Australians generally love to gamble. From the National game two-up to horseracing, and from the humble scratch-it to the proverbial two flies on the wall – we are all prepared to have a flutter occasionally. Some of us on more occasions than we would like to admit.
We are the only country in the world to have an annual horse race stop the Nation. Each week we spend millions of dollars hoping our numbers will come up or that we will crack a poker machine jackpot. On-line betting companies spend a fortune on TV advertising to offer us numerous enticements to collect on single bets or multis. And surprise, surprise, our betting can all be done on our mobile phones.
We buy raffle tickets for anything from plastic dolls to house and car packages and nobody seems immune from the itch to scratch, in the hope that three of something will provide instant riches.
Many of us even gamble on the possibility that there is no God, no life after death and no final judgement.
It’s strange how we spend considerable time reading the tipsters comments on-line and in the sporting reports before we part with our money. Yet we pay little attention to the Good Book, which should start an odds-on favourite as the best form guide around for the human race.
As sure as God made little apples there will be life after death. However, we never know when our individual finishing posts will loom up before us…….. So why should we bet against a certainty – we wouldn’t do it in this life, now would we?
I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.