Panhandling Everywhere

Like it or not, the poor will always be here, so, I would suggest you quit complaining and do something about it. If someone is panhandling, that is their thing to do. They just want to survive.

Whether you give them a job or skills or food or whatever, is up to you. Or you can just complain. It won't make them go away.
 
When Peter went walking in Jerusalem, there were MANY panhandlers. In the book of Acts, you'll see he said to them he didn't have any money. Gold and silver have I none.

But what did he give them instead?

You guys are missing the greatest gift of all which you all have in your hearts, and thinking you have to give people money. Sad.
 
Lanolin said:
I am appalled by your guys attitudes on here.

Truly, you make it seem like you have to earn your salvation. With money.

Did you give any money to God to receive his wonderful Grace?
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Where would the "entitled" be without those who arnt afraid to work keeping them alive? Whats appalling is people draining the working tax payer and feeling its their right to do so. Shameful. You think living off of others is your ticket to salvation?
 
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Should we, as Christians, as human beings, give to people begging on the street?

I’ve wrestled with this issue because selfishness has been dominant in my heart at times. My first feeling is hostility toward this person who asks for money. His begging makes me mad. I want to say, “Get a job.”, I’ve had to work two jobs, three for a time, to make ends meet, surely you can manage one.

But, then I know nothing of his story, I have not walked in his shoes and further, and perhaps worse, I am not even interested in his condition, I am busy, I’ve got my own problems and who helps me? My reflex is anger. My reflex is “get a life”.

Personally, and on reflection, I think that is a sinful reflex. I do not think that is godly or Christian for me to respond that way.

And so I have wrestled with this for nearly 50 years because that is how long I have lived and worked in a major metropolitan city. And this question has only gotten more difficult over time as the number of panhandlers has grown steadily along with my own study of His Word.

Here is my personal answer as per my understanding of Our Lords guidance; usually, the default should be “yes” in some form.

This doesn’t have to mean cash. My most typical answer to a panhandler’s request for money is a question of my own, “Are you hungry?” If the answer is yes then I offer to walk with them to the nearest McDonalds or some such and pay for anything and everything they can eat. I very seldom give cash directly, this is due to the large percentage of drug and alcohol issues. Instead, the cash is given monthly to a Christian mission in the area.

I believe it is better for my soul to go to bed at night wondering if I did too much versus too little.

As Jesus pointed out, and I think it’s been mentioned here, we will always have the poor, however, we will not always be in a position to do something about it.

Thank you and God Bless you all.
 
Giving an extra coat or buying a meal sure. As stated above, pan handlers do pretty well. I read somewhere that a good percentage of the homeless live that way because they choose to. Those who can work and dont are on their own as far as im concerned. Welfare in the U.S. needs an overhaul.
 
blueskies said:
Should we, as Christians, as human beings, give to people begging on the street? I’ve wrestled with this issue because selfishness has been dominant in my heart at times. Here is my personal answer as per my understanding of Our Lords guidance; usually, the default should be “yes” in some form. This doesn’t have to mean cash. I believe it is better for my soul to go to bed at night wondering if I did too much versus too little. As Jesus pointed out, and I think it’s been mentioned here, we will always have the poor, however, we will not always be in a position to do something about it. - Thank you and God Bless you all.
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Hello blueskies;

I was blessed to read your thoughts in this topic. As followers of Christ' examples of giving, We ALL experience this and when you mentioned your "personal answer" is not the same as a "cookie cutter, or an "across the board rule."

Matthew 15:21-28 gives a shining example of Jesus' response to the woman who was pleading to Him for her child's life. At first He didn't say a word and could see her heart. Remember, she was not a follower of Christ but a Canaanite. But when Jesus explained His mission she humbled herself and He immediately saw her faith and delivered her daughter.

Jesus didn't bring in the political for the poor, because it's not the political that brings solutions, but faith in Christ which always remain in the center of our hearts in everything.

This is why a "personal answer" regarding peoples in all circumstances should be at that moment, what is the Lord prompting us to do?

I was driving on the freeway one stormy night and saw a car pulled over with it's flashers on. A man was carrying his child with the mother behind with their older child. I was on a time schedule and had to be at a social function. But about half a mile passing the family, the Holy Spirit led me to slow down, put my flashers on, go over to the right shoulder and reverse back to the family.

They approached my car and they were drenched from the storm. The father told me they were trying to get to the hospital emergency for their very sick child. I asked them to get in the car and as we drove, he was in the front seat holding his child and noticed the little Jesus fish on my glove compartment door. They were a muslim family. He looked at me as I smiled at his child. We arrived at the next turnoff to a major hospital and drove them up to the emergency entrance. The father and mother thanked me. I thanked Jesus.

I didn't have adequate cash to give them but provided other means to help this family, most important, was the father's witness of the little Jesus fish in the car.

Panhandling Everywhere is a way of life in all countries and it's not going away. It will also be a case by case like the woman and her child in Matthew 15. We need to pray and ask Jesus, "what would He do in that given situation?"

God bless you, blueskies, and your whole family.
 
Hopefull said:
Giving an extra coat or buying a meal sure. As stated above, pan handlers do pretty well. I read somewhere that a good percentage of the homeless live that way because they choose to. Those who can work and dont are on their own as far as im concerned. Welfare in the U.S. needs an overhaul.
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I run across two types. For the most part, the people that approach me are clearly emotionally ill. You can just tell by looking at them. This all happens when I am driving either to or from work, so really cannot walk them to McDonald's.

Some are very different. Last week, I saw a family. The parents appeared to be in their 30s and the child (a female) might have been 3 or 4). They were Hispanic. The father and child were sitting on the grass under an umbrella and by the side of the road. The mother was holding a sign (asking for help to pay rent and food) and was walking up and down the road, when the light was red. They were all well dressed, clean, and looked like a healthy family. I was too far away to engage her in conversation, but it was a different experience. I suspect that they were not looking for alcohol or drug money, they were just too clean looking. I do not know why they appear to not be employed either.
 
bobinfaith said:
I was driving on the freeway one stormy night and saw a car pulled over with it's flashers on. A man was carrying his child with the mother behind with their older child. I was on a time schedule and had to be at a social function. But about half a mile passing the family, the Holy Spirit led me to slow down, put my flashers on, go over to the right shoulder and reverse back to the family.
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Dear bobinfaith
Wow Bob, this is such a wonderful testimony. Thank you for sharing. Praise God and Bess you!
bobinfaith said:
I didn't have adequate cash to give them but provided other means to help this family,
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This is such a very important point. For instance, I spent a couple years occasionally advocating for a homeless women who was regularly selling a street paper called, “RealChange” near my office. I negotiated with the owner of the street paper on her behalf, mediated disputes with other vendors and and once helped to arrange a restraining order on someone harassing her. My wife and I gave her cards for her birthday and small gifts for Christmas.

We became friends of sorts and in return I learned a great deal about street survival from her and most importantly, about her sustaining faith in God. She didn’t need money as much as she needed someone to care.

Sometimes we can help the poor and homeless in significant ways that don’t involve money.

God Bless.
 
Lanolin said:
I am appalled by your guys attitudes on here.
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what attitude .. i dont think you understand. your way off bases . our current admin fed government is all for give away programs.. if your a women and not married and have several children you get a check food stamps medical card for each kid . how ever the very moment you get a job. they start cutting away. its cheaper not to work.. when it should be we gradually wean you off the program . trust me i know families who play the system.

before you bring up the woman with kids it takes place we use to take care of 4 kids . the mom got state benefits
 
rtm3039 said:
I run across two types. For the most part, the people that approach me are clearly emotionally ill. You can just tell by looking at them. This all happens when I am driving either to or from work, so really cannot walk them to McDonald's.

Some are very different. Last week, I saw a family. The parents appeared to be in their 30s and the child (a female) might have been 3 or 4). They were Hispanic. The father and child were sitting on the grass under an umbrella and by the side of the road. The mother was holding a sign (asking for help to pay rent and food) and was walking up and down the road, when the light was red. They were all well dressed, clean, and looked like a healthy family. I was too far away to engage her in conversation, but it was a different experience. I suspect that they were not looking for alcohol or drug money, they were just too clean looking. I do not know why they appear to not be employed either.
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i have heard the same story ..we have friends that drive truck. husband wife team they bought lunch for a homeless man it was his first meal of the day
 
I neither say good or bad. Unemployed people are there for numerous reasons and let’s face it many of the ultra rich really know how to milk the middle class and the poor. We know their motto well enough worthless eaters be their opinion about much of the world We only have to look at America with the 87000 future IRS workers to be added to the already 80 thousand they have to supposedly make the rich pay their fair share they tell us . Nothing could be further from the truth you don’t need a extra 87000 IRS workers when you could do that aptly enough with a few hundred of the 80 thousand you have already. No They are going after the middle class to pay for more government spending and for more government control over the people and anyone who steps out of line against their political agenda.
 
Prim90 said:
I neither say good or bad. Unemployed people are there for numerous reasons and let’s face it many of the ultra rich really know how to milk the middle class and the poor. We know their motto well enough worthless eaters be their opinion about much of the world We only have to look at America with the 87000 future IRS workers to be added to the already 80 thousand they have to supposedly make the rich pay their fair share they tell us . Nothing could be further from the truth you don’t need a extra 87000 IRS workers when you could do that aptly enough with a few hundred of the 80 thousand you have already. No They are going after the middle class to pay for more government spending and for more government control over the people and anyone who steps out of line against their political agenda.
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Ok, I am unsure of how this plays out. The amount of taxes someone has to pay really has no bearing on how many IRS personnel there are. The IRS only enforces the tax laws, they don't create them. Also, the Inflation Reduction Act provides the IRS with the $80 billion to be phased in over 10 years and the hiring of 87,000 includes everything from agents to support staff (IT, customer service, etc).

Don't get me wrong, I am not in love with our current tax laws, especially on how Uncle Sam spends the money, but it is what it is.

Rtm
 
As I said before. The working liberals keep voting democrat on the promise the rich will be made to pay their "fair share". The people in office are millionaires or billionaires. Do the liberal voters really believe these rich politicians are going to close loopholes and raise taxes in themselves?
 
rtm3039 said:
Ok, I am unsure of how this plays out. The amount of taxes someone has to pay really has no bearing on how many IRS personnel there are. The IRS only enforces the tax laws, they don't create them. Also, the Inflation Reduction Act provides the IRS with the $80 billion to be phased in over 10 years and the hiring of 87,000 includes everything from agents to support staff (IT, customer service, etc).

Don't get me wrong, I am not in love with our current tax laws, especially on how Uncle Sam spends the money, but it is what it is.

Rtm
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RTM the IRS is merely another form of weaponised tyranny against the American people. The reason they carry guns. Thankfully the American people are still able to bear theirs as well. Just because it comes under Mr Biden’s whatever inflation reduction act doesn’t make it right. Doesn’t really matter if it’s over 10 yrs or if they be agents or support staff they won’t be aimed at the rich oligarchs because they have the best tax agents and lawyers money can buy. You really think Uncle Sam is investing that kind of money without a return? It will be the American middle class they seek. Actually I could think of far more productive ways that money could be spent. You know like stopping the millions of illegal aliens that are stampeding over the boarder and the drug cartels on the American boarder who are killing over a hundred thousand American citizens on drug overdoses every year.
 
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Prim90 said:
RTM the IRS is merely another form of weaponised tyranny against the American people. The reason they carry guns. Thankfully the American people are still able to bear theirs as well. Just because it comes under Mr Biden’s whatever inflation reduction act doesn’t make it right. Doesn’t really matter if it’s over 10 yrs or if they be agents or support staff they won’t be aimed at the rich oligarchs because they have the best tax agents and lawyers money can buy. You really think Uncle Sam is investing that kind of money without a return? It will be the American middle class they seek. Actually I could think of far more productive ways that money could be spent. You know like stopping the millions of illegal aliens that are stampeding over the boarder and the drug cartels on the American boarder who are killing over a hundred thousand American citizens on drug overdoses every year.
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The current Federal budget request includes $10.7 billion for Substance use And Mental Health Services.

The current number of armed IRS agents (1811s) is a little over 2,700.

"The so-called tax gap has surged in the last decade. The last official estimate from the I.R.S. was that an average of $441 billion per year went unpaid from 2011 to 2013. Most of the unpaid taxes are the result of evasion by the wealthy and large corporations, Mr. Rettig said."

Meaning no disrespect, I would challenge your remarks about "the millions of illegal aliens that are stampeding over the boarder." The current budget request also asked for $15.3 billion to Customs and Border Protection.
 
Once again the poor are forgotten as this discussion veers towards politics, tax policy and government theories. The topic becomes our worry we are not well represented, that we are not receiving our fair share or we may be paying more than is equitable.

Isaiah 58:10 (NIV)​

“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
 
Being homeless can happen to anyone. We do not know our own future. If we go through the tribulation we too could very well end on the meruless streets.
A lot of the homeless suffer ftom a mental illness and were unable to manage their finances. Mental illness can strike anyone.
Other people lose their job and cannot pay their mortgage or rent.
One day I met a homeless young couple who were Christians and homeless. They slept in the town centre under a very small tent. Not a safe place to be at night. They had a torch and read their bible for 3 hours every night. They didn't ask for anything they just sat in a doorway. The young man had lost his job and couldn't pay the rent. I spoke to them for quite a while. Neither of them were employable because they didn't have an address. As he told me more he mentioned that he would do anything and was said gardening or anything. He looked at me with such pleading in his eyes and it broke my heart. I wanted to take them home with me but I couldn't because of my responsibilities in looking after my family who were ill. I bought them a hot meal and gave them enough money to get shelter for the night.
They told me they always sat in that same place and I said I would see them the following week. I have looked for them many times and never seen them since. I wish I could gave found some way if getting them off the street. I still pray for them.
There are genuine homeless people out there.
 
rtm3039 said:
The current Federal budget request includes $10.7 billion for Substance use And Mental Health Services.

The current number of armed IRS agents (1811s) is a little over 2,700.

"The so-called tax gap has surged in the last decade. The last official estimate from the I.R.S. was that an average of $441 billion per year went unpaid from 2011 to no disrespect, I would challenge your remarks about "the millions of illegal aliens that are stampeding over the boarder." The current budget request also asked for $15.3 billion to Customs and Border Protection.
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