Who is my brother, neighbor, and/or stranger?

[Verisimilitude]

There are many threads about immigrants, Muslims, JW’s, Mormons, fallen away Catholics, terrorists…anybody and everybody.

There are many Scriptural passages that use brother, neighbor, and stranger to describe how Christ used those words in context.

We are all human beings and all created in the same image as God, but are we all equal with respect to being a brother, neighbor or stranger in the Catholic sense? Do you make a distinction between human beings in that regard?

Is KSM a brother?
Is a homeless man a neighbor?
Is everybody a stranger?

Are we required to make a distinction on how we are obligated to respond to others?

Are there prudent limits to the charity that can and should be given to others, depending on how they themselves are conducting themselves? Meaning, I may forgive the homeless person who stole my ID/credit card, but I do not feel obligated to let him out of prison or invite him over for dinner.

Is that an immoral position, or a morally justified one?

 

[otjm]

It is not only a moral position, but a logical one as well, including the logic of the Gospels.

There are other threads about the poor, the homeless, beggars and panhandlers, and I don’t want to go through all of them. Suffice it to say that one needs to separate out emotion from choice. People talk about feeling guilty in not giving a handout, or change, etc. to the poor.

The Church holds that we have a moral duty to the poor, but does impose on us a moral duty to support a drug or alcohol addiction with cash. There are plenty of legitimate groups and institutions (e.g. St. Vincent De Paul) which have a mission to help the poor and needy, and supporting them fulfills our obligation to support the poor. While someone may feel - emotions again - that giving money to the groups is too far removed, or not direct enough, or any other number of emotional reactions, that is just what they are - emotional reactions.

There are people who are called to a greater service to the poor, such as working for one of the organizations or groups, doing such things as working in a homeless shelter, serving meals, sorting clothes - all of which can be done on a voluteer basis and are very needed. There are also those who are called to work more closely with the poor; lawyers, social workers, those who are paid staff with drop-in centers or shelters. Called comes from the Latin vocare, from which we get vocation; and this truly can be a calling. But a vocation, a calling, if not answered, is not a sinful choice; it is a calling, and if we don’t respond, the God who calls will call in other ways later. Is it a blessing to respond? By all means; but not a moral obligation. It is a general moral obligation to respond to the poor, but not a specific moral obligation to respond to a street panhandler by giving them money.

 

[OriginalJS]

Please read Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10 verses 25 through 37.

 

[Verisimilitude]

I think my point was missed in the above responses.

Are there prudent limits to the charity that can and should be given to others, depending on how they themselves are conducting themselves?

A thief might be poor, but does that excuse the stealing? If the thief continues to steal even after his hunger has been satisfied, or clothed, or a roof put over their head is my obligation unending?

Matthew 7:6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

 

[Verisimilitude]

Anticipating a response similar to:

21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Again, the question of who is my brother is being asked.

When Christ said:

40"The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

Is He not qualifing brother as:

50"For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."

?

For the unending compassion of Christ to be extended, in which we are commanded to follow, the brother is to be striving similarly as we (Catholics/Christians(?)) are.

This does not preclude mercy and compassion to anyone in need such as the victim in the Good Samaritan, but in an effort to not cast our pearls before swine, do we not also have a responsibility to not continue to do so when it is being wasted or scorned?

Wasted in the sense that money given to the homeless drunk you see by the road eveyday is being spent on booze instead of the food his “hungry” sign says he wants money for. If you offer that homeless person a meal instead, and they refuse, is the moral obligation to give them the money anyway?

Scorned in the sense that an illegal immigrant has no desire/intent to abide by the legal requirements to work in the US legally. The level or method we extend mercy and compassion is morally justifed to be limited in accordance with who is a brother, stranger and neighbor.

True?

 

[drafdog]

Read the Torah. Find each and every law which speaks of how we are to relate to one another. The employer must pay the worker at the end of each day. The lender must return a cloak taken as surety each evening so that the borrower is not cold in the night. The earth is rested every seven years so that it may recover its fertility. Slaves must be given their freedom after seven years. Loans are forgiven at the end of seven years. There is in the Torah a wealth of information about how we are to treat one another. Jesus did not say to abandon this body of commandments. He said rather that we must exceed it in righteousness.

Matthew

 

[Verisimilitude]

Read the Torah. Find each and every law which speaks of how we are to relate to one another.

Thanks, but I still think the point is being missed.

The employer must pay the worker at the end of each day.

My question was more specific to whether or not is it moral to deny the job in the first place if they do not meet the legal requirements to have a job. By hiring the illegal, a legal person is without a job. Your statement assumes the employer is paying the same wage regardless of who is hired too.

The lender must return a cloak taken as surety each evening so that the borrower is not cold in the night.

My question was more specific to whether or not is it moral to not lend to the would-be borrower in the first place if what was being lent was being used improperly. By renting a 3 bedroom home to a group of 25 people is against the law as well as taking advantage of those living next to that place.

The earth is rested every seven years so that it may recover its fertility. Slaves must be given their freedom after seven years. Loans are forgiven at the end of seven years.

This is dependent if both parties uphold their part of the bargin. If the slave was disobedient for all seven years, or if more loans were taken beyond the first.

There is in the Torah a wealth of information about how we are to treat one another. Jesus did not say to abandon this body of commandments. He said rather that we must exceed it in righteousness.

Matthew

I thought my questions were clear, maybe not.

He also said we should not squander that rightousness by giving it to those who abuse it. Not only do we waste a precious thing, it often leads to our own destruuction.

 

[DanteAlighieri]

This does not preclude mercy and compassion to anyone in need such as the victim in the Good Samaritan, but in an effort to not cast our pearls before swine, do we not also have a responsibility to not continue to do so when it is being wasted or scorned?

Absolutely, if you know that it is being wasted or scorned. It does your brother/neighbor no good if you allow him to take advantage of your generosity.

Wasted in the sense that money given to the homeless drunk you see by the road eveyday is being spent on booze instead of the food his “hungry” sign says he wants money for. If you offer that homeless person a meal instead, and they refuse, is the moral obligation to give them the money anyway?

Do you know the man’s heart? Can you be certain he’s a drunk/drug addict?

I think offering a meal is a wonderful idea – and if he refuses, you can then be reasonably certain he doesn’t want the money for food. For what then? Medicine? Clothes for his child? Offer to buy him these things. If he turns you down, it becomes more obvious that he may want the money for something other than his real needs.

Scorned in the sense that an illegal immigrant has no desire/intent to abide by the legal requirements to work in the US legally. The level or method we extend mercy and compassion is morally justifed to be limited in accordance with who is a brother, stranger and neighbor.

Do you know the immigrant’s heart? Do you know he has no desire/intent to obey the laws of the US? Perhaps he is ignorant, or has been told wrongly that he’ll be deported or jailed if he tries to become a citizen. Does this excuse his guilt? No, but it mitigates his culpability.

In either case, one is not free from a responsibility to help this man. Again, though, it does him no good to allow him to take advantage of generosity; offer him clothing and food. Perhaps even shelter. Offer to help him become a legal resident.

An old friend once told me that she passed a homeless woman on the street on her way home. She was going back to work after lunch, and decided to make some sandwiches for the woman. When she offered the sandwiches, the woman looked in the bag and said, “Oh sh**!”. This is scorning charity.

Peace,
Dante

 

[Verisimilitude]

Absolutely, if you know that it is being wasted or scorned. It does your brother/neighbor no good if you allow him to take advantage of your generosity.

Yea! Thanks for a direct answer. BTW, I really enjoyed your book (Divine Comedy)

Do you know the man’s heart? Can you be certain he’s a drunk/drug addict?

That becomes part of the issue as well, I think. I think we have a responsibility to ask the individual for such clarity so that we may know how to respond appropriately to the help being asked of us.

I think offering a meal is a wonderful idea – and if he refuses, you can then be reasonably certain he doesn’t want the money for food. For what then? Medicine? Clothes for his child? Offer to buy him these things. If he turns you down, it becomes more obvious that he may want the money for something other than his real needs.

I think that is reasonable and compassionate, and have done so myself.

Do you know the immigrant’s heart? Do you know he has no desire/intent to obey the laws of the US?

Well, I can understand what some say themselves, so making a judgement is not without reason. They do not obey the law now.

Perhaps he is ignorant, or has been told wrongly that he’ll be deported or jailed if he tries to become a citizen. Does this excuse his guilt? No, but it mitigates his culpability.

Some think it is unreasonable to even ask, but give without restraint regardless of the cause- just the stated need.

In either case, one is not free from a responsibility to help this man. Again, though, it does him no good to allow him to take advantage of generosity; offer him clothing and food. Perhaps even shelter. Offer to help him become a legal resident.

There is much debate about how to do that most appropriately.

An old friend once told me that she passed a homeless woman on the street on her way home. She was going back to work after lunch, and decided to make some sandwiches for the woman. When she offered the sandwiches, the woman looked in the bag and said, “Oh sh**!”. This is scorning charity.

Peace,
Dante

I have had similar experiences. It has not stopped my offering help, but it has modified how I offfer that help.