What of playing cards or Dominos or any other games of chance ?

[oneofchrists]

The thread that was brought up before this brought the question up in my mind of card playing , dominos and other games of chance on a Friday or Saturday night.........Should these be played By Christians?

I remember when I was a Young fellow and being brought up in the old Baptist tradition.....Playing cards or any sort of activity on Sundays other than Church and Sunday School was greatly frowned upon.......and in Some Baptist families even today where I live at least Cards are the device of the Devil.

I don't play cards much any more........solitaire on the PC or cribbage with a few friends but that's about it............I was just interested in what others thought or their advice also.........God bless You............ Dave

 

[NatalieJan777]

Read the followng in reference to the word "Lot" in the bible, not the man lot but the throwing of stones by 'chance'.

Bible Dictionary: Lot

The 12th disciple in Acts was decided upon in this same manner. Acts 1:24-26

I've felt for a long time that GOD's people desecrate the sabbath by going to church for a 45 min sermon and then using the other 23.25 hours doing what ever it is their heart desires and this is not honoring the sabbath as GOD has intended.

Isaiah 58:13-14 If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

The playing of games on other days I believe is approved even for children. What might not be approved are games of greed, competition that stirs strife, illusion etc... (monopoly etc...). Can one play such a game like monopoly and not be greedy? Yes, I've tried to teach my children how to play these games generously, even if it means breaking the rules of how to play. The purpose is for being together and interacting with them on a personal level, something educational TV does not always afford.

 

[jonathan180iq]

What of them?
They are merely games.
You're not bowing down to worship them or pretending that somehow a random card pull is divine inspiration of the god of chance, are you? Of course not.

We know that there is only one God, the God of the Bible, and just because people who do not know the Lord may imagine that there are other gods does not make it so.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 - ...We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

You're just playing a silly card game. Unless it somehow takes away from your love for the Lord, it's not a big deal.

I can see how an addiction to playing these games or getting involved with people who plays these games and do not also love the Lord (always drinking/smoking/cussing/gambling) can be an issue, but I'll bet you don't hang out with those people anyway.

 

[jonathan180iq]

I've felt for a long time that GOD's people desecrate the sabbath by going to church for a 45 min sermon and then using the other 23.25 hours doing what ever it is their heart desires and this is not honoring the sabbath as GOD has intended.

Have you ever been sitting in church, or praying, or doing anything else where no matter how much you focus is on the Lord you mind wanders to something else entirely?

I know I have.

Are we also going to ask whether or not someone is allowed to have idle thoughts?

I would suggest that it is impossible to maintain strict adherence to not doing at least a few things that our hearts desire, no matter how focused we are on the Lord.

I wouldn't really get caught up with these intricacies on "should I do this?" or "should I do that?". The Lord knows when you are making an honest effort to pursue Him and that's what matters. The Lord knows your heart.

Colossians 2:21-22
21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

 

[NatalieJan777]

Have you ever been sitting in church, or praying, or doing anything else where no matter how much you focus is on the Lord you mind wanders to something else entirely?

I know I have.

Are we also going to ask whether or not someone is allowed to have idle thoughts?

I would suggest that it is impossible to maintain strict adherence to not doing at least a few things that our hearts desire, no matter how focused we are on the Lord.

I wouldn't really get caught up with these intricacies on "should I do this?" or "should I do that?". The Lord knows when you are making an honest effort to pursue Him and that's what matters. The Lord knows your heart.

Colossians 2:21-22
21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

The Lord also tells us when we are doing something wrong, we all will be accountable to HIM in the end and many loose the hearing of that still small voice within them by ignoring it.

 

[NatalieJan777]

It is not about judging others, it is about examining yourself.

 

[jonathan180iq]

Right, so you decide if these little things are something that you can handle or that you can't handle based on your personal walk with the Lord.

But if you are loving the Lord and pursuing Him, you won't be doing wrong.

 

[NatalieJan777]

The Holy Spirit will make it known to you if what you are doing is wrong so that then you can make the choice to either listen or ignore. Ignoring HIM will not make HIM go away thankfully, it just makes you have to suffer more for your trasgressions. Listening to HIM the first time makes you suffer less. Oh how I wish we would all listen the first time, I know I myself have not on many "little things".

 

[Kristin E]

I don't see how playing Cards or Dominos is bad?
Well unless you are trying to read the Cards with like Withcraft or something.

 

[oneofchrists]

I do basicly agree with most of Your comments.......it's just a little card game, an evening with friends, Saturday night for example and having a game of dominoes or cribbage, but........... a night out with the boys, a few drinks a few bucks to make the game interesting, a few more drinks and a few more bucks, and so it goes anywhere from there I've heard these things before and so have the rest of you.

Don't get Me wrong I play cards on the commputer all the time (solitaire) pretty innocent in it's self that's for sure, and I feel that a Christian can play a game of cards and not get caught up in the gammbleing thing.......I have never gambled......

A lady I know thinks that cards are an instrument of the devil and she says that if I play any form of cards that I am dishonoring God......"There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it results in death".........Cards? Death? Dishonor to God..huh, i guess it depends what we do with them and where our heart is...........I want to thank you for your inputs and I would look forward to more ...........God Bless You..... Dave

 

[Kristin E]

I do basicly agree with most of Your comments.......it's just a little card game, an evening with friends, Saturday night for example and having a game of dominoes or cribbage, but........... a night out with the boys, a few drinks a few bucks to make the game interesting, a few more drinks and a few more bucks, and so it goes anywhere from there I've heard these things before and so have the rest of you.

Don't get Me wrong I play cards on the commputer all the time (solitaire) pretty innocent in it's self that's for sure, and I feel that a Christian can play a game of cards and not get caught up in the gammbleing thing.......I have never gambled......

A lady I know thinks that cards are an instrument of the devil and she says that if I play any form of cards that I am dishonoring God......"There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it results in death".........Cards? Death? Dishonor to God..huh, i guess it depends what we do with them and where our heart is...........I want to thank you for your inputs and I would look forward to more ...........God Bless You..... Dave

See I don't see them as sinful either...
I mean I play Rummy with them so is that a Sin? not really...

 

[jonathan180iq]

Yeah.
I thnk we should stay away from the Pharisee-like rules of legalism towards "do this" and "don't do that". If you are following/searching for the Lord, you will be doing right.

 

[NatalieJan777]

Yeah.
I thnk we should stay away from the Pharisee-like rules of legalism towards "do this" and "don't do that". If you are following/searching for the Lord, you will be doing right.

There are rules of this world and then there are moral rules of GOD that even the pharisee's paid no attention to. Just make sure what you think is a 'Pharisee-like rules' are not actually GOD's rules.

 

[jonathan180iq]

Yes. Of course.
That's a clearer explanation of what I meant.

 

[WannaWitness]

Yeah.
I thnk we should stay away from the Pharisee-like rules of legalism towards "do this" and "don't do that". If you are following/searching for the Lord, you will be doing right.

That's right. Now, I know many Christians honestly have this as a true conviction, and that is perfectly fine. I knew such a lady, and she was pretty strict in a lot of things, this issue included. One time, she was holding a barbecue at her house, and some people brought playing cards just to play some innocent games. She told them that she didn't want them in her house. They were honestly a stumbling block to her. However, that doesn't mean it should be expected to be the same for other brothers and sisters in Christ. And this goes for every questionable issue in the realm of Christianity: Bible translations, dresses vs. pants (for women), music, and so on. Playing cards, I think, is one of those Romans 14 type of issues -- this Scripture simply states that something that may be wrong for one person may not be for another, and how we as believers should respect and not condemn one another, even with differing convictions. With this understanding, I personally find nothing wrong with them, if not used in evil ways.

 

[Kristin E]

I think people read to much into stuff like that, and just assume that it's all immoral or bad... They assume if you play cards your dealing with the Devil lol.

 

[Maviga]

I can not possibly imagine God has anything against us playing cards with our spouses/ friends.
It's just a nice way of socialising with people that you enjoy spending time with.

I believe playing cards could become a problem when money gets involved and there's a lot of spending and bets are placed. Then it can become something completely different that is money consuming and money focused and this can even grow into becoming an addiction. God knows people overall are greedy and He wants to protect us from getting involved in that kind of activities.

But just an innocent card game, no problem with that I would say.

 

[Kristin E]

I can not possibly imagine God has anything against us playing cards with our spouses/ friends.
It's just a nice way of socialising with people that you enjoy spending time with.

I believe playing cards could become a problem when money gets involved and there's a lot of spending and bets are placed. Then it can become something completely different that is money consuming and money focused and this can even grow into becoming an addiction. God knows people overall are greedy and He wants to protect us from getting involved in that kind of activities.

But just an innocent card game, no problem with that I would say.

I agree, I think it can be pretty innocent to.

 

[lawrenrm]

It all depends on what is in your heart. If it is just a fun game between friends or whatever then I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. If the game (or anything be it drinking, gambling, sex...) becomes an addiction and starts getting in the way of your relationship with God that is when it becomes sin.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

I can not possibly imagine God has anything against us playing cards with our spouses/ friends.
It's just a nice way of socialising with people that you enjoy spending time with.

I believe playing cards could become a problem when money gets involved and there's a lot of spending and bets are placed. Then it can become something completely different that is money consuming and money focused and this can even grow into becoming an addiction. God knows people overall are greedy and He wants to protect us from getting involved in that kind of activities.

But just an innocent card game, no problem with that I would say.

Well this is the problem. When money becomes involved. Gambling!!! Nothing is wrong with playing cards or dominoes which I love, but we should not seek to get money this way. The bible says that by the sweat of thy brow though shalt eat bread. In the 4th commandment it says that six days shall though labour and do all thy work. Paul says that a man who refuses to work is worse than an infidel. Making money of people in that way is not acceptable to God.