Churches come out against casino

PARIS -- While the debate on casinos has been largely couched in facts and figures, on Monday pastors brought something different to the discussion: stories.

Calling on a long tradition of morality-based storytelling, Pastor Dallas Henry of the Hosanna New Testament Church in Oxford told stories to illustrate what he called "the evils of gambling."

Representatives from nine area churches gathered at the war monuments of Moore Park to voice their opposition to a proposed casino in the town of Oxford. The press conference was attended by approximately 30 people.

"I would like to begin with a story," said Reverend Dallas Henry. "It's not a happy story, not the kind of story you will hear from those who are promoting casino gambling. It's about a man named Aaron Walsh."

Henry went on to talk about Walsh, who Henry said was an Apache helicopter pilot who went AWOL in 2005 in Korea to indulge his gambling addiction. After losing $20,000, Walsh was discharged from the army, and spent time in Las Vegas as a homeless vagrant. When Walsh returned to his family in Maine, he gambled away needed money at Hollywood Slots in Bangor.

"Deeply ashamed, he left Hollywood slots and made the long, lonely drive to Baxter State Park," said Henry. "There he ended his life with a shot gun blast to the head."

The story was just one of many that appealed to voters on the basis of morality and character, rather than dollars and cents.

"Children have dies as a direct result of adult gambling problems," said Henry. "Children have died after being locked in hot cars while caretakers gambled. A woman suffocated her daughter with a pillow to collect life insurance to support her gambling problem."

Henry often used biblical language in his speech.

"Is the life of Aaron Walsh and his family a fair bargain in exchange for the promise of a few pieces of silver?" he asked.

"Both Hollywood Slots and the Oxford casino are pretending to be good samaritans," he said. "They say they want to help Bangor and Oxford County. It's more like thieves quarreling over the wallet of a man they just robbed."

After the event, Pastor John Callina of the Stow Baptist Church said that his stance on the issue was a matter of morality.

"As a pastor, my obligation is to point out the evils that people are looking at," he said. "The bible tells us to lay up our treasures in heavan, not here on earth. The majority of people know that it isn't a good thing."

Pastor Frank Jewett of the Oxford Advent Christian Church said that he felt people could be swept away by the emotional appeal of gambling.

"Voting no is the only option for people who care about this community and are reading the serious studies and research," he said. "Voting one's emotions is gambling at best. I'm encouraging people to read, think and pray. Then vote. We'll all win then."

The event was sponsored by the Pastors Prayer Fellowship of the Oxford Hills, including representatives from the Oxford Advent Christian Church, the Faith Chapel/Assembly of God in Oxford, the Stow Baptist Church, the Faith Community Church in Lovell, the Hosanna New Testament Church in Oxford, the South Paris Baptist Church, the Norway Church of the Nazarene, the Spurrs Corner Alliance, and the Twin Bridges Pentecostal Church of Harrison.

Pastors Photo:

PREACHING TO THE CHOIR -- During a press conference, Pastor Dallas Henry blasted a proposed casino project to a crowd of casino opponents.