CHISTIAN IDIOT - X

Our local church is conducting raffles to generate “thank offering” during this year’s Thanksgiving Festival! They say that the first prize is a gold coin!!  One of the church elders tried to sell me a ticket. I tried to tell him that raffle was wrong. He argued that it was not raffle because they were not going use the funds raised by the sale of tickets to buy prizes. When I refused to buy even one ticket he gave me a strange look and walked away. I am sure he thought I was an idiot to let go this golden opportunity to win a gold coin by paying just Rs. 10. I have a few reasons to make that idiotic decision never to participate in raffle even if it was for a very noble cause.  

1 THEOLOGICAL OBJECTION: We believe in the God of grace. Raffle mongers believe in the goddess of luck! “NOT BY WORKS BUT BY GRACE!” says Christianity “NEITHER WORK NOR GRACE, IT IS LUCK!” says Rafflism.

2. MORAL OBJECTION: Gambling is an universal human weakness which has to be condemned. For the same reason, even the Tamilnadu government stopped raffle tickets and has made it illegal. Can the church engage raffle as a means of raising funds? Right means is as important as right ends.

3.  PSYCHOLOGICAL OBJECTION: Every person who pays Rs. 10 to buy a raffle ticket shares equal opportunity with all other buyers to win first prize! Therefore, the loser's disappointment is great and so is his/her anger at the winner and his/her suspicion of the raffle procedure.  He/she might even question the integrity of the church leades! A gambler never learns from losing. He/she always hopes to win next time and that is how one gets hooked

4. RELIGIOUS OBJECTION: Offerings in a Thanksgiving Festival must be motivated by gratitude to God and not by one’s greed to win a gold coin by paying Rs. 10. Money collected through raffle is not offering; it is by-product of human greed.

A shrewd & smart Christian  would invest his money in Church raffle. It is alright if he does not win: his investment would automatically become a thank offering!  I would rather remain a Christian idiot and just drop my thank offering in the collection bag!