GAMBLING WINNINGS IN THE COLLECTION PLATE
by Stan Griffin
The news about a West Virginia Powerball lottery winner tithing several million dollars to his local churches and a Salvation Army chapter refusing a $100,000 check from a Florida Lotto winner have sparked debate on the moral issue faced by Christian churches: should they accept money gained in such a fashion?
Most denominations have been outspoken with their opposition to gambling, saying families suffer when money is risked and lost by the breadwinner -- money that should have been used to pay for necessities. A majority of them fiercely oppose the growing popularity of casinos, and they encourage congregations to vote against bringing such institutions into their localities. Still, there is not 100 percent agreement on rejecting such money out of hand.
One Evangelical Lutheran spokeswoman was quoted as saying: "I couldn’t imagine turning away money from that (lottery), knowing the good it will do."
A Church of God minister in West Virginia due to receive some Powerball money said his church will accept the gift "graciously" and may use it to finance a youth worship center. Another statement from him: "All things belong to God."
A Presbyterian school official in North Carolina stated he would consider accepting a portion of lottery winnings because "Who knows how many gifts have come from sources more questionable than a lottery?" Additionally he emphasized that " ... the church can perform a redemptive function with such gifts." Looking at the other side of this question, the same individual maintains that a lottery was " ... a tax on the poor basically ... (and) ... holds out the prospect of a dream . . . something for nothing."
A leader of the AME Zion church described a gift from gambling as " ... more of a curse than a blessing." A minister in a North Carolina First Baptist Church said he would reject " ... ill gotten gains ..." but would further encourage a lottery winner to "give to a charity other than a church."
Both the Southern Baptist and the United Methodist Churches have passed resolutions encouraging congregations to establish policies of not accepting any gambling winnings, to reject gifts or donations coming from winning the lottery. Other denominations, however, stop short of such "discouraging steps."