Do you ever give money to a homeless person holding a sign

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Exactly :confused: My town has a panhandler issue. Over by my job I see the same folks standing and begging for money with signs, all well dressed too. Sometimes they will have a dog with them or play music. It’s become a thing that my local news did a topic over it and suggested if we saw anyone that was obviously just begging, to give them some water to keep them hydrated.
 
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Absolutely if I have spare change on me. That’s one thing I don’t overthink. Many, many years ago when my husband and I were dating he thought to correct me stating this person will use the money for drugs. How would I know, that’s between him and God , I can’t take the chance of not feeding someone who was really hungry if I could! “I was hungry and you gave me food” were Jesus’ words. Yes they may have more problems than just food but sometimes what they need in that moment is something to eat and if I have means I will never deny helping someone homeless who is hungry. My Lord, as a mom I can’t even imagine that being someone’s child they are worried about and maybe they are praying for them specifically that they are not hungry in the streets and it would be an answer to their prayer and we would be instruments of His in this way.
My husband usually will have some non perishables in the car for this reason. If I have food or spare bills anyone homeless asking will not be refused, I can’t know for sure if someone isn’t absolutely starving and I would hold back $3? I will not.
 
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I think some people who give out money to people who beg for it have not witnessed true poverty in their lifetime. They may have some romanticized notion of the poor and the good they can do with handing over a buck or two.
 
Homeless and disabled people are always in need of a hand no matter what country they live in. Help and charity can’t be restricted by geography can it?
 
If you were homeless and hungry in the USA and living on the streets, would you want someone with a few extra dollars to spare to keep it instead of help you because other people in other parts of the world are poorer than you. Do you think God would approve of that reasoning?
Also, if you’re a mom and God forbid your child was hungry would you like it if no one helped him based on your line of reasoning?
 
In my country we have excellent welfare that ensures everyone can have accommodation and enough money to survive under our welfare system

Everyone in NZ can if they will have access to the necessities of life.

Why need I give money to people who have access to it if it was not for their pride.
 
AlmaRedemptorisMater said:
I think some people who give out money to people who beg for it have not witnessed true poverty in their lifetime. They may have some romanticized notion of the poor and the good they can do with handing over a buck or two.
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So, we shouldn’t help the poor in the US because someone in some other country is poorer?
 
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This is unclear, are you stating you know for a fact that every single homeless person in New Zealand not part of the government program (perhaps due to lack of knowledge, or some other legitimate reason) is prideful and unworthy of your spare change? Are you certain that the judgement you’ve pronounced on them of being prideful is 100% accurate before the Lord?
 
Maybe drug/alcohol abuse, but we have an excellent welfare system. Especially with our new liberal tax raising government under Prime Minister Ardern, why should I give money when most New Zealanders are being robbed by tax?

The welfare system is very good when you have to pay lots of tax.
 
I’m not homeless nor am I hungry. I also dont live in the states. But the states have massive public and private organized initiatives that can and do provide for needs of that exact demographic. Plus they are accountable.

You acting on a notion of helping them out only serves to validate their begging, isolates them further from mainstream society, hampers the work of responsible public and private organizations, and enables them if they do have substance abuse issues.

Since you proposed a nonsensical ethical scenario, what about this one: suppose someone you gave money to used that to buy drugs whereupon they overdosed and died? If it was your child who died, wouldn’t you have wished they didnt get the money to buy those drugs?
 
Because people are individuals and not systems. Because our Lord could be that man you ignore because gosh darn it your taxes are high.

Good night.
 
Are you sure your giving to beggars is 100% altruistic and not from a sense of pride? Because you seem quick to judge those who do not give in exactly the same way you do.
 
I could not ignore Our Lord. He is depicted crucified on my walls, his mother’s statue peers at me on my desk. He looks at my from where he is sitting glorious in heaven.

When Our Lord comes again I highly doubt he will appear as a beggar.
 
Disagree entirely. If someone in good conscience gave my child money because they thought he was hungry and the child died because of drugs that is a shame but the GIVING in good conscience is never wrong because, as stated, we can’t judge accurately, in fact we can save a life by helping. What you’re saying is don’t bother, play it safe, walk on by… what I’m saying is be the good samaritan…go and do likewise as our Father taught.
 
Helping the poor is not the question here. The question was specifically about giving to people who are begging for money. As most people on this forum are likely from a western country, most posters here will not have witnessed true poverty. The kind of poverty where there is no help from government or industry.
 
Just because Andy is poorer than Peter does not mean I should shun Peter who is hungry too. In fact if both are hungry, who’s poorer?

Ok now i’m saying good night.
 
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AlmaRedemptorisMater said:
As most people on this forum are likely from a western country, most posters here will not have witnessed true poverty. The kind of poverty where there is no help from government or industry.
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In the US, there are many people who have no access to services for one reason or another. We have people who die on our streets from hunger, exposure, and disease. Your No True Scotsman argument is severely lacking.
 
If you think my position is a logical fallacy, I’m not sure we’ll have a productive discussion. If you want to give to homeless people in the states, that’s your prerogative. If you think you’re doing good, then have at it. I’d rather support the institutions that actually make a difference.
 
Of course not! But, fakers are fakers and cash given to fakers is cash denied to the needy.
 
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