Why Do I Do This To Myself?

I have a standing policy against getting into religious or political conversations at work. It can only lead to making me want to punch things and/or people. But every so often I am bombarded by other people talking about something and I before I can stop myself I am in the middle of the inanity. Like this afternoon, for instance...

Gambling. That was today's topic. Someone started saying that it says in the Bible not to gamble. After chomping at the bit for as long as I could, I finally snapped and joined in and asked where in the Bible it says "Thou shalt not double down on 11"

"Pay the man his money. And make sure to tip your demon, you hellbound BASTARD!"

Well, it turns out that on WIKIPEDIA (that paragon of accurate information) someone says that it says you can't gamble in Matthew. But I couldn't find that.

Long story somewhat short, I looked around and found THIS and THIS when I searched "Bible" and "gamble". Not a whole lot there.

The thing of it was that she kept saying how where you find gambling you find alcoholics and whores (I am shorthanding her rambles about "dens of iniquity and ill repute. Yup. Actual quotes. I felt like I was in a Revival tent for a while). My response was that just because some people with those problems gravitate towards gambling, that does not make gambling ITSELF a sin. She kept saying that when an action keeps leading towards sins that the organization (i.e. the church) says that the action itself is a sin. She talked again about alcohol, and I said that I had wine every week at church (Episcopalians - we start 'em off young, but we let our priests marry, so it's all good), she said I was confusing the issue.

At this point I kept trying to turn away from the conversation before my letter opener decided to fly across the room at some accelerated velocity, but like an old Al Pacino, I kept getting dragged back in.

I bet you were expecting a Pacino pic here, weren't ya. Well it ain't happening.

Finally, she asked me to ask my pastor on Sunday about how God feels about gambling. I said I would, but I don't really think I am going to. I don't feel like giving a report back to her about what my pastor said. Besides, I came up with a question for her that I am going to pose instead. If God is against gambling then why is THIS happening in churches all over the country?

C'mon baby! Grammy needs a new liver pill prescription!

Also, she admitted that she plays Lotto (my catch all name for the mega state, mega jackpot drawings) once in a while.