Gentle readers will be interested to learn that Ron Geary, Cincinnati Christian University President in the late 1980s, is completing purchase of a small horse-racing venue, Ellis Park, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky (motto: "With bourbon, tobacco and racehorses, we cover all the vices").
SWNID firmly opposes all forms of gambling, which we see as the financial exploitation of the inability to do math by appealing to greed. We will not even enter a contest if it involves the wager of a first-class stamp (sorry, Publishers' Clearing House, but that means you). We do not consider the operation of a gambling emporium to be a suitable business venture for a person committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But unlike Mr. Geary, we are neither a businessman (that's obvious) nor a citizen of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where the culture of horseracing has a storied history. Further, we stipulate that parimutuel betting, like that on a horse track, at least offers the prospect of a winning margin over time to those whose expertise in the contest is well above average. In this respect it is different from casino gambling or state lotteries, which assure that over time everyone loses but the house.
Nevertheless, the offer of the horse track is still financial gain without labor or thrift, an unholy fantasy. And a small percentage of the human population, comprising a significant number of people, are especially susceptible to the allure of gambling, becoming "addicted" to the thrill of the wager to the point of economic and social ruin.
So we wish Mr. Geary good luck in his venture and pray for God's protection for any who would patronize his establishment. That seems appropriate to us.
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