What do you think? Is begging a sin?

[serviichristii]

Well said.

The mendicant orders are technically REQUIRED to beg by their own rule which is approved by the Church.

i guess its the context with which you beg
im pretty sure that alot of people on the ‘dole’ (aussie slang for welfare payments) are actually just using the money for drugs and whatnot, and not to help improve their financial situation. If they were to beg, i think that would be considered unnecessary leaching of others’ resources.

 

[Lochias]

haha yeah i get you
sorry for sounding aggressive; i tend to do that on alotthis forum
and yes i do believe he has a soft spot in his heart for the beggar. He’s been humilated like no one else before in history, so naturally he would show extra compassion to them. But i think the key thing is to distinguish** between beggars who are beggars by choice** and those who have been thrust that role by unfortunate circumstances. Those who are beggars by choice are the type that offend God.

Sorry, but I think you’re mistaken in this case. St. Francis of Assisi lived a rich lifestyle as a youth, and was well on his way to becoming either a successful cloth merchant like his father or (as his own initial dreams were) a knight.

It was his very calling from God to espouse poverty for poverty’s sake, and to go begging from door to door. He does not fit into your opinion.

 

[catharina]

I have never heard a word in Catholic teaching that considers begging to be a sin.

 

[AlltheRoses]

The Bible contains what can be interpreted as an admonishment against begging: “You are not really living your own life if you beg. You pollute yourself by accepting food from another.” (I forgot which book I got that from). Living here in Indonesia where I see thousands of people who cannot do otherwise to get food but beg, it raises the question. Is begging considered a sin in our Christian religion? If you think so, why? And if you don’t think it’s a sin, why not? If you think it is a sin, is it a mortal or venial sin?

No, begging is not a sin, and the Church doesn’t teach that it is. In fact, the Church urges its members to care for the poor, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, and runs many charitable organizations to carry out that important part of our ministry.

If you read through the Gospels, you will find Jesus reminding His followers to look after the poor. He even says that when we feed the hungry and clothe the naked, we feed and clothe Him, and that when we don’t do those things for the least of our brothers and sisters, we don’t do it for Him. So, in short, begging is not a sin, but ignoring the needs of beggars may indeed be a pretty severe one when we look at the Gospels. That’s not to say that you have to give money to every poor person you meet on the street. It may be wiser and safer to donate to legitimate organizations to help the poor more efficiently. That is what I do. It ensures that the money and material is used effectively and in ways that I approve of, rather than potentially giving money to somebody who might spend it unwisely in ways that I would not like.

May God bless you as you try to do His work.