Emeka —

• Given that Scripture is entirely silent on the question, on what basis do you conclude that gambling is in itself, an evil thing?

I'll leave it to my better-educated colleagues to address your second question.

Eric

Emeka,

You said:
I'm just seeking clarification and any misunderstandings I may have on some teachings, especially at this time, when Catholics even differ in what they believe, which is quite frustrating.

I'm sure the others here agree; I too am frustrated. There should be no disagreement on matters of faith and morals within the Church. Christ has given His Church the gift of infallibility in order to attain salvation, and, as you pointed out, to teach In His Name.

Always follow the voice of Christ through the sacred Magisterium of His Church and you'll be fine.

We gamble all the time, with our jobs, relationships, and every day choices. We take chances and (hope/pray) things work out well. The essence of gambling is not immoral. However, imprudence is.

• If one has trouble stopping within reason, one should not gamble; just like if one has trouble curbing one's drinking, then one shouldn't walk into a bar.

Peace,

Paul

Emeka,

You can get an app for a smart phone, or even your computer called "Verbum". This app has so many good resources; I love it. It has:

• several good Bible translations
• the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which I would say is better than the current one
• Scripture commentaries
• Lives of Saints
• Books, and
• other things you will treasure.

I can't praise it enough. It is especially good because you can search for things easily and find Scriptures or other important information. The app for the phone is free although I don't know if you have to pay for the computer version.

I'll check that out.

Peace,

Bob Kirby

Emeka,

Along with what Robert stated, if possible, it's always good to have a Bible and Catechism in book form. They represent the Word of God in Scripture and Tradition respectively and, of course, the Catechism contains Magisterial teaching.

An easier version to read of the Catechism is called YouCat, created for youth.

Further, the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found online here:

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Vatican website.
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church on St. Charles Borromeo website.

Pax,

Paul

Emeka —

This is what the Catechism states on gambling:

This echoes what my colleague Paul has said.

You said:

• How do I know the voice of the Magisterium and understand Her Teachings?

Currently, I only have the internet to learn the Catholic Faith.

By using these four (4) on-line resources:

1. St. Charles Borromeo's on-line version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
   
   
2. Our AskACatholic Knowledge base to search for answers to your questions.
   
   
3. The AskACatholic Repository of recent and previous Conciliar and Papal documents.
   [The three tabs on this page will allow you to access and read a number of papal documents on an array of teachings on various Magisterial topics.]
   
   
4. The Vatican website

Hope this helps,

Mike