Giving to beggars

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You all have points that maybe I shouldn’t be judgmental towards these people. Still, I’m more with dudes like TheDoctor here. I too would like to live a virtuous life but this world is an extremely dark reality that won’t hesitate to force us to choose between the lesser of two evils. I know it’s not good to judge but I see the same beggars and the same dirty street children at the same spot everyday as I walk in and out of school. These people all look like they are capable of work.

I already once stated, I don’t like being leeched. Many of you have given good examples of poor people but the poor people in this country of mine are extremely different. Most of them are drastically uneducated, and some, be it one way or another, have a very biased view towards people who are a little well off than they are and will really start leeching on you if you give in to them. One time, there was this guy who came into my store and he kept presenting this little piece of paper saying how their farms were burned by local bandits and that they were asking donations. I couldn’t help but smell forgery cuz the paper looked crudely made and it was if some unknown official was giving this guy a ‘license’ to beg (which I found ludicrous :rolleyes:). Still I gave him cuz I felt a little sorry, but then he came back numerous times again and again showing the same paper until I had to find a way to make him go away. It was a frustrating experience and I felt irritated at how he tried to make me feel like I was being their typical image of a snobby rich guy when I started to refuse.

I just don’t wanna repeat the experience. Giving alms to a person who has lost both his legs (like the guy my mother gives alms to every time she visits the nearby church) is different from giving alms to a guy who looks like he could still earn his living as a jeepney conductor or a laborer. I don’t wanna judge every beggar I see but is it really bad to do so if it’s gonna make them get a more honest way of living instead of using people like coin fountains?
 
Tokyo is one of the strangest cities in the world in terms of begging because while there are many homeless they dont beg or bother anyone. One reason is most people in Tokyo will ignore them they wont give money to someone holding a cup for no reason. Knowing that begging isnt profitable many homeless have small jobs that bring in enough money that they can eat and have a decent tent in the park. They work for example by collecting items for recycling or day labour at construction jobs.

When I travel to other cities I do not give my money to beggars either. For my own safety I ignore anyone begging or trying to sell things, trying to tie bracelets on my wrist, throwing flowers and any other scam that could lead me to being pickpocketed or in a fight. I was this close to being pickpocketed in Rome by a gypsy who asked me for my seat on the notorious bus 64 I ignored her completely. While some may call me a jerk for not being nice and standing up to give her my seat then Id rather be a jerk with my wallet than a nice person with a slashed travel bag and empty pockets. Slightly off topic I know but it illustraits why I am so careful.

I prefer to do spiritual works of mercy such as praying for those who are hungry and homeless since I currently dont have a chance to perform the physical works of mercy.
 
Cari said:
I find this statement disingenuous from someone who had just posted:

Assuming “that guy in the baggy clothes” is going to carjack you, or to quote some vague “Katrina” stories as the reason you won’t open up your home hardly seems to be “seeing them as equals” (emphasis mine) or finding more potential in them than they see themselves.

I’m not trying to single you out to be vicious, but only to drive home my previous point- for a group of people who, I am assuming, would defend the Church against the actions of a few, some people on this thread are sure willing to take undocumented statistics, vague government reports, and friend-of-a-friend stories as justification for selecting just who Jesus meant when He spoke of “the least of these”.

Giving money away to everyone who asks for it isn’t the solution, either (I can’t seem to recall Jesus saying, “I asked for money and you didn’t give it”) but I do get uneasy when I read some of the posts on threads like this, that oh-so-casually assume the worst of people, and justify personal inaction on these assumptions.
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  1. My wife refused to open our home, not me.
  2. Looking at them as being equal in capability and as human is not in conflict with the realization that someone with baggy clothes (who could be hiding a weapon) coming up to you in the street is a potential danger. I can’t judge their motive but I can judge the possibility.
Risks are real, bad things do happen, and there are things you can do to reduce risks while still helping people.
 
It’s one thing to be walking along a busy street during lunch hour and throwing a quarter in the beggars cup…Quite another to open your home up to a stranger who may possibly harm your kids in the middle of the night…Hey that’s why I don’t pick up hitch-hikers and why I’m not walking alone down some back alley at 2am.A person has to use reasonable caution.
 
My husband and I are over the road Truck Drivers. We’ve been doing this for over 5 years. We drive a lot of the same lanes, (highways) to deliver our loads weekly.

In Many of the Truck Stops we see the same “beggers” weekly, tellig the same old “hard luck” story… “They just need enough money to get home.”

I’ve even had one begger come up to me before I got out to fuel our truck. (I’m the Day time driver and he sleeps while I drive. I get to sleep at night while he drives. 🙂 )

He had on brand new “Brand Name” shoes, pants, shirt, the works. He then shows me a bunch of envalopes that he says are medical bills he can’t afford to pay. (Now this was a new Hard Luck Story, I’d never heard this one before. Not to mention Not one of these envalopes had even been opened.) And he was only asking for a dollar from all the drivers to help pay his medical bills. Needless to say I didn’t believe him…my reply?

“I understand where you are comming from, I have a stack of medical bills sitting at home, that I have to make payments on. You see sir, most of us Truck Drivers are Owner Opps. We can’t afford medical insurance either, so I know how you feel. (I was telling him the truth by the way) I can’t help you, but I’ll pray for you.”

My reply left him speachless. Needless to say as I fuled my Truck I watched this man go from driver to driver at the pumps. I never did see any drivers give him any money.

Trying to beg for money with Brand Name Clothes and Shoes, new ones I might add. Somehow just didn’t seem like someone who really needed my help.

As I stood in line at the fuel pump to pay for my fuel, I heard many of the Drivers saying the same thing.

Most of these Truck Stops have the “Truckers Chaples” where someone (who really needed the help) could go and get the help or information on where to call for it. Of course not all Truck Stops do but most of them have the information.

There are many “Professional” Beggers out there. I agree with buying them food or something to drink, (pop, coffee, or even water if they want) But I won’t give money to beggers. Most of the Truck Stop Beggers wont let you buy them food or something to Drink.
 
royal_archer said:
I would not be so concerned about the booze as much as the overall lesson. Give 'em a fish vs teach 'em to fish. Most of our Federal budget goes to various types of welfare/ Social programs. If someone is in need there are opportunities for them to get what they need. There is no need for them to be begging. Rewarding this activity is not doing them any favors in the long run. This is not because I look down on them but because I see thema s equals with much more potential than they seem to see in themselves.
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That is true, but you are looking at this with your eyes, and not through the eyes of someone who is down and out, lost and broken. Who could be on drugs and is so strung out, they are looking for someone…anyone to give them some change, or a dollar for something to drink. I understand your point, but we have to help the downtrodden. I look at it this way, if someone is standing on the corner looking for a dollar or two…and looks so sickly, and sad…if I’m close enough to give it, and I have it on me…I don’t think Jesus wants me to look away. Of course, you have to discern these moments. I don’t give to every homeless person I come across…for various reasons. But, we are not rewarding the behavior. Some of these people…I’d say many…are just so lost, and they have been like this for so long, they don’t know any different. I have handed out pamphlets to some homeless I used to see in PA where I lived, when I was driving home from work, they’d be standing near the bridge I went over. I would give them some money, and tell them about Light of Life. That’s where our job ends, and Christ’s begins. But, it’s Christ working through each of us, with His eyes of mercy, that cause us to give. Just my 2 cents.
 
adelore said:
My husband and I are over the road Truck Drivers. We’ve been doing this for over 5 years. We drive a lot of the same lanes, (highways) to deliver our loads weekly.

In Many of the Truck Stops we see the same “beggers” weekly, tellig the same old “hard luck” story… “They just need enough money to get home.”

I’ve even had one begger come up to me before I got out to fuel our truck. (I’m the Day time driver and he sleeps while I drive. I get to sleep at night while he drives. 🙂 )

He had on brand new “Brand Name” shoes, pants, shirt, the works. He then shows me a bunch of envalopes that he says are medical bills he can’t afford to pay. (Now this was a new Hard Luck Story, I’d never heard this one before. Not to mention Not one of these envalopes had even been opened.) And he was only asking for a dollar from all the drivers to help pay his medical bills. Needless to say I didn’t believe him…my reply?

“I understand where you are comming from, I have a stack of medical bills sitting at home, that I have to make payments on. You see sir, most of us Truck Drivers are Owner Opps. We can’t afford medical insurance either, so I know how you feel. (I was telling him the truth by the way) I can’t help you, but I’ll pray for you.”

My reply left him speachless. Needless to say as I fuled my Truck I watched this man go from driver to driver at the pumps. I never did see any drivers give him any money.

Trying to beg for money with Brand Name Clothes and Shoes, new ones I might add. Somehow just didn’t seem like someone who really needed my help.

As I stood in line at the fuel pump to pay for my fuel, I heard many of the Drivers saying the same thing.

Most of these Truck Stops have the “Truckers Chaples” where someone (who really needed the help) could go and get the help or information on where to call for it. Of course not all Truck Stops do but most of them have the information.

There are many “Professional” Beggers out there. I agree with buying them food or something to drink, (pop, coffee, or even water if they want) But I won’t give money to beggers. Most of the Truck Stop Beggers wont let you buy them food or something to Drink.
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I think it’s so cool that your husband and you do this.

Re: your story…yes, we have to be wary of people who would seem like they are just spinning a story to get a few bucks off of people. I definitely think God expects us to have a discerning spirit, so we are not taken advantage of, either.

It’s the people who look absoutely sickly and awful…I just can’t help but want to help them, because who cares how they got that way? They are there now, and need immediate help.

I also get sad thinking about the war veterans who are homeless. My husband has a brother who went through Vietnam, and he has a few friends who are literally homeless, and have built a cabin out in the woods in PA, to help one another out, and use their gov’t checks to support one another. Kinda makes me angry too, knowing this is the thanks they received for fighting for this country? sigh😦
 
True there are several people who are down on their luck and have no place to turn. I like to guide them where they can go for help. (We’ve also helped people who we knew were really down and out and trying to get up on their feet.)

Yet there are so many, (anyways like I said at the Truck Stops) who truely are running a scame. Of course it took us a few times (of giving to some of them) and seeing the Same ones week after week, month after month (of course they don’t remember all the different Truck Drivers as there are thousands of us out there.) But since we run the same lanes, (we can go from MI to CA and back in 4 days) so we see a lot of the same people over and over again telling the same story. Then we started to realize, hey we just saw that person, (for several weeks in a row) , saying they were trying to get a bus ticket “home”. Only to find out from the employees in the Truck Stop that these same people have been doing this for years!

What’s really sad about this…is I’m sure without a doubt there are some who truely are telling the truth. With hundreds of people saying the same thing, it’s impossible to help everyone. So offering a meal and something to drink, seems to help “weed out” the one’s that are telling the truth…or so we hope.
 
I agree that some probably are running scams - but then one cannot write off all thus as being scammers. How to discern who is and who is not? This can be totally difficult to impossible! One does what one thinks best in light of the situatuion at hand…and that is all one can do. We discern which is the best way to move and then move in that direction. The sad thing can be that often the argument re scam and scammers is used as an excuse to do nothing at all and proclaiming doing nothing as a universal panacea for an across the board problem, which it is not though proclaimed as such. We really do need our hearts of stone replaced with those of flesh informed by the Gifts of The Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety and fear of The Lord.

Ezechiel Chapter 11:
*
16
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Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because I have removed them far off among the Gentiles, and because I have scattered them among the countries: I will be to them a little sanctuary in the countries whither they are come. 17 Therefore speak to them: Thus saith the Lord God: I will gather you from among the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries wherein you are scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 And they shall go in thither, and shall take away all the scandals, and all the abominations thereof from thence. *
19
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  • And I will give them one heart, and will put a new spirit in their bowels: and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my commandments, and keep my judgments, and do them: and that they may be my people, and I may be their God. *
 
whatevergirl said:
That is true, but you are looking at this with your eyes, and not through the eyes of someone who is down and out, lost and broken. Who could be on drugs and is so strung out, they are looking for someone…anyone to give them some change, or a dollar for something to drink. I understand your point, but we have to help the downtrodden. I look at it this way, if someone is standing on the corner looking for a dollar or two…and looks so sickly, and sad…if I’m close enough to give it, and I have it on me…I don’t think Jesus wants me to look away. Of course, you have to discern these moments. I don’t give to every homeless person I come across…for various reasons. But, we are not rewarding the behavior. Some of these people…I’d say many…are just so lost, and they have been like this for so long, they don’t know any different. I have handed out pamphlets to some homeless I used to see in PA where I lived, when I was driving home from work, they’d be standing near the bridge I went over. I would give them some money, and tell them about Light of Life. That’s where our job ends, and Christ’s begins. But, it’s Christ working through each of us, with His eyes of mercy, that cause us to give. Just my 2 cents.
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I believe that many of them have been doing it for so long because they have been enabled in this activity. There is the reality of hitting rock bottom. There are some people who will never truly get better until they hit that point. When they make up their mind that they are going to turn their life around and head down the right road of seeking counceling, training and jobs, then we need to help them down that path.

I agree with the pamphlet approach.
 
royal_archer said:
I believe that many of them have been doing it for so long because they have been enabled in this activity. There is the reality of hitting rock bottom. There are some people who will never truly get better until they hit that point. When they make up their mind that they are going to turn their life around and head down the right road of seeking counceling, training and jobs, then we need to help them down that path.

I agree with the pamphlet approach.
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Yes, agreed. The thing that might run through their minds, is who will cloth them for an interview? Who will help them get sober? Sometimes, people wallow in ‘the rock bottom,’ of their lives and become so familiar with their homelessness, that pulling themselves out of it, is a scary proposition. To change, takes a lot of effort. They need more shelters who are willing to get these people back on their feet to become productive parts of society again. But, these shelters would have to take some of these people in for months, because let’s face it, it would take months to reverse their bad habits, and addictions, and provide them the counseling they need. Truthfully, too, some should be in institutions, because they are mentally ill, and no one would hire them in their state of mind.
 
I have learned that we should not ignore beggars, even if we believe that they ask for the money in an inappropriate way or that they will use it in a way we wouldn’t approve of.

Basically, after the alms change hands, the responsibility lies on them. He might use it for drugs, but then again, he might actually use it for something to eat.

It’s hard for me to be a “pull yourself up from your bootstraps” type of person since most things actually don’t depend on anything within our control, but our life’s situations and circumstances. Any one of us could be on the street given a particular happening at a particular time. Thankfully, God has been merciful to us. Why wouldn’t we try to imitate Him and show His mercy to others?

edit - If it was a scam, we shouldn’t care about being scammed. According to the Bible, we’re not even supposed to court to demand to be compensated for a wrong against us.
 
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