| UM position on Gambling The United Methodist Church opposes gambling in any form. The churchs opposition to gambling dates back to at least 1928, when gaming was mentioned in a resolution on commercial prize fighting. Later resolutions expanded on the theme, and gambling was cited in the denominations Social Creed in 1964. The churchs position is stated in the denominations Social Principles (Paragraph 163G of the 2000 Book of Discipline and page 57 of the 2000 Book of Resolutions): Gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government. As an act of faith and concern, Christians should abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized by the practice. The Church should promote standards and personal lifestyles that would make unnecessary and undesirable the resort to commercial gambling including public lotteries as a recreation, as an escape, or as a means of producing public revenue or funds for support of charities or government. | Stop slots, UMs plead BY ERIK ALSGAARD UMCONNECTION STAFF  As the state of Maryland continues to struggle with a $1.7 billion budget deficit, newly elected Gov. Robert Ehrlich is putting the finishing touches on plans that call for thousands of slot machines at horse tracks around the state. Licking their chops on the sidelines are a host of gambling-related businesses, spying millions upon millions of dollars in profits. Against this formidable Goliath comes a seven-year-old grassroots David that opened its one and only checking account last month with $70. Headed by two housewives from Glen Burnie, the advocacy group, NOcasiNO-Maryland, is growing in strength We now have $670 in the check book, said Kim Roman, one of the co-chairs of NOcasiNO Maryland, at a meeting in Glen Burnie that drew about 25 people from around the state willing to gather pebbles for the sling-shot. It was the largest attendance theyve ever had for one of their meetings. Slot machines are really fiscally irresponsible, said Roman. It ends up costing taxpayers about $1.90 for every dollar that they earn in gambling revenue, through addictions, abuse, bankruptcies, business closings, crime, corruption thats what we call the ABCs of gambling. Roman grew up in Las Vegas, Nev. Her motivation to fight slots comes from her being living proof that you dont have to touch a slot machine to have your life ruined by them, she said. Barbara Knicklebein, a member of Glen Burnie UMC, and the other co-chair, has been in the fight since 1995 and credits her church for her involvement. She also draws motivation from Bishop Felton Edwin May. I remember there was a movement a couple of years ago, Holy Boldness. Its an attitude. I think we have to be holy bold on this issue. I feel that God has called me to do this. Essentially, its a selling job, trying to convince people the truth about (slots); the costs far outweigh the benefits. Roman suggests three things people can do to join the NocasiNO effort. First, she said, make sure youre registered to vote. If this goes to a referendum then we need everybody on our side already registered ahead of time, she said. Next, people need to contact lawmakers. Contact their delegates, contact their senators, and they even need to contact although hes made up his mind they need to contact Gov. Ehrlich, she said. The last action item: write letters to the editor of local newspapers and the Baltimore Sun. If youre not in the district where you get the Sun, you can still send a letter to the editor of the Sun or the Annapolis Capital. Thats the first place legislators turn in the morning when they get their newspaper, Roman said. Both co-chairs are clear that slots in Maryland are a statewide issue, not something just for Baltimore or Annapolis area people to worry about. It is a statewide concern because the venues where they want to put slot machines are spread throughout the state, said Roman. The number of slots keeps varying. Gov. Ehrlich is saying he wants to limit it to four race tracks. The racing industry wants at least five. Roman explained further that any track can have an unlimited number of Off Track Betting parlors. What would stop (slots) from being in every OTB in the state? asked Roman. Right now, there are only five (OTBs) licensed. But reading what it says in the Racing Commissions Web site, it can be an unlimited number. Scary. The Rev. Stacey Nickerson, pastor of Arbutus UMC, where the Ehrlich family attends church, spoke at a prayer breakfast the day before the Jan. 15 inauguration. I certainly cannot support slots, she told the Washington Post, and I just pray that they will work hard to find the money that we need. Bishop May offered the benediction at the prayer breakfast, and he said that slot machines are completely out of the question. There can be no equivocation on utilizing the frailties of human kind to balance the states budget. |
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