Some campus ministry leaders at ETSU say they are opposed to the creation of a lottery in Tennessee, but some student members believe it could benefit the state.
On Nov. 5, Tennessee voters will decide whether or not amend the state constitution to allow the legislature to create a lottery. Statewide, religious leaders and churches have led the effort opposing the measure.
The United Methodist conference has taken a stand against it, although the Wesley Foundation, the church’s campus ministry, as a whole has not. “Playing the lottery is placing your faith in the wrong places,” said Jerry Everly, Wesley Foundation director.
Many residents of Tennessee visit bordering states, such as Georgia and Virginia, to play the lottery, but that is no excuse for Tennessee to bring it here, Everly said. “Would we use the same argument for prostitution? If prostitution was legal in those states, would you feel that Tennessee should legalize it as well?”
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational organization that does not take a political stand or lobby against issues as a group. However, Earle Chute, director of Campus Crusade, said students are encouraged to consciously look at both sides of the argument to form an opinion.
Chute believes that the lottery has a negative affect on the poor because they are the people who usually spend their money on tickets and the chances of winning are remotely slim. He believes that the lottery is a stewardship issue. “Christians should be good stewards of the resources God has given them,” he said.
Brad Bowling, student president of Campus Crusade, is opposed to the lottery because it would cause more harm than good to communities. Bowling, whose father-in-law is leading the anti-lottery campaign in west Tennessee, said, “It would not take the burden off of the lower class.”
The Rev. Jim Kirkpatrick, director of the Presbyterian Campus Ministry, believes that the lottery is a bad way to use God’s money. “Any society which seeks shortcuts to earn money weakens itself.”
Curtis Stapleton of the Reformed University Fellowship said that the issue has not reached priority status within his organization. “While the essence of gambling is a sin in the scripture, it is only a symptom of sin, not a cause,” he said.
Adam Suter, student intern of the Presbyterian Campus Ministry and Georgia Tech graduate, has a slightly different opinion about the proposed lottery.
Suter enjoyed a free ride through five years of college at Georgia Tech thanks to the HOPE scholarship, which was created by the Georgia lottery revenues. He said the lottery opens up opportunities for people to go to college who otherwise would not get the chance.
The HOPE scholarship guarantees students who graduate from a Georgia high school with at least a 3.0 GPA a chance to attend a state college free as long as the student maintains the 3.0.
Michael Carter, ETSU senior and president of the Catholic Center, said he would like to see Tennessee establish a HOPE scholarship program. Carter said he would not personally run out and play the lottery, but he supports one if the proceeds go toward education. “The money could pay for better teachers and open educational doors for kids in rural areas,” Carter said.
Adam Hickey and Michael Stohler, students from the Wesley Foundation, agree that the lottery is not a religious issue and both are excited about Tennessee possibly having it. “People just need to control their behaviors,” said Hickey, a junior.
Stohler, a senior, said, “Enough people go to our border states and play it anyway.”
Shannon Tripp, freshman, also a member of the Wesley Foundation, said, “The lottery is a good way to generate a lot of money into our state budget.”
With the November elections quickly approaching, there are many varying opinions on the issue.

Author