IS VISA LOTTERY: GAMBLING?
IS VISA
LOTTERY: GAMBLING?
By Benson Omole Min.
A.
WHAT IS US VISA LOTTERY?
The Diversity Visa Lottery was
established in 1990 to increase diversity in the United States. The Diversity
Visa Lottery is a United States government lottery program for receiving the
United States Permanent Resident Card. The green card lottery makes available
55,000 immigrant visas annually by selecting applicants from countries with low
numbers of immigrants to the US in the previous five years.
Officially, “The Diversity
Immigrant Visa program…is a United States congressionally mandated lottery
program for receiving a United States Permanent Resident Card. The Immigration
Act of 1990 established the current and permanent Diversity Visa (DV) program”.
If you are chosen, you get to immigrate to America.
B.
WHAT IS GAMBLING AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Gambling is when people risk money
or anything of value to predict the outcome of a game involving chance, such as
on Scratch Cards or fruit machines, or by betting with friends. If you predict
the outcome correctly, you win money. If you're wrong, you lose the money you
gambled.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER VISA
LOTTERY IS A GAMBLING?
C.
LEGAL DEFINITIONS.
Lottery – a game with established
rules where players buy tickets, a form, for a chance to win cash, choice
benefit, prizes or other merchandise prizes.
Gambling – a game or mutual bet
according to established rules whose participants, seeking choice benefit, prizes, or monetary gain,
voluntarily risk losing an amount they have paid in, and where winning or
losing is determined by chance, by some event, or by the result of a sport
competition.
D.
WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON.
• Both
are games.
• They
are subject to rules.
• To
play you have to pay, fill a Form .
• Winnings
are the goal.
• Because
they are games of Luck, chance play the key roles,.
E.
HOW THEY DIFFER.
In a lottery, players compete
against other players. A lottery’s prize fund, benefit, or prize is set in
advance and the lottery operator does not participate in the game.
In gambling, players compete
individually against the gambling operator. It is in the gambling operator’s
interest to win against the players.
F.
THE DANGERS.
Many people need God’s truth on
gambling, and the relative Lottery, so that they may be freed from its
insidious and destructive grip!
The two are games of chance,
staking and risking money, time or anything of value, on the outcome of
something involving chance or any matter or things involving risk or hazardous
uncertainty.
A stake is involved, whereby one
stands to gain at the loss of others, depending upon luck, and the outcome of
some arbitrarily element of chance.
In Gambling one
stands to gain at the loss of others, the deciding factor being an event
arbitrarily selected.
In Lottery, you
anticipate to benefit from what you may not be qualified for. Anxiety and wield
expectations are involved.
G. GAMBLING, AND LOTTERY MAY TAKE
DIFFERENT FORMS:
• Horse
racing
• Punchboards
and Pulltabs
• Fund
raising events such as Casino Nights, Bingo, Raffles, Amusement Games
• Contests
of Chance operated by Charitable, NGO and Nonprofit Organizations.
• Card Rooms.
• Visa Lottery
• Casinos
and Bingo Halls operated by Native American tribes.
H. WHAT IS
WRONG WITH LOTTERY, AND ALL FORMS OF GAMBLING?
A. Three Legitimate Means Of Transferring
Property, and Benefits:
1. Benefits are to be earned by personal efforts
expended.
2. Due Payment must be made for any benefit,
property, investments, etc.
3. Gambling/Lottery are not a charity. Where
money is given without expectation or desire for return.
Gambling does not qualify in any of these.
B. God Recognizes:
1. Labor - Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:l2; Luke 10:7.
2. Buying & selling - Matt. 13:44; Matt.
25:27 - Investment.
3. Giving & receiving - Eph. 4:28; Acts 2:45
- Voluntary gift to needy.
4. Gambling is a violation of all of these:
5. It is a parasite on legitimate economy &
exists without divine sanction.
I.
NATURAL AND LEGITIMATE RECOGNISABLE MEANS OF
ACQUIRING CITIZENSHIP.
(i)
Citizenship can be acquired by birth i.e. born
by parents who are citizens of the country/state.
(ii)
Citizenship can be acquired by naturalization; a
citizen of another country can apply for citizenship of another country where
he/she resides.
(iii)
Citizenship by registration i.e. through
marriage.
(iv)
Citizenship by Descent.
(v)
Citizenship by Adoption.
(vi)
Citizenship by Honorary Conferment.
(vii)
Citizenship by Conquest or War.
(viii)
Etc.
J. LOTTERY/GAMBLING VIOLATES DIVINE
LAW.
Not specifically
mentioned in Bible, how can it be wrong? Not all specific sins are mentioned:
Rape, child molestation, “Yahoo-yahoo”, etc. The Bible sets forth principles
whereby specific conduct may be discerned as good or evil.)
a. 1 Thess. 4:11-12 - Work...Have need of
nothing.
b. 2 Thess. 3:10 - If one won’t work, not a
charity case!
The Essential Motive For LOTTERY and GAMBLING is Covetousness
(Greed).
1. It seeks the rewards by chance. (Get rich
quick!)
2. "To fix passion upon," "To
long inordinately for."
3. l Tim. 6:10 - Love of money/quick benefits is
the root of gambling.
C. Gambling Is Accompanied By Other Evils.
1. Matt. 7:16 - Know by its fruits. (Jas.
3:11-12)
2. Fruits of gambling: Greed, broken homes,
theft, organized crime, murder, drinking, suicide.
1. The amount of the wager does’t change its
nature...gambling -- sin. (cf. Lottery)
2. "It’s for a good cause" (cf. bingo
for a church, a school, Whatcom County Crisis Council) does not change that it
violates God’s will!
3. Gambling is not wrong only for those who
cannot afford to lose! No. It is totally wrong.
4. whether for large amounts or the price of a
cup of coffee - Wrong!
IN CONCLUSION:
Could one be led by
the spirit of God to Lottery, and Gambling?
Could a true
Christian take from the proceeds of Lottery, and Gambling and give to the Lord,
to the Lord’s Purse?
Not all things that seem lawful, do edify!!!
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