Why do religious people go to casinos and gamble?

Well, religious or not, you still don’t know what God decided and when the jackpot cracks.

Honestly, most people’s real religion is their political party. And they cherry pick certain religious teachings to fit that.

See above. God’s plan is not completely knowable to this material time and place, so it is possible that God has planned for you to win on the next draw. Why not try it and see.

Even with “God’s” plan, you still need to be in it to win it.

Why don’t you ask them next time you meet one? That’s the only you’ll really know. Otherwise it’s anybody’s guess (see above).

Hypocrisy.

@MrGrimm888 I agree.

Do all religions believe in predetermination?

I tride to play poker, with my grandmother once. It wasn’t even for money. She said, that it went against her religious beliefs. But she goes to Cherokee Casinos, about 4 times a year. I love her. But that’s some serious hypocrisy… And she usually uses money that her family gives her, to do it with. Money they give her, because she’s poor…

I play $20 buy in, Texas Hold ‘em, about 5 times a year. I usually lose the money, but once in a while, I get about $300… But I’m an atheist. Don’t tell my Granny… I tell her that I am still Baptist, because it makes her feel better…

I’m not a gambling fan or ultra religious, but tbh, I see it as hypocrisy, too.

If you mean Christians, such as Catholics, Mainline Protestants, Evangelicals, etc etc I’ve never known any to gamble, because it is against what their faith teaches. I have known a few Catholics who do, but its not a part of their faith. The Bingo games in Catholic fellowship halls come to mind, but those raise money for missions and other causes.

Some people gamble because they see a windfall as a way to get funds to do something good, such as build a no-kill animal shelter, women’s shelter, clinic, retreat center, etc etc. but there really are no cases I am aware of that any of those goals were achieved by gambling.

I thought this was going to be about gambling being immoral, like in that Simpsons episode when the deeply-religious Flanders loses his home to a hurricane but reveals that he has no insurance because he considers insurance a form of gambling. Religious people engage in vices like gambling because they’re human, like anyone else. As for the “predetermination” angle, in theology, free will refer mainly to the choice between good and evil. So it does seem strange to me that a religious person who believes everything that happens is God’s will would put trust in chance as you must do in gambling.

@josie ”...so it is possible that God has planned for you to win on the next draw. Why not try it and see.”

Your answer presupposes that you have the free will to make the choice to “try it” or not. If the universe is predetermined, then your decision has already been made even if you don’t realize it.

This reminds me of an anecdote.

A man was trapped on his roof, during a flood. A rescue helicopter showed up, and he said “don’t worry God will save me.” A boat showed up, and he declined to get in. Same response “God will save me.”

He drowns.

At the Pearly Gates, God confronted him. The man asks, “why didn’t you save me?” God says, “I sent you a boat, and a helicopter.” WTF?..

@Yellowdog you’re not getting out much, then.

Go to some of the casinos in Biloxi/Gulfport, or for that matter North Carolina on Indian tribal land, and you’ll see plenty of Baptists going to church Sunday morning and to the slot machines right after church lets out.

Because they are not as religious as they think they are.

They are just covering their tithing. gosh

Because, just like evangelical loony preachers, they like to shoot crap.

Casinos? Just try to find a church free from bingo games, raffles, lotteries, etc. Just like the states and local governments, our organized religions must bow to the necessities of funding. Gambling, like drinking is one of those “sins” we have been conditioned to ignore. The clue to the hypocrisies involved come with the inhibitions placed on children when it comes to the “vices”.

Man : Lord you never gave me lottery millions!
God : You didn’t buy any tickets!

Why wouldn’t they?

@stanleybmanly There’s probably a lot of churches that don’t gamble. I just checked, and our church doesn’t offer raffles, bingo games, lotteries, etc. I doubt they ever have.