Questionable Amusements and Worthy SubstitutesJudy, J. M.
Religion
Questionable Amusements and Worthy Substitutes
Judy, J. M.
Amusements -- Religious aspects -- Methodist Church; Christian ethics
Gambling is dishonest. It seeks something for nothing. Man possesses no
money, that he might risk giving it to some rogue to waste in sin. All
the property one possesses, he possesses it by stewardship to be used
wisely and honestly for good. Every age has needed a revival of the
Golden Rule in business. Much of the business of to-day is attended to
on the dishonest principle that characterizes gambling, "Get as much as
possible for as little as possible." This spirit is first cousin to the
spirit of gambling. The only difference is, one is called wrong and is
wrong; the other is wrong and is called right. Tell the gambler he is a
thief; he will acknowledge it, and will beat you, if he can, while he is
talking to you. Tell the other man he is a thief, and he will sue you at
court and win his case, although it is just as wrong to steal $100 from
an unbalanced mind, as it is to steal $100 from an unlocked safe or
off of an untrained football team. It will be an easy matter to produce
professional gamblers so long as society upholds dishonest dealers
by another name. What men need in this matter is moral and spiritual
vision, spiritual discernment. Some persons live by taking advantage of
those who are down.
In all of its forms gambling leads to a long train of crimes. In
addition to his crime of theft the professional gambler, through passion
or drink, becomes a murderer. I knew a professional gambler who killed
a man, with whom he had been playing cards for money, for fifty cents.
After it was all over the man was sorry he had done it, for he had
committed the crime in a passion while he was intoxicated. The one who
speculates on the markets is not counted dishonest by the world, but how
often and how quickly it leads one into crime! In our neighboring town
in Illinois a man of a good family and of good standing in the community
began to speculate on the Chicago Board of Trade. He was as honest a
person, perhaps, as you or I. He thought he was. For years he had been
a trusted, Christian worker, and treasurer of the Sunday-school. But he
made just one venture too many. He had lost all; could not even replace
the Sunday-school fund that he had simply used, no doubt expecting to
replace it with usury; but the loss and disgrace were too much for him
to face, so he deserted home and friends and honor and all, and secretly
ran away. The speculating gambler became a deserting embezzler. The
person who has acquired a passion for betting on races and games is on a
fair way to professional gambling and to speculating on the markets. And
rarely does one ever escape these, if once he gets a start in them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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