I suppose I don't need to add details, but what the heck? Where does this "playing cards are evil, they're of satan and he controls them and can control you if you use them" idea that some TBMs have come from? Have we been able to figure out the origin of that?

Probably something to do with gambling. My parents acted insane about that when I was young.

I think it is a nineteenth century American thing. In the 1800's I think cards were frowned on more because of gambling,saloons etc. Church going folk didn't play cards or hang out in bars so they became guilty by association. The Mormons simply adopted the belief although I have never actually met a Mormon that really cared about it.

I apologize for the music on this web-page, but here's an explanation, as told by this ministry's "Deliverance Manual". I had a bit of a chuckle reading this. I'm guessing the Mormon belief behind it is similar.

http://www.demonbuster.com/cards.html

Here's a little gem:

"Some of the most common places you will find a deck of cards (besides our homes) will be with prostitutes, gamblers, thieves, murderers, in taverns, brothels, prisons, insane asylums, gambling dens, etc., but never at a prayer meeting.

The king represents Satan, Prince of Darkness, usurper and foe of our Lord Jesus Christ. The ten card is for the Spirit of lawlessness, in opposition to the moral law in the Word of God. In 1300, clubs were the chief weapons used by murderers, therefore this suit represents the Spirit of Murder and death by violence. The jack represents the lustful libertine, from pimp to adulterer and whoremonger, a moral leper whose chief ambition is to gratify sensual fleshly lusts. The queen represents Mary, Mother of Jesus, but in the card language she is called Mother of Harlots. The joker represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Joker means fool and therefore Jesus is held up to ridicule. The joker is said to be the offspring of licentious jack and the queen, Mother of Harlots.

All other cards also have hidden obscene and blasphemous meanings. Nine-tenths of all gambling today is done with these cards. Witches, psychics, and satan worshiper use playing cards for divination and to cast spells and curses. Born-again believers should not want to be in contact with such a tool of satan. In Deuteronomy 7:26 we are told not to have abominable things in our homes. It will bring a curse on you and your household. It is time that Christians clean house and destroy the hidden works of darkness."

And I thought the world was past middle-aged thinking!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2013 11:18PM by msp.

But hey, rummy and gin with a crazy 8s deck is totally fine!

I had to close the page immediately because I am a demon. And I play cards. Those two are probably related.

I had a young woman's president who bitched at me for bringing a deck of cards.

Next week I brought my tarot cards and I was kicked out of the building. I quit going until she was released.

I love it! Bringing Tarot cards to church... hee hee.

Gee whiz. I just bought a "satanic" solitaire card game app for my computer tablet. Does that mean that playing solitaire is akin to masturbation?

What if you have face cards with puppies and kittens printed on them. Does it lessen the sin?

Quoting John A. Widstoe:

“'It must be added that relaxation from the regular duties of the day is desirable and necessary for human well-being. Wholesome games of recreation are advocated by all right-minded people. Moreover, the … objections [to card playing] are not directed against the many and various card games on the market not employing the usual "playing cards." Most of these furnish innocent and wholesome recreation, and many are really instructive. It is true that they may be played to excess, but in fact it seldom happens. This is true even when such cards are used in games imitating those with "playing cards." It is true that such cards may be used for gambling purposes, but in fact it is almost never done. THE PALL OF EVIL SEEMS TO REST UPON THE "PLAYING CARDS" HANDED DOWN TO US FROM ANTIQUITY' (Evidences and Reconciliations, Murray & Gee, 1943, pp. 218–19)." [Emphasis added.]

http://www.lds.org/new-era/1984/10/qa-questions-and-answers

I'm glad you posted this because my son was at a party just a couple of weeks ago, at the house of one of the girls in his group that he doesn't know well. This girl is LDS and when they all started playing games, she told the kids that they didn't have any face cards in the house because her parents forbid them. I was shocked because I didn't realize this belief was still around. I know it was taught back in the 80s when I was a teen because I told one of my mom's non-LDS friends that we didn't believe in using face cards because the devil was in the face cards. I was about 13 and had been taught that at church. My convert mom got mad at me and chewed me out for telling her friend that Mormons believe Satan is in the face cards - and chewed me out in front of her friend, making me feel stupid and like I was lying about our religion. When in fact, I was just repeating something I heard in church.

I'm still mad about that 30 years later.

This thing must vary by region.

My wife's very-TBM family subscribed to the no-facecard belief.

On the other hand, some of my best childhood memories were playing BS and Egyptian Rhapsody on ym campouts with my peers and leaders.

By coincidence, I saw a deck of playing cards today that were embellished with the tarot symbols. For example the six of clubs actually had six no kidding caveman type clubs on it.

I believe it is this connection that people refer to when claiming a less tha heavenly connection.

This topic piqued my interest since my grandmother was taught by her parents that they are evil. The chain of belief went forwards and backwards.
When I googled under "history of playing cards" I learned they were invented in China and brought to Europe in the early 14 th century where they were adapted for European/British use.
But when I added "associated with evil" to the search, the story changed:
"Did you know that the modern deck of playing cards was designed and developed by occultists and Satan worshipers. The early Puritans denounced card playing as an immoral act that Christians should have no part in. Why are so many Christians, today, fascinated with gambling and playing card games? The reason is that there is a very sinister and evil force behind the history of card playing that most Christians are unaware of. “Most card addicts do not know that each of these fifty-two cards has a secret meaning. There is a reason why good people have always looked upon cards with suspicion and uneasiness. They are tainted with dishonesty and indecency. . ."
https://www.prayerrequest.com/blog/134/entry-449-is-card-playing-a-pastime-of-the-devil/
I always suspected by family's values trace back to the Puritans. While growing up, my family enjoyed the "decent card games" of Rook and Pit but apparently Grandma informed my dad they are also of the devil. He told me that story when he was 70. That chiding from his mil festered a long, long time!
Hate to admit this, but I still hesitate to use them.

He basically demonizes it, if I remember correctly. I had the books on my mission in the late 80's and remember that specifically. We were chastised by other elders, when we had poker tournaments on pday.

Long ago I saw a Civil War (The United States one) movie in which the soldiers headed for a battle were throwing their tobacco and playing cards away as they marched. The 'new guy' was told they were doing this because if they were killed and their possessions were sent home they didn't want their families to know they were using tobacco or playing cards.

I was also taught growing up in the 80s that facecards were evil. My TBM friend and I could play any game we wanted, but we had to use Uno cards.

I did laugh in high school when my friend taught me a 'new' game called, "Oh buggers!" My family had played it for years and we called it, "Ah Hell!"

There were some pretty strange rules in the 80s!

Carrie

In the 1980s, I attended a conservative Christian Bible College which strictly forbade the use of face cards for even games like "Go Fish" - but there were a few students who felt free to play poker with Rook cards and did so openly and never got in trouble. Yet once, there was a group playing Rook with regular face cards in the common area and they got formally reprimanded by the Dean of Students.

BTW, my parents were both raised in Utah Mormon homes and never had an issue with the use of face cards. I wasn't raised Mormon and passed many hours playing cards with my siblings and cousins.

I think david o mckay had a problem with them, and gave a talk about not using them.

My mother would go ballistic if she found any in the house

These picky things Often serve ONE PURPOSE:

they're an issue between spouses & other family members; Watch Out when one Mormon tries to 'Out-Mormon / Out-Righteous' the other / others; CAT FIGHT!

Of course I control face cards, I control the water too. God is a p***y, I can do what I want and he can't do jack shit about it.

Will the list of Bat Crap Crazy stuff Mormons believe in never end? If the Mishies had told me 1/10 of the things I've found out on my own I'd have kicked them outta my house the first time I saw them and dared them to ever come back.

This playing cards thing is about as stupid as the Devil being in running water. Next thing someone's going to tell me is MORmONs are afraid of their own shadows...

You know, if they have that belief, it is borrowed. Quite simply, Mormons have no original beliefs.

Having said that, every Mormon I know plays cards. There are LDS neighbors here who want to introduce us to pinocle night with other Mormons. I just don't know any card games. I don't like board or card games much.

I've been humiliated several times when I was asked to draw a card in a class or social situation and I didn't know one card from the next.

Unfortunately, my parents wouldn't allow face cards in our home. I think my older brother learned about them from nights out with his friends but the rest of us stayed ignorant of cards and card games.

I sometimes have trouble following movie plots because of this lack in my upbringing.

Crazy 8 decks aren't associated with going down to Vegas and gambling, so they're safe. You know how they're always saying to avoid even the appearance of evil?

Face cards are used for gambling, so they don't want the LDS to use them. It'll look bad, like they're gambling or something. They might even cause the temptation to gamble, so that's bad too.

They could cause an evil addiction to come into the home.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2013 07:45AM by Greyfort.

My wife's TBM family loves to play cards. I love to play the satan/playing card card on them when they do. I usually make up some quote from Bruce R. McConkie or something just to get their guilt up. (I really don't care a bit about playing cards, I just think it is incredibly boring...)

there is an idiot in my ward that went off topic in Sunday school to rant about how some truths are personal...in his case he was raised in a home with playing cards and saw his dad go inactive and start playing poker online. So he and his wife decided, thru revelation that playing cards are indeed, of the devil. I asked him if UNO cards were ok, jokingly, and he said that he would not take any chances since any type of card can be used to gamble or "interpret chance"...this guy is in his late 30's and going to college...I wanted to ask him that if The Lord told him never to cross the road after a black cat or ay other unfounded myths from the 18th century...

U.S. currency is a simmering stew of occultist symbols and designs that will corrupt and enslave you! Don't take any chances with it, take it out of your pockets, wallets, purses this instance and send it to me for safe disposal. Even sitting in the bank, this insidious evil can work its terrible influence, so clean those accounts out too and let me struggle with it. I'm strong in the Spirit and I know what to do with that filthy lucre.

LOL There were puppies and kittens on our face cards, but they were not impressed by that. I was still told that I couldn't use them.

occult symbols, You Say? How about the SLTemple?

I didn't previously hear it as 'Satan CONTROLS face cards, it was more of an evil influence kinda thing as I recall.

All Distractions away from Kindness, Honesty, etc. 99 % of LDS stuff is, btw.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2013 06:06PM by guynoirprivateeye.

Haha, yeah forbidden at my house growing up too.
In fact I got a tiny little paper deck out of a quarter machine, back when a quarter would get you fancy prizes, and hid it immediately. My neighbor came over to play later and I took it out to show her. She said, "Let's play poker!" And I told her she would have to teach me, I knew nothing about it. First I had to round up some pennies...
That's when I made the mistake of asking mom for some pennies. "What for?"
To play cards... Woops! Confiscated!

Strangely enough, ten or fifteen years down the road, she developed a massive timesink known as playing too much solitaire on the computer. Virtual cards are okay? Magical thinking all the way!

Growing up in the 1950s my TBM parents forbid real cards in the house. But my grandmother lived next door in a separate house and she never attended church. So she had cards at her house. I used to love going there to stay overnight and we frequently played with the real cards. This brings back fond memories.

Reminds me of a favorite song by my favorite inactive singer: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=79RfjoSpWVk&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D79RfjoSpWVk