Why I Believe It's Okay for Christians to Carefully Participate in the Stock Market But Not Gambling

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I remembered years ago when I went against the stock market only because of David J. Stewart's nutjob conspiracy site Jesus-is-Savior. The guy may already be released probably under probation but he's still up and going with his insane conspiracy theories. He still continues to call the stock market a scam. It's no different than Steven Anderson's hatred for banks. It's no surprise that Stewart supports Anderson since both of them are nutjobs. It's really debatable if Christians should participate in the stock market. So, I decided to get some answers from Got Questions (which is a Calvinist site) to talk about whether or not Christians can get involved in the stock market or not.

Here's what Got Questions has to say in its article "Should a Christian invest money in the stock market?":

There are those who oppose investment in the stock market, saying that buying stocks is the equivalent of gambling. The argument goes that, since stocks are bought in the hope (not guarantee) that they will increase in value, it is a form of gambling. There are differences, however, between gambling at a casino or buying lottery tickets, and buying stock. Gamblers risk money, which they know they will probably lose, in the hopes of making money quickly. Wise investors buy partial ownership in a company in the hopes of making money over time, which can be a sound way to plan for the future. 

The difference really comes down to intent. Some types of investing, such as day-trading, are very much like gambling. Anything that requires "luck" above wise decision-making and long-term planning should be avoided. Most long-term investments return a profit over time, making them much more like buying bonds or certificates of deposit than rolling dice in a casino. There are many who use investments to secure retirement, education for their children, and inheritance for their families. 

Why do I think comparing stock market investment to gambling is wrong? In gambling, there's really no certainty and you are betting based on chance. Do you know the game of roulette or the game of Russian roulette? Do you know the game where a single bullet is used in a gun to see that it fires? That's what gambling is - it's a gamble because you leave it to chance. Meanwhile, stocks can be carefully planned, unlike gambling. In gambling, you're simply hoping to get that number you bet on. In stocks, careful monitoring will tell you when to buy and when to sell your stocks. It's common sense to tell you that you buy when the stock market is down and sell when the stock market is high. It's like you buy raw materials when the prices are lower before the demand season kicks in to earn a profit. Stock prices are dictated by the economic law of supply and demand. That's vastly different than gambling simply raise the bets to win or to lose. Stocks aren't governed completely by chance. Sure, there's a chance that prices may go higher or lower but it's determined by factors such as supply, demand, political, and economic factors that would cause these changes. It's not like gambling when it's all based on random guesses and incidents beyond the control of the gambler. That's why casinos make easier money than legitimate corporations. Corporations have to carefully plot their stocks. Casinos only wait for people to lose in their bets and pay up. 

Any wise bank involved in stocks will tell investors these other friendly reminders such as:

  1. Invest only your excess money in stocks. Don't invest in stocks when you don't have excess money to do so. Some may even deny an application to the stock market if they see the balance of the client is not suitable for it.
  2. Analyze the stocks before you even buy any. You may find that a company's performance will affect the stock value. 
  3. There may be other programs you can invest in when you don't have excess money for stocks. 
  4. If the promise is too good to be true then don't take it. Scams like double your money in such a short amount of time are just as dangerous as Satan's offer for your best life now.
Stocks are involved when it comes to corporations. Stocks are used by corporations to raise capital in order to grow the business. Those who own stocks also share in the corporation's profits. That's why they buy and sell stocks. I wonder if Stewart of Jesus-is-Savior even bothers to do any research (which he's so obsessed with conspiracy theories) before he starts writing when he wrote against the stock market. A Christian businessman who owns a corporation can issue stocks to do the same. Corporations aren't necessarily driven by greed when they have stock trade. They may be doing it to raise capital so they can give more to charity. 

This is where one must be careful about motives and careful planning. Stocks would mean you either come out with more money or you lose everything when you're recklessly investing. Some companies even have a stock ownership plan for the benefit of their employees. That means stock trading isn't inherently wrong, unlike gambling. However, it's best to guard the heart against greed while investing in stocks because that's when stock traders end up falling financially if they're not careful. It's like any other legitimate business that helps you earn money. If you're reckless and you lose a lot of money. If you're careful and patient then you may earn lots of money in due time. 

May we all learn to invest in money wisely for the glory of God. God bless!

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