Christian Science Monitor article, "Bill to legalize Internet gambling: No dice"
Has warranted a response from JTodd. A link to the article is here and JTodd's response is below.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100723/cm_csm/315931_1
As a Christian I am constantly shocked by the ignorance and hypocrisy carried out under the religious umbrella. Gambling is not a sin. Gambling is not ethically right or wrong. People can abuse and become addicted to a variety of things, but the "holier than thou" folks always single out drinking, smoking, and gambling as "wrong". Truth is none of those things are sins and they cannot justify otherwise. Period.
Gambling is a part of the human condition. Gambling is what pushed frontiersmen to the west. Gambling is what took us to the moon. People gamble every time they drive their car. And if adults want to responsibly gamble is no ones "ethical obligation" to enforce their warped sense of moral high ground on the rest of us.
Online gambling has been studied by Harvard Medical and it's no more addictive than a real casino! Online gambling has been legal and regulated in the United Kingdom for years and it works! Gambling has a negative reputation in the United States for cultural reasons and prejudices that don't exists outside the superficial and shallow borders of this country. And most of those who condemn gambling do so simply because they were taught it's "wrong" by someone else... and the cycle of ignorance continues.
Online gambling is going on right this second in America with NO protection for children, NO protection for addicts, and NO consumer safety. But people will continue to do so no matter what misguided laws the "ethically superior" self-appointed naughty police. Prohibition of alcohol failed miserably. The "war" on drugs is a complete failure. And despite all the warning millions of people still smoke tobacco. Shouldn't we then outlaw all cigarettes, cigars, and liquor because someone may become addicted? Or kids could get a hold of them? NO. And why? Because this is a free country where adults can make their own choices... even "bad" ones... if they wish to do so.
Christian Science Monitor has attempted to use old cliché's and scare tactics that have been refuted since 2005. There's NO WAY to "click a mouse and lose your house" because no one can deposit that much at an online gambling site OTHER THAN already legal state run horse betting sites! And by the way, there's no state officials to stop an addict from buying up $30,000 in lottery tickets. There's no one at a casino policing the ATM's to stop those who have had too much to drink. To say otherwise is at best complete lack of common sense and at worst an outright lie.
The regulation of online gambling in the United States would create a database of player activity to identify and help addicts. It would create an age verification process that would protect children. It would create over site to ensure fair gaming. It would create electronic fingerprints on all transactions to prevent money laundering. It would create a system of player protection, dispute resolution, and accountability on all sides. It would keep the 12 billion dollars a year wagered in this country and, yes, create a tax base. This is not speculation, these things are happening in Europe and other industries... and they work.
It's time the opponents of gambling realize that they are not the final authority on what is acceptable behavior and stop hiding behind the lies of "child protection" and "protecting the addicts" that are only an attempt to obtain their moral objectives. If you truly want to protect people then don't shove this activity underground to corporations beyond the reach of law enforcement... that's where the criminals are! Bring the activity into the light where everything is monitored, transparent, tracked, and checked.
Replies
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Yes! Take a random shot and bring gambling into the light!
It’s what you DON’T see that matters.
Christians want to make sure people think twice about gambling online. They see themselves as watchdogs over foolishness.
I am ok with nicotine, its the cancer factor I can do without.
Gambling is ok, when you know the odds of winning, taking consideration that the games could be fixed. The most important thing is gambling for fun. Just do not try to make a big amount of dough from it.