What is "The Devil's Picture Book"?

I didn’t know this being brought up in a Christian family. I wasn’t allowed to play chess but learned how to play when I was 12 and still enjoy it. I have an aversion to Gambling because I don’t want to lose my hard-earned money. My brother -in-law lives around Las Vegas and I pass by slot machines and roulette wheels with no urge to participate. In my 80 plus years I have witnessed families lose everything to gambling and alcohol. I hope for people to prosper from these vices. I guess it’s not in DNA or choices of fun.

It's not the cards that are evil, it's the way some people (ab)use them. We were taught to play by our father and grandfather and it was a great way to spend time together. We have never played for money and never got into gambling.

I was taught how to play Blackjack when I was 8 years old by my dad. It was a great way to learn mental math.

Laudy Miss Claudy, I taught my youngest child how to play blackjack when he was six. He turned out to be the best mathematician of all four of my kids.

lily 21, I came from a very small country town. No TV, a battery radio that was used for Saturday night's Grand Old Opry and Sunday's Gospel hour. No cards for money just points or dried beans. Still play Canasta, love old time country and the Lord. It doesn't seem to have hurt any of us.

Jimbo*21, DNA is actually a cause for excessive gambling, as well as for most abusive dependancy. I'm truly glad I don't need to gamble or use drugs. I can place a bet if I feel for it, and whether I win or loose it may take a year until the next time. Everyone is not that lucky.

Dorania, Absolutely, and does anyone remember the song "Deck of cards" that was in the charts many years ago which was about a soldier who didn't have a Bible and used a deck of cards to tell him bible stories. I remember it as very touching.

When I was a little kid, I proudly showed my great-uncle how well I could play solitaire. He immediately started to ream out my mother (in German) how terrible that was and to take those instruments of the Devil from me. From that time on, the cards were hidden whenever he came over.

Marriage is like a pack of cards, it starts out with hearts and diamonds, later you could be looking for a club and a spade. Lol

The original reason for forbidding playing cards was the face cards representing the monarchy, which was thought to be ordained by God and therefore sacred, making playing cards graven images

Jimbo*21, why weren't u allowed to play chess?

Dorania, Used to play different card games when I stayed with my aunt and my nan. I She had a massive button jar and we used a few of them as pennies.

We weren't allowed to play cards on Sundays.

sounds like tarot.

Jimbo*21, prosper?...well I ain't dead yet 😎