As America’s governors turn their lonely eyes to slot machines to stem budget deficits, numerous religious leaders (a la Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston) have rallied and cited moral arguments against the gambling proposals.
But gambling actually has quite a role in Jewish and Christian history, says Boston College professor Dwayne Carpenter, and it ain’t all bad.
In fact, says Carpenter, “both the Catholic and Jewish traditions traditionally set aside days for gambling.”
In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church encouraged adherents to gamble on holy days. Carpenter cited one medieval treatise that suggested Christmas as an apt gaming day, because “it is a holy day on which everyone should rejoice in his home.”
“It’s not fair to say that the religious authorities were enthusiastic about gambling throughout the year. But it was seen to be a way to . . . add to the merriment of an already joyous occasion,” he said.
No word in the article about Pascal’s wager.
