Have you heard the one about the card-counting Christians—pastors and church leaders—who took millions of dollars from casinos over six years?

True story. A few days ago, Seattle man (and Slog tipper) David Drury wrote a story about it for CNN.com:

When I lost my Seattle office job in 2006, this was the strange career path down which I found myself traveling... We took our craft to casinos, from Vegas to Atlantic City to Biloxi, Mississippi, to Bremerton, Washington. We won millions of dollars. The money was not funneled into any ministry or religious consortium... We returned home with the gift of time to our ministries and families and, yes, to plenty of questions.

The most fascinating question: Is it deceptive—and, therefore, sinful—for a Christian to go to a casino to count cards? This Friday at 6:30 pm, there's a screening of Holy Rollers, a documentary about the card-counting Christians at... wait for it... the downtown campus of Mars Hill Church!

If you've always wanted an excuse to darken Mars Hill's doorstep, here it is. On a slightly related note, the comments on the story I wrote about MH back in January are still popping. A sampling from recent entries:

Brenden, you are VERY lazy using your journalistic skills

You are the epitome of the reason people just are tired of dealing with journalists that are lazy like you. You are no Journalist, you are simply just a guy who has been given a forum to spew your dogma

I have been going to Mars Hill for 3 years and am currently in the process of becoming a member there. For those who know the bible well also know that the way things are being done in Mars Hill are biblical. I dont see any bible verses backing up your article in your disagreements.

Mars Hill isn't being "persecuted" because people hate Christians—Mars Hill is experiencing a pushback from good, decent, moral people who disagree ethically and philosophically with what MH teaches and stands for. Being a religious institution doesn't give you a free pass from criticism...

And so on.