Pan handlers always write "God Bless" on their cardboard signs. Will God bless me to help them buy crack?

Answer 1

It's a way of buttering people up in order to get the goods. Begging is an art form...not a good one...but you have to be good to get people to pay you and not have to work for it.

Answer 2

I struggled with this question. The Lord said "Feed my sheep!" He did not say "Buy my sheep crack."

The way I ended up dealing with it was this. If I am approached by a pan handler and asked to give them money, I always reply "Have you eaten today?" If the answer is no, then I stop what I am doing, buy some food and give it to them. Instead of a quarter it costs me a couple of dollars and some time, however I am being obedient to the Lord and helping another person without the concern of misappropriation.

Answer 3

You just judged a whole group of people. You just assumed pan handlers/homeless people are drug addicts. Good for you! That's having a great Christian attitude!! You know, if Jesus was around walking on the earth today, as he did back then, he would be the equivalent of a transient, or a wanderer/hippie, homeless person. Remember, God works in mysterious ways, so you tell me....with this statement that you just made, SHOULD God bless you?

Answer 4

I had a family member who used to hold a sign that said "I will work for food" and made more money in a day than most middle class people. He wouldn't write that on his sign, tho. Maybe cause he knew it was wrong... I don't give money to those people because I know the deal and if they are able bodied enough to stand out in the hot sun or the cold snow all day with a sign then they can get a real job. I will buy hungry people food because I hate to see human suffering but I won't give them money.

Answer 5

thou shalt not judge.
i have had big ups and downs in life and lived with all classes of people - and you or any of us don't know what the pan handler might do with the money unless we personally know them.
i've known a few, and so many of the answers you got, sadly, are about the bad apples. 90 percent of the people out there in bad times are not bad apples. they're in bad times - often so hard they become numb and lost. they need hope immediately more than anyone.
kindness is the key to bringing people back.
sincere kindness.
the Bible clearly teaches us to help those in need. the Bible also clearly teaches if you see someone in need and don't help except to say don't worry - it'll be okay -- that is not okay with God.
the Bible early on says 'You never know when you may be entertaining angels among you unawares.'

Answer 6

Sometimes they don't need the money to buy crack. Sometimes they are actually hungry. We don't know and that is where faith comes in. We give the money out of the goodness of our hearts and have faith that they will do the right thing with it. If they don't do the right thing, at least knowing that you did your duty to give to the poor (as requested by God) is comforting. The intent in which you gave it should be what is important to you I think. Do you give to serve God or do you give just so you can say that you did or for the praise of your friends? God will bless you for doing his will, period.

Answer 7

Sometimes it is very difficult to know when someone is needy for food, clothing or shelter to survive or needy for money to feed an addiction, if it be alchol or harder drugs. The first important thing is to give money with good intention and prayers for that person to use the money wisely. Another possibility is instead of giving money to give them actual food and water instead. Those that refuse perfectly good food are typically the kind that use money for drugs, while the ones that recieve it well are the kind that use donated money for food and other necessities. Your efforts and intentions are pure and that is what God will bless you for. The person that decieves you into believing them to be truly needy will have to answer for their actions all on their own.

Answer 8

You assume all people who use such signs are crack addicts. Granted, it is hard to tell those who have fallen on hard times with no one to back them up as opposed to the drug addict (after all, it's not just crack) who will not actually work. What you do, of course, is up to you. However, please remember, there but for grace go all of us.

Answer 9

God test the attitude of giving in each ones heart! its not up to you to judge what that person will do with it! the test is the bible says give to anyone who asks! God will test you because he loves a cheer full giver! It also says he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and he who sow GENEROUSLY will reap his reward

Answer 10

God will not but they think that they will catch the attention of Christians who will give believing they are helping them.