Noallah for You?

Players in online poker sites have all kinds of unusual names. A few days ago at Poker Stars, we were joined by someone named "Noallah." With a name like that, we eventually had to ask in the chat....

flopblogger: Noallah, can't resist asking.... are you a Chrjstian?
flopblogger: (based on your name)
Dealer: babycakes317, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
Dealer: tenslover210 has a pair of Threes
Dealer: babycakes317 has a pair of Threes - Ace+Queen kicker
Dealer: Hand #179390821428: babycakes317 wins pot (1,701)with a pair of Threes - Ace+Queen kicker
tenslover210: I thought same thing....

We mistyped "Christian" - but do you see why we asked? That name can be divided into "No Allah" - as in someone who opposes Islam.

Noallah said nothing in response. But someone at the table dug deeper - someone with Poker Stars features we don't have:

tenslover210: flopblogger: based on picture maybe just apolitical statement
tenslover210: Christians can like chimps and smoke but scarypic.

A lot of people in the U.S. have turned against Islam since the September 11, 2001 attacks. But we think it's too broad a brush to conclude all Muslims are terrorists. That's like saying all poker players are smokers and drinkers, based on a Poker Stars icon.

Do (or should) Muslims play poker? We'd never considered that question, so we went to a website which answers such issues about Islam:

If this game is played for money, then it is gambling which is haraam [highly prohibited sin]....

If it is not played for money, it is still haraam according to a number of scholars, because it is akin to dice in its dependence on conjecture and guesswork.... 

So devout Muslims and many devout Christians have at least one thing in common: gambling is wrong.

But based on the website's answer, we'd ask: Is not anything in our lives gambling? Consider....

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, do you not even know what will happen tomorrow? What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 2:13-14

Based on these verses, people who announce their long-range plans should be equally guilty of "conjecture." They're making guesses about what the future holds for them. But they may be leaving Someone out of the planning:

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." - James 2:15

God can change our plans in many ways. It could be through sickness or a nature-related disaster. We don't think these verses mean planning is wrong. But we should take our plans before God in prayer - because He might have something better in mind.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

By the way, the Bible's long-range plan shows Christianity will be proven right....

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:9-11

So to answer the question in our title: Others can have Allah if they choose - but Jesus someday will claim everyone's chips. And attention. And worship.