Arkansas Catholics Told To Stop Bingo Games

[matcom]

<snip>

LITTLE ROCK -- The Roman Catholic bishop of Arkansas says parishes cannot conduct any more bingo games in the predominantly Baptist state where most gambling is illegal.

Bishop J. Peter Sartain wrote to pastors and administrators last week, telling them to stop the games, which are banned by the state Constitution. Only pari-mutuel wagering at race tracks in Hot Springs and West Memphis are allowed.

The pastor of a Catholic church and school in Conway, Arkansas, says, "We're all stunned." The Reverend Tom Byrne says tuition is never enough to meet expenses, so bingo has supplemented the parish budget for 27 years.

http://www.wftv.com/family/3597312/detail.html

[demnan]

1. Then the ghost of Virginia Clinton Kelly rose up and smote them

Clinton's mother loved gambling according to Clinton's book. I can image her reaching down from heaven and placing a boot up the ass of the Baptists.

[izzie]

2. Tell me you are pulling my leg?

Is this a thing like your sin is not mine so you can not do it?

[mmonk]

3. I'm not surprised

as other Christians are deemed not Christians by the fundamentalist right, so I won't be surprised at laws against Catholics getting traction, even for charity.

[ChoralScholar]

4. It's Conway folks.

Even though it's home to the University of Central Arkansas (10,000 students) and Hendrix College (4,000 students) the town is one of the MOST conservative in an already conservative state. St. Joseph Catholic Church in Conway is generally known for being underfunded, so they're always having a bazaar or some such to raise money.

It's sad that they take bingo away from them.

[dbt]

5. Whoever wants to be our next Guber-nor

has only to run on a "legalize bingo" platform. Hell, even them queerboys likes they bingo!

:evilgrin:
dbt
Barefoot In Little Rock

[JVS]

6. Good for the Bishop

A lot of churches of all stripe break laws in our country because they know that the law enforcement will look the other way. Near my house there is a Uniate church that every year holds a carnival with Bingo, Blackjack, Roulette and several other games of chance. Recently there was an article in the paper about church fundraisers of this sort in which a policeman said that unless someone loses a paycheck and his/her spouse is mad enough to file a complaint, they don't care. But if a complaint is filed they have to tell the church to stop. Of course if an organization that the police don't look towards as benevolently (say a Montessori school or a martial arts club) were to try the same thing, I'm sure they'd bust it. Cheers to Bishop Sartain for rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's, namely being a law abiding presence in the community.

[Endangered Specie]

7. Praise the Lord! and pass the BINGO cards!

[Reverend_Smitty]

8. Wow, If they ever outlawed bingo in my area

there would be a mass uprising of angry old ladys ready to kick ass...and then they would board a bus and go to Atlantic City :)