Noolite on petty gambling

by hamsterbait 7 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  hamsterbait

  Pre-echoes of this impending change came in a public edition magazine about 3 years ago.

  It was a right hand page.

  It said that gambling for pennies was not an issue, (wish I had kept this)

  Now the elduhs book page 70 says that petty gambling is not a judicial offence.

  Presumably then it is the small size of the stake, or the small winnings that makes it okay. In witchtowerland size really does matter.

  Just as "a little bit of the blood" makes that okay as opposed to going the whole hog.

  Why dont they apply this to kissing? its only a little bit of "fornication". If two men kiss then that is a JC offense, and fast becoming one with boy/girl action too. I know of a MS who was removed for having a necking session with his fiancee.

  So when does the prize make it a judicial offence - when it goes over $10? What if you put a very petty stake down on the lottery and won hundreds of thousands?

  But then its finally the elduhs who decide whether to kick you out just because they can.

  HB
• 

  Gayle

  JWs can only gamble it all on the organization. All their time, money, and energy.
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  I don't think that's what it means. It means that elders shouldn't make the first move if they think someone in the congregation has gambled. If someone complains (is stumbled), they should counsel the person. Then, if the person is "brazen" or continues to gamble, they WILL form a committee.

  Here's the text from the section on gambling:

  "30. Greed-gambling, extortion: (I Cor. 5:10, 11; 6:10; 1 Tim. 3:8; it-1 pp. 789, 1005-1006; w891/15 p. 22) Christians should avoid gambling in all its various forms , including lotteries. (Isa. 65:11; g027/22 pp. 4 -8; w89 7/15 p. 30; g82 7/8 pp. 25-27; g8111 /22 p. 27) If a person makes a practice of gambling and after repeated counsel unrepentantly pursues a course of greediness, judicial action would be appropriate.- w80 9/1 pp. 29-30; w67 p. 356.

  31. An individual continuing in employment directly involv ed with gambling or employment making him a clear accomplice or promoter of gambling would be subject to judicial action, usually after being allowed time , perhaps up to six months, to make the needed adjustments. (w95 5/15 p. 23 par. 11; km9/76 pp. 3 -6) In questionable cases it is best to consult with the branch office.

  32. If a business gives out prizes or prize money to winners of a con test or to poten tial customers for advertising, accepting the gift is an individual's decision to make. However, a person needs to be careful that accepting such a prize does not stir up greed. (Rom. 14:21; 1 Cor. 10:31-33; g7S 7/8 p. 28; w73 p. 127) The elders do well not to involve themselves in what individuals do with regard to petty gambling solely for entertainment . They may need to give counsel if this becomes a cause of stumbling for others or affects the spirituality of the individual or the congregation.-w02 11/1 p. 3l."
• 

  isaacaustin

  Exactly Mad Sweeney, this is not anything new or a lightening up of any sort.
• 

  WTWizard

  Petty gambling means different things to different people. Suppose I play a dollar on a Mega Millions ticket, and happen to be the sole winner of a $200 million jackpot? Do I have to put a portion, or the whole thing, into the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund? Could the hounders use that as a tool to force me to donate part or all of my winnings? And, what if I played that game only because I had 15 minutes to kill before a doctor's or dentist's appointment and happened to win $200 million?

  Another issue that I think of is, besides the extortion to donate the winnings to the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund, is "brazen conduct". So I played a dollar on a Mega Millions or Power Ball ticket and win $200 million. Now, is that brazen conduct unless I donate all of the winnings to the Worldwide Pedophile Defense Fund? Or, is it brazen conduct if I regularly enjoy pitching pennies? You know, that game where people pitch pennies and the one whose penny lands closest to the wall wins all the pennies? I might do this regularly only because I don't know what else I could do with the 3 or 4 pennies I get every time I go to the store--so, why not have a little bit of fun. Besides, with that QE2 and beyond, those pennies might be virtuallyworthless for anything else.

  Of course, you will never hear sound advice from the Washtowel Slaveholdery about gambling. The soundest advice is to stick to a strict budget, win or lose--once that amount is gone, you are finished with that session. That amount should be below your means--as long as you gamble below your means, you are not going to get into major money problems from gambling.
• 

  Gayle

  Just a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  It boils down to this: if you decide to go to Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, or an Indian Reservation for vacation, DON'T TELL ANYONE. If you tell, and it gets back to the elders, they'll have to drag you in. If an elder knows you went but nobody else does, he may mention to you to be careful nobody else finds out (image is more important than reality in Dub-world), but he won't form a committee over it.
• 

  minimus

  See, if you bet up to a dollar, it's ok. In casinos, if you only play the pennies machine, it's not a DF offense but if you hit the high stakes room, you're in big trouble!