I used to have a staff who worked for me in the restaurant I operated. I asked her why when it came to communicating with customers about the menu, she would remain quiet. However, she would suffer from verbal diarrhoea when it came to complaining about her youngest sister for taking so long to return her the $170K loan. Once a few of my friends came and to my surprise, she complained to them as well even though they had just met her for the first time.
We were later quite annoyed to find out that she had only put up the $170K in the bank as a fixed deposit so that her sister could take an overdraft for which she paid about 8% interest. In the meanwhile my staff would get about 1 to 2% interest from the bank for her fixed deposit.!
One day, we were overjoyed when we heard that the sister struck $160K in the 4D lottery. To our shock, my staff disdainfully labelled her sister as a gambling Christian! Her sister's buying of 4D is called gambling, whereas her dabbling with shares, forex and commodities is called INVESTMENT.
We rejoiced with the sister for her winning. Although she had her financial problems, she was always generous to buy litle snacks for us whenever she came to the restaurant. Although she had so many personal and business problems, she was always smiling and cheerful.
Now we understand why Jesus reminded us to remove the speck in our eyes before we see the speck in others. In the handling of the immoral woman, He reminded us to be slow to anger and to judge, and to be compassionate and forgiving.
Gambling or investment? What is your interpretation or definition?
Ganchau
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Gambling or INVESTMENT ??
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8 comments:
I don't really agree with your last sentence. I feel that gambling and investments are 2 different issues. Buying 4D, TOTO, etc are considered gambling (whether legalized or not). It is only dependent on luck and unexpected results.
Whereas for investments, you're making an informed decision, with the profitability of the company, market trends, etc. As a shareholder, you are distributed bonus or profit from the earnings of the company in equal terms in accordance to how much you invest. It's not a windfall. So it cannot be defined as gambling.
Just my personal opinions. As Christians are not allowed to gamble, but I don't think it's a sin to do investments. It's like doing a business.
You are absolutely right, Jerlyn.
I won't dabble in gambling and investments too. Have known of people who became bankrupt from buying stocks, forex and commodities.
Hence, good plain, hard work is still the best.
"Lucky" prizes given by supermarkets, companies, etc. are ok because they are free.
I think that buying lottery is a form of gambling, but only in the technical sense of the word. Unless your are buying hundreds of dollars, buying a lottery ticket is just a faint hope and dream that you give yourself that one day you may strike it rich.
As for buying shares, to me, that is also gambling in the technical snese. You are taking a risk on something you think will happen and hopefully the outcome will earn you more money. Shares are just as unpredictable as a roulette table, yet people think of it as an investment. That's just my opinion so other people can disagree.
I wholeheartedly agree with you.
It is better to try to get rich through hard work, prudence, thriftiness, etc.'
Gamblers, seldom, if ever get rich. I know of a friend's aunt who lost three bungalows through the little hole of jackpot machines!
There is a fine line between investments and gambling. :-)
One can take a gambling mentality to investments, e.g. bet on shares going up or down without understanding the fundamentals of the company whose shares are being traded. However, if one is prudent and takes investments as a means to diversify risk of holding cash (with its low returns) then, it can be a form of investment.
It's hard to support 4D/TOTO as an investment. It's really more of buying hope. :-)
My 2 cents.
http://ganxiezhu.blogspot.com/
Gambling is such a serious problems. Two of my relatives have major addictions where they have had to sell their houses. It all stems from too much greed and viewing the dollar too big.
My words of advice to all. Stay away from the jackpots and casinos!
Will write some articles later on, so that readers will understand more about the spirit of gambling that grips a person! That is why jackpot and casino operators end up filthy rich!
I would have to say that gambling and investing are very similiar. You can research both to get a better edge, but I must say that gambling offers more of a thrill.
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