Sympathy Notice: Rodney B. Dillinger
Rev. Rodney B. Dillinger, a retired member of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on Monday, March 30, 2026.
Posted: June 26 2018 at 01:08 PM
Bishop Sally Dyck and Illinois Great Rivers Bishop Frank J. Beard are expressing their concerns on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision clearing the way for states to legalize sports betting, striking down a 1992 federal law that had prohibited most states from authorizing sports betting.
"As United Methodists, we have long held that 'gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life [and] destructive of good government' (Social Principles, ¶163G). Our concern for Illinoisans is the seduction of an easy way out of our state's financial mess with unfunded pension liabilities and a backlog of unpaid bills. Advocates will once again parrot a familiar refrain that we can solve our financial problems on someone else's dime."
For resources and advocacy contact Anita Bedell, Executive Director of ILCAAAP at 217-546-6871 or through the website www.ilcaaap.org.