Religion: Bingo

To thousands of U.S. clergymen, bingo is a fighting word. Roman Catholic priests generally defend it as an innocent game of chance which helps raise money for many a parish cause; most Protestant ministers condemn it as gambling, and therefore a moral evil. In New Jersey last week, on the eve of a statewide referendum to legalize bingo and raffles for charity and other good causes, both sides fired off loud barrages.

Against the referendum were the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians, as well as the State Federation of Women's Clubs and the New Jersey Congress of Parents and Teachers....

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