CASBACASINO COM

Religious Casinos

Calgary’s separate schools must not be used as venues for gambling, even if it’s for a good cause, says Fred Henry, the city’s Roman Catholic bishop. As the Calgary Sun reported Wednesday, Henry says he believes the practice of sponsoring casinos to raise money for school projects only promotes a culture of greed. “I asked the [Calgary Catholic School District] board to look into this matter and to adopt a policy they would not resort to casino gambling or VLT gambling revenues to support school projects,” Henry told the Sun. “There is a very clear position of Catholic morality that is spelled out about the false Eden of gambling.” The board appears to be divided on the issue. Chair Cathie Williams says they intend to go ahead with several casino fundraisers that have already been scheduled with the approval of the schools involved.

At the same time, she says discussions with the entire community on this issue have already been planned for the spring. “We have no policy said about casinos, so this is something that’s been on the table for quite awhile,” she said. Trustee Michael O’Malley, on the other hand, welcomes Henry’s intervention. “I think the board’s dragging their heels on this,” he said, “but it’s pretty clear it’s morally problematic. [Casino gambling] is not a very Christian atmosphere.” At immediate issue is a casino fundraiser scheduled for an elementary school early in February with a goal of raising $60,000 toward the construction of a new playground. O’Malley says although the school council approved the event, others – including parents – are opposed to it.

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