Joint Bishop's Letter Regarding Gambling Expansion
OHIO BISHOPS OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
To: The United Methodist People of Ohio
From: Bishop Bruce R. Ough, West Ohio Conference
Bishop John L. Hopkins, East Ohio Conference
Date: April 7, 2008
RE: A Pastoral Letter on the Expansion of Gambling in Ohio
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God, our gracious creator and provider, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.
As the episcopal leaders of the United Methodist people in Ohio, we write to you with a grave concern for the repeated, relentless and reckless efforts to expand gambling in Ohio. With blatant disregard for the citizens of Ohio who have repeatedly and resoundingly said "No" to the expansion of gambling, the gambling industry is once again mounting a well-funded campaign to introduce casino gambling to our state.
An organization called "My Ohio Now" intends to introduce a ballot initiative this fall that would change the state's Constitution to create a $600,000,000 single site casino and resort destination in Clinton County, centrally located between Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. The "My Ohio Now" website claims this destination casino gambling site will be the most amazing entertainment complex in the Midwest, calling it "a beautiful mansion that reflects our Midwestern sensibilities."
United Methodists in Ohio, like United Methodists around the world, embrace a core set of values handed down to us from John Wesley, the founder of our great evangelical and spiritual movement. These core values are:
Ø Do no harm
Ø Do good
Ø Stay in Love with God
This way of living is the foundation of our "sensibilities." We know that these core values are incompatible with a casino gambling "mansion" designed to exploit God's people.
We do not want the citizens of Ohio to be deceived by the glamour of this proposal, the appeal of "My Ohio Now's" television advertisements or the promise that a destination casino gambling site will be an economic engine for Ohio.
Perhaps, more disturbing is the fact that the "My Ohio Now" initiative, if approved, would use the state's Constitution to create a casino gambling monopoly for the two business persons developing the proposal. No one else would be able to compete with them. Our state's Constitution gives no other business a monopoly. Apart from the devastating impact of casino gambling, granting two developers a monopoly guaranteed by our Constitution is an assault on our Midwestern and American sensibilities.
This ballot initiative will also change Ohio's gambling status to a Class III Gambling State. This will open the door to Tribal gambling. The Eastern Shawnee already have agreements with several communities within Ohio to develop casinos should the door be opened. Tribal gambling operations cannot be regulated by the state. Recent decisions to expand Ohio's current lottery to include the highly addictive game of Keno have already signaled to the gambling interests that the door is opening to casino gambling. It is time, once again, for the citizens of Ohio to say, "No!" The United Methodist people of Ohio can and will lead the way.
We write to remind you of what you already know and have faithfully expressed at the ballot box. The United Methodist Church stands firmly against gambling. This is an historical and unwavering conviction, deeply rooted in our Wesleyan tradition of personal and social holiness. The United Methodist Church believes that "gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life, and destructive to good government." [Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, paragraph 163.G of The Book Of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2004)]
Gambling is addictive. Gambling thrives on tricking people into believing that they can get something for nothing. This is not a Midwestern sensibility. Gambling is far more than recreation; it is far more than a moral issue; it is far more than an escape from responsible daily living. Gambling is bad economics and irresponsible government.
We remind you that churches and other 501-c-3 organizations are allowed by law to take positions on issues and to advocate for their defeat or passage. It is the Church's right and holy responsibility to impact the social, spiritual and moral fabric of our society and to seek the welfare of all God's people. Opposing the expansion of gambling in Ohio is justice work. Justice work changes systems that are unjust and prevents destructive systems from being established.
We urge you to become fully informed and engaged in this issue. A joint East and West Ohio Conference Anti-Gambling Task Force has been organized to lead our efforts to stop the expansion of gambling. They have our strong endorsement and support. You will be receiving more information from them over the next several months about this ballot issue and our related efforts to stop the introduction of Keno. We need persons to volunteer as county coordinators. You can contact Dee Stickley-Miner (dstickley@wocumc.org) in West Ohio Conference or Paul White (paul.white@eocumc.com) in East Ohio for more information or to volunteer.
Begin even now to educate yourself, your church members and neighbors. Begin even now to pray for God's guidance, strength, courage and wisdom. Begin even now to offer your time and talent as an advocate or a county coordinator. Begin even now to practice the Methodist Way of living regarding this and many similarly complex issues facing our state and nation by doing no harm, by doing good and by staying in love with God.