Ellen White on Why Raffles are Deceptive and Demoralizing

Raffles and similar gift enterprises are deceptive practices that have no place in the church and serve as a demoralizing influence on both young and oldEv 253.2+2. While these methods are often used under a cloak of sanctity to raise money for religious purposes, they are actually devices used to obtain money without value receivedEv 253.2+1.

The Demoralizing Influence of Raffles

• A "Nursery of Crime": Raffles and "grab-bags" are considered nurseries of crime because they promise something for nothing and are essentially a form of gamblingGC88 387.2.

• Loss of Dignity: These practices lead the youth to believe there is something fascinating about obtaining means through games of chance rather than through earnest, industrious workWM 289.1+1.

• Weakened Restraint: Participation in these activities weakens the barriers of self-restraint and appeals to selfishness, appetite, and a love for displayCSA 22.7+1.

• Spiritual Darkness: Engaging in such worldly amusements chills religious aspirations and debases the faculties that link humanity with the spiritual worldCSA 22.7.

The Church and Secular Allurements

The church is often found doing the work of the enemy when it sanctions gift concerts, raffles, and lotteries to pay for church expenses2Red 68.2+1. Such offerings are viewed by God as "lame and diseased," and they bear His curse because they are the "price of souls"Ev 253.2+2. Instead of appealing to the lust of appetite or carnal amusements, the church should rely on the willing, heart-felt offerings of those who give for the love of ChristEv 253.2+1. As the inhabitants of the earth increasingly follow their own unholy imaginations, the church must stand apart from these corruptions Genesis 6:5HLv 425.4.

God's Appointed Way of Giving

God has provided a successful and holy plan for raising means that does not require the excitement of a lottery or a raffleCon 70.4+1.

• Systematic Benevolence: Believers are instructed to set aside tithes and offerings regularly as God has prospered them Malachi 3:10+1CSW 129.2+1.

• The Example of Moses: When building the tabernacle, Moses did not institute lotteries or profane feasts; he simply invited the people to bring freewill offerings from the heart, which resulted in more than enough meansEv 253.2+1.

• The Power of Faith: Those who move forward in faith, even when the way is not clear, will find that God's resources are unfailing and far superior to human devicesChS 110.1+2.

Ultimately, we are called to be holy temples for God, and those who are being squared and polished for the heavenly building will not be found taking part in lotteries or raffles 1 Corinthians 3:16-17EA 212.3+1.