But does that mean we shouldn't object?
Walking in the rain clears the head and wets the knees. A good case for wearing shorts all year. Except you would end up with frozen kneecaps and a reputation.
So the Lottery.
I've never bought a lottery ticket. Not particularly for the reasons you might expect. When it first started I objected to the fact that it was run for profit and was and is just another method of indirect taxation. So I didn't buy tickets. And since then, well, I just can't be bothered really. (Do I look bothered?)
Now Linden is reconsidering its position on accepting Lottery funding and the leaders want to hear from people what they think of this idea. As I suspect there are only about three of us who hold strong anti-acceptance views, I need to get my thoughts clear. Although my argument will not be convincing, I'm sure. I am not a convincing sort of person.
Anyway. To accept funding is to condone the Lottery. It must be. Or it would be seen as that in most people's eyes. You can't say, 'we don't agree with what you are doing but we'll take your money anyway.' Well, you can but no-one will hear you above the clatter of money. It would surely be hypocritical anyway. Saying that your use of the money will clean it, redeem it, won't cut ice with anybody outside of the church.
My main objection is that Linden, like the rest of society in its acceptance of the Lottery, would be saying, 'Put your faith and hope in this.' Don't we have something better, more eternal, to offer?
How can we support something that gives people, especially the most needy, a glimpse of a false hope and encourages them to seek after it?
I have stood in queues in the Post Office behind people buying £30 worth of Lottery tickets. For most of them it will £30 lost. Whether they can afford it or not isn't really the point. It's more to do with putting your money where your faith is.
With lottery funding Linden could do some fantastic things, helping the outcasts and needy. But wouldn't we be also helping to create them?
I'm sure the leaders aren't reconsidering the issue because of the dire financial state we are in at the moment. If I thought that, I would be truly disturbed. What would have become of faith?
1 comment:
Interesting thoughts. I was initially on the side of acceptance but after reading your post I am now unsure.
It is really important to assess the impact of our actions on other people. We don't want to condone a system that perpetuates poverty while giving the facade of alleviating it.
This principle should be applied to all areas of our life, clothes, energy, banking, pensions, mortgages etc. Should we also check the credentials of the trust funds that we apply to? They get their money through investment, but investemnet in what?
The central issue is whether the national lottery is a system that holds values contrary to ours. On this issue I am undecided, but I can certainly see your point.
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