I think it is worthwhile to play devil’s advocate and look at situations from both sides and giving to the poor is an issue that most everyone will deal with at some point in their lives.
Working within the city limits I run across homeless guys often, in fact I have seen one guy begging every morning, on the same corner for at least the last two years. I have talked to him a little bit too, and it seems to be a similar situation. I have given him some food from time to time, but I wonder if I am doing more harm than good.
Obviously, the Bible makes it very clear that we are to [tag]give to the poor[/tag]. There are countless verses to support this.
But, it also says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
What if by giving to a beggar it was actually HARMING them, by only perpetuating the problem?
Genuine love doesn’t always do what people want, it does what is BEST for them. Just as a loving mother wouldn’t let her toddlers play with a loaded gun even if they really wanted to, maybe loving some beggars is to NOT give them food or money. I know it sounds absurd, but that is why I am bringing it up (Devil’s advocate, remember?). Could it be possible that some beggars(who are fully capable of working) would stop begging and get motivated to get a job, if people didn’t keep giving to them.
I am not sure if it is true or not, but I heard that the “Naked Cowboy” from New York City collects over $250,000 a year from basically just being a beggar with “style.” If a “normal” beggar is getting plenty of cash from begging, then why should the look for a job?
Just as with any addiction, the difficulty of breaking it is based on the length of time that it has existed. If this is the case, then giving to a beggar is “addicted” to laziness could actually be harming them by sustaining the “addiction.” If no one gave to him, he would have more incentive to find a job.
The tricky thing about this is that we never know the whole situation and we have to be led by the Holy Spirit when making these decisions. After all, who are we to judge? God knows what is going on in the beggar’s life and what will help them the most.
I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.
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Give to the poor – definitely. But I’ve only once given to a beggar. All honesty, it’s a little scary to give to someone who approaches you on the street. (It’s equally scary to buy from someone who approaches you from a kiosk in the mall – “Pardon me sir, but can I see your hands?”)
@ Cory
Yea, I agree with you it can be dangerous. That is why every situation is a unique one.
On another note, I did a quick study of beggars in the New Testament and every example of beggars I found in the New Testament had a physical ailment, that led to their inability to work. I thought that was interesting.
I wouldn’t call homeless people who are begging, beggars. I don’t think that its right. Its usually considered that you are better to donate money to a charity that supports the homeless (or buy the Big Issue if its in your city) than to give money to people begging on the street.
It’s always upsetting to me to see so-called Christians come up with ways to justify why they don’t help people in need. The Good Samaritan story didn’t show us to come up with reasons why not to help- it’s just about helping. The Samaritan didn’t say “Oh well, get a job loser!”- he helped. This is Jesus’ greatest example of who and how we are to help. HOWEVER POSSIBLE. A mentally impaired street person may not have the wherewithall to hold a job- or even be able to access social programs depending on his condition. Do you turn away and do nothing? Sounds like it from some of the results above. I might buy the person a coffee and donut or a sandwich, depending on the time of day- and then direct them to our families church, where we have a food cupboard and a clothing closet.
DivaJean, I think your response was a bit harsh, but your point is valid. Don’t focus on just Christians. Everyone should live up to a higher standard, whether they’re religious or atheist, so pointing fingers at supposed hypocrisy isn’t the right course of action.
But back to your point, I’d like to add that you can’t always pick out those who are in need due to a mental or physical handicap versus those who are just lazy. I agree both with this article that it might be perpetuating laziness, but it’s probably not our job to judge whether the person is able or not. It’s just our job to help them if they ask for it (keeping our safety in mind), and let God choose how to direct that person further.
@DivaJean – Regarding your “so-called Christians”, please read Matthew 7:1-5 and John 8:7. Shame on you for judging a brother without evening knowing him. I think if you would take a few minutes to read Bob’s blog, you’ll find you are very wrong indeed.
@Cleverguy – well put.
As others have pointed out, it is possible to help the poor by giving to ministries that work with the poor. Near us, we have a food pantry. That’s an excellent opportunity to help the poor and chances are slim that it will be abused.
“maybe loving some beggars is to NOT give them food or money.”
How am I to see this any other way? This is HARSH- judging whether someone is worth your help. Jesus didn’t come to us and say- “Be as paternalistic as hell and add qualifyers to anything you do, expecting some sort of payoff.” He said love. Love doesn’t judge whether someone deserves or not, it just gives and gives.
I can tell I am making huge mistakes in investing effort here at this site!
@DivaJean
I wish I could sit down with you and discuss this whole thing. The truth is that I am merely posing a question – In my personal life I have made the decision that I am going to give those who ask and let God deal with them if they are in the wrong. So please don’t misunderstand the post as an excuse not to give, because it is not that at all.
It is a question of how best to LOVE someone. I probably didn’t explain it well enough, but when I said, “maybe loving some beggars is to NOT give them food or money.”
I did not mean that we should just ignore them – it means doing whatever is best for them, whatever will help them solve their problems. Just two weeks ago, I did just what you suggested stopped and offered to take the guy out to lunch (he turned me down) and talked to him for 15 minutes about improving his situation.
So, I am not going to spend all day defending myself, but the point is to LOVE people and do what is best for them LONG TERM – I don’t know what that answer is a lot of times, hence the reason for the question.
@laura
Good point.
@cleverdude
I agree with your statement as well…
My city started a campaign to educate people to “give smart” (http://www.givesmartseattle.org/). Not all beggars are homeless or in “need” of our spare change. Some ask for money for food but use it to buy alcohol and drugs. For others, panhandling *is* their “job” — only they’re not doing any work in exchange for your hard-earned income. They’re scamming you. (I wish I could remember the article I read on this recently.) By giving to the shelters and foodbanks in your city, your money is helping more people and helping people who really need it until they can get back on their feet.
I wrote about a similar topic a little while back. Some might find it helpful.
http://homewardbound-cb.blogspot.com/2007/08/are-you-discerning-in-your-generosity.html
I have two thoughts on this. One is that if you haven’t read it, give “Down and Out in Paris and London” by George Orwell a try. A really excellent book that makes you think about this issue in another way.
I am always a little conflicted when I see people begging. Part of this is that I went to college in a place where every day I had to cross a street where there were many, many people begging. While it is well and good to say that you should give to those who ask, there was no way to do that. So the question becomes how to give, to whom to give. I still don’t have a good answer.
From my limited experiences working in the non-profit sector, however, I can tell you this. There are always people who abuse the system. It doesn’t matter if it is a charity that works directly with people, disaster relief, environment. A portion of every dollar will be spent poorly. It may be stolen. Projects that are designed to help may in fact harm (the dilemma you write about). At my last job I got disillusioned by this (and I worked for a very good charity with spartan offices, a strong moral code, who really worked to get bang for every donated buck). Someone there told me that the Dalai Lama wrote about this (I’ve never checked) and came to the conclusion that you have to try anyway. You have to give, knowing that a portion of your donations will be abused. If enough people do that, good can be accomplished despite the abuse that will occur.
Good luck with your dilemma : )
@Liz
Thanks for commenting on this, you bring a unique perspective as someone who has had a bit more experience with this issue than most of us… It is such a tricky situation and that is why I am convinced that we need God’s help to find out what to do each time we encounter it.
I think it is best to always err on the side of generosity. As someone said previously, I believe that it is up to us to always be as giving as we can with our time, talents, money, whatever we are blessed with… if somebody else takes advantage of those things or abuses our generosity, it is for God to deal with in the end. This does not mean that I am naive to the reasons for another’s lack of resources (whether it is laziness, substance abuse, etc). The bottom line is that I always try to show kindness to these people. Even if they are just being lazy, or a drunk I still feel sad for the situation they are in.
sorry, I had to just add, I have been a social worker for almost 8 years. I too know from experience that many people abuse the systems of charity but I still think that it is not up to us to give up on trying to make the world a better place, like Liz said.
@Diva Jean, I think it is a bit rough to be so judgmental about an entry that begins by talking about playing devil’s advocate. The fact is that many people are in poverty because of their own choices. Many refuse to work. Is it “un-Christian” to search scripture for an answer and to test different verses to see what was said? And the case of the Good Samaritan does not really fit, because the man he helped was near death, not refusing to work.
Bob, I think the one thing I would point to in this discussion is that this verse in particular is directed at the church and is talking about believers who are idle. I am not sure it applies to the needy outside the church.
Looking at how poverty was handled in the bible is interesting. In the Old Testament, the corners of the field were set aside for the poor to glean from. In other words, they worked for their food.
I don’t really know exactly what the answer is, but it is an interesting question to explore.
@Brooke
I agree, I think it is better to err on the side of being generosity –
@Dana
Nice comment, I think you bring up some interesting points… Honestly, I haven’t studied the verse and the context very thoroughly – I was tossing it out there for discussion, as you mentioned, playing devil’s advocate.
I am so happy that we have God’s mercy and grace to cover us when we mess up, but I think scripturally one could argue that God expects us to make the most of what we have been given (parable of the talents, widow’s mite, etc.)
So, as I am thinking about this as I am writing, I just keep thinking of more and more things to write about it, but I won’t. It all comes back to LOVE… Matthew 22:36-40
It isn’t love to give an alcoholic a drink…it isn’t love to enable people to pursue activities that are destructive to themselves. I do think that aiding the poor with direct money can fall into this. My husband bought a man a knee brace once and watched as he returned to the store to get the refund. He had been scammed. The question is, I guess, do we require someone to work before we give them assistance (assuming they are able), or do we leave it up to God? After all, Christ also says that if a man asks for your overcoat, you should give them your undergarments as well. (I’ve read some interesting things about what that meant, but that is an entirely different post!)
I like working with ministries who are able to meet all the needs of the poor…education, support, counseling, shelter and food. The ten dollars that I might give to some guy on the street corner does not do him very much good, even if he does use it on food. But there is something distant about it, too.
From,
Pastor.T.Padma Rao,
Rock church, naidustreet,
NUZVID-521201,
Krishna,Dt,
A.P. South India.
To,
Gods Ministers,
Greetings to you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for your fellowship and friendship in Jesus Christ Name. We are praying for you.
I have found out your web site on the internet. Praise the Lord for your Gods service and fellowship. Thank you.
My full name is Talari Padma Rao, I am doing a senior Pastor for 20 years in our Area.
I have had studied B.Sc; degree, Physical Education Trained and Biblical Education. When I am doing as a High school teacher, which is Gods was called to me as a full time Gods Minister in His vineyard. I am obeyed to the word of God and my Gods vision. Isaiah= 56: 1 to 7 . So that I have dedicated to the Gospel work for my life. I am doing Gospel work since 1988, feb, 26th 5: P.M. Praise God, Halleluiah and Amen. This is Gods willing for my life. Thank God. Now and then I am independently gospel worker in our Area. I am doing gospel work at NUZVID town. I have had church, and congregation. Also I have had Villages Ministries.
My wife name is T.Kumari, she has prayerful woman and I have two daughters, they are secular Education finished and now they are studying Bible Education at Bible College.
We are pray for you, your ministries in prayers. Please send your kindly a few words about your ministries.
Please reply to me soon,
Thank you,
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor.T.Padma Rao.
@Pastor.T.Padma Rao
Thanks for stopping by – I appreciate the prayers, I will be praying to for you and your ministry as well…
I wish you all the best!!
I was once asked for money by a ’street person’. I asked him ‘what will you use the money for’? He then made an indication with his hand telling me he was going to use the money to drink. My reply to him was: ‘I’ve seen too many people hurt by alcohol and I care about you too much to be a part of that so I will not give you any money’. I believe I made leaps and bounds for the Lord in that man’s life that day! Blindly following scripture without any attempt at discernment is a sign of a legal mentality and is sinful if we know we’re feeding someone’s sinful habits. I’m convinced we’re to give people what they need and what they need is not always what they tell us:
An alcoholic will tell us they need money or a meal or a place to stay. But let’s face it, they’ve got thus far in their condition! What he might truly need is the life-giving word that breaks him free from their addiction! (just an example here)
Make no mistake, I’m neither advocating giving or not but that we should be discerning and sensitive to the will of the Father and with that in mind there would be many instances where it would be clear He would not endorse the type of giving we traditionally give.
@Darren
Great comment! There really is something to be said for discerning in the situation…
No. Do not give cash ever! If you just hand out cash you’re encouraging their lazy behavior. Besides, they’ll just use it to buy alcohol or cigarettes, something most Christians wouldn’t want their money going towards. If you can help them by buying them food or something, maybe. I’d be nice but still say no.
Christian giving in regard to people that avoid work is a thorny issue. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 provides an answer that we should not give up on giving, but we should not also give to people that have the means to support themselves. See commentary on wealth distribution -
http://access-jesus.com/2_Thessalonians/2_Thessalonians_3_10_13
I’d encourage all you Christians out there to consider the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. With respect to this topic, please consider the state the prodigal had to find himself in before he came to his senses. I often ask the question: “Would the prodigal have turned back if there were some do-gooder Christians in his life and they gave him food, clothing, a roof over his head and all the rest”?? That’s a rhetorical question for you all I hope.
In some places in the world, begging is considered a form of employment.
If someone is able to stand by a road for hours a day in the cold or hot sun and hold a sign, why not give them some help?
It is not always easy to find regular employment, especially if you do not have a car, clothes,smell bad or can’t get along in the typical fashion.
When I see them,I help, sometimes with food, a little cash or some clothing,etc.
I am a Christian, so to just drive by seems against the nature of Christianity and all Christ taught.
So what if they are begging?
They are working.
Being lead by the Holy Spirit is what we need to be listening too. If it isn’t from the heart with love then it was fruitless. Your acts aren’t what keeps us in the right. Its G-ds most Hightest command to Love.
I live in Romania (Europe) and we are somehow used to see beggars on the street. Sometimes I give them some change, sometimes I do not. Point is, I have seen a very smart sign in one of the cities I visited (Bucharest) and it said:
“If you knew that a beggar makes 1500 USD/month, will you still give him money?”
Now, I am aware that no all of them are making this money, but still can make a lot more then a regular salary.
It could be that some are in a big need, therefore the safe way is to give them food or buying them food on the spot.
Greetings from Cluj!
Genuine love is about treating other people with respect and treating them as they would like to be treated. How do YOU know what is best for HIM? It seems pretty egotistical for you to think that you know what is in his best interests. By implying that you know what is in the best interests of that homeless man, you are placing yourself above him and looking down upon him as his superior.
John,
you are exactly right, that you and I don’t know what is best for him – which also means that assuming giving him money will help him is equally as foolish…
Which is why I wrote in the article … “we never know the whole situation and we have to be led by the Holy Spirit when making these decisions. After all, who are we to judge? God knows what is going on in the beggar’s life and what will help them the most.”
Hmm, i am sadden again
When i read this article i thought that in the comment section i would most likely find a verbal argument between Christians right out in the open for anyone to see. I was not mistaken…
We must understand that many of these points are very valid, and I agree we must be lead by the holy spirit in order to see who we should help. The reality is some do take advantage of you, i have worked closely with my friends on the street, many have what you can make of a home, many get government subsidies, but they need our love. When we buy them food they may need we have shown them an act of kindness, but they have needs that plunge deep into their soul that no value menu at McDonalds can buy them. They need friendship, acceptance, love. Many of our brothers and sisters on the street have experienced rejection far greater than we can bare to believe. They need to be valued, and it takes more than 5 minutes to do so. They need to be restored, by God through us. Please if you are serious about helping the people you pass by in the street find a way to get involved in their life on a much deeper level. If you are in Toronto look up Sanctuary Ministries they would love for you to come be a part of their community.
Hi,
I agree with being led by the Holy Spirit when giving to people who are begging. A few weeks ago a boy I’ve seen around town asked me for money outside a grocery store. I had not given him money before. This time I felt led to give him $20. He jumped up and followed me to thank me profusely, saying he needed money to take the bus to Portland (from Salem, OR) and this would get him halfway to the amount he needed. I definitely wait to follow God’s lead when I’m approached by someone asking for money.
On the other hand, I was stopped at a freeway off ramp where beggars frequently sit, and offered a man a muffin (all I had to give at the time). He refused, saying “my mouth is too dry already”! Obviously he wasn’t extremely needy!
Thanks for your post
I see lots of comments about helping by giving food or tangible items instead of money, as well as about donating to direct service organizations that provide a meal or shelter to those that need it. I think even more important than both these worthwhile things is to address the systemic issues: WHY are there people who are mentally ill and not receiving the care they need? WHY are there people who cannot rely on their families? WHY is it more difficult for some people to find or keep work, through no fault of their own? And what can we do to provide care, encourage and strengthen families, reduce discrimination, help those in poverty get the transportation or write the resume or have the right suit or use the hidden norms of the workplace or make the call or find the childcare or get the skills or overcome any of the other logistical hurdles in their path to stable employment?
Another perspective: there is a long Christian tradition of those who voluntarily assume poverty, up to and including begging for their daily needs, and we typically consider these people extremely faithful and admire their choice to reject the “love of money”. Then we also have the ingrained Protestant work ethic: if you work hard, you will get what you deserve (therefore if you are poor you must conversely be lazy.) A bit of paradox in our perceptions about poverty there. I think that we have to accept that the Bible has examples of both these positions, which have since been amplified by our own experiences, and we need to look at the complexities of the world we live in to find the best answer about how to view poverty: because how those of us who are privileged perceive the poor affects how we treat the poor.
I’m from South Africa. I’ve just been to your site because I needed help. I’m a committed Christian. And I give to the poor. The problem is there are millions of poor. Someone But here is my point. You give (generously) to one — and then you’ve had it! Again, and again and again the door bell rings. People won’t take “no” for an answer. They try to wear you out. I want guidelines on when NOT to give. I think I’m going to up my donations to organized charity and never give to individuals again. Any views?
I told Jane 2.0 (my 11yr old) a story;
Two men of the cloth are walking in a city. One pulls out a dollar for every hand out. The other just keeps his hands in his pocket.
The non-giver says that he’d rather donate to organized charity, on the chance that one of the beggars will buy alcohol or drugs.
The giver replies he’d rather give to everyone in the hope that even one will buy food.
On our last trip to the city, my daughter brought ten singles and said we’d take turns giving to anyone who asked.
Joe
I appreciate the post, and the comments. This is an issue with which I have struggled for years. I can appreciate the approach that we should give with a heart for Christ and not fret so much with whether we are being “taken,” so to speak. Of course, that’s easier for one-time situations. It is not so easy for those situations that arise repeatedly. That’s where my difficulty arises. I have a dear brother in Christ who has repeatedly come to me for help. I have been warned by his blood brother that he has a history of that practice with people in the churches he’s attended. So, where does one draw the line, or does he? How many times do you help the same person when he is asking not for a couple of bucks but for substantial assistance?
While it is true that the story of the Good Samaritan admonishes us to demonstrate Christian love and charity, it does not at the same time instruct us how to balance such acts of kindness with Paul’s commandment set forth in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, which states, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” Therein lies my struggle.
Thanks again for raising the question.
I found this verse which has helped me. 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.” (RSV). Another translation has for ‘not…under compulsion’, the phrase “without pressure”. Perhaps it’s a matter of deciding unemotionally ahead of time how to handle things . It’s still not easy often.
Hey Bob!
I’m a high school student, and a believer as well–thanks for this great advice!
I was wondering about two things–How much should people give (what is “generous” that the Bible mentions)?
2nd thing is, is Bob your real name? I’m also researching on a project, and I’m supposed to have the philosopher’s name on my paper, but Bob does not seem to be your name, exactly. Please email me back.
Lollipop Yoo (yoology@hotmail.com)