Is Gambling a Sin?

I suppose the answer would depend on the person you are posing the question to. If you ask this question of a moralist, then the answer would be a resounding yes. If, however, you ask this question of some Washington politicians, then their answer would be something totally different.

Ever since I could remember, people have been lobbying against gambling. Though I wouldn’t dare delve deep into the morality of gambling in this post, it is a fact that moralists in the United States seem to be losing the fight against gambling. The Manila Times reports:

The moral opposition to gambling might be gasping its last breaths.

As more and more states turn to casinos and gambling to fill shrinking budget coffers, the voices of the religious opposition are struggling to convince people that it is morally wrong.

It’s an uphill fight: A recent study by Ellison Research showed that 70 percent of Americans do not consider gambling to be a sin.

“It’s not acceptable in today’s society to present arguments based solely on religion or morals,” said I. Nelson Rose, who teaches gambling law at the Whittier Law School in California.

Indeed, it seems that morals and religious beliefs are being sidelined in preference to the more practical aspects. Gambling brings in a lot of money and with the economic crisis that everyone is experiencing, it is but understandable that people are looking for ways to keep their heads afloat and their coffers full.

What do you think?