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SeekingGrowth10
Guest
My husband is both a Roman Catholic and a gambling addict. We have children to support, no savings, and tons of debt. I am unwillingly unemployed because of this current economy. Part of how we accumulated this debt is through his gambling. He came from a family and church of gambling addicts. His entire family gambles at funerals, weddings, children’s birthday parties…you name it, they’ve done it. Even the priest that married us gambles. The first time I’ve met the priest was even at a casino. Part of the reasons they do this (their assertion) is that they’re Vietnamese and it’s part of their culture. Furthermore, the church and the bible didn’t say anything about gambling being a sin. When I met my husband, he paints the habit as just “good ole’ harmless fun” and my concerns as “needless incessant worrying”. I don’t know how much he gambles but it’s not a trifle. One year it was $20000 USD. Another a different amount. This past year was $4000…that’s the least amount I’ve discovered. He might’ve gambled more that was hidden from me. I’ve considered divorce many times. We fought so much on his last gamble, that I cannot keep it a secret and told everyone I knew. He promised reform as he did many times before. This year, the Vietnamese New Year, Tet, is coming up in February. Every year around this time, his church turns the place into a casino. They don’t call it that of course, but there’s Poker, Black Jack, free alcohol…all the trappings of a casino and even the children gamble. I don’t want my children to attend that church anymore since I don’t want them pick up that habit. My husband picked up his habit as a child. Since all his family members and church members gamble, they sent out the message, “It’s okay.” But my husband insists on bringing them there since they were baptized catholic. I’m usually mellow and happy-go-lucky but this situation is changing my personality. I’m becoming more bitter and negative. What am I to do in this situation? I’m against gambling but it’s like I’m fighting both my spouse’s family and the church.