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Unlike puritanical Protestant Christian sects that view games of
chance almost as something equal to embracing Satan, the Roman
Catholic Church’s doctrine on the subject is as tolerant as her
doctrine on everything in this world that only becomes evil when
used for evil ends.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Under Part Three: Life in Christ—Section Two :
The Ten Commandments—Chapter Two: “You Shall Love Your Neighbor
As Yourself”—Article 7—The Seventh Commandment—II. Respect
for Persons and Their Goods—Subheading: Respect for the Goods of
Others, The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in Point 2413:
“Games of chance [card games, etc.] or wagers
are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally
unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to
provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling
risks being an enslavement. Unfair wagers and cheating at games
constitute grave matter, unless the damage inflicted is so slight
that the one who suffers it cannot reasonably consider it
significant.”
“Grave matter” refers to sin.
But the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines in a
1996 pastoral statement titled “Development—the Fruit of Justice
and Peace” (which also dealt with the raging issues of that year,
(a) The expanded value-added tax, (b) gambling, (c) rising
criminality and (d) the proposed anti-terrorism bill) tells the
faithful and the general public the following:
Organized Rampant Gambling
“True human development requires the
development of authentic human values. This truth has something to
say to the current debate about lotto and casinos and the
investigation, apparently and sadly waning, of gambling lords.
“In our Filipino context, we as Pastors cannot
but strongly reprobate the circumstances and even the motives by
which rampant, illegal organized gambling, such as jueteng, is
operated, maintained and protected.
“Such gambling in whatever form is immoral,
given our particular socio-economic, cultural and religious
situation. Its very illegality breeds corruption among officials,
police, and military officers. The manner and frequency of illegal
gambling systematically fleece the poor of hard-earned money, so
necessary for their families, feeding as it does, on the penchant of
the Filipino for risk-taking, often irrational, on the basis of
swerte or of bahala na, and resulting in the loss of money for the
greatest majority of gamblers.
“Without doubt rampant illegal gambling is but
one manifestation of organized criminality, operated by syndicates,
ending up in the corruption of many and the loss of incredible
amounts of personal and public money.
“Many attempts are being made to legalize all
forms of gambling, even as lotto and casinos are legal. But again
for us as Pastors, given the fatal lure of gambling to the Filipino
psyche, the legalization of organized gambling in order to raise
funds, even for development, is a form of de-moralization—the
gradual erosion of moral values necessary to a development-oriented
work ethic, such as diligence and industry, accountability and
transparency.
“The poor and the needy are victimized the
most. They are often the most prone to gambling addiction, as the
deadly attraction of easy and quick riches beckons them to disaster.
Therefore, the legalization and proliferation of gambling
establishments are nothing more than an abject surrender to a
morally debilitating vice.
“For reasons like the above we strongly oppose
organized rampant gambling, be it legal or illegal. Our development
as a people is not merely economic. It has to be more. It must be
moral and spiritual as well. We, therefore, strongly urge that the
investigations now going on against gambling lords be pursued
relentlessly until these are brought to justice and the complicity
of government officials, police, and military officers be brought
out into the open and punished.”
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