As a lot of you know by now the Hawaii State House Judiciary Committee just passed through 2 bills designed to allow casino gambling to start up in Hawaii. House Bill 2759 authorizes the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to allow gaming casinos on Hawaiian Homes parcels as it deems necessary and House Bill 2251 would allow for creation of a gaming commission that would issue a single five-year license to a casino operator on O'ahu. I think its a farce to try to pass this on as helping the State with it's financial crisis especially our furlow Friday's which they themselves say would barely generate enough to cover.
 From a Social aspect it hurts the citizens of Hawaii in the following ways.
 It Causes addiction, it doubles bankruptcy, it Increases crime, it Increases suicides, it contributes to divorce, it damages the economy, it cannibalizes jobs, it corrupts politics more than usual, it stimulates illegal gambling. Each one of these can be expounded upon with clear numbers based on the other 47 states that have some form of legalized gambling.
 From a Christian and moral aspect gambling hurts the citizens of Hawaii in the following ways.
Gambling is an attempt to get something without working for it.The Bible stresses the importance of work (2 Thes.3:10-11; Eph.4:28). Gambling is motivated by greed. Let’s be honest and admit that greed lies at the heart of all gambling. The desire to get something for nothing is really another name for covetousness (Exodus 20:17; Prov. 21:25-26).
 The only power that we should be under is that of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us, "All things are lawful (permitted) unto me, but all things are not expedient (beneficial); all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Cor.6:12). Gambling associates you with the wrong people. God tells us in His Word. 1 Thes. 5:22- "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Cor. 15:33- "Evil communications corrupt good manners. Gambling is the opposite of faith. God expects His children to walk by faith not by chance. We cannot please God unless we are willing to walk by faith. Christians are to put their trust in God for financial resources, not in blind fate such as gambling. Bible promotes good stewardship, which is the total opposite of gambling. Gambling undermines the principle of good stewardship. Ultimately all things belong to God and we are his stewards (Ps.24:1).
 Lastly gambling shows a lack of love for my neighbor. If I really love my neighbor, We should want only what is for his good (Matt. 22:39, 1 Cor. 10:24). When our legislators talk about putting casinos in the homestead so we can prey on the greed and weakness of our neighbors (and mainlander tourists), they reveal the harmful assault that gambling really is. Can you in good conscience support something that preys on the weaknesses and indulges the worst instincts of the precious people around us?