I’d take it! I don’t encourage the lottery myself, but I’m willing to let that person start to be an example of gratuitous generosity, and might counsel him to give a great deal of the rest away!

YESSSSSS!

I would NOT take it.  How can we be the church if we take in tainted resources? 

At MY church, we only accept perfectly clean money.  No funds from bartenders b/c of the alcohol thing.  Same with waiters, waitresses and folks who work in stores that sell alcohol (and, oh yeah...cigarettes).  We do take money from SOME attorneys, but not ones that work for the ACLU (evil) or represent cases or people we don’t agree with.  How could we take money from attorneys who represent criminals??  Doctors are ok as long as they have NEVER performed an abortion or offered birth control.  There are a few more people we don’t accept money from as well, but the list is kind of long.  Oh yeah, these people can’t serve either.

We once had a former preacher try to join our church, but he didn’t baptize like we do.  So...you know.  (He didn’t have much money to give anyway.)

Wow, this is a tough one.  I look at it this way, gambling in itself isn’t a sin, but the love of money and material things is a sin.  So if someone plays the lottery just for fun, just for the fun of buying a dollar ticket, without being consumed by dreams of striking it rich, is that sinful?  Maybe your intentions are upright, and you spend that $1 on a lottery ticket no differently than you would blow $1 in a Frogger video game (I know, I’m dating myself).  Maybe this guy’s intentions are that innocent.

Especially if the guy shows that he is tithing of his winnings, it helps the case that he isn’t necessarily a “lover of money.” I suppose I’m inclined to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

I also have to give the pastor the benefit of the doubt.  He probably sees the destructivenss of gambling.  He probably has counseled men and women who have put their families in financial jeopardy.  If this is the case, he probably thinks it is hypocritical to accept the winnings from something he feels is so bad.  If he earnestly sought God’s guidance in prayer, who am I to criticize him?

On balance, I believe I would accept the money.  I believe much good could come from it.

Peace,
Ray

I just had to laugh when I read bro. Silvermans response. Are you serious, How about the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous. Or Duet, 8:18 It is the Lord your God that gives you power or (wisdom to get wealth, that His covenant may be established in the earth. I don’t play support or promote State Lotteries but How can you say that lottery money is tainted when it’s your tax dollars that help fund it. And Once it gets placed in the hands of God as an offering it becomes sanctified, cleansed and set appart for Kingdom use. Thi nk about the outreach opportuites and the souls trhat could be reached with a gift of that caliber. This kind of thinking from those trapped in a religous box is why most churches struggle and never get anything accomplished for God’s glory. God bless the brother who won the 6 mill.

Not only would I take it, I wouldn’t even blink.
Oh, and Pastor Steve...I’m pretty sure that Sam was being ironic and humorous…

Take it and use it for the glory of God!!!!!!!

I’m not a fan of the lottery in any form.

But I would accept the money - it can now be used redemptively for Kingdom purposes, including the helping of the poor and needy.

For an alternative view, however, read John Piper’s response to this issue (sorry - don’t have the link for you - you’ll have to google it or go to his website) after a guy had won a few hundred million and tried to give a bunch to the Salvation Army, which turned it down.

Brian L.

A friend related to me about a “Christian” Daycare they were involved with that had been offered money from a fundraiser that they declined. It seems that some of the mom’s who used the daycare services worked at a local strip club. So being appreciative of the care their children were receiving they organized a carwash fundraiser, albeit a bikini carwash! While laughing at the absurdity of the situation the daycare found themselves in, I also wondered what kind of message the mom’s received in being denied the opportunity to give back to the place that gave them so much. When we offer God our gifts they really are worthless in comparison with his Glorious Gift of Life. Yet he accepts our gifts with all the love and grace that we can handle.

Finding money that isn’t “tainted” will be pretty tough since every donation is from a sinner ... ooops, scripture says we’re all sinners and at the same time tells us to give money.

And I don’t have time to look for it right now, but there is a scripture verse that says “take the money” from sinful sources and use it for God’s work. [Is that “gambler” donor more of a sinner than the liar in the next pew, the luster among the deacons, the curser who greets people at the front door, the smoker, drinker, porno viewing members?]

I believe I could get on a rant about this !!!

Rober Powell ... call me if you’re having difficulty donating this money to a church. We can work something out !!!

I would take money from Satan himself if there were no strings attached!

I heard of a Christian school who kicked out the young elementary aged girl because mom was a stripper (and yes - she paid with her tips).

I can understand the quandary of not wanting to appear to support the mom’s vocation, but the bigger question is this: did anyone think of befriending this single mom and helping her find Christ (and a different job as God allowed), being honestly concerned about HER and HER CHILD instead of where the money came from?

I can’t agree enough with those who have said that the money has belonged to the enemy long enough.  Accept it and be grateful to God for the unusual method of His bringing it to them!

I know this is a touchy subject for some. However we as pastors and such, have a mandate from Christ Himself. Jesus ate and associated with the dregs of society. Jesus and his disciples had to eat and live on the road, as it were. Where did they get the money to survive the three years that Jesus was training them? (Hint, it must have been from those filthy sinners and tax collectors, and prostitutes, don’t you think?)

My ministry is in the inner city. A lot of our people live in squalor and hopelessness. The State of California has been a lotto state for many years. Our people, in spite of being members, or just attendee’s of our little church, will buy a lotto ticket, even when they know they should not be wasting their money on such. If one of them was to come to me and told me they had won a large lotto, and wanted to help the church out, I would counsel him/her to take care of their family first, and of course tithe the rest. (Not greedy, just grateful to God for the excess of His bounty.)

Also, I have married those who were living in sin, after counseling them, as Jesus said, to go and sin no more. (What? You would have them continue in rebellion against God’s marriage plans)? I have Baptized the most horrible of sinners, and welcomed them into our fellowship. (By the way what were you, ((Or Me for that matter)), before we came to a saving relationship with Christ)?

I guess what I am getting at, is that God has the ability to surprise us and provide from various and diverse directions.

Lord Bless you, and all of your givers.