Cardinal calls for lottery boycott

[emad]

March 13, 2005
Sunday Times

SCOTLAND'S most senior Catholic churchman has called for a boycott of lottery tickets in protest at more than Ï3m in funding given to organisations that help women obtain
abortions.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien has accused the National Lottery of misusing funds by financing Brook Advisory Centres and the FPA (formerly the Family Planning Association). He says people should "think very carefully" before buying a lottery ticket as they will be supporting groups that offer abortions. He believes they should support other charities instead.

A total of 17 awards, worth Ï1.7m, have been made to Brook Advisory Centres and eight grants totalling Ï1.6m have gone to the FPA. Both groups offer advice on contraception to young people and will refer pregnant women to abortion clinics.

The Catholic church claims that, in contrast, sexual health services with Christian aims, which encourage women to keep their babies, have not been given lottery cash. "I remain concerned at what I believe to be a blatant misuse of funds given in good faith by members of the public who hope to buy a winning lottery ticket but equally want to give to good causes," said O'Brien, the archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh. "I would urge anyone concerned with the sexual health of future generations to think very carefully before supporting the national lottery. I am quite staggered at the volume of funds provided to these agencies

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-1523541,00.html

[starwolf]

1. I boycott all lotteries

They are nothing more than a tax on the stupid supported by tax dollars.

They are also an escape for the politicians who are unwilling to stand up, make hard choices, and lead.

[TahitiNut]

3. Including Bingo Night in the basement of ...

... Our Lady of Perpetual Collections? :evilgrin:

[starwolf]

4. Charity and politics begin at home

As a fundraiser for something I support locally? Sure, its not that there is any real value received in return. I try hard to insure that not a dime of my money goes to politicians and national level organizations, regardless of affiliation.

[VegasWolf]

5. In Vegas we have "Our Lady of the Perpetual Collection Plate". n/t

[SemperEadem]

2. who's he going to complain to? The pope?

He's been personna non grata in Scotland since 1558. John Knox took care of that one.

Perhaps since there are no funds going toward the objectives the priest wants, the church needs to melt down some gold and put its money where its mouth is, for once.