Cuttino: Of gambling and God
Posted: April 15, 2012
By BOB CUTTINO
Recently Americans turned out in record numbers to buy lottery tickets from grocery stores, convenience stores, barbershops, etc., in hopes of winning the biggest lottery payout the world has ever seen, $640 million. Guess what they spent for those lottery tickets. $1.46 billion! Most people would love to “get rich quick” and dream of all they would do if it happened.
Someone said to me once, “The Bible doesn’t say anything about gambling being wrong.” Well, the Bible doesn’t say explicitly “Don’t buy lottery tickets or wager on ball games or play cards or roll dice” but it is vividly clear about the attitude to get a lot for a little or gain wealth without working honestly for it, and most overlook the commandment, “Thou shalt not covet.”
“Coveting” is wanting something you did not return honest labor to attain, “to have an inordinate desire for something belonging to another” (Britannica Dictionary). The Bible tells us coveting is idolatry. In Paul’s letter to Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:11), he says “I wrote to you not to associate with any who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or robber…” In Colossians 3:5, Paul says “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you; fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”
Solomon says in Proverbs 13:11, “Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle but he who gathers little by little shall increase it.” Solomon says at the end of Proverbs “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” But something within us, like the lead man in “Fiddler on the Roof,” makes us reason with God saying “If I were a rich man...” asking God for riches. We want the shortcut of winning the lottery or sweepstakes. To be rich may be a noble wish if that wealth is to be obtained by honest labor or selling a good product. Rich people can do great things — Carnegie’s libraries and efforts at world-wide peace, Rockefeller’s hospitals and universities, the charitable gifts of the wealthy for health and education and culture — all show good things rich men can do. But it refers to wealth nobly achieved, not the stroke of luck.
I worked for three years as psychiatric assistant in a mental hospital while in graduate school. We had to deal often with those victims of addiction — alcohol, drugs, tobacco and even gambling. Gambling can be as addictive as the other dreaded addictions. Gambling can make slaves out of otherwise good, healthy people. I have been a minister for 62 years and was called on often by families where gambling addiction was tearing up a marriage and a home. Gambling is not an innocent pastime.
The money spent on this last lottery could have provided 238,000 Americans with food for a year, treat 685,000 average U. S. households to gasoline for a full year, rehire teachers and repair many bridges. Get wise. Walk with the wise. Desire honest riches, but not at someone’s expense.
Showing posts with label enslavement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enslavement. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Monday, November 15, 2010
Montreal, Homelessness and Gambling Addiction
Massachusetts Casino Proponents extol the virtues of Gambling's success in Canada to justify their support, even as Canada has removed loss limits and other sensible controls to maintain its flagging revenue source and cover escalating costs.
This summer, blessed with opportunities to do 'tourist' things, we encountered a number of Canadians who had nothing nice to say about the community degradation caused by 'government sponsored addiction,' the failure to fulfill the promises of 'economic development,' and the growing enslavement of people the Industry depends on for their profitability - the Gambling Addict.
Studies have linked HOMELESSNESS to Gambling Addiction. Our resident Addiction Expert will explain the connection of Gambling Addiction and incarceration.
We CAN do better!
The face of hardship in Montreal is getting younger
It's a good neighbourhood for pleading innocent and feeling guilty.
On a small patch of green space a couple blocks from the Palais de Justice, I was enjoying the Friday morning sun and tapping out a text message. Two benches over, a man wearing a coat too heavy for the weather was asleep, using a battered knapsack for a pillow.
Isn't progress wonderful?
There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when the clacking of typewriter keys made it impossible to sleep near a working journalist. Now I can write silently and transmit stories from anywhere.
But some things never change. People are still sleeping on park benches.
Punch up Matthew 26:11 on your Bible app. "For ye have the poor always with you," Jesus told his disciples.
Poverty is stubborn. It resists technological change, and if you're sufficiently engrossed in your newest tech toy, you can ignore people who don't have fixed addresses, let alone phone numbers.
I was down at the edge of Chinatown looking for a column. Every Monday into late December, this space will be pegged (as we used to say in the typewriter era) to the Gazette Christmas Fund.
In urging Montrealers to open their hearts and their chequebooks, I thought it might be useful to raise their awareness of poverty in this city. Matthew Pearce, director general of the Old Brewery Mission, is a good source for a snapshot of hard times in Montreal.
Pearce's office is at the northwest corner of St. Antoine St. and St. Lawrence Blvd., kitty-corner to the courthouse. Pearce pointed out the irony of a space that used to be a tavern becoming headquarters of a shelter that deals with the consequences of alcoholism -and much else.
He is 56 and has run the Old Brewery Mission for 21/2 years. Pearce was born in Calgary to expatriate Montrealers who moved back here in 1960 because "with the business savvy my family is famous for, my father saw no future in the oil business."
Pearce grew up in Rosemere. Fluently bilingual, he has a background in international development and the promotion of corporate responsibility.
Hardship in Montreal, Pearce said, is changing. He highlighted the surprising demographics of the Mission's clientele.
Fifteen years ago, the average age of a homeless person was about 55 -conforming, Pearce said, to stereotype. Today the average age is 37.
"To bring the average age down that quickly," Pearce said, "means a lot of young people are not able to find their place in society and don't have resources, like a supportive family, to fall back on. If you're on the streets at a young age and you don't get the support needed, you can become a chronic, self-identified street person."
Another change over the last 10 years: people are ending up at the Old Brewery Mission as a consequence of gambling addiction.
"This is not a drug addict or an alcoholic or a person who is mentally ill and off their meds," Pearce said. "We've had a police officer and a doctor whose lives collapsed because of gambling. They've burned their bridges and they come to us when they have nothing left."
-in the news
There are also more women needing shelter than there is space available. The Old Brewery Missions's women's service, the largest is Canada, is regularly over 100 per cent capacity. This winter, the Mission will add 14 beds to the 30 in its women's shelter.
Pearce said drug addiction has become more of a problem because of worse living through chemistry. Drugs are stronger, behaviour is more radically altered, addiction is deeper and harder to kick.
The Mission has a new mission, Pearce explained: "not just to soothe homelessness but to solve homelessness." On the floor above his office is the Marcelle and Jean Coutu Pavilion, where 30 men are living in apartments and going through the Old Brewery Mission's transition programs to get them back into society.
"They pay modest rent," Pearce said. "They make their meals and they live an autonomous life. But they benefit from the support of our counsellors.
"They don't need just a key to an apartment. They need support with the kind of issues that caused them to be homeless in the first place."
The economic downturn has not had a negative impact on donations. Pearce describes the Old Brewery Mission as a "Montreal institution, kind of like Schwartz's."
With healthier food. Montrealers, Pearce said, "like our institutions - they're part of our identity."
"Our donors are loyal," he added, "They see us as a place where you make a donation and it hits the ground running. There's not much waste around here."
As is the case with another great institution, the Gazette Christmas Fund. Every dollar donated is passed on to people in need.
And a survey of downtown park benches indicates the needy are still with us.
This summer, blessed with opportunities to do 'tourist' things, we encountered a number of Canadians who had nothing nice to say about the community degradation caused by 'government sponsored addiction,' the failure to fulfill the promises of 'economic development,' and the growing enslavement of people the Industry depends on for their profitability - the Gambling Addict.
Studies have linked HOMELESSNESS to Gambling Addiction. Our resident Addiction Expert will explain the connection of Gambling Addiction and incarceration.
We CAN do better!
The face of hardship in Montreal is getting younger
It's a good neighbourhood for pleading innocent and feeling guilty.
On a small patch of green space a couple blocks from the Palais de Justice, I was enjoying the Friday morning sun and tapping out a text message. Two benches over, a man wearing a coat too heavy for the weather was asleep, using a battered knapsack for a pillow.
Isn't progress wonderful?
There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when the clacking of typewriter keys made it impossible to sleep near a working journalist. Now I can write silently and transmit stories from anywhere.
But some things never change. People are still sleeping on park benches.
Punch up Matthew 26:11 on your Bible app. "For ye have the poor always with you," Jesus told his disciples.
Poverty is stubborn. It resists technological change, and if you're sufficiently engrossed in your newest tech toy, you can ignore people who don't have fixed addresses, let alone phone numbers.
I was down at the edge of Chinatown looking for a column. Every Monday into late December, this space will be pegged (as we used to say in the typewriter era) to the Gazette Christmas Fund.
In urging Montrealers to open their hearts and their chequebooks, I thought it might be useful to raise their awareness of poverty in this city. Matthew Pearce, director general of the Old Brewery Mission, is a good source for a snapshot of hard times in Montreal.
Pearce's office is at the northwest corner of St. Antoine St. and St. Lawrence Blvd., kitty-corner to the courthouse. Pearce pointed out the irony of a space that used to be a tavern becoming headquarters of a shelter that deals with the consequences of alcoholism -and much else.
He is 56 and has run the Old Brewery Mission for 21/2 years. Pearce was born in Calgary to expatriate Montrealers who moved back here in 1960 because "with the business savvy my family is famous for, my father saw no future in the oil business."
Pearce grew up in Rosemere. Fluently bilingual, he has a background in international development and the promotion of corporate responsibility.
Hardship in Montreal, Pearce said, is changing. He highlighted the surprising demographics of the Mission's clientele.
Fifteen years ago, the average age of a homeless person was about 55 -conforming, Pearce said, to stereotype. Today the average age is 37.
"To bring the average age down that quickly," Pearce said, "means a lot of young people are not able to find their place in society and don't have resources, like a supportive family, to fall back on. If you're on the streets at a young age and you don't get the support needed, you can become a chronic, self-identified street person."
Another change over the last 10 years: people are ending up at the Old Brewery Mission as a consequence of gambling addiction.
"This is not a drug addict or an alcoholic or a person who is mentally ill and off their meds," Pearce said. "We've had a police officer and a doctor whose lives collapsed because of gambling. They've burned their bridges and they come to us when they have nothing left."
-in the news
There are also more women needing shelter than there is space available. The Old Brewery Missions's women's service, the largest is Canada, is regularly over 100 per cent capacity. This winter, the Mission will add 14 beds to the 30 in its women's shelter.
Pearce said drug addiction has become more of a problem because of worse living through chemistry. Drugs are stronger, behaviour is more radically altered, addiction is deeper and harder to kick.
The Mission has a new mission, Pearce explained: "not just to soothe homelessness but to solve homelessness." On the floor above his office is the Marcelle and Jean Coutu Pavilion, where 30 men are living in apartments and going through the Old Brewery Mission's transition programs to get them back into society.
"They pay modest rent," Pearce said. "They make their meals and they live an autonomous life. But they benefit from the support of our counsellors.
"They don't need just a key to an apartment. They need support with the kind of issues that caused them to be homeless in the first place."
The economic downturn has not had a negative impact on donations. Pearce describes the Old Brewery Mission as a "Montreal institution, kind of like Schwartz's."
With healthier food. Montrealers, Pearce said, "like our institutions - they're part of our identity."
"Our donors are loyal," he added, "They see us as a place where you make a donation and it hits the ground running. There's not much waste around here."
As is the case with another great institution, the Gazette Christmas Fund. Every dollar donated is passed on to people in need.
And a survey of downtown park benches indicates the needy are still with us.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Government Sponsored Enslavement
Massachusetts has experienced a news blackout on the criticism and downside of government addiction to gambling revenues. Whether based on threats or promises or corporate dictates, the true costs are silenced or ignored, the devastation, increased crime, suicides not reported.
An Industry that survives ONLY because of the ADDICTED VICTIMS it leeches off, the promised 'painless revenues' dwindle as the pool of potential addicts succumb. Hence, the continual EXPANSION.
Surely caught by sharply spiraling social costs and public safety costs, Canada in desperation seeks to enslave those sitting idly at home as another "Something for Nothing Scheme." Lose your house, bankrupt your life, all in the comfort of your home! How enlightened!
This just about says it all --
In 2008, governments gained an average revenue of $528 per person (18 and over). That number was highest in Saskatchewan, where individuals contributed an average of $825 per person.
Gambling addicted governments enslaving others
By Susan Martinuk, Calgary Herald November 5, 2010
Most of us don't wake up each morning wondering what we can do to lose a lot of money today. But, apparently, a growing proportion of Canadians do and, thanks to our provincial governments, there are no shortage of opportunities.
So, fuelled by the insidious advertising message that with a little bit of luck they can beat the odds and live the good life, they head off to dump their cash at the local casino.
But everyone else knows that gamblers rarely win and, even if they do, the cost can be high. So why do our provincial governments continue to believe they can rake in huge profits from the gaming industry without incurring any long-term costs?
A just-released report from the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC) states that it's a conflict of interest for governments to run gaming casinos for profit, while trying to promote a message of restraint and responsibility to gamblers. According to the report, Government Gambling and Broken Families, governments are in the business to make money, so "efforts to curb gambling of any kind will have little incentive to be successful."
Consequently, the report calls on governments to remove themselves from the gaming business and put a halt to any plans to expand gambling in their provinces.
Unfortunately, gaming has just one thing to offer and it's the one thing that governments so desperately want -- profits. Statistics Canada reports that net gambling revenues increased dramatically over the past two decades as cash-addicted (and cash-strapped) governments refitted their laws to allow gaming casinos and to put video slot machines in bars. Gambling net revenues grew from $2.73 billion in 1992 to a whopping $13.75 billion in 2009.
In 2008, governments gained an average revenue of $528 per person (18 and over). That number was highest in Saskatchewan, where individuals contributed an average of $825 per person.
Despite the windfall, revenues have flattened since 2005 so governments are looking for more ways to expand their revenue base. As of September, B.C., Ontario and Prince Edward Island are allowing Internet gambling. According to the report, the Ontario government estimated that Ontarians were spending up to $400 million per year on private, online gaming sites and that was $400 million that was slipping through their hands. Hence, online gambling is now legal and the government is now claiming its share of those revenues.
In a truly free society, there's nothing wrong with building casinos and giving the public the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to waste their time and money. It's called individual responsibility. But, the problem is, those who are most addicted to gaming are the least able to make responsible decisions.
The report stats [sic] that 3.2 per cent of Canada's adult population (18 and over) has a gambling problem. But another five to 10 others are directly affected by the behaviour of each problem gambler. That means the real number is closer to 12 to 25 per cent of our population. That means the government is fuelling the negative social behaviours of one in eight people; maybe even as much as one in four.
Government gambling isn't just a tax on stupidity; it really is, as they say, a tax on the poor. Low-income households (making less than $20,000/year) spent more than twice as much on gambling as high-income families (making more than $80,000/year).
The Hollywood version of casino gambling is one of rich men in tuxedos playing high stakes blackjack and sipping Scotch as casino owners anxiously wait to see if some high roller is going to break the casino. But the reality of casino gambling is poor people sitting at VLTs and sipping beer while governments greedily rake in the winnings.
Seduced by big money, governments have tried for too long to play both ends of the stick -- to discourage irresponsible gambling while exploiting casino gambling for their own profit. But the social impact of gambling on families, while difficult to quantify, is growing, and that's why this report wisely calls on governments to get out of the gambling business.
Sadly, it's not enough for society to have to help those addicted to gambling. We also have to be on the watch for governments with the same addiction.
Susan Martinuk's column runs every Friday.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
An Industry that survives ONLY because of the ADDICTED VICTIMS it leeches off, the promised 'painless revenues' dwindle as the pool of potential addicts succumb. Hence, the continual EXPANSION.
Surely caught by sharply spiraling social costs and public safety costs, Canada in desperation seeks to enslave those sitting idly at home as another "Something for Nothing Scheme." Lose your house, bankrupt your life, all in the comfort of your home! How enlightened!
This just about says it all --
In 2008, governments gained an average revenue of $528 per person (18 and over). That number was highest in Saskatchewan, where individuals contributed an average of $825 per person.
Gambling addicted governments enslaving others
By Susan Martinuk, Calgary Herald November 5, 2010
Most of us don't wake up each morning wondering what we can do to lose a lot of money today. But, apparently, a growing proportion of Canadians do and, thanks to our provincial governments, there are no shortage of opportunities.
So, fuelled by the insidious advertising message that with a little bit of luck they can beat the odds and live the good life, they head off to dump their cash at the local casino.
But everyone else knows that gamblers rarely win and, even if they do, the cost can be high. So why do our provincial governments continue to believe they can rake in huge profits from the gaming industry without incurring any long-term costs?
A just-released report from the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC) states that it's a conflict of interest for governments to run gaming casinos for profit, while trying to promote a message of restraint and responsibility to gamblers. According to the report, Government Gambling and Broken Families, governments are in the business to make money, so "efforts to curb gambling of any kind will have little incentive to be successful."
Consequently, the report calls on governments to remove themselves from the gaming business and put a halt to any plans to expand gambling in their provinces.
Unfortunately, gaming has just one thing to offer and it's the one thing that governments so desperately want -- profits. Statistics Canada reports that net gambling revenues increased dramatically over the past two decades as cash-addicted (and cash-strapped) governments refitted their laws to allow gaming casinos and to put video slot machines in bars. Gambling net revenues grew from $2.73 billion in 1992 to a whopping $13.75 billion in 2009.
In 2008, governments gained an average revenue of $528 per person (18 and over). That number was highest in Saskatchewan, where individuals contributed an average of $825 per person.
Despite the windfall, revenues have flattened since 2005 so governments are looking for more ways to expand their revenue base. As of September, B.C., Ontario and Prince Edward Island are allowing Internet gambling. According to the report, the Ontario government estimated that Ontarians were spending up to $400 million per year on private, online gaming sites and that was $400 million that was slipping through their hands. Hence, online gambling is now legal and the government is now claiming its share of those revenues.
In a truly free society, there's nothing wrong with building casinos and giving the public the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to waste their time and money. It's called individual responsibility. But, the problem is, those who are most addicted to gaming are the least able to make responsible decisions.
The report stats [sic] that 3.2 per cent of Canada's adult population (18 and over) has a gambling problem. But another five to 10 others are directly affected by the behaviour of each problem gambler. That means the real number is closer to 12 to 25 per cent of our population. That means the government is fuelling the negative social behaviours of one in eight people; maybe even as much as one in four.
Government gambling isn't just a tax on stupidity; it really is, as they say, a tax on the poor. Low-income households (making less than $20,000/year) spent more than twice as much on gambling as high-income families (making more than $80,000/year).
The Hollywood version of casino gambling is one of rich men in tuxedos playing high stakes blackjack and sipping Scotch as casino owners anxiously wait to see if some high roller is going to break the casino. But the reality of casino gambling is poor people sitting at VLTs and sipping beer while governments greedily rake in the winnings.
Seduced by big money, governments have tried for too long to play both ends of the stick -- to discourage irresponsible gambling while exploiting casino gambling for their own profit. But the social impact of gambling on families, while difficult to quantify, is growing, and that's why this report wisely calls on governments to get out of the gambling business.
Sadly, it's not enough for society to have to help those addicted to gambling. We also have to be on the watch for governments with the same addiction.
Susan Martinuk's column runs every Friday.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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