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Q&A – Buying a Race Horse

January 7th, 2015

A quick question: Is buying a race horse a sin? I carefully read through the gambling articles on GQ and am not sure if buying a race horse fits the profile. The intent is to invest medium to long term and not bank on luck. My worry is on the people who will be betting on the horse I will be buying; hence my question. Any scriptural guidance?

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  • Dwight Payne Buy a slow one. That way you can still say that you own a race horse but no one will bet on it. Win-win situation. (sorry….I know you want serious responses but I couldn’t resist!)
    January 7 at 1:40pm · Like · 4
  • Evan Plante Betting to win would be a sin…but betting for show is a go.

    January 7 at 1:48pm · Like
  • Justin Tilghman Man, that’s a good question. The only thing that comes to my mind is Romans 14:13, ” Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

    I know you’re not planning on betting on the race horse, but you can rightly assume that individuals will be betting on the horse races. You would have to consider if that falls under putting a stumbling block before a brother who may struggle with gambling.

    Just a thought…
    January 7 at 2:28pm · Like · 1
  • Robert Pristoop I once asked a Baptist pastor if he would accept a large donation from a congregant who hit the lottery. He was emphatic and said “absolutely not!” However, when I asked a pastor of different denomination he said just as emphatically, “absolutely I would take the money and do something godly with it. The devil had that money long enough!” The real question is this–Is gambling a sin or is the love of money a sin? Like with drinking–some denominations insist that drinking is a sin–others insist that drunkeness is the sin as Jesus’ first miracle was water into wine. Then one must consider further–if I participate in what is NOT a sin for me, am I causing another believe to sin? If you believe that gambling (drinking, whatever) is not a sin for you because you find it as hairless fun and do not expect riches–can play in moderation without losing your home–does your owning a race horse cause someone else to stumble into sin? We give up our rights as believers to do what we want for the sake of the body. I don’t serve alcohol with communion in my congregation because it may cause another who is an alcoholic to stumble. Same with the race horse. It may tempt another believer beyond what he can resist and cause him to wager, not for fun but with sinful intentions.
    January 7 at 2:34pm · Like · 1
  • Wendyl Leslie I think this is one of those things that would fall under what Daniel Wallace calls the “sin-sniffer’s” verse: “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22). This is the passage that legalists like to use to find “sin” in just about everything we do.

    Obviously, there’s no Scripture that specifically condemns buying a race horse, betting on horses or even gambling. So who then are we to judge whether this man is committing a sin? However, we are judged by the “thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). And only God knows what this man’s real motives are.
    January 7 at 3:16pm · Like · 1
  • Kristi-Joy Matovich I haven’t read any of the comments, but I am just so happy that this question is here. It tickles my funny bone and my intellect at the same time, which is just awesome!
    January 7 at 4:44pm · Like · 1
  • Robert Lowry Regardless of the form it takes, there’s really only one reason people gamble. That is to get rich quick. The Bible condemns that: Proverbs 28:20, Proverbs 28:22, Jeremiah 17:11. So like 1 Cor 6:12 and 1 Cor 10:23 say, while for a Christian all things are lawful but not all things are expedient, it would seem that running a horse in races where gambling occurs would not be the expedient thing for a Christian, in that it could cause others to stumble as mentioned above.
    January 7 at 7:39pm · Like
  • Corpuz Valdemor Avellaneda Ramil just like owning a property being used as a beer house with your full consent.
    Yesterday at 2:58am · Edited · Like
  • Clive Roberts Hi All. Thank you for your comments. I think the key problem for me is that someone out there may be reckless in betting. But people who normally bet are doing so through proper processes and ticketing systems, which limits recklessness. If irresponsibility is mitigated through these systems; I suppose that it should not be a problem, isn’t it? It’s like buying a house, renting it out to someone, who in turn sells alcohol, but limits it to 1 per person. What are your thoughts?
    Yesterday at 3:42am · Edited · Like
  • Corpuz Valdemor Avellaneda Ramil Hi Clive Roberts…still any kind of betting has the connotation of “luck” and luck is something that is mystical outside the bounds of Scriptures
    Yesterday at 3:47am · Like
  • Jed Kramer L.U.C.K. “Living Under Christ’s Kindness”
    22 hrs · Like · 1
  • Jed Kramer Clive, I strongly believe this is a matter of conscience for you. As Wendyl pointed out, some may go in a legalistic direction while others may claim liberty. You might consider whether this will benefit or hinder your work for the kingdom. It sounds like you are approaching the situation with due diligence and desiring righteousness. It seems like all you need now is a peace from the Holy Spirit regarding which choice to make. It took a few months with loads of people praying for me about a decision before I finally had a peace about it. Again, it was a big decision with biblical support for both options. The Holy Spirit finally gave me a peace about it, and everything fell into place according to God’s will.

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