From The Past: March 7, 2005
Each year Ashley’s school has a raffle to earn money for something big at her school. One year the raffle money went toward the purchase of a curtain in the gym. Another year, they purchased an awning that runs the length of the back of the school. This way when it’s raining the kids won’t get wet as they enter or leave their parents cars. They have bought more, only I can’t remember at this moment.
The raffle tickets cost $1 each and you get to choose from a list of things you would like to win. There is no way I could remember everything on the list, but some things included:
*a trip
*country ham from a local store
*Nintendo DS and game
*DVD player and movie
*a free gallon of Kroger milk once a week for a year
*basketball signed by Tubby Smith
*TV
*Lexmark printer
We have bought raffle tickets every year and never won anything, but this year our name was drawn! We won the free milk once a week for a year! Unbelievably, I only bought five raffle tickets. Milk is over $3 a gallon, so we won BIG TIME!
This afternoon after I picked up the certificates, I told a fellow parent about our good fortune. She gave me a puzzled look when I said we had won the milk so I said, “You know, where you were able to pick what you wanted from the list.”
Understanding filled her face. “We consider that gambling, so we don’t participate in that.” Although I had never looked at the raffle this way, I quickly agreed that it definitely was a gamble!
I know many churches have problems with gambling, but I don’t have a problem with it. If you want to buy raffle tickets, lottery tickets, play BINGO, and go to Vegas – that would not be a sin in my book. It’s fun to take a chance and play as long as no one is getting hurt.
Anyway, that’s fine that this parent feels that way. I respect her opinion and would never criticize her for it; it just caught me off guard, especially when the money is going to help the kids in one way or another. I wonder how her church would feel if someone won the lottery and wanted to donate a bundle. Somehow, I don’t think they would have a problem accepting the winnings.