Secular means non-religious
Gambling
· In 2001, the gambling industry in Australia was worth $133 Billion; $13.3 billion was lost- $1.69 billion at the races, $11.6 billon at casinos and gambling venues and $41.4 million through sports fixture betting. This it $631 per adult a year.
· Catholic: Nothing is wrong with gambling as long as the game is honest, the stakes moderate and within the means of the players, and the money staked is one’s own.
· Assemblies of god (Charismatic) (Protestant): The church believes gambling is a form of evil that the Christian seeking to live by scriptural principles should avoid.
· Lutheran: Gambling is to be avoided since it is an effort to get something without working for it.
· Salvation Army: Gambling is contrary to the Christian principles as it seeks gain at the expense of others, solely on the basis of chance. Salvationists should resist participation in any scheme which would give them material advantage on the basis of chance.
· Islam: All forms of gambling are haram or forbidden in Islam. Nevertheless, as in all religions, there are those who have serious problems with gambling. In the Arabic and other ethnic communities, gambling and gamblers carry a social stigma, and it leads to a loss of face in the community for the gambler and his family. As a result, people who gambled hid the extent of their activities and were reluctant at admit to problems or seek professional help. Recently (200-1), the Islamic Council of NSW worked with the Australian Arabic Communities Council in conducting an educational and counseling campaign within the Arabic (not all Arabs are Muslims) and Muslim communities in Sydney on the dangerous consequences of gambling, with the aim of targeting problem gamblers within these communities.
You won't learn anything this way though...
There is plenty more into on gambling on the main resource page
