Gambling America

Since John Wesley Methodists have advocated against gambling. I think we United Methodist clergy are even prohibited from gambling. There are obvious reasons for this position: Gambling can become an addiction; gambling can lead to conflict and suffering in families; gambling distracts from more important matters in life and faith. The UMC has been against lotteries as well because they are regressive and prey upon the poor. It has been difficult for the Church to weigh support for Native Americans who depend on casinos to support themselves against our historical opposition to gambling. In any case, it is clear that we condem gambling – so why do we invest in Wall Street? Aren’t investments in the stock market a form of gambling but for higher stakes? The poor play the lottery, the rich play the market – in either case aren’t they playing a similar game?

A large percentage of our best and brightest take jobs in the financial sector. We live in a meritocracy where those who work the hardest are successful, but when the goal is to make and produce money isn’t something skewed? This isn’t the work ethic my parents grew up with. As Americans we are supposed to believe in hard work and self sufficiency, but when the nucleus of our economic system plies the winds of speculation and guesswork are we not being duped? Many young people today are cynical, and they have a right to be. What I wish is that they would turn some of that cynicism into political advocacy. One of the hardest things to do in life is match our avowed values with our actual values. We avow the work ethic but reward the gambler.

Should I , as a United Methodist clergyperson divest myself of stocks? Should the Church pull out of Wall Street? (Maybe we should occupy Wall Street?) Divestiture is impractical, but at least we can change the way we view our world – particularly politics. As much as we pat ourselves on the back as a nation of freedom, democracy and hard work the reality is different, and the rest of the world knows this better than we do. We are a nation of winners and losers, and the ponzi scheme is our Tower of Babel. I believe it is our job as United Methodist Christians to expose the truth; it is our calling to bring people out of a world of betting into a world of sacrifice and love. We need to challenge the myth that strangles us – be honest about what our economy is about, and invite people to seeking the Kin-dom of God. Let us reaffirm our stance against gambling, treating capital gains as gambing winnings and tax them accordingly. Pastor Jim