Should, or Can Christians Gamble?

The Bible speaks out against gambling in Isaiah 65:11, as to whether Christians should, or can gamble.

Many articles on the internet, however, state that God did not speak out against gambling. This is not so, but I'm sure you will make your own comments on this article at the end.

The bible verse taken from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible, which supports God speaking out against gambling, goes as follows:

Isa 65:11 What will I, the LORD, do if any of you reject me and my holy mountain? What will happen to you for offering food and wine to the gods you call "Good Luck" and "Fate"?

Isa 65:12 Your luck will end! I will see to it that you are slaughtered with swords. You refused to answer when I called out; you paid no attention to my instructions. Instead, you did what I hated, knowing it was wrong.

Isa 65:13 I, the LORD God, will give food and drink to my servants, and they will celebrate. But all of you sinners will go hungry and thirsty, overcome with disgrace.

Isa 65:14 My servants will laugh and sing, but you will be sad and cry out in pain.

What I believe God is saying here is that there are those who have rejected him, and have chosen to worship other gods, that is "Good Luck", and "Fate". As you might know many gamblers rely on these two in order to overcome the odds, some not knowing that there are relying on gods.

God is saying here that their luck will run out, and that these persons who are worshiping these gods have done what they know to be wrong. God says these sinners will be overcome with hunger, thirst and disgrace. If you are familiar with gamblers, you might know that there tend to undergo such.

As gamblers worship at the table of gambling they become addicted to the practice and tend sometimes to lose self respect, the respect of others, family, friends, homes, jobs, and in some cases their very lives, as some commit suicide because of the losses they have incurred. This is in keeping with God's word in Isaiah 65.

This is further supported in the following scripture verse as follows:

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

With regards to the addictive nature of Gambling (caused by Bacchus - see Seven Major Divisions of Hell) I have spoken to a few gamblers who admitted that they had tried many times to stop gambling, but find it very difficult and always end up gambling again. One also jokingly said he would prefer to have HIV/AIDS than to have gotten caught up with the poker machines.

Scientists have claimed that gambling is so addictive, because it stimulates the same centres in the brain, which are stimulated during sexual intercourse.

As the addiction sets in, one turns to the gods of "Fate" and "Good Luck" in preference to God, and what he has in store. Again this is in keeping with Isaiah 65. The person turns away from the commandment of God which states, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Since the gambler is encapsulated in the gambling experience, then this commandment cannot be upheld.

The Bible also speaks against gambling with the following verse from Proverbs:

Pro 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

I believe I have portrayed that gambling is not for the Christian, because gambling it is very addictive, and takes away our focus from God and the things of God.