Oppose Gambling - Pre-written form letters below:
Letter to Representative Cherry
Letter to Senator Ridley
Letter to Senator Borders
Letter to Senator Leeper
Letter to Blank (see below)
List of all members of Appropriation and Revenue Committee
Honorable _________________
702 Capitol Ave
Annex Room _________
Frankfort KY 40601
Honorable _________________,
Thank you for the hard work and many hours you devote to bettering the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The decisions and efforts you make impact the state of Kentucky now and for future generations. I know you, as well as I, want the best Kentucky we can have for ourselves and our children. Because of that mutual desire, I wish to make my opinion known regarding gambling in Kentucky. I am opposed to gambling in our Commonwealth and do not wish to see casinos legalized. I ask you to strongly fight against all legislation allowing any form of gambling, especially the approval of casinos.
As a member of Mexico Baptist Church, the God whom I serve and His living Word, the Bible, describes the many damaging effects of gambling. Based upon this inherent and irrefutable Word, I base my conviction and hope that you will vote to support this same conviction that gambling is against the will of Almighty God, and therefore, not in the best interest of the people of Kentucky. Furthermore, I am not in favor of placing expanded gaming on the ballot for a public vote.
The following is a resolution adopted by the Kentucky Baptist Convention on November 13, 2007, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, that will explain much of why I believe gambling is damaging to families in Kentucky:
A Resolution Opposing Gambling Expansion and Encouraging Churches to Teach About the Dangers of Gambling
WHEREAS, gambling violates a number of Biblical principles, in that it encourages individuals to put their faith in something other than God (Isaiah 65:11, Exodus 20:3); elevates materialistic gain to a dominant place in a person's life (1 Timothy 6:10, Luke 12:15); encourages gain at the expense of our "neighbors" (Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:28-34); discourages a proper work ethic (Exodus 20:9, Ephesians 4:28); and hurts our Christian witness to others (Acts. 10:38, I Corinthians 10:31-33); and
WHEREAS, individuals created in the image of God should be able to live in a just society that seeks to enhance the holistic well-being of each citizen; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of government is to promote the welfare of all of citizens and promote the common good; and
WHEREAS, expanding gambling in the Commonwealth will further encourage gambling addictions, crime, family destruction, personal irresponsibility and the corruption of government; and
WHEREAS, the issue of expanding gambling in the Commonwealth of Kentucky continues to be an issue of ongoing debate within the General Assembly;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we encourage all of our churches to be deliberate in educating their congregations regarding the dangers of gambling; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we as messengers to this convention call on our governor and members of the Kentucky General Assembly to join with Kentucky citizens in finding ways to strengthen our state's economy on sound principles of creative and innovative industrial, educational and technological development rather than on the false hopes of gambling; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage the governor and all members of the Kentucky General Assembly to take a stand in support of Kentucky's families and businesses by pledging to oppose the expansion of gambling in our Commonwealth; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we encourage Kentucky Baptists across the Commonwealth to contact the newly-elected governor and their state legislators to express their individual opinions on this issue.
Therefore, as one member out of 810,112 members from 2,519 Kentucky Southern Baptist churches, I am contacting you to take a stand as my legislator to please oppose gambling in all forms in our Commonwealth.
Sincerely,
A Member of Mexico Baptist Church
