Can Catholics gamble?

Idell Dufort: I have no morals. Therefore how would I judge atheists?

Marna Liddie: We may gamble as a form of entertainment. We may not gamble away the baby's college fund."Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it significant." -- Catechism of the Catholic Church #2413http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/cate......Show more

Joesph Smithmyer: within reason is O.K.

Sonya Volcko: Sure they can. Morals are an individual value. Many Catholics hold/attend 'bingo parlors'.

Romeo Tinnea: 2

Deangelo Marchak: Yes, Catholics can gamble. It's not sinful in itse! lf. If you're gambling because you're greedy, that's a problem, or you're gambling money you should be spending on basic necessities for yourself or your family, that's wrong. But if you are spending your entertainment money gambling, and it's a casual diversion, that's fine.

Bud Espenshade: 1

Esmeralda Pigram: yeahy catholic's cant gamble

Flor Lizardi: Actually we can, just not a lot. We 'invented' bingo in case you forgot

Lyndon Mattas: You're asking religious people if they believe that atheists have no morals. Everybody, even atheists, realize that all morals come from god: kill adulterers (Lv 20:10), kill non-Hebrews (Dt 20:16-17), kill witches (Ex 22:18), kill anyone who works on the Sabbath (Ex 31:15), kill disobedient children (Ex 21:15, Mark 7:10), kill blasphemers (Lv 24:14), kill any bride who's not a virgin (Dt 22:21).

Tricia Dossous: Yes, in moderation.Gambling is considered much the same as consuming alcohol and other activitie! s that can become vices. If done in moderation then there is n! o problem. If not done in moderation then you can be in big trouble.The Catholic Church officially teaches:Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when:+ They deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others+ The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement Unfair wagers and cheating at games constitute grave matter.With love in Christ....Show more

Hermina Ketring: Some do and some don't.  It depends to a large part on how they were raised.

Monroe Rainey: I'm a Catholic & I believe that they can but im not sure if thats the case according to the bible. It's just playing a game & winning "paper"(money) if u win. Its ok in my opinion (as long as the loser doesnt hav to do some thing except give up money).

Marna Liddie: They shouldn't, but many do

Jacques Teri: Neither atheists nor protestants have any morals whatsoever. Right and wro! ng are determined by what feels good at the moment.

Victor Macallister:

Ivan Velazquez: I assure you that i do. But what do you think?

Rubi Romo: I think it depends

Paul Maymi: Atheist morality, or lack there of, is like a candle blowing in the wind or a rudderless boat. They have nothing with which to guide them.

Nia Monopoli: Anyone CAN gamble... the question is its morality.Well this might anwer it...Gambling, or gaming, is the staking of money or other thing of value on the issue of a game of chance. It thus belongs to the class of aleatory contracts which the gain or loss of the parties depends on an uncertain event. It is not gambling, in the strict sense, if a bet is laid on the issue of a game of skill like billiards or football. The issue must depend on chance, as in dice, or partly on chance, partly on skill, as in whist. Moreover, in ordinary parlance, a person who plays for small stakes to give zest to the game is not said to gamb! le; gambling connotes playing for high stakes. In its moral aspect, alt! hough gambling usually has a bad meaning, yet we may apply to it what was said about betting. On certain conditions, and apart from excess or scandal, it is not sinful to stake money on the issue of a game of chance any more than it is sinful to insure one's property against risk, or deal in futures on the produce market. As I may make a free gift of my own property to another if I choose, so I may agree with another to hand over to him a sum of money if the issue of a game of cards is other than I expect, while he agrees to do the same in my favour in the contrary event. Theologians commonly require four conditions so that gaming may not be illicit. 1. What is staked must belong to the gambler and must be at his free disposal. It is wrong, therefore, for the lawyer to stake the money of his client, or for anyone to gamble with what is necessary for the maintenance of his wife and children. 2. The gambler must act freely, without unjust compulsion. 3. There must be no fraud! in the transaction, although the usual ruses of the game may be allowed. It is unlawful, accordingly, to mark the cards, but it is permissible to conceal carefully from an opponent the number of trump cards one holds. 4. Finally, there must be some sort of equality between the parties to make the contract equitable; it would be unfair for a combination of two expert whist players to take the money of a couple of mere novices at the game....Show more

Samatha Nicar: yes it is but anyone with money can gamble

Rolanda Merritt: What kind of poorly-written translation is that? 

May Stands: I'm pretty sure they can gamble, unless there's some physical or mental reason preventing them.

Florencia Manolakis: No. But they don't have godly morals and thats all that counts. God is Judge. Some people think its moral to kill innocent people for their deity. So much for manmade morality.

Dexter Dingus: well, they definitely (think) they have morality, but co! mparatively, i think its a lesser degree and level of such. i remember ! my life without God and biblical morality. i had to learn better righteousness. and yet the bible doesnt have a God morality on a higher celestial level and glory. i remember i was miserable without lessons in righteousness and i wanted a better life. the bible gives a greater level of lessons in righteousness.

Clifford Riggleman: They play bingo every Thursday night, don't they?

Marvel Mcaulay: Meg, you put it better than anyone else, and you typed my answer before I did LOL. Well done.kglenn: WTF? I am an Atheist as well, but your view of Catholicism is distorted.

Sena Highman: Everyone has morals. Most of them have morals the go along with the great majority of society.But what I also think is that it is folly for an atheist to speak of morals. In a world that has no creator and no purpose, there can not be any such thing as morals. There can only be current standards of conduct, all of which are subject to change

Patricia Dornbos: This is puzz! ling to me too

Ninfa Aronica: Yeah, but why would anyone care what the amoral religious think?

Jude Kennelly: If you are already assured that is what I think, then why did you ask?... however, you would be wrong (and arrogant to assume that you did).The issue is not if atheists have morals or not. There are very moral atheists.There also very immoral atheists.The point is that on the world-view of atheism there is no grounding for morals of any real kind. (Subjective morals are meaningless.)Therefore the immoral atheist is no better or worse - morally - than the moral atheist.AND the immoral atheist cannot be charged with being a moral hypocrite.I was an agnostic-atheist until my 30's.

Danette Slotnick: Okay so what should I do if this god of yours has never answered me, given me peace, or any indication that it even exists?

Armanda Hertel: -If one argues, as some deeply religious individuals do, that without God there can be no ultimate right and ! wrong - namely that God determines for us what is right and wrong - one! can then ask the question: What is God decreed that rape and murder were morally acceptable ? Would that make them so ? While some might answer yes, I think most believers would say no, God would not make such a decree. But why not ? Presumably because God would have some *reason* for not making such a decree. Again, presumably this is because *reason* suggests that rape and murder are not morally acceptable. But if God would have to appeal to *reason*, then why not eliminate the middleman entirely ?- Lawrence Krauss, A Universe From Nothing, Pgs 171-172.----------------According to the bible, which one of the following is immoral?a) Raping someoneb) Treating women as objectsc) Picking up sticks on a Saturdayd) Genocidee) Infanticidef) Killing someone for having different views to youg) SlaveryAccording to the Bible, only option c) is wrong. All of the others are either accepted as mainstream, or even encouraged, in the Bible.However, you and I both know that all of the ot! hers are wrong and that c) is perfectly innocent. You do not get your morality from scripture and neither does anyone else.Searching through religious scripture for morality is like searching through the sewers for small coins; sure, there is some in there, but is it really worth it?------------------“Do you really mean to tell me the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward, or to avoid his disapproval and punishment? That's not morality, that's just sucking up, apple-polishing, looking over your shoulder at the great surveillance camera in the sky, or the still small wiretap inside your head, monitoring your every move, even your every base though.” ― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion...Show more

Russell Mckinzie: That depends on the atheist. But I've known some atheists who are very much committed to morality. And some of my fellow theists (including some fellow Christians) don't seem to me to be at all committed to moral behavior.!  I'll just say that I prefer the company of people who adhere to some ! moral code--not necessarily the same as mine!--to people who don't, regardless of whether they're atheists or fellow theists....Show more

Dannie Briseno: Yes, of course we gamble. The thing is that you can gamble knowing your limits, and not trespassing those limits is the key. Incontrollable gambling is always bad, and can lead you to a serious economic disaster, losing many things like your family and friends, and mentally you can get sick.But a little Bingo on Sundays can't harm anybody, and it's fun....Show more

Cortez Badolato: Yes we can gamble like any other Christian, there's nothing against it in the bible."In its moral aspect, although gambling usually has a bad meaning, yet we may apply to it what was said about betting. On certain conditions, and apart from excess or scandal, it is not sinful to stake money on the issue of a game of chance any more than it is sinful to insure one's property against risk, or deal in futures on the produce market."..! .Show more

Myron Leftwich: Morality comes directly from God. Most atheists still keep this same code of morality that they had since before they became atheists.

Shaquita Wernicki: To be a atheist or agnostics, that obviously does not mean that they are people without principles, ethics or morals, any more than professing a religion means that one does have them.

Robin Weelborg: No, because they think the Jews keep the money. And they believe the Jews killed Jesus, so therefore they are bad. Even though Catholics are supposed to be accepting and forgiving.It's the same deal with them and gay people.I know, doesn't make much sense to me either.

Jene Licausi: Like I say literally every day here, I'm sure there are some Christians who believe atheists have no morals.

Carlton Lastrapes: the have ethics, rules they made up themselves that cab ghange when needful

Troy Staton: They sure can on bingo night!

Catheryn Small: -If one argues, a! s some deeply religious individuals do, that without God there can be n! o ultimate right and wrong - namely that God determines for us what is right and wrong - one can then ask the question: What is God decreed that rape and murder were morally acceptable ? Would that make them so ?    While some might answer yes, I think most believers would say no, God would not make such a decree. But why not ? Presumably because God would have some *reason* for not making such a decree. Again, presumably this is because *reason* suggests that rape and murder are not morally acceptable. But if God would have to appeal to *reason*, then why not eliminate the middleman entirely ?- Lawrence Krauss, A Universe From Nothing, Pgs 171-172.----According to the bible, which one of the following is immoral?a) Raping someoneb) Treating women as objectsc) Picking up sticks on a Saturdayd) Genocidee) Infanticidef) Killing someone for having different views to youg) SlaveryAccording to the Bible, only option c) is wrong. All of the others are either accepted as mainst! ream, or even encouraged, in the Bible.However, you and I both know that all of the others are wrong and that c) is perfectly innocent. You do not get your morality from scripture and neither does anyone else.Searching through religious scripture for morality is like searching through the sewers for small coins; sure, there is some in there, but is it really worth it?----“Do you really mean to tell me the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward, or to avoid his disapproval and punishment? That's not morality, that's just sucking up, apple-polishing, looking over your shoulder at the great surveillance camera in the sky, or the still small wiretap inside your head, monitoring your every move, even your every base though.” ― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion...Show more

Karl Samiec: Of course they have morals. They have God-given conscience. At least at first.