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jeffrey_erwin
Guest
A good point. But has the Church ever taught that we should not “Give to anyone who asks?”
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Micosil
Guest
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Bonnie
Guest
If you really believe that, send me a private message & I’ll give you instructions to send all your money to me. I could really use it!
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Antegin
Guest
Jesus did not say ‘‘give money, swords (guns), poison(drugs) to anyone who asks…’’ He did say that ‘‘the sons of God must be innocent as doves and wiley as serpents…’’ Providing food, clothes, transportation to shelter instead of blindly giving the means of a person’s downfall, this too is a function of true charity.
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cheezey
Guest
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
Well I got conned before Christmas.
I was at Walmart going from my car to the store when a young guy politely came up to me and said, “this is embarrassing, but I’m not from around here, and my car ran out of gas. I can bring you to see it, but if you had any extra cash for gas, I’d appreciate it.”
I gave him $5. Then I saw him hitting up other people in the parking lot.
Turned out to be a scam.
Jim
I was at Walmart going from my car to the store when a young guy politely came up to me and said, “this is embarrassing, but I’m not from around here, and my car ran out of gas. I can bring you to see it, but if you had any extra cash for gas, I’d appreciate it.”
I gave him $5. Then I saw him hitting up other people in the parking lot.
Turned out to be a scam.
Jim
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cheezey
Guest
Young man, young woman.
She: Could you spare any change? His brother is in a hospital (about 50 miles away.)
He: Silent.
Next day, I am in a coffee shop. He comes in and orders 5 large iced coffee drinks and some food. Another friend offered money and the kid with the ‘sick brother’ said, “Nah! I got it!”
Wariness is completely understandable.
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jeffrey_erwin
Guest
Avoiding being robbed or conned does not seem to be part of our Lord’s instructions. We are to love every other human being just as much as we love ourselves.
If we really took that 2nd most important commandment to its logical conclusion, we would give up to one half of all our money to the next destitute person that we met.
Giving nothing to some one who asks is not acceptable, ever.
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Casilda
Guest
Such as this Catholic Worker House(s) imbedded in areas where the need is greatest.
sa-catholicworker.org
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Tim_D
Guest
How old are you? When people have a spouse, house and children for which to provide they find that the thought of giving money to anyone who asks and who may be trying to take advantage of them to be contrary to their role as a family provider. It is fine to give to recognized charities that help those in need but no one is required to give to any person who simply asks.
Would you give money to Donald Trump or any other well-known millionaire if he asked?
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jeffrey_erwin
Guest
I’m 71 years, thank you for asking.
“If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple.”
“Give to everyone who asks you . . .”
“Do not judge , and you will not be judged selves . . .”
Our Heavenly Father gives us gifts every day that we, as evil people, do not deserve.
We should, in return, give, even if it is just a small amount, to those that seem unworthy to us.
That is what our Teacher has commanded us to do.
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Antegin
Guest
I would agree actually, giving nothing is unacceptable. The gifts of prudence and discernment should guide us, however, to provide what the person needs, not what the person can reasonably be expected to use to hurt themselves or others. Giving money to alcoholics and drug addicts DOES THEM HARM. Giving them food, water, warm clothes does them good.
The Romini. are dangerous thieves and again, the gifts of prudence and discernment should guide you away from them. One woman asked me for money to feed her family. I handed her a bag of groceries. She declined them saying, ‘‘Tanks for no ting…’’
These people have been known to commit assaults resulting in serious injury and to kidnap young girls for marriage or the sex trade. There culture is rooted in theft and stealth ever since bear training fell through as a source of income somewhere in the 1700s. There are too many people who really need food to give money to people living off of bilking good hearted souls. Again, pray for prudence and discernment especially if you are a young person.
The Montgomery Co. Cops in Md. chased them north. Sorry Pennsylvania.
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Tim_D
Guest
I take it, then, that you have no savings account or investment accounts? After all, how could you when you give to all who ask, unless you purposely avoid outside interactions?
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jeffrey_erwin
Guest
Hi Tim.
Following the Rule really hasn’t been a problem. I give what I can afford to.
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jeffrey_erwin
Guest
I lived in Baltimore for 9 years and have met some of the Romini. But I don’t remember reading anything in our Lord’s Gospel that said that I shouldn’t give them a few dollars if they asked. What I do remember is the “Do Not Judge” part.
As for giving money to a wino, once again I follow the Rule. If that person uses the money unwisely, i don’t see that as my responsibility.
I think that y’all are just looking for excuses not to give to people that you don’t like or approve of.
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Tim_D
Guest
I now see that you categorize yourself as Episcopalian.
Catholic teaching does not take a fundamentalist viewpoint as you seem to be doing. If we were to take such a point of view, then we would all be without eyes, hands and tongues. Hyperbole is a design to drive home a point. When one does not understand how to take things presented in such a way then they arrive at conclusions that not only conflict with common sense but also tend to be extreme. I think that is what is happening here.
Besides, giving to someone who will only use the money to further damage themselves and their life through drug or alcohol abuse is not charity and does not help anyone. I fail to see how anyone could think such an action to be noble.
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
No, giving to anyone who asks is not the correct answer, especially out on the street when dealing with pan handlers.
Giving to them when they have access to social services, often just enables their alcohol and drug addictions.
Don’t try to compare the world Jesus lived in with ours here in the USA, they are very different.
Scam artists and thieves in Jesus time were executed, swiftly, which meant that the begger’s were legitimately the poor and down trodden.
Today, the pan handlers are generally bums with addictions, for there are social services and charities where they can get help, but they refuse.
I was a volunteer at a shelter years ago, which was actually a half-way house for those coming out of rehab situations, or prison, and needed a place to be housed, fed and given a pathway to independence.
The first step for me was having some orientation by one of the staff members, who herself was an alcoholic. The timing couldn’t have been better, for my brother was an alcoholic and everything my mother was doing for him, merely enabled him to keep drinking.
So, give to legitimate charities such as your local shelters and such.
Give to the charities through your parish, such as St Vincent De Paul.
If you decide to give a panhandler money, be cautious about it and don’t get scammed as I did.
Charity means helping a person to heal, not enable their sickness.
Jim
Giving to them when they have access to social services, often just enables their alcohol and drug addictions.
Don’t try to compare the world Jesus lived in with ours here in the USA, they are very different.
Scam artists and thieves in Jesus time were executed, swiftly, which meant that the begger’s were legitimately the poor and down trodden.
Today, the pan handlers are generally bums with addictions, for there are social services and charities where they can get help, but they refuse.
I was a volunteer at a shelter years ago, which was actually a half-way house for those coming out of rehab situations, or prison, and needed a place to be housed, fed and given a pathway to independence.
The first step for me was having some orientation by one of the staff members, who herself was an alcoholic. The timing couldn’t have been better, for my brother was an alcoholic and everything my mother was doing for him, merely enabled him to keep drinking.
So, give to legitimate charities such as your local shelters and such.
Give to the charities through your parish, such as St Vincent De Paul.
If you decide to give a panhandler money, be cautious about it and don’t get scammed as I did.
Charity means helping a person to heal, not enable their sickness.
Jim
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jeffrey_erwin
Guest
I never said that my compliance with our Teacher’s instructions was “noble.” In my little Church’s library is a disgusting little book entitled, “THE DIFFICULT SAYINGS OF JESUS,” in which the author waters downs our Lord’s holy instructions. So, I wouldn’t say that your issue is with my Protestant Church,; it’s just me.
Ninety-nine times that you give to a bum on the street, they just want it for their alcohol. The hundredth time, it will be someone truly in need.
The 101st time, the most disgusting bum imaginable, it will be your Guardian Angel in disguise with His heart full of blessings for you. Such has happened many times.
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ccmcmg
Guest
One of our most infamous in town, asked for a ‘down payment on a cheeseburger’. He made his rounds in LA as well.
I still give when I can and what I can. If it’s used for drugs or alcohol, so be it. Perhaps they would have beaten someone or stole from someone else, or committed another crime, in order to get their ‘fix’ if I did not give to them. It’s really God’s money, not mine, anyway.
I was having lunch in a nice area of town once, with two acquaintances. I gave some money to someone asking, and my liberal friend noted that it was interesting that the conservative of the group, and not her, was helping others.
Now, though, I also ask their names, and what I can pray for them. If I know of other resources for them, and am able to do so, I tell them where to get more help.
I still give when I can and what I can. If it’s used for drugs or alcohol, so be it. Perhaps they would have beaten someone or stole from someone else, or committed another crime, in order to get their ‘fix’ if I did not give to them. It’s really God’s money, not mine, anyway.
I was having lunch in a nice area of town once, with two acquaintances. I gave some money to someone asking, and my liberal friend noted that it was interesting that the conservative of the group, and not her, was helping others.
Now, though, I also ask their names, and what I can pray for them. If I know of other resources for them, and am able to do so, I tell them where to get more help.
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Bonnie
Guest
If I followed your example, I wouldn’t have any money left for the 100th or 101st person. When a person is low income, it’s not prudent to give to just anyone. We do give to our parish, which includes the free meal program, as well as Church charities.
We used to take people into our home but got burned enough times that I put my foot down. It was too dangerous for our children, even after we limited our “guests” to just women and children.
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