NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A state lottery being set up in Tennessee may pose a moral dilemma for Christians, who must decide whether they will seek scholarship funds the lottery promises to provide.

The Tennessean reports there is no one Christian view on whether to accept the school funds.

The Tennessee annual conference of the United Methodist Church, for example, voted down a resolution to explore providing alternative funding to students opposed to lottery-funded scholarships.

"We don't condone the lottery, nor do we condone taking funds from the lottery," the Rev. Ken Edmondson, chairman of the resolutions committee told the newspaper. Still, he said, the alternative funding measure was voted down, largely because the conference had unclaimed scholarships last year. He said there was no reason to create new ones.

On the other hand, the Rev. James Thomas of Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church once told a group of ministers that the lottery may breed false hope, but it is better than no hope at all, according to the newspaper.

"If that's the only hope that they have, -- that lottery -- let them play it," he said. "If they get a scholarship, let them go."

Virginia Youmans, a mother of six, makes no bones about how she views the lottery-funded scholarships.

"We don't want anything to do with it, whether it's our money going into it or our money coming out of it," the Lynnville, Tenn., home-school mother said.

Meredith Flautt Jr., president of the Middle Tennessee Home Education Association, said Youmans' opinion is one shared by many Christians, not just home-schoolers.

"As a Christian, not necessarily a home-schooler but as a Christian, I think I'd have to think long and hard about these lottery scholarships," he said.

Lottery tickets could go on sale as early as January, the newspaper reported. College scholarships could be distributed in fall 2004.