Gambling
Why is sin being viewed differently at churches, even in WELS churches, in today's world? It is accepted. God plainly states sin is sin and he hates it. The whole idea of adiophora has become for many pastors and religious leaders an excuse to sin. The Bible may not say anything about gambling being wrong, but it is an abuse of God's money, given as a gift and God wants that money to be managed properly. To say it is okay to gamble for whatever reason is to say that God doesn't care how we use his gifts.
When it comes to adiaphora (those things that God has neither commanded nor forbidden), people might reach different, conscientious decisions on concluding whether something is right or wrong. The early Christians in Rome (diet and special days, Romans 14) and Corinth (meat sacrificed to idols, I Corinthians 8) illustrate that.
The Bible does not specifically address gambling, but does speak of greed and covetousness that can easily and often be associated with gambling. In addition, the Bible instructs us not to squander the resources that God has entrusted to us, but rather use them to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), to pay taxes (Romans 13:6-7), to give back to the Lord and his church (1 Corinthians 16:2) and to help those who have needs (1 John 3:17). “Gambling for whatever reason” is not a course of action we advocate.