportionately from lower income residents (The Executive Office of the Governor, Gambling in Florida: An Analysis of the Economic and Social Impacts; http://ncalg.org/quotes.htm), and

          WHEREAS, Researchers now call gambling the fastest growing teenage addiction, with the rate of pathological gambling among high school and college-age youth about twice that of adults. According to Dr. Howard Shaffer, Director of Harvard Medical School Center for Addictions Studies, “Today, there are more children experiencing adverse symptoms from gambling than from drugs…and the problem is growing” (http://www.ncalg.org/case/htm), and

          WHEREAS, A Federal commission comprised of both supporters and opponents of gambling (The National Gambling Impact Study Commission) has recommended a moratorium on the expansion of legalized gambling, and

          WHEREAS, The long-term consequences of gambling have mainly been ignored in favor of the empty promise of almost instant prosperity for both individuals and state governments, thus destroying any work ethic, and

          WHEREAS, The lives of children are significantly damaged by the loss of household income needed for food, clothing and shelter due to gambling, and 

          WHEREAS, Often times throughout American history the tide of gambling has been turned by God’s people who knelt in confession and stood in conviction;

          THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the members of Local Baptist Church do hereby commit to pray mightily and work actively to keep Tennessee gambling free, 

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon all parents, grandparents, and others who are concerned about the future of our children to actively seek to educate themselves and their children about the dangers of gambling and do everything within their power to resist the expansion of any form of legalized gambling into Tennessee,

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon our state government officials to find ways to strengthen our state’s economy and provide fair and equitable educational opportunities based upon sound principles of responsible budgeting combined with creative and innovative industrial, educational and technological development rather than on the false hopes of gambling,

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon all Tennesseans to reflect Biblical standards and personal lifestyles that would make it unnecessary and undesirable to resort to gambling as a recreation, an escape, or a means of producing public revenue for the support of government,

          BE IF FINALLY RESOLVED, that we call upon all Tennesseans to exercise their influence by voting in the November 5, 2002, gubernatorial election, voting against gambling, and by becoming actively involved in defeating this far-reaching moral issue.

EXAMPLE 2:  [LOCAL] ASSOCIATION RESOLUTION
(Put the name of your association in place of [LOCAL])

A Resolution Opposing the Establishment of a State Lottery in Tennessee

WHEREAS, gambling is defined as paying money to buy a chance to win a prize, and

Tennessee is blessed to be one of only 3 states with no form of legalized gambling, and has provided a safe haven for gambling addicts assaulted by gambling temptations in other states having legalized gambling, and

This blessing and protection from gambling for the citizens of Tennessee is a result of the Tennessee Constitution's lottery prohibition, which states in Article 11, Section 5: "The Legislature shall have no power to authorize lotteries for any purpose, and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale of lottery tickets in this state," and the legislators' oath of office specifically states that they would not vote for any bill or resolution that might be harmful to the citizens of the state of Tennessee, and

Government-run lotteries target, depend upon, and prey upon the poor, while government is God-ordained for the protection of the citizenry (Romans 13:1-4), and

Advertising for government-sponsored lottery gambling promotes false financial hope, encourages the public to place their hope in Luck, rather than placing their hope in God the Creator and Provider, and creates an atmosphere of greed and covetousness in the citizenry, all contrary to God's plan for government and for mankind, and

Lottery gambling ticket sales divert purchases from taxable real goods and services, harming the economy at a time when our national and state economy is already suffering, and

It is a mistaken assumption that lottery funds will increase state revenues, because lottery funds are designated for a new program of college scholarships rather than budget needs, and

A large number of people in homeless shelters attribute gambling as the cause of their homelessness, and

Government-run lotteries are the most pervasive form of gambling, available at outlets which provide the necessities of life, making it impossible to avoid the temptation to gamble, and

The ready availability of lottery gambling increases youth participation in gambling, causing adolescents to become addicted to gambling at rates much higher than adults, and a recent Harvard Medical School study states that "Today, there are more children experiencing adverse symptoms from gambling than from drugs…and the problem is growing", and

The National Gambling Impact Study Commission has recommended a moratorium on the expansion of legalized gambling, and

WHEREAS, American history has numerous examples of God's people correcting injustices by continuous prayer and active opposition;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Executive Committee of the [LOCAL] Baptist Association, meeting December 4, 2001, stand firmly opposed to the establishment of government-run lottery gambling, and do hereby commit to pray mightily and work actively to keep Tennessee gambling free, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage the following actions by the member churches of our Association:
1.    Adopt a resolution opposing the establishment of a government-run lottery;
2.    Appoint a liaison person or committee to work with the Associational Committee to educate their local church and community about the dangers of lottery gambling, and to encourage their church members to oppose lottery gambling;
3.    Form prayer ministries to combat the lottery;
4.    Contribute $1 per resident member to Gambling Free Tennessee and $1 to the [LOCAL] Baptist Association Anti-Lottery Fund, and
5.    Encourage church and community members to register to vote, vote in the Governor's election, and to vote against the lottery.

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