When pastor and seminary professor Hershael York took the podium to offer a prayer prior to the Kentucky governor's address to state legislators, senators and representatives likely didn't expect to hear an appeal to God to defeat one of the governor's chief legislative proposals.
But they did.
York, invited by the Senate president to deliver the prayer before Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear's budget address, spent half his 80-second prayer Tuesday (Jan. 17) talking about the evils of gambling and how it entices the poor with a false hope to spend that which they cannot afford. Minutes after York's prayer, Beshear walked into the joint session and delivered his budget proposal, asking legislators to take the first step to allow casinos into the state, saying it will help bring needed revenue to Kentucky.
York told Baptist Press he felt burdened to speak out....
An interesting point, Neil. The United Methodist Church didn't have bingo decades ago, but were against outlawing that because of their ecumenical fervor, Christian and Catholics -- never together! what I know now about the UMC is what I see on the newscasts. You have probably already figured out, that Catholic legislators are not nearly so much against gambling, as even mainliners who remember the vestiges of their long past history, like the Methodist. I would think as long as the Catholic Church doesn't have its bingo games messed with, they don't care too much about other gambling activities.
What about church & charity bingo? Even if one doesn't play, it has a possible indirect, educational effect: if the church runs games of chance, they must be OK.
I guess the Governor is looking to mammon to help pay the bills of Kentucky. Regardless of the Pastor's prayer.
But "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matt 6:24
So far, in Nebraska, we have been able to avoid having casinos in this state, for some of the same reasons that this pastor has given, and for others also. In our state it has been the United Methodist Church which has been one of the leaders in putting a stop to casinos in Nebraska.
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I would think as long as the Catholic Church doesn't have its bingo games messed with, they don't care too much about other gambling activities.
