Gambling: Betting on The Devil

Is Satan poised to invade the Bible Belt? Hell, yes, say Baptist ministers along the Mississippi, where TV spots recently carried the voice of a frantic mother begging for help from 911 to rescue her daughter from the evils of gambling. The source of the Baptists' consternation is a growing movement to revive riverboat casinos. They fear that the floating games will bring bawdy music, painted women and public intoxication. On the other side of this fire- and-brimstone debate are the chambers of commerce of such Mississippi River towns as Natchez and Vicksburg. They insist that legalizing games of chance on...