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January 2005 |
Challenged in a season of hope
With global and Indiana events happening in December that shook us socially and compassionately, our relief and advocacy work during Epiphany - a season of hope - has been determined. January's agenda will challenge us both physically and spiritually.
The Dec. 26 South Asia tsunami catastrophe with more than 140,000 deaths and displacement of millions of people, we are challenged with a relief task greater than we have may have ever experienced. Our hearts pour out to the people of the 11 Indiana Ocean countries directly affected by this heartbreak reality of nature. We pray for the millions of survivors and work towards their well being in face of disease, hunger and poverty.
Here at home, many Hoosier United Methodists were shocked that Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson announced to a sell-out Colts game just before Christmas that he and the Colts had struck a deal that included building a new stadium for the Indianapolis Colts and financing the project with funds from yet-to-be-approved pull-tab slot machines to be placed at an Off Track Betting parlor in Downtown Indianapolis. This seemingly "done-deal" is a long way from reality because Peterson still seeks the passage of legislation by the General Assembly and the approval of the Indianapolis-Marion City-County Council.
Indiana Area United Methodists join with the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, under the leadership of United Methodist retired clergy John Wolf of Valparaiso and Dick Hamilton of Indianapolis. We all need to write immediately to our respective legislators in both the Indiana House and Senate to block, not the stadium and needed expansion of the convention center, but the expansion of gambling in and the introduction of casino-style land-based gambling in Indianapolis. We especially need to let Indiana Senator Robert Jackman (R-Dist. 42) of Milroy, as sponsor of the pull-tab legislation, and Governor Mitch Daniels our collective opposition to any expansion of gambling whether to save a waning horse-race industry or the construction of a new stadium for the Colts and other organizations using the stadium. This past November, United Methodists helped defeat gambling expansion in California, Washington, Michigan, Missouri and Nebraska. We can defeat this expansion in Indiana, too.
As the United Methodist Social Principles proclaim, "gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government." (see Bishop's response on page 2). Furthermore, government sponsored and endorsed gambling in any form reflects bad public policy for, in the minds of a state's citizens, it's a state endorsement of gambling with the illusion that legalized gambling improves the economy. So what good has legalized gambling done for Hoosiers in the last decade of legalized gambling? Legalized gambling continues to fund the casino industry outside of Indiana with limited benefits in proportion to the millions of dollars that flow through its coffers. For many Hoosiers it means increased personal debt, bankruptcy and broken homes. So where is all the good? And why does the National Football League want to be so closely associated with gambling? If approved, don't be surprised if the gambling industry seeks to place pull-tab machines in the concourse of that new stadium with the endorsement of government.
And finally, as we begin a new year, we pray for and support children, especially disadvantaged children in Indiana. This state experiences child homicide at the average rate of one-child-a-week. Even one child homicide a year needs to be too much for us to tolerate. Let us support United Methodist-related ministries to children through Bashor Home in Goshen, Indiana Children's Home in Lebanon and our Youth Home in Evansville. Let us support both North and South Conference Boards of Church and Society as they work with churches and the legislature for better laws and regulations in "Putting Children First," with adequate funding and ongoing partnerships in helping abused and neglected children and their families.
These challenges are before us as we begin this new year this season of Epiphany. Our hope is not one of defeating or defending issues, but of a better society for the common good of all. Each challenge seems to be a tall order, but as Hoosier UNITED Methodists with more than 1,200 congregations and 225,000 members and the strength of Christ's Spirit with us.... ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
Grace and peace,
Daniel R. Gangler
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008