A recent Pew Research Center survey titled Spirituality Among Americans found that 70% of U.S. adults describe themselves as spiritual, with nearly 50% identifying as both religious and spiritual. Now consider that 60% of the country’s adult population have gambled in the past year. The math infers that today’s topic regarding gambling and spirituality is relevant to over 109 million Americans. Interest has been spurred further of late after it was just reported that a Pennsylvania priest was arrested for allegedly stealing over $117K from his church to cover gambling debt.
Gambling’s place in religion and spirituality (or vice versa) has been a highly contentious topic for as long as both have concurrently existed. It has become even more debatable since gambling addiction swept across the planet like a plague. It’s an unlikely coincidence that the acronym for the Gambling Commission’s recommended multi operator and national self-exclusion schemes is MOSES.
However, it’s important to clarify that we’re not here to debate what the Bible, Buddha, or other effigy of spirituality (as you see it) does or doesn’t say about the activity. Given that you performed an online search about whether or not gambling is bad for your spirituality, you’re wondering if you could be compromising your ethereal self. For this, we can provide valuable insight. If the act of gambling itself is not a violation, your problematic relationship with it could indeed lead to complications. Allow us to explain.
Why Your Problematic Relationship with Gambling Could be Problematic for Your Spiritual Self
Behavioral Changes and Actions That Come from Problem Gambling
No matter what spiritual force you believe in, there are clear consistencies over what is considered bad for your “soul”. Call them the commandments or common sense – the moral, ethical, and legal compromise that often comes with compulsive gambling can compromise spiritual integrity. Research has shown that compulsive gamblers often resort to one or a combination of the following:
- Theft and embezzlement to cover gambling activity and subsequent debt
- Lying to friends, family, and loved ones
- Domestic violence
- Neglect of children and dependents
- Shirking responsibilities at work
- Attempted suicide
- Sloth and gluttony
View more on the dangers of gambling and those that the average American doesn’t already know about. From this information you can clearly see that while gambling in itself may not harm your spirituality, the behavioral changes that may come most certainly can.
What You Can Do To Heal Your Behavioral, Mental, and Spiritual Self
In an ideal world, your self-identified spirituality could be called upon to heal your problematic relationship with gambling. Unfortunately, there is nothing idyllic about the gambling crisis that America currently finds itself in. Research consistently shows that most people cannot quit gambling on their own. Self-exclusion has become particularly harder with the proliferation of online gambling. To truly heal your behavioral and mental, and ultimately spiritual self, you are encouraged to get support from experts in problem gambling counseling and therapy. Only then will you gain the clarity and peace of mind that you are desperately searching for.
Take immediate action to loosen the grip that gambling has on your spiritual self. Click or call below to make a change for the better.
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