Gambling at Casinos: a Sin for Catholics?
Lots of Novus Ordo parishes plan bus trips for their members to spend one day at casinos in order to raise money for the church and catch fun. This is a sinful practice and I will provide clarifications to back this up. Apart from being a sinful practice, it results in lots of other corrupt habits like lust, gluttony, waste of time and money, lying, cheating, fraud, perjury, theft, drunkenness, and can lead others astray. Aside from this, demons of lust and desire fill up these casinos and cling to those who regularly visit these house of condemnation.
It is stated in the 1914 Catholic Encyclopedia that gambling has been prohibited by the common law in earlier times. The game of luck under the agony of excommunication to both the laity and the clergy was prohibited by two of the oldest (41, 42) among what is termed canons of the Apostles. The 79th canon of the Council of Elders (306) ordered one of the faithfuls found guilty of gambling return back to communion after being on correction for a year. An age-long doctrine (the popular De Aleatoribus") attributed to St Cyprus but credited to various modern scholars, Popes Callistus I, Victor I and Melchiades which is certainly an ancient and intriguing landmark of Christian artifact and an energetic condemnation to gambling. A decree released by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 and later introduced into the ìCorpus Jurisî restricted clerics from participating or be available at a game of luck.
Bible scholars usually demand four conditions before it can be considered illegal.
The gambler must own what is staked and must be disposed of freely. It is improper for a lawyer to stake a clientís money or for anybody to stake what is meant for the upkeep of his family.
The gambler must act out his own free will and not compelled unjustly.
The transaction must be without cheating however the normal tricks of the game are allowed. It is illegal to mark the cards but cautiously hiding the number of trump cards one holds is permitted.
Lastly, uniformity must exist between the parties involved to yield a fair contract. It is totally unfair for two professionals to team up against novices of the game and take the money.
There is no fairness between participants in a casino. Their machine has been manipulated to eventually win in the long run. They are professionals and only the participants are in a vulnerable position against the installed odds already programmed into their games and slot machines by the casinos.
It is a blessing to be traditional Catholic with a belief that our money and life are valuable and are to be utilized for Godís kingdom, not squandering it on bets with a desire for quick money that is not worked for especially pointlessly wasting valuable time.