Would Your Church Accept a Gift Won from a Lottery?

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here's why.

Here's the story of a church that rejected a gift from a lottery winner. The summary:

After Robert Powell hit the Florida Lottery jackpot last month and took home more than $6 million, he thought of his church.

And he offered to drop his tithe, around $600,000, in the collection plate of First Baptist Orange Park.

But the church and Pastor David Tarkington politely declined and told Powell they will not accept the lottery winnings.

And then there's the counter-point:

Many churches do not approve of the lottery and gambling but on the other hand Pastor Dr. Lorenzo Hall of the El-Beth-El Divine Holiness Church says $600,000 can do a lot of good.

"I'm against the lottery, but if one of my members won the lottery, I wish and I hope he would give 10% to the church, we could do a lot of things with that money," says Hall.

As a Holiness minister, Dr. Hall says he does not ask where members get the money they decide to donate.

He said he would welcome Powell's donation to his inner city church anytime.

"We are in the process now of building a youth center, and you would be surprised at the people that can be helped with $600,000," says Hall.

I know what my church would do -- they'd take the money. Why? Because they love the lottery? No, because money is neutral, it's neither good nor bad. It can be used for good or bad purposes, but money itself is not good or evil. So while this money was acquired in a "bad" way (though not illegal), that doesn't make the money "bad." In fact, giving a portion to a worthy cause seems like a great way to used money that was acquired in any way.

What do you think? Is lottery money "tainted" and shouldn't be accepted by any sort of charity? Or is giving lottery money to charity a good idea?

Comments

[Jeff Miles]

Playing the lottery or gambling isn't a good idea as your risk of loss is too high. But I'd agree with Dr Lorenzo about accepting the money as u need to look at the honest intentions of the giver to help the needy.

[Sean]

I don't know if I'm veering off-topic, but how far does this go? What if someone worked for a tobacco company? What if someone invested in a tobacco company? What if someone subcontracted for a subcontractor of a tobacco company? (Or any number of similar industries.) I'm not saying you shouldn't draw the line somewhere. But is it possible to reach any level of consistency?

[SteveO]

I believe my church (a large non-demoninational church with a near-Baptist outlook) would take the money, though they probably would be against the lottery. How far does a church go in policing how its members get their income (assuming it is legally)? Who knows where the line is? Perhaps they would not want money from typical internet "make money now with my secret information" scammers. Offering high returns with "little or no risk" is about as dishonest as you can get. Would churches take those funds if they knew?

[Anne]

I strongly believe that there is absolutely nothing wrong with playing the lottery for fun. Just because some people are not responsible enough to understand that the lottery is a GAME that should not take precedence over other needs in your life does not make it evil in and of itself. Here in Georgia, both of my sisters have attended state colleges for FREE because of scholarship money provided by the lottery.

To me, calling lottery money "dirty" is like calling money earned through the sales of food "dirty". After all, some people are morbidly obese because of their inability to stop eating. It's just a very narrow view and doesn't take into account the larger picture. (Anyone ever bought a raffle ticket from their kid's school?)

I agree with the statement that money is neutral -- there is no "dirty money", only dirty ways to use money. If you know money has been obtained in an illegal or immoral way, then you have the ability to turn around and make that right. Perhaps the church in question could have used the $600,000 to support a gambling addiction ministry.

[Mrs. Micah]

I think I see where they're coming from. Suppose the church held that gambling was poor stewardship of money. They might worry that this would put them in a situation where they appeared to be saying "don't gamble but if you win we'd love the money." Which they'd worry seems insincere and weakens their message.

I think the proper step to take in this case is ask the winner to consider giving the gift instead to some charity the church supports. The charity probably has no position on gambling or wise use of resources, it's more concerned with its mission.

["Mo" Money]

I agree with your post 100%. Money is a tool, it is neither good or bad. Money is no different than a brick, a brick could be used to break into a store window and rob the place, or it could be used to build a church. It depends on how it is used. The people who are so self righteous and say they would not accept lotttery winings are not helping their church. Accepting the gift does not mean they are preaching for everyone to play the lottery! The second comment was correct to think about what the money could do for the church.

[Success Professor]

Great question. I personally don't have a problem with the church taking the money. Certainly I would have concerns (stewardship) about people playing the lottery but if they win, I would hope they would be a good steward with that - including giving to the church. I would go to Paul's discussion of food sacrificed to idols. An idol is nothing, therefore the food is no different and the believers had the freedom to eat it.

[MM]

I wonder what the other members of that church believe - and how the decision was made. Our last church had such a hard-core fundraising drive for the building of he new school building, they hired a professional fundraiser - whose lack of effectiveness and aggressive approach put us on the search for a congregation more in line with our family's values. I would have welcomed a fellow congregation member's six-figure contribution to that building fund to end the campaigning!

I'm with all y'all - that the money is a tool, regardless of its origins. I hope the lottery winner chooses to 'tithe' that amount to worthy charities or another church, in spite of his own church's rejection.

[skott]

It seems like the church could be criticized either way. It just depends on how much energy they've put into the anti-lottery crusade. If it's been a major cause for that church, then it would seem more hypocritical. But most churches wouldn't have the need to save face and could accept the donation.

[Joe]

My pastor, in his usual, thoughtful style, responds to your question emphatically - NO!

Here is the page he wrote on this topic:

www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2003/1223_Dont_Play_the_Lottery_for_Me/

[Jo]

I see where the pastor was coming from, and give him kudos for being hardcore on his church's believes against gambling.

My church doesn't have anything against gambling, we have Bingo and raffles every year. Obviously if someone won the lottery and wanted to make a huge donation we would except it. (Also if someone was addicted to gambling we would discourage them from gambling and help them to recover from their addiction.)

[ValleyFaithful]

How does the church plan on telling the difference between his non-lottery tithe/donations and his lottery tithe/donations? What if he invests the money and gives from the endowement for the next 30 years?

IMO- what they are in effect telling him is that they no longer desire his financial gifts at all. Is that the right course?

[PW]

I honestly can't believe that the pastor didn't take the money. That makes absolutely no sense to “me”. So does the pastor also say that kids out of wedlock can't come to his church because the way they were conceived was not of God? I digress.

I agree, money is neutral, neither good nor bad. I believe there are even scriptures where gambling is in the bible and I think God is more concerned with your heart then he is with gambling. I don't believe the bible says gambling is a sin but it discourages it, because gambling causes addictions. The bible also doesn't say debt is a sin but it highly discourages it. Do you think that pastor is in debt? Does the church have debt? If I was that guy I would have taken my $600K and pimp slapped the pastor with it. Ha ha just joking I had to calm myself down with a laugh because I was getting too worked up over this.

I think the pastor should have prayed over it and consulted God before he turned it down (assuming that he didn’t). The bible does say that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. “I” believe that God could have moved on this man’s heart so that he could tithe and further expand the kingdom of God. Geez, how many lottery winners do you hear tithing that much to their church. They tithe to General Motors buying new cars though. Situations like this are what cause people to lose faith in the church and not want to get closer to God. Let me be the first to say, there is nothing wrong with God, his kids might be crazy, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with God.

[Mar]

Our pastor absolutely would refuse the gift, but the congregation might overrule him. If the gift was refused, I would make sure to donate the tithe to another worthy group and would probably not be able to donate to the church ever again because the only income I would have would be interest from the lottery winnings and apparently they would be dirty money as well.

[Orthros]

I'm amused at the general commentary that "money is neutral". If someone was a drug dealer and wanted to give a big wad of $$$, the general feeling is that the pastor should accept it? What about a slave trader?

I understand that people would protest that drugs and slavery isn't the same as gambling. As a Catholic I'd agree, but if your particular Christian ecclesial community says gambling is evil (and many do), then you are certainly NOT free to accept gambling winnings, any more than you would take money from an abortionist, slave trader, or anyone whose money is incontrovertibly tied to an activity that you're declaring to be evil.

To do so clearly shows the truth of 1 Timothy 6:10.

[dePriest]

My church would definitely take the money. We figure as long as one doesn't put the family in danger of doing without to finance one's gambling, there's no harm done.

[MasterPo]

Funny that a lot of churches and other houses of worship run BINGO nights as fund raisers! ;-)

[anna]

I'm with Orthros on this one. If your church is opposed to playing the lottery, then they shouldn't accept the proceeds from winning it. I'd compare this to institutions that were asked to divest from corporations that help fuel the Darfur conflict or from apartheid South Africa. Even though there is good money to be made, it shouldn't be at the expense of one's values.

The bible teaches to give 10% of earnings as thithes. Who are we to keep someone from obeying God's Word, even if it is only partially. Only that individual will have to answer to God as to how the money was earned, not the church.

[Scott]

If the money is "dirty" because it's from lottery winnings, what better way to "launder" it than to use it in the work of the church?

[Shan from The Apostle of the Turtle]

I like your point that money is amoral (that is, neither immoral nor moral). However, the source of the money isn't necessarily amoral. I think it took a lot of strength and guts for the pastor to say, "No."

It reminds me that I've heard of some churches accepting credit card tithes. Ouch. What's your take on that?

[Randolph Lomas]

I read all comments and it seems that nobody really knows what to do with so called "DIRTY MONEY". The source of donations are very important, whether known or unknown. Take the case of Judas, whose donation of thirty pieces of silver was not acceptable. Why?

[sam]

WOW,What a pastor....not even tempted with this money ,I think he is a Good pastor.
If it was our pastor I know for sure He will take it and not even tell us..

[BRUCE D. SMITH]

The apostle Paul when discussing eating meat offered to idols(1 Corinthians10:27-29)stated basically that you should eat whatever was set before you, asking no question for conscience sake. He went on however, to say that if any man says to you, "This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake (not your conscience but his conscience)In other words Paul is saying I will eat whatever is set before me but if your're going to try to include me in what you are doing than I am going to refuse so that you know that I am not ok with that and I see it as wrong.In doing this then is the conscience of him that offered perhaps awakened to the fact that there is something wrong with what he is doing.To take the example of gambling, if someone puts a big donation into the plate, say thanks, and don't ask questions. But if he says "this is from my winnings from gambling" then refuse for his conscience sake.See, if you accept, then this person will not only not be aware of his wrongdoing and not feel the need to change but by the churches acceptance he might almost see that as aprroval and therefore keep on gambling(sinning)Does the church wish to be seen as the promoter of sin?I think a good response might be to tell the individual that it was very thoughtful of him to think of the church but that you would have to decline because of God's views on gambling and then suggest that he go out and perhaps give it to a specific charity.By doing this the needy are helped(which is the main idea in the first place),the church has maintained their opposition to gambling and refrained from confusion and the dear soul who was gambling(Lord willing)will perhaps be awakened to the reality of his sin and turn from it.

[Rich A.]

Nearly every dollar bill we touch has been rolled by an addict to snort cocaine, used to buy beer or cigarettes, slipped in a stripper's g-string, or used to buy a porn magazine, or inserted in a slot machine. It's all "dirty" if you look at how it can be used in unhealthy ways. But it all belongs to God (Haggai 2:8).

The church has the opportunity to redeem that money...to put it to a higher purpose. It could be used, as some suggested, to help others break addictions to gambling. It could be used for benevolence, to help people in need. It could be used to sponsor financial management classes.

By the way, the Hebrew Bible gives lots of accounts of Israel conquering its pagan enemies (people who were doing things that were an abomination to God) and keeping their wealth.

I hate to ask this question, but, what the heck...is all gambling a sin? I'm sure many can agree that addiction is sin. But if a person puts $5.00 or $10.00 in his pocket and goes to play slots for an hour, once in a while, is that a sin? Or is it just playing a game?

[Rich A.]

I should have added, before I clicked "submit" to my previous post, that I think a person can play a game of chance without sinning. It is a matter of the heart.