The Church, and Beef and Beer Night
(See Update Below)
I saw something very strange yesterday. My drive from the train station (yes some conservatives do support mass transit) to home takes me past an elementary school run by a church. The school is to my right and the church and parsonage are on my left. In front of the school is one of those signs where you can write announcements under the school name. Yesterday the sign advertised an upcoming fundraiser: Beef and Beer Night with gaming tables.
Beef and Beer Night in and of itself seems to send the wrong message for a school. Add gaming tables and this is wrong for all sorts of reasons. But when the school is run by a church I can't help but think society has really lost its way.
As I thought about this I remembered how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is in the process of licensing slot parlors. A part of the lure of these gaming halls is that the revenue would supposedly be used to fund schools. So the state is having gaming nights as fundraisers for schools. Granted the state does not put gaming halls on school property. My question is should the church look like the state?
The church should look different. If we are doing the same things as the world we criticize what's the point? I hope the person living in that parsonage takes a good long look at the sign across the street and thinks about the implications. I also hope Christians begin to take a good long look at what the sign written by our behavior say about us and about the God we serve.
Independent Conservative linked with "Christian Private School Using Booze and 'Gaming Tables' To Raise Funds."
Update 2/8/07: I checked into the fundraiser and found (as jas points out in his comment) that the gaming mentioned does not involve people winning or losing money. You pay for a ticket that allows you to come in and play card games, with all proceeds going to the school. However in this area 'gaming' means gambling so the connotation is still the same as is used in describing the slot parlors (often called gaming parlors) now being built around the state. The implication is that the church supports 'gaming'.
I tried to contact the school but have not received a response to my email.
I saw something very strange yesterday. My drive from the train station (yes some conservatives do support mass transit) to home takes me past an elementary school run by a church. The school is to my right and the church and parsonage are on my left. In front of the school is one of those signs where you can write announcements under the school name. Yesterday the sign advertised an upcoming fundraiser: Beef and Beer Night with gaming tables.
Beef and Beer Night in and of itself seems to send the wrong message for a school. Add gaming tables and this is wrong for all sorts of reasons. But when the school is run by a church I can't help but think society has really lost its way.
As I thought about this I remembered how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is in the process of licensing slot parlors. A part of the lure of these gaming halls is that the revenue would supposedly be used to fund schools. So the state is having gaming nights as fundraisers for schools. Granted the state does not put gaming halls on school property. My question is should the church look like the state?
The church should look different. If we are doing the same things as the world we criticize what's the point? I hope the person living in that parsonage takes a good long look at the sign across the street and thinks about the implications. I also hope Christians begin to take a good long look at what the sign written by our behavior say about us and about the God we serve.
Independent Conservative linked with "Christian Private School Using Booze and 'Gaming Tables' To Raise Funds."
Update 2/8/07: I checked into the fundraiser and found (as jas points out in his comment) that the gaming mentioned does not involve people winning or losing money. You pay for a ticket that allows you to come in and play card games, with all proceeds going to the school. However in this area 'gaming' means gambling so the connotation is still the same as is used in describing the slot parlors (often called gaming parlors) now being built around the state. The implication is that the church supports 'gaming'.
I tried to contact the school but have not received a response to my email.
Labels: Christian
posted by Dennis | 8:18 AM
4 Comments:
youre not gambling, youre donating...
Jas, see my update from 2/8/07.
If it was a true donation there would be no need for anything to be given in return. Including entertainment, that simulates exactly what is going on in Atlantic City.
The fact of the matter is it's not a TRUE donation, because the people are coming for the entertainment value. Otherwise there would be no need to use the vices of man to get them in the door ready to give up their money.
I am 100% certain that somebody will attend that event and from there be tempted to run to Atlantic City soon afterward. Oh, but that church can pray for them after they burn their money away...
This is not the Lord's way of taking in money, it is the way of man. Using the vices of man and the same ills of man will result. It all caters to the flesh and there will be a fleshly reward.
And to top it off, they're having booze, so the people can REALLY get into it!
By the definition given by Jesus, they run a den of thieves, not a church! That school has left being a tool used to the glory of God, to a tool for Satan. Instead of helping alcoholics and gambling addicts, their event only encourages it.
This is not the Lord's way of taking in money, it is the way of man.
I think that says it all.
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