Giving to the Poor

A lot of people on here claim that this is a Christian board, but what does Sup Forums think about giving to the poor?

My city has over half a million people in it and I see a lot of beggars at stop signs and stop-and-go lights.
I will sometimes go with my Catholic friends and buy the homeless lunch or give them fast food gift cards.

It's hard to help people knowing that more often then not it is their own fault that they live in poverty, but I feel that it is my duty as a follower of Christ to help those in need as long as it does not hurt anyone around them.

What does Sup Forums think?

I think giving to the poor is harmful though I don't know how to reconcile that with Christianity.

At the time of the New Testament, the "poor" were mostly composed of the physically or mentally disabled and the sick. Those situations were from bad luck and not due to one's poor choices. Today, most poor are either drug addicts or are hooked on credit cards and don't know how to stop spending money. Do you supposed it would be more accurate to the message of Christ to give donations to hospitals instead of directly to the poor?

That's what u think but I also believe that the homeless was supposed to represent us compared to God. God requires us to help the shit of the earth and honestly I don't have that faith. But that's what Jesus is for and no amount of faking it will save you.

Meant that's what I think. I don't see how the Bible says to be taken advantage of. All the poor portrayed in the Bible wanted help, not to rob and kill you. Maybe it was common sense back then.

Not Christian, but I like giving money to the poor. Nonetheless, some are grateful are some aren't. So I end up giving money only to those that are grateful: in this case (where I live), mostly Africans. Romanian gypsies, on the other hand, are ungrateful and deceptive.

And I also think a lot of people act like non believers but justify their sins by hiding behind God. For example they'll say anybody not working is taking advantage of you, but that's no different than a nonbeliever. They want to claim they're pious people but only contribute to what will help themselves. Honestly it's what's in your heart as the Bible says your motivations are what you will be judged on so if you don't have it in you, all you can do is pray that you're given it.

We already "give" to the poor, we're taxed often against our will, that tax is spent on shelters and professional help for the poor in the ways of welfare, rehab, housing, etc.

The people on the streets choose to be their, they choose their addiction above getting clean, or they choose to refuse mental help when they're offered it.

There's so many safety nets created by government in the western world that you don't end up at the bottom unless you want to be there. If they want to be there they don't get any of my money, not outside of what I'm taxed.

Giving to the poor is OK but ideally you should put them to work.

There was a difference in the poor of that time. If you were a piece of shit you would get banished from the city. The remaining poor were humble and not strung out on drugs.

I help them whenever I can usually with food because they can't usually turn around and use that for drugs unlike with giving them money.
When my family was down and out, we had Mormon neighbors who cooked us an entire Thanksgiving meal. I'll never forget that kindness.

>Wasting your money by giving it to some loser who will spend them all on gin and crack
Lmao

>giving money
>not giving up your time to help them
Throwing money at a problem is what the government does, you wanna help; go volunteering and help the poor learn new skills.

it's conflated will welfare way too often, i think Christianity is promoting private charity and never imagined large scale government programs

That's beautiful.

If you really want to help them then just bake big loaves of bread with a heaping amount of brown rice and fiber in it. Then, when you see one of those slobs, throw them a loaf so you can keep them alive. Therefore, you'll be extending their suffering by letting them live while also being a follower of Christ

Not always, we used to have a local bum in our town and my family gave him cash and a chance with work. Ended up being the most loyal worker my father's ever had and is basically part of the family now. Not everyone who is down on their luck is a degenerate. All it takes is one financial fuck up to end up where they are don't forget that.

Most of today's poor (at least those living in the west) are not the same as poor in the ancient world, who were actually destitute and desperately needed basic necessities.

If you are using an iPhone to schedule an appointment at a nail salon while waiting in line for gibs, it does not elicit the same sort of sympathy and will to help.

Does anyone have good statistics regarding how people end up in poverty? It's hard for me to take something based off of an anecdote.

The variables vary so much any sort of statistics can and easily would be muddled by claims of situational differences. Honestly it would be extremely hard to pinpoint the reasoning unless you cataloged the claims of most poverty stricken individuals.

Dumb faggot Christian giving the poor shit only makes them like zoo monkeys dependent .

1 Corinthians 6:19

It's amazing that I have to say this, but NEVER GIVE MONEY TO BEGGARS! The vast majority of homeless people, mentally ill or not, have substance abuse problems that will only worsen with every dollar they receive from enablers fancying themselves as "good Samaritans". The best thing for them in their chronically addicted state is to have no money in their direct control whatsoever, and instead receive their daily essentials from dedicated charity organizations and social programs while they try to get themselves clean.

Do you guys even read the OP? I buy them food, I don't give them money.

GIve to them so they can better themselves, show them a better way through love and christ, vet them and put them to work. You can't complain about the problem if you don't fix it.
T. staff at a christian recovery center.

Giving handouts to panhandlers will not help the panhandler in the long term. Every day that a panhandler makes enough to survive is a day that that person does not need to change their life. Don't enable them.

if you truly want to help a homeless person, buy him a meal, or a hot coffee in the winter. this separates the truly desperate from the junkies who just want drug money

I help out when I can but I will never, under no circumstances give beggars cash.

Charity does not work.

Charity has never ended hunger.

Charity has never ended homelessness.

Charity has never ended disease.

Charity is arbitrary and whimsical. It has nothing to do with making the world better. It's just a way for people to feel like they are good people even as their actions ruin others lives. And all without having to do more than give a tiny amount of their disposable income.

Don't even get me started on how charity only helps the most pity-provoking people and encourages shitting on everyone who isn't photogenic enough to "deserve" help.

That's because you're not "helping" them by staving off the inevitable for a short period. Giving them lunch or a fast food gift card keeps them alive long enough to use their money in destructive ways instead of sustenance. If you truly cared about them in a "Christian" sense, you'll spend "time" with them, not money. Befriend them, witness to them, teach them, truly "help" them. All you're doing is giving yourself a pat on the back for putting some cheap food in their stomach for a day. Homeless in America aren't starving. They're lonely, disturbed and enslaved to their vices. Be a true Christian and save them.

>Sup Forums

When I was browsing the board's catalog and reading the thread's title I instantly laughed.

Thats it.

We do talk with them, you know. They often talk about God, but it's usually just a facade to try to get money. Sometimes they talk about how their life used to be, and we listen and give them friendly attention.

Things you should give to poor:
>job
>shelter
>food
>clothes
Things you shouldn't give to poor:
>anything else
>money