The Ethics 'of Gamblipg
The report of the Social and Industrial Commission of the Church Assembly on the ethics of betting and gambling is an interesting and in some ways surprising document. The conclusion it reaches is that " the arguments advanced by those who think gambling intrinsically wrong " cannot be sustained, and a striking feature of the report is the assiduity with which the Commission seems to set itself to counter the contentions of those who condemn gambling out-and-out. This initial verdict is, of course, qUalified by many reserva- tions, and the abuses of gambling are shown, intentionally or otherwise, to outweigh substantially in their volume and nature gambling without abuse. It is a little surprising not to find more consideration given to the use of money as a stewardship, of which a man must give account to his own conscience if to no other tribunal ; the Parable of the Talents was not spoken for nothing. Not many persons when they have planned their outgoings, reckoning reasonable recreation as among the proper and necessary items of expenditure, will find there is much left which can better be committed to the vicissitudes of chance than expended in some other way. There is, of curse, room for infinite argument as to the Interpretation of the word wrong ; but the Church at least must include in that category a deliberate choice of the second best. There is some danger that this report may provide basis for the stmunary declaration : " The Church says that gambling is not wrong ; " the report (which does not, of course, commit the Church) actually affirms that in many, probably most, circumstances gambling is wrong.
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