All the laws and viewpoints of the members of the Governing Body in connection with gambling are human commandments, and they have no basis in the Bible. Gambling is not mentioned in the Bible, and when they say that particular sides of gambling are wrong, they are making laws in addition to and contrary to the Bible.
This article discusses the changing world of the members of the Governing Body in connection with gambling.
The view of gambling has changed back and forth during the last 70 years. In 1954, The Watchtower said that whether to participate in gambling, and even to be employed by a gambling enterprise, was a matter of conscience that each one had to decide.
In 1961, participating in gambling became a disfellowshipping offence, and in the following years, different forms of gambling were condemned. In 2019, a new book for elders, “Shepherd The Flock Of God”, was published. It retracts the condemnation of different forms of gambling, and it shows there are two actions connected with gambling that are disfellowshipping offenses:
- If a Christian’s employment is directly linked with gambling, or makes him a clear accomplice or promoter of gambling.
- A committee should be formed if an individual’s gambling reveals a course of greediness, perhaps causing harm to himself or others, and he ignores repeated counsel.
Understanding the concept of “greediness” is important in connection with disfellowshipping. Therefore, I will discuss it before I give details of gambling. I will show that “greediness” is an oxymoron, because there is no word in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek with the meaning “greed” or “greediness.”
THE MEANING OF THE WORD “GREED”
In 1 Corinthians 14:8, 9, Paul writes:
8 For truly, if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? 9 In the same way also, unless YOU through the tongue utter speech easily understood, how will it be known what is being spoken? YOU will, in fact, be speaking into the air.
If speech is not expressed in an understandable way, the person is speaking into the air. This is particularly the case in connection with the words “greed” and “greediness.” When this word is spoken or written, the listener or reader will, in many situations, not know the meaning if a definition is not given. And even when the word is defined, its application can be misunderstood because “greed” and “greediness” are abstract notions that cannot be seen.
DEFINITIONS OF GREED
There are two different definitions of Greed in the Watchtower literature:
The Watchtower of August 1, 1993, page 11, says:
Basically, greed is an inordinate or excessive desire to have more, whether that be money, possessions, power, sex, or other things.
Insight on the Scriptures Volume 1, page 1005, defines greed as “inordinate or rapacious desire.”
The word “inordinate” means “to exceed reasonable limits,” and “rapacious” means “excessively grasping or covetous.” Thus, according to the definitions, “greed” is an excessively strong desire to have more. The definition in The Watchtower of 1993 and Insight on the Scriptures accords with the definition of greed in Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed.
However, some Watchtower publications add a stronger element to the definition of “greed” than seen in the two quoted sources, namely “insatiableness.” The Watchtower of May 15, 1987, page 30, discusses the meaning of different proverbs, and we read :
[Proverbs] 30:15, 16 —What is the point of these examples?
They illustrate the insatiableness of greed. Leeches gorge themselves with blood, even as greedy persons always demand more money or power. Likewise, Sheol is never satisfied but remains open to receive more victims of death. A barren womb ‘cries out’ for children. (Genesis 30:1) Drought-stricken land drinks up rainwater and soon appears dry again. And a fire that has consumed things thrown into it sends out flames that lick up other combustibles in reach. So it is with greedy persons. But those guided by godly wisdom are not endlessly goaded on by such selfishness.
Romans 1:29 (NWT13) has the following definition of “greed”:
greediness, which is idolatry: The Greek word ple·o·ne·xiʹa, here rendered “greediness,” denotes an insatiable desire to have more.
The same definition is found in footnotes to Luke 12:15 and Colossians 3:5.
The definition in Merriam-Webster Dictionary for “covetousness” is “inordinate [to exceed reasonable limits] desire for wealth or possessions or for another’s possessions.” The difference between “covetousness” and “greed” according to the definition in NWT13 is that “covetousness” can be satisfied but “greed” can never be satisfied; it is “insatiable.”
THERE IS NO WORD FOR “GREED” IN THE BIBLE
The members of the Governing Body use the word “greed” extensively, and they say that “greed” can lead to disfellowshipping. However, the problem is that there is no Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word with either of the two definitions found in the Watchtower literature. There is neither a word with the meaning “an inordinate or excessive desire to have more” nor “an insatiable desire to have more.”
When the members of the Governing Body use the word “greed,” they pretend it is a biblical term, but in reality, they are speaking into the air. This misuse of “greed” affects members of the congregations; some have even been disfellowshipped because of the fabricated and fictional expression “gross uncleanness with greediness.”
I will now give evidence that there is no word with the meaning “greed” with either of the two definitions given above in the Biblical languages. That there is no word meaning “greed” in the Hebrew Scriptures is witnessed by NWT84. The English word “greed” is only used one time in the Hebrew Scriptures by NWT84. The example is Proverbs 20:21:
21 An inheritance is being got by greed (bāhal) at first, but its own future will not be blessed.
The verb translated “greed” is bāhal with the meaning “to detest, disdain, feel an attitude of loathing.” (Kohlenberger and Mounce) Some believe that the passive pual form of this verb has the meaning “to be gotten by greed.” However, a footnote in NWT84 shows that the text is uncertain.
To illustrate that a word meaning “greed” is not found in New Testament Greek, I quote some words of Jesus, namely, Mark 7:22 (above) and Luke 12:15 (below):
22 acts of adultery, greed (pleonexia), acts of wickedness, deceit, brazen conduct, an envious eye, blasphemy, haughtiness, and unreasonableness. 23 All these wicked things come from within and defile a man.”
15 Then he said to them: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of greed (pleonexia), because even when a person has an abundance, his life does not result from the things he possesses.”
NWT13 uses the word “greed” as a translation for the Greek word pleonexia. But this creates a problem. Because there is no Hebrew word meaning “greed,” the Greek word pleonexia, which translates the Hebrew word Jesus used, cannot have the meaning “greed” in these two passages. How so?
Franz Delitzsch, who translated The Christian Greek Scriptures into Hebrew, used the Hebrew rendering ‘ahabat’ ’betsæ’ with the meaning “love of dishonest gain” in Mark 7:22 and with ’betsō’a bātsa with the meaning “seeking dishonest gain” in Luke 12:15.
By this, Delitzsch hit the nail on the head because the meaning of the Greek word pleonexia can be shown to have the meaning “unlawfully exploited gain by the use of force” and not “greed,”[1]
| Jesus spoke Hebrew, and in that language, there is no word for “greed”. When NWT13 puts the word “greed” in the mouth of Jesus in Mark 7:22 and Luke 12:15, their translation is wrong. The Hebrew word Jesus used is translated by Mark and Luke with the Greek word pleonexia. Because there is no Hebrew word with the meaning “greed,” pleonexia cannot mean “greed.” |
One example of this use of pleonexia in the sense “unlawfully exploited gain” is 2 Corinthians 9:5 (NWT84 and NWT13):
5 So I thought it necessary to encourage the brothers to come to you ahead of time and to get your promised bountiful gift ready in advance, so that this might be ready as a generous gift, and not as something extorted (pleonexia).
Taking the contexts into consideration, it is possible to translate the other 10 examples of pleonexia with “something exploited” or a similar meaning. This means that the Governing Body’s use of the word “greed” is a complete miss because no word with the meaning “greed” is found in the text of the Bible.
| The use of “greed” to describe gambling is wide of the mark because there is no word in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek with the meaning “greed.” This word “greed” in the Bible is an oxomoron. |
[1]. A detailed study of this issue is found in my article, “The 11 disfellowshipping offenses 1: not ‘greed’ but ‘exploitation’ (pleonexia)” (https://mybelovedreligion.no/2024/11/19/the-11-disfellowshipping-offenses-1-not-greed-but-exploitation/).
1954: GAMBLING DOES NOT ACCORD WITH THE TEACHING OF JESUS — BUT THE ORGANIZATION HAS NO RIGHT TO ASK ANYONE TO STOP GAMBLING
Gambling in churches was first mentioned in The Golden Age of April 6, 1938, page 14. The first time the biblical view of gambling was mentioned was in Awake! of June 22, 1952, pages 13-16, and the description of gambling was negative:
Nowhere is gambling justified in the Bible. It is, however, rooted deeply in pagan mythology, which is condemned in God’s Word as demonic and rotten. In Plutarch’s treatise On Isis and Osiris, reference is made to Mercury’s playing at tables with the Moon, “and wins from her the seventieth part of each of her illuminations.” …
The Bible definitely condemns unlawful gain. “For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and crime.” (Isaiah 61 :8, An Amer. Trans.) The gambler does not work with his hands the thing that is good and pleasing, and he is not free from cheating and stealing. (Ephesians 4:28; Genesis 29:15).
The Question from Readers column in The Watchtower of February 1, 1954, page 94, has the following questions: “Is gambling a violation of Bible principles? Is it wrong for a Christian to have secular employment in a gambling project, such as a legalized lottery or gambling project?”
The article argues that gambling does not accord with the teachings of Jesus. Nevertheless, the article shows that even to be employed in a gambling enterprise is something that each Christian must decide.
Gambling appeals to selfishness and weakens moral fiber; it tempts many into habits of cheating and crookedness… Can a Christian be employed in a gambling enterprise that is legally recognized and allowed? He may think that he can do so if he refrains from gambling himself or allowing his spiritual brothers to gamble through his services. One may be able to conscientiously do this, while another would not be able to do so in good conscience. Each one will have to decide individually whether he can or cannot do so conscientiously. It is doubtless preferable to be separate from the atmosphere surrounding such activities, and the Christian may wisely arrange to make a change in his occupation. It is a matter each one must decide for himself and in accord with his circumstances and conscience. The Watch Tower Society does not decide as to an individual’s employment, as we previously stated in the September 15, 1951, Watchtower, page 574.
There are two important expressions in the quotation above:
First: “The Watchtower Society does not decide as to an individual’s employment.”
Second: A Witness could be employed in a gambling enterprise if his or her conscience allows it.
Both before and after 1954, the Watchtower literature consistently expressed a negative view of gambling for the same basic reasons. The only change in connection with gambling was that it suddenly and inexplicably became a disfellowshipping offense in the year 1961. That modern activities that are not mentioned in the Bible are classified as disfellowshipping offenses confirms the arbitrary nature of the Governing Body’s decisions.
1961: GAMBLING IS VIEWED AS EXTORTION, AND IT COULD LEAD TO DISFELLOWSHIPPING
The first time of which I am aware, that gambling was classified as extortion was in the booklet Questions in Connection with the Service of the Kingdom (1961), page 60. It was written for judicial committees and traveling representatives:
Selling lottery tickets or having a gambling enterprise for betting in connection with money is a form of extortion. The Bible shows that extortioners must be disfellowshipped from the congregation.
The Watchtower of October 15, 1970, page 614, says directly that gambling is extortion:
Once again, that liberating force is the Word of God at work in the individual. The truth is that gambling is extortion, has its roots in greed and laziness, and is demoralizing, often leading to other wrongs. Knowing that all these are things condemned by God, the person wanting His approval has no difficulty in deciding to rid himself of such an undesirable habit.—1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Prov. 21:25.
Some of my friends and I could not see the connection between gambling and extortion, and we did not accept this claim.
1972 —2015: GAMBLING IS NO LONGER VIEWED AS EXTORTION BUT AS GREED
Several brothers, including myself, had problems with the previous definition of gambling as extortion, and in 1972, there was a change in viewpoint. Now, gambling was viewed as “greediness.” But as I will show, this definition does not fit any more than the definition “extortion.”
The new view of gambling as an expression of greed was presented in The Watchtower of October 1, 1972, page 592:
9 Gambling is not mentioned specifically in the Bible. What, then, should be the Christian’s attitude toward it?
10 Some might link it to extortion, mentioned at 1 Corinthians 6:10. However, the objection may be raised that “to extort” (a word having the same source as the word “torture”) carries the basic idea of using force, threats or other pressure (as by the abuse of official authority) to obtain something from an unwilling person. While individuals who lose money in gambling are not pleased to lose it, they generally gamble willingly and with full recognition that they run the risk of losing money. So, then, if gambling is not extortion, on what basis would the Christian refuse to approve it?
11 There is more than one Scriptural reason for doing so. Gambling certainly merits being classified as a form of “greediness,” and greediness and covetousness are classed along with idolatry in God’s Word. (1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Col. 3:5) It clashes with the basic Scriptural precept that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, and that man should do honest, productive labor to obtain gain. What productivity results from gambling? Its history shows that it is almost inevitably contributory toward crime in one fashion or another. And why? Because it is unloving. It incites selfishness and fosters lack of concern for others. The gambler wants the money of others without giving them any genuine service in return. Though some may class gambling with entertainment, the evidence shows that as often as not it creates tension, anxiety, resentment and even murderous anger.
The Watchtower of January 1, 1973, page 30, agrees that gambling “is a form of greediness.” And The Watchtower of October 1, 1974, page 582, says that gambling “often makes them greedy, dishonest, and almost unbelievably inconsiderate of others. It also destroys self-control.”
The Watchtower of September 1, 1980, page 30, has the following questions: “What guidance does the Bible provide concerning gambling? For example, would it be bad for a Christian to put up small money stakes in a card game played just for entertainment?”
The answer was:
The Scriptures do not provide a basis for any rigid rule against every “bet,” no matter how small. Yet they do help us to see that gambling is a serious wrong, one that can result in exclusion from the Christian congregation and from God’s kingdom…
Though the Bible does not discuss gambling in detail, it does provide us with principles that help in evaluating gambling. These make it clear that the Christian should be conscious of motive regarding gambling and of the effects gambling often produces.
It is widely acknowledged that gambling often leads to or incites greed. This is important to Christians, for the Bible strongly condemns “greediness.” God informs us that “greedy persons” will not inherit his kingdom, and that covetousness is to be classed with idolatry. Hence, sincere Christians want to avoid practices that might cause them to manifest greediness and thus to fall far short of the glory of God.—Col. 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Rom. 3:23…
Experience shows that many who became greedy, compulsive gamblers began by making petty bets ‘for entertainment.’ They saw that they could win small amounts and were tempted to try to win larger amounts. The greedy compulsion can addict a person, even leading to a life that previously would have been unthinkable.
And if a Christian unrepentantly pursues a course of greediness, it might even be necessary to remove him from the congregation, in harmony with the directions in God’s Word, which says, “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Paul adds: “Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom.”—1 Cor. 5:11-13; 6:9, 10.
The question is not directly answered. But the words that “greedy, compulsive gamblers began by making petty bets ‘for entertainment’” imply that any form of gambling is wrong. The Watchtower of December 15, 1980, page 29, said that even gambling for small amounts of money “can lead to cultivating greed.” The Watchtower of December 15, 1988, page 7, says:
Should a religious leader who claims to be a follower of Christ promote gambling? Hardly! Gambling in any form appeals to one of the worst qualities in humans—greed. Those who promote it encourage people to believe that it is right to profit from the losses of others. Yet, God’s inspired Word flatly states that greedy persons will not inherit God’s Kingdom.—1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Ephesians 4:19; 5:3.
The assertion that gambling in any form appeals to greed clearly is wrong. For example, the neighbor boy is a member of a sports club. He asks us to buy a lottery ticket to support his sports club. To do that is not “an insatiable desire to have more, which is the definition of “greed.” And I would say that most situations of gambling do not lead “to an insatiable desire for more.” It is also wrong that one who is gambling is profiting from the losses of others. This is, for example, not true in connection with charitable organizations that use different forms of gambling to get money to do their charitable work. In no way do I defend gambling, but most of the generalizations about gamblers that have been presented in The Watchtower are wrong. To be sure, some persons who gamble are, indeed, greedy, but that is not the case with many others.
The Awake! magazine of October 22, 1992, page 30, discussed gambling and had a great number of negative characteristics of gamblers. A reader wrote the following letter:
Gambling Your series “Gambling—Does It Pay?” (June 8, 1992) was excellent in showing the effects of compulsive gambling, but it was not balanced. To illustrate: Drunkenness is wrong, but drinking is not wrong in itself. Similarly, gambling can be a legitimate activity when it’s done in a balanced way. The occasional gambler is not necessarily lazy or desirous of dishonest gain.
The editors answered in the following way:
We do not agree that occasional gambling can be compared to moderate drinking. The latter is not condemned in the Bible. However, the Bible categorically condemns both greed and any appeals to “the god of Good Luck.” (Isaiah 65:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) A person who gambles even on a casual basis [occasionally] may still be motivated by the greedy desire to get something at the expense of others. Indeed, experience shows that compulsive gambling often begins as a casual pastime. Christians therefore wisely avoid all forms of gambling.—ED.
This answer repeats the mistaken stereotype that the motive for engaging in any form of gambling, be it lotto or buying a lottery ticket for a sports club or a charitable organization, is to get something at the expense of others. It also connects gambling with greed. The Awake! magazine of August 8, 1994, page 15, says:
The Bible does not discuss gambling in detail. Nevertheless, it does provide us with principles that help us determine how God views gambling. Experience has shown that gambling reflects greed. The Bible strongly condemns greed, warning that ‘no greedy person would have any inheritance in God’s kingdom.’ (Ephesians 5:5)…
What if a person is offered a free lottery ticket or free money to use for gambling? In either case, accepting such an offer would still be supporting a gambling operation—an operation out of harmony with godly principles.
The quotation shows that any contact with any form of gambling is wrong. Even accepting a free lottery ticket is said to be wrong. The brochure What Does God Require of Us? (1996) agrees that gambling in any form is wrong:
Every form of gambling is tainted by greed. So Christians do not take part in any kind of gambling, such as lotteries, horse racing, and bingo. (Ephesians 5:3-5)
The Watchtower of November 1, 2006, page 7, says:
Though popular among many, gambling is a form of greed, since it is an attempt to make money through the losses of others. Jehovah does not approve of those who are “greedy of dishonest gain.” (1 Timothy 3:8) If you wish to please Jehovah, then, you will refrain from any form of gambling, including lotteries, bingo, and betting on horse races.
The Watchtower of November 1, 2011, page 31, says:
Since we are living in a world that already has too many snares and temptations, why unnecessarily expose ourselves to yet another? (Proverbs 27:12) Gambling—with or without children present, for small or for large sums—endangers spirituality and should be avoided. Christians who enjoy board or card games as recreation would be better advised to keep a penciled score or to play the game simply for fun without keeping score. Wise Christians who care about their own spirituality as well as that of their friends and family avoid the practice of gambling—even for small sums of money.
The Awake! magazine of March 2015, page 13, says:
The basic nature of gambling—winning money at the expense of others—is at odds with the Bible’s warning to “guard against every sort of greed.” (Luke 12:15)…Gambling is based on an inherently selfish goal: winning money that other players have lost.
From 1961 to 1972, gambling was viewed as extortion. But then it was realized that this definition was wrong. In 1972, the issue was reconsidered, and gambling was reinterpreted to be a form of greediness. Both definitions were chosen, first “extortion” and then “greediness,” evidently to establish a connection between gambling and a scripturally sanctioned reason to disfellowship. And because the rendering in the NWT13 translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 shows that “greedy people” and “extortioners” must be disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation, these two definitions were the obvious candidates to establish that connection. But, as I will show below, even the rendering “greedy people” is inaccurate and misleading.
While the definition “extortion” was eventually discarded, there is one wrong description that has not been changed, but has been repeated in several references to gambling, as it is expressed in the last quotation above: “[gambling] is an attempt to make money through the losses of others.” These words may indicate that those who have written articles about gambling do not have an accurate knowledge of what gambling really is.
When poker is played, one player wins the money each time, and the other players lose their money—but this is voluntary. However, in most gambling enterprises, this is not the case—it is those who are betting who, in almost all cases, lose their money. Therefore, to declare that the method in which a gambler makes money is through the losses of others is completely wrong! Not only is the Governing Body’s description of gambling inaccurate, but the view that gamblers attempt “to make money through the losses of others” is the very basis for the definition “greed.” So, when this premise is wrong, the conclusion that gambling is a form of “greed” is wrong as well. This is linguistically confirmed in the next section.
The conclusion that gambling is a form of greed is wrong because the premise of that definition, that gamblers attempt to make money through the losses of others, is wrong. Moreover, almost no Christians will ever be guilty of “greed,” that defines as “an insatiable desire to have more”. |
THE NEW VIEW OF THE BOOK “SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD”
The conclusions regarding gambling in this book for elders are rather surprising because they contradict most of what has been written about gambling in the Watchtower literature since 1954, and the book presents a new view. It is also surprising that “extortion” is mentioned in the heading when the view that gambling was extortion was abandoned in 1972. I quote Shepherd the Flock of God (2025), Appendix A:
(1) If a Christian engages in petty gambling solely for entertainment, the elders would generally view this as a personal decision. However, the elders should provide him counsel if his conduct affects his spirituality or stumbles others. If he ignores the counsel and his conduct continues to negatively affect him or others, he could not be viewed as exemplary in the congregation. (Isa. 65:11; w11 3/1 pp. 12-14; w02 11/1 p. 31; g 3/15 pp. 14-15) A committee should be formed if an individual’s gambling reveals a course of greediness, perhaps causing harm to himself or others, and he ignores repeated counsel.
(2) A committee should be formed if a Christian’s employment is directly linked with gambling or makes him a clear accomplice or promoter of gambling. (w06 3/15 pp. 23-24 pars. 11-13) However, elders would usually give him six months to make the needed adjustments before forming a committee. The elders should consult the Service Department if they have questions.
(3) A committee should be formed if a Christian greedily extorts a high bride-price. — 1 Cor. 5:10, 11; 6:10; Heb. 13:5; w98 9/15 pp. 24-27; it “Extortion.”
(4) A business may give out prizes or prize money for advertising purposes or as part of a contest. Accepting such gifts is a personal decision. — Rom. 14:21; 1 Cor. 10:31-33.
The Watchtower of October 1, 1974, concludes that any form of gambling, from petty bets to bets of huge sums of money, is connected with greed and is therefore wrong. And The Watchtower of December 15, 1980, agrees and also shows that gambling for entertainment is wrong. The Awake! magazine of August 8, 1994 says that even to use a free lottery ticket is wrong because to do so would be tantamount to supporting the gambling operation. However, point 34 (1) in the Elders’ book says:
If a Christian engages in petty gambling solely for entertainment, the elders would generally view this as a personal decision.
A committee should be formed if an individual’s gambling reveals a course of greediness, perhaps causing harm to himself or others, and he ignores repeated counsel.
These words are very important because they show that some forms of gambling can be acceptable. They also show that gambling is not interchangeable with greed, but gambling can lead to “a course of” greed. Thus, neither the expressions “extortion” nor “greed” can be used to show that gambling is a disfellowshipping offense. Therefore, a great number of those who, during the 64 years since 1961, have been disfellowshipped because of gambling, have been unjustly so, that is, if we accept the Bible as the sole authority. This is confirmed by the words in the Elders’ book.
Point 34 (2) shows that contrary to the view expressed in 1954, a person who works or is connected with a gambling enterprise is guilty of a disfellowshipping offense:
A committee should be formed if a Christian’s employment is directly linked with gambling or makes him a clear accomplice or promoter of gambling.
But what is the nature of the offense warranting such judicial action? It cannot be “greed” on the brother’s part because to have a job is not a means of unjust gain or a form greediness. So, is the view that by being an employee of a gambling enterprise, the brother is responsible for the greed of others? But that can hardly be the case because the Elders’ book says that gambling solely for entertainment is not wrong. And even the Governing Body must admit that a great number of those who buy lottery tickets do that for entertainment with the hope of winning a prize.
So why should the brother who is an employee of a gambling enterprise be disfellowshipped? This is not stated, and therefore, a judicial committee must rely on the decisions of the members of the Governing Body, who have written that such a brother should be disfellowshipped.
Consider, for example, a Witness whose job is to maintain the playing machines installed in different shops. People can put in a small coin in such a machine, push the button, and see if they will win several small coins. This gambling is done for entertainment, which is now allowed by the Governing Body. But the Witness is guilty of a disfellowshipping offense because of his job in maintaining the machines that the Governing Body allows other Jehovah’s Witnesses to gamble on for entertainment purposes. What kind of sense does that make?
And what does it mean to be “a clear accomplice or promoter of gambling”? This will be a subjective assessment of the elders in the congregation. And I expect that, in many cases, two elders will call the Service Department, and the brothers in that department will decide the case according to the detailed rules the Governing Body has given them.
The problem with this consultation procedure is that the brothers in the Service Department will not personally be intimately acquainted with the situation. So, whether a Witness will be disfellowshipped or not depends on the stock answers provided by the Service Department, coupled with how the elders assess such an ambiguous situation.
| Contrary to what was published in The Watchtower of 1954, the book for elders mandates that a brother who continues to be employed by a gambling enterprise will be disfellowshipped. No scriptural reason is given for this disfellowshipping policy change. |
I will return to the last part of point (1) in the book for Elders. We read:
A committee should be formed if an individual’s gambling reveals a course of greediness, perhaps causing harm to himself or others, and he ignores repeated counsel.
How are the elders supposed to know when a person’s gambling changes and suddenly “reveals a course of greediness”? The elders cannot read the mind of a person who is gambling, and his actions, for the most part, are outside of their purview since the elders do not accompany him when he goes gambling. And even if they could see his gambling activities, they could still be misinterpreted.
This means that whether or not there is a course of greediness is highly subjective, and elders in different congregations will assess each situation differently. So, we must conclude that the decisions made in judicial cases involving gambling, both past and present, are deeply flawed. The Witnesses involved in such cases are not treated justly.
Point 34 (4) shows that contrary to the Awake! magazine of 8 August 1994, it is a matter of conscience if a person will accept a free lottery ticket. The reversal of so many sides of gambling that we see in the Elders’ book epitomizes the indisputable fact that it is the arbitrary and changing views of the Governing Body that are influencing the lives of the Witnesses rather than the words of the Bible.
Table 1.1 Different definitions of gambling
| 1954 | A Witness is allowed to be employed in a gambling enterprise. |
| 1961 | A Witness is not allowed to be employed in a gambling enterprise. |
| 1988 | Gambling in any form appeals to greed. |
| 1992 | Any form of gambling, small or great, is wrong. |
| 1994 | To use free tickets for “gambling” is wrong. |
| 1996 | Every form of gambling is tainted with greed. |
| 2019 | Petty gambling for entertainment is not wrong. |
| 2019 | If gambling reveals a course of greediness, that is a disfellowshipping offense. |
Figure 1.2 Different viewpoints regarding the nature of gambling
| 1961 | Gambling is a form of extortion, |
| 1970 | Gambling is extortion. |
| 1972 | Gambling is not extortion but a form of greediness. |
| 1973 | Gambling often makes people greedy. |
| 1980 | Gambling often leads to or incites greed. |
| 1980 | Gambling can lead to cultivating greed. |
| 1988 | Gambling in any form appeals to one of the worst qualities in humans—greed. |
| 1994 | Gambling reflects greed. |
| 1996 | Every form of gambling is tainted by greed. |
| 2019 | Petty gambling for entertainment is not greed. |
CONCLUSION
The changing viewpoints of the members of the Governing Body regarding gambling show that we cannot trust them. They have made a great number of human commandments that are binding on Jehovah’s Witnesses. But these commandments have changed repeatedly.
The real problem from a biblical point of view, is that every time the members of the Governing Body change their mind regarding a certain commandment, as in the case of gambling, the Witnesses say, “This is the truth.”
This means that ordinary Witnesses view the members of the Governing Body almost like prophets, because they have given themselves dictatorial power, and their words are just as important as the words of the Bible in the minds of most Witnesses.
