Charity to street people

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Durendin said:
If you’re taken in by every con artist on the street looking for a hand-out by citing the Good Samaritan story, I’m amazed you can afford a computer and have a roof over your head! :rolleyes: (Ok, a bit sarky, but forgive me and read on!)

If someone was in obvious dire need, I’d see the connection but there’s a world of difference from that and keeping someone fueled up in booze and fags from your hard earned wages.

In my home city there’s an annual festival that draws thousands of people in for over a month. It also draws out the “beggars” and “homeless” who obviously have homes and are looking to “skim the gullible” as it is known locally. (They weren’t there a week ago and won’t be there after the festival). They also station themselves next to ATM machines and get quite rowdy and try a bit of intimidation to get money.

I’d rather give to a recognised charity that feeds and clothes rather than be taken for a mug or put booze in the hands of an alcoholic. But hey, it’s your money so spend it as you will.
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I just ignore them - not that I like to 😦 However:​

  1. If I gave them money, as like as not it will be spent on drugs - & I’d rather risk depriving people of food, than risk feeding anyone’s addiction.
  2. 20th-century urban Scotland is not 1st-century Judaea - there are plenty of places people can go for food, including religious houses. It’s not as though they were extremely unlikely to get enough money to be able to afford to go to a cafe - there are plenty of those.
Besides, the cash raised in taxes is more than enough to look after the really poor: I support those I don’t directly help, simply by being taxed - & taxes are not low here, at all. ##
 
I was so moved by one guy around here that I went shopping for him. I knew not to give money and I didn’t have any food on me at the time so I went and bought juice boxes, peanutbutter, crackers, carrots, cheese, some cookies and a hat then went back to his corner and dropped it off. I circled back around and he was rummaging through the bag and set off behind a store. I discreetly followed and saw him feasting… I mean he was eating all of it (except the hat which was on his head)! I felt much better after that… at first I thought he was going back to the store and getting money… but I was wrong.

We can’t harden our hearts…just be prudent about it. I know I have seen scammers before too… but there are really people that need help out there.
 
Gottle of Geer, A Scottsman… A Scottsman tight with his money? No, Never. :rotfl: Just kidding, and I couldnt resist it was my wife’s favourite joke about herself. 😃

In all seriousness though God expects us to Sacrifice and Suffer for him. We have to do more than the minimum and taxes are the bare minimum.
 
dorothy_smith said:
Yes, but you’re forced to pay your taxes aren’t you?
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I don’t mind paying taxes - far from it. What I do object to, a lot, is the wastefulness of local & national government (all three of which are Labour or Labour-dominated - which almost guarantees they will be wasteful: the Labour Party is first-rate at wasting people’s money; just as it was 30 years ago).​

To pay taxes is one’s patriotic duty - and is implied or taught by the NT 🙂 I’m all in favour of helping people - but not in favour of doing anything to poison them. And Scotland is the drugs capital of Europe 😦 I don’t see any kindness in giving cash to people who may well use it to deepen the problems they have already - I don’t see how that is kind at all; it’s the sort of kindness that only injures people. One can’t stop people destroying themselves if they must - but one can avoid helping them to do so, so far as lies within one’s ability. ##
 
I read where 1/3 of the homeless are there temporarily, just down on their luck, and will be back on their feet soon. Another third is mentally ill, and the other third is addicted–i.e., mentally ill and self-medicating.

Telling them to quit drinking or doing drugs won’t really help, but finding or funding rehab for them might help. What they mostly need is some kind of mental health care and halfway houses for the mentally ill.
 
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