Umabot pala ng more than $100 million ang jackpot sa lotto recently. Sigurado akong humaba na naman yung pila sa mga lotto stations sa Pilipinas.
Whether you agree with me ot not, lottery is a form of gambling at napakalaki ng impluwensya ng sugal sa buhay ng mga Pilipino. Linggo-lingo makikita mo ang dami ng taong bumibili ng lotto tickets. Bukod dito meron ding organized gambling activities (illegal or legal) na popular sa mga Pinoy tulad ng jueteng, casino, sabong, karera, at iba pa. Siguro nga dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay kaya malakas ang sugal at tumataya na lang ang ilang Pilipino sa suwerte. Ang mga TV gameshows tulad ng Wowowee at Eat Bulaga ay sugal din. Milyong-milyong piso ang pinamimigay araw-araw at kapansin pansin na tinatarget nila ang mga mahihirap. Maganda ang kanilang intensyon, but good intensions doesn't always mean a good idea.
Ano bang ang Christian perspective sa gambling o sa Wowowee? I hope hindi ito lumabas na legalistic or parang nanghuhusga pero bilang mamamayan, dapat di tayo pabor sa gambling dahil sa problema na dulot nito sa bayan tulad ng corruption, poverty, broken family at krimen.
Oppose din tayo dahil it promotes poor work ethics. Mas maraming tao ang mas gustong tumaya o sumali sa gameshows kaysa sa magtrabaho, mag-aral o mag-ipon. Naghahangad ng instant gratification na hindi naman realistic o healthy lalo na sa mga mahihirap.
Kailangan mas maging demanding tayo sa ating mga lawmakers to make tighter limits on gambling and be tougher to those who promote and abuse illegal gambling.
More importantly, we should also oppose gambling because it encourages people to substitute faith in God’s provision with the illusion that trusting in luck is the surest route to wealth and happiness.
(image from The Philippine Star)
good post. hmm but I think noontime shows like wowowee and eat bulaga are not related to gambling, since there are no risks in losing money when participating with their games. The only negative thing that these shows are offering to their patronizers are false hope as well as the effort they are giving just to be able to join a certain game. It's a game of chance, and only a chosen few can really benefit from these shows. my stand in regards to gambling, i don't see it as a sinful deed. it's just an act where people can easily be addicted, abusive and greedy. it really depends on our discretion and on how we control ourselves from over spending :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. It is addictive and abusive thats why all need to approach gambling with caution.
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