/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

I only avoid gypsies because they abuse their children and forcing them their shitty """lifestyle""". I usually try to help disabled and elderly.

If ur country has decent welfare system don't bother

>>747616

Most homeless people are ashamed of the stigma, and will normally not approach people for help. The majority of people with signs are professional panhandlers. Buy them a sandwich instead.

I have only ever given money to one able-bodied man and he was a guy trying to get a motel for his family. I saw his family and he had the bill and a bunch of cash and was just a few dollars short.

If they are old, crazy, or disabled i try to be charitable but most beggars are addicts and i don't have enough sympathy for them to give them money

>>747616

Give it to the local soup kitchen or lone homeless people who aren't begging. Also don't give out food that isn't packaged, otherwise they will wisely not trust it. Canned tuna or dog-food is always welcome and if you really want to help…give em socks.

>>747620

This. I've had panhandlers tell me to winnie the pooh off after I offer to buy them lunch.

>>747616

>How do I know if a panhandler is faking it for beer money

So what if he is? Buy the man a beer. Just because you give him money doesn't mean you own him and can make him do what you want with that money.

>>747622

>i don't have enough sympathy for [addicts]

Wow. Just … wow.

>>747622

>most beggars are addicts and i don't have enough sympathy for them

Good Christian morals, bro.

beer money is genuinely seeking help /thread

>>747631

>>747630

Deliberately prolonging the suffering isn't christian either. You really should get your noses out of the book and adapt your faith to modern times. Any form of drug abuse while being homeless is a vicious cycle of self destruction, that nobody should pander to.

I'd prefer giving to specific charities, but it's none of my business if someone stops and asks.. I'll try to help. I don't like the guys around traffic lights, panhandling though. It's just inconvenient, sometimes holds up traffic, and I'd rather not call attention myself either. It doesn't even make sense half of the time what parts of the city they're located around here either (all of the shelters are downtown here, but some of these guys are far away from downtown. I doubt they're homeless).

>>747638

>You really should get your noses out of the book and adapt your faith to modern times.

No.

>>747616

i usually give a tiny portion of food, if they ask for more or want cash instead then i would know that those pieces of shit are nothing but opportunists (and more often, drug addicts) that deserve to be shun away.

Given known homeless stats, the question should be "is it moral to give this to the vagrant presuming he will squander it"

>I offer food instead :) if they want money then theyre a junkie

Most homeless people already get their food from charity. They beg for money to buy things like soap, clothes, razors, accomodation etc.

>>747658

Exactly. Charity isn't limited to hard currency, give people things they actually need.

is it moral for God to give you grace if he knows you are only going to sin?

>>747675

>beg for money to buy things

tigger, they winnie the pooh BEG for those things too, often using the old "muh famly is dying, be a pal and give me 6 sets of pants" and they do it with the the intent of reselling them in order to get more drugs.

>>747616

<solution

<offer to buy them a sanwhich or whatever

<if they renege and instead as for cash, you now know

>>747702

And boom goes the dynamite

>>747716

I'm not saying they beg for those items and sell them,Im saying that they beg for money to buy those items. Most of them are not junkies and eventually spend their lives homeless because there is no means for them to overcome homelessness.

>durr ur deluded because you dont think literally every poor person is a junkie

Go out and actually meet these people instead of arguing against being charitable

>>747702

/thread

>>747675

This. The problem with just giving them goods is that you don't actually know what they need so you might just be doing them no good.

I live in a city with a sizeable amount of beggars and miserable people in general. My approach generally is:

>Never give money to children

It is pretty common that they are there because their parents made them, when they should be at school. There are exceptions, but this definitely isn't a behavior I want to incentivize.

>Carry some small cash, loose and easy to pick up

Whenever I have these on hand, I give when asked. I have no way to know what they will do with the money but between the chance of being scammed out of a small amount of money or making someone's day $10 easier, pick the later. I mention small amount of loose money out of security reasons; don't walk with large amounts of money nor pull your wallet out.

>larger donations made through an institution

Preferably a church. They have better structure and means to provide for the poor.

>>747791

>Go out and actually meet these people

Yeah of course anon, surely they interrupting my peaceful time in order to get goods and trying to conceive the most heartwrenching stories just to attain them often after unlawfully entering my yard and making their little fטcking hobbo tents inside more than 5 times is simply not enough to get to know them. How blindly and foolish of me.

>>747862

Just fire some blanks into the air and they'll stay off your lawn.

Alms giving is for the benefit of both parties - it provides money for the poor and humility for the rich.

>>747702

That sounds like his fault tbh

>>747862

>some guy did something mean to me so Christ's laws of charity and forgiveness don't apply in my life anymore

Yes, you should forgive them and get to know themm better, rather than basing your outlook on a whole group of people on some bad acts

>>747791

>Go out and actually meet these people instead of arguing against being charitable

I have a family that relies on me. I can't risk getting stabbed to hang out with a bunch of junkies who are just looking to use me or drag me down with them. They are well fed and they have places to live. What else am I supposed to do for them? I can't make them change their life.

>>747658

+1

>>747616

>Should you even bother discerning this or should you just give freely to anyone? I feel like the latter is true but I've seen arguments from Christians that you shouldn't give to people who are just going to buy drugs.

Even if he does drugs he gave you an opportunity to practice generosity. You don't know what will happen to your money when you give it to charity or to hobos, just try to avoid obvious scammers and hope for the best.

>>747616

>how?

Tell them you won't give them money but that you will buy them food.

>>747616

Don't directly give money to panhandlers. Buy things - meals, clothes, and so on. Ask what they need.

Charity does not require imprudence - giving cash to panhandlers is likely supporting a drug/alcohol habit.

>>747616

You can usually just tell by their looks, but its permissible to give them money even when you know they're lying. Just be sure to give it in Christ's name, and He will sort out who is genuine.

Numbers 5:11-31