BE OUR GUEST: GAMBLING NEVER GOES ANYWHERE UNESCORTED; IT BRINGS ALONG MANY WOES

Fred W. Poston is a native of Cape Girardeau. He lived in Europe for 12 years as a missionary helping to start churches. In 1992, Poston, his wife and three children returned to Cape Girardeau to start a new church - the New Plymouth Community Church.

Cape Girardeau will soon be put to the test. Residents will be asked to vote on a proposition to allow riverboat gambling in the community. Much is being said by its proponents about the necessary revenue it will bring to the local economy. However, we need to evaluate what this extra income will cost us.

Once again, the rhetoric, still echoing from the recent presidential election, is centered around finances; as if money and a strong economy can solve all our social ills. History teaches us that giving more money to government has never solved our problems, fiscal or otherwise. It simply empowers lawmakers to spend more on impotent programs. Our main problem, then as now, is not a shortage of currency, but morals.

The Bible teaches us that the love of money is the root of all evil. Unchecked greed and materialism will drive men to inhumane extremes, sacrificing morals to make a buck. Benjamin Franklin, writing in "Poor Richard's Almanac," underscored this by saying, "He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money." Whoever loves money never has enough of it.

Gambling never goes anywhere unescorted. It brings along all sorts of friends. Everywhere gambling is a part of the local economy, organized crime raises its ugly head. Look at Atlantic City, Chicago, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas. There is no such thing as private entrepreneurism when it comes to rolling the dice. Once rooted, gambling makes fertile ground for prostitution, increased crime, murders, more drugs and fraud. The proverb "the love of evil is the root of all money" just about sums it up.

George Washington stated that "gambling is the child of avarice, the brother of iniquity, and the father of mischief." As crime increases, so do legal costs. The taxpayer will once more be requested to foot the bill.

At the root of gambling is the base ethic it purports. George Bernard Shaw, although not noted for being a proponent of the free-market system, said it best: "Gambling promises the poor what property performs for the rich: Something for nothing" (italics mine).

This "something-for-nothing" attitude, as well as "you-owe-me," is suicidal in a day of rigorous international competition. Many also complain about the present generation's not knowing how to work. We need rather to teach and promote productivity based on creativity and industriousness as a means of improving the quality of life.

In 1951, the General Board of the National Council of Churches viewed gambling as an "insidious menace both to personal character and social morality." It is diametrically opposed to the economic ethic espoused in Scripture.

The greatest danger to any community is the destruction of the family. And ultimately the spouses and children are the ones to pay the price of compulsive gambling. There are approximately 80 million gamblers in America among which three million are compulsive gamblers.

Psychologists say gamblers try, among other things, to be regarded as persons of worth. They attempt to be successful at beating the system. The casinos, however, are set up to win and can't be readily beaten.

As the gambler is losing and trying to get back on the winning streak, great strain is put on family relationships. Children are either neglected or receive the brunt of the gambler's frustration. The much-needed finances dwindle. Compare him with the alcoholic or drug addict. "Just one more round" to win. Although the $500 losing limit is intended as a "generous" gesture, I don't know many working people who can afford to lose that amount in an evening of gambling.

It's tragic that there are plenty of people willing to loan money for the compulsive gambler to dig himself and his family deeper into debt. They're as humane as the drug kingpins, pornography pimps, distillers, breweries and tobacco companies when it comes to seeking the welfare of their fellow man. They see an opportunity to use one's weakness or addiction to make money. This will only result in more people applying for welfare, food stamps and other forms of state support.

Even if people "are going to do it anyway," let them go elsewhere. Making it easily accessible in Cape Girardeau will not make the local situation better.

If we're not careful, we'll continue adding fuel to the fire of an already dog-eat-dog world. The future of society is at stake. We're dangerously close to fulfilling what Vladimir Lenin prophesied would happen to the Western world: "Give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves." Let's not fail the test.