Not Helping A Sin?

[Piscator23]

A situation occured today, and i am unsure whether or not i sinned. One thing is for certain, i feel horrible. A man approached me on a city sidewalk asking for 50 cents to make a phone call, since his car had broken down. I saw the car, but the man was far from it and he looked beaten up, so i didn’t know if it was for sure his car. I only had a $20 bill on me, so i ended up saying i was sorry that i did not have any change and i left. About a block away i realized i could lend him my phone, but i have heard stories where people are conned and the person runs off with their phone. As i looked back i saw him asking many people, and all turned him away. I feel horrible that i didn’t help the poor man. Did i sin? Or rather how should i have reacted?

 

[Pinkyyy]

I wouldn’t call what you did a sin. You know, a while ago in Chicago a man was asking for change “for the bus”, and my husband had money ( he was off in another store in the area ) so I said sorry, but I didn’t have any (true). Well, he asked everyone else that went by and one man did turn back and give him some money - he felt bad just as you do now. So, the man had bus money (he got more from the guy than he was asking), and the bus came - and did he get on? NO. An hour later he was still there getting money from people and still, no he did not get on any of the several busses that came by. He was conning people. I don’t trust many beggers. You can usually get a feeling from people, and you followed your gut. I don’t think you sinned.

Follow your gut. Once in a foreign country, I had a boy begging from me and I did not have any money. He did not understand me. But I knew he was for real and happily I remembered I had food though, and gave him that. He sat on the street and ate it. I felt so sad for him.

 

[Maynoothman]

If you really wanted to have helped you could have gone into a nearby store and gotten change and given him the change, but its understandable that you didnt.

I never EVER give money to beggars ever. Whenever Im walking through dublin I always get accosted cause there are some good bookshops on the northside, but what I do is carry the number for some shelters in my phone and write it out. If I feel that a person is really down on their luck there have been a couple of times I have gone in and gotten sandwiches or fruit for them and promise to say a prayer for them too!

 

[Jimdandy]

You learned a valuable lesson, so say a prayer for the man and next time lend your phone-is that not WJWD?

yes, it is /was a sin against charity for neighbors-not sure your actions met the criteria for actual sin, though, so give it over to God at your next Mass.

 

[LilyM]

You learned a valuable lesson, so say a prayer for the man and next time lend your phone-is that not WJWD?

yes, it is /was a sin against charity for neighbors-not sure your actions met the criteria for actual sin, though, so give it over to God at your next Mass.

You don’t lend him your phone - he could run off with it. You ask him what number to call and speak to them for him.