Do you pass judgement on the homeless population?

I really don't give alms as a general rule. So whoever asks me for anything, I politely say sorry. I do give food when I have some. In my country, homeless people (well some of them are not quite homeless, but they beg on the streets) are not as pitiful as they seem to be, because of their attitude. In my experince at least. When I was a kid, a friend of mine gave a 25c coin to an old woman who begs outside our school, and the woman sarcastically said "Why, thank you very much, you UGLY little girl." T One time, my aunt gave a 1-peso coin to another old beggar, and the old lady threw the coin back at my aunt's face and it hit her straight in the forehead. Another time, my mother gave some money to an old woman in the marketplace. About half an our later, on another part of the marketplace, another woman asked her for money again. She did not give anything when she noticed it was the same old woman whom she gave money to just a while ago. When I was in college and I went to buy some Slurpee at 7-Eleven, a little boy came to me and asked that I give him my newly-bought drink. Of course I didn;t give it to him and I gave him a peso instead, and he pushed me down the store's stairs. I have so many bad experiences with these people asking for alms that I decided I wouldn't give anymore. Let the government take care of them---I pay my taxes anyway. These people many times(although not all) choose not to work because begging seems to be more profitable. That disgusts me the most because I have two jobs just to get by. Whatever happened to their life, whatever situation led them to where they are, they should never stop working to get their lives in order. I, myself,have experienced being poor and not having electricity at home, and not having decent meals for some period in my life. But my family and I helped each other so that we can get up from the muck we were in. Nobody should beg on the streets. And I just though if nobody gave anything, then nobody would be seen panhandling.

If a person is old or disabled then I do give them the change, but if I find that the person is young and can work to earn then I do not pay them. I do not feel it is ok for anyone to ask for help and I believe that even God helps those who help themselves and I am human and feel everyone should work to earn his or her living.

I believe that there's a law regarding this matter, for sure I know that we do have that here. We call them the "Mendicancy Law," it was a law about people giving cash as alms on streets. I could give food, offer them clothings but definitely not money. It's not because of the way they look, but also to avoid them from continuously doing it since there are institutions and government agencies that they could turn in to and seek aide. Sometimes, giving such on streets and highways could only put them more in harm's way and be prone to accidents.

I try not to pass judgement on them. I don't know their story, or their background, or even how they became homeless. They could've lost their family, have a mental illness, or might be a veteran. They're still human beings. If I can help them I do. If I have spare change or even a couple of dollars lose in my pockets I will usually give it to them.

I would say 99% of the time I do give them my change or do what I can. I just have to believe they are in dire straights to live their life asking for handouts, we do not know where they come from or how they got in their situation, I help when and if I can. Paying it forward always makes me feel good.

I once saw what looked like a really poor guy in a wheelchair asking for money so I took what I had and gave it to me wishing him to buy something to eat. Later in a differentshopping center I saw this same guy asking for money again and then he got up out of the wheel chair and walked away better than I could with my lame leg brace and all. He was a pan handler and a police office told me the guy was running a regular racket he was no more handicapped well less handicapped than I was and I wished I had never given him a dime. I really did need that money for myself as I was only making less than seven dollars an hour.

far be it for me to pass judgment on them, I am just one step above them. This is a cruel world and it is hard to stay working and keep a home.

Most homeless people have mental problems, I would never pass judgment on them. (I'm surprised Whats his name isn't homeless). I live in a small town where there aren't any but if I go to the city and see any I don't hesitate to give them my change or a dollar.

No sweety i am a great believer in treating others the way I would wish to be treated! I know how easily your circumstances could leave you homeless and with no address it is hard to get a job - life becomes a vicious cycle! If I were able to help a homeless person i would definitely with no judgment thrown on the mix! xxx

I'm on the fence with this one, only because several years ago, one of our local news stations discovered that one of the men who was doing this actually lived in one of the fancy highrise condo's in an affluent part of town. He actually admitted doing it to see how much money he could get each day because he was bored.

I dont want to pass judgements on them coz I bet they also never like their situation. But the thing is they have no other choice but to accept the life being a homeless

I would like to think that I always give them some money. BUt I don't. I can walk on by and not see them as well as the next man. Sometimes though, I have been known to give someone that I feel really is down on his of her luck quite a large sum. I was once asked by a well dressed young man if I could help him find the train fare to another town. I said no, but I would buy him the whole ticket. He became very abusive, because he really wanted the money, which I did not give him; he had no intention of buying a ticket. I have often mulled over whether I should have given him the money after all.

I always give the changes if I have. I don't care how the person looks like, whatever old or young, strong or weak. I think they always have some reasons lead them to do like that. And if I can help them, why not to do like that?

Up to now, it's still a gray area to me. As a result, I sometimes give alms, sometimes I don't. I am not yet resolved at that point. I don't want to tolerate indolence or giving more reason for them to lose dignity but I also understand it will not be that easy for them to find jobs just like the old beggars. Besides, it's Christ's commandment to be compassionate to those who are less fortunate and he does not condemn giving alms but it should only be done in secret. There is also a commandment to Christians that we should not just give help or alms to those who don't deserve it. If the one asking looks like he is capable of finding a job, even the lowly one but at least, can make him enough money for a day to buy food, I won't give him my cross eyed peso.

I don't tend to pass judgement. There are many reasons why someone would be homeless although it is true that sometimes it is their own fault. I don't fish through my pockets for change but that's usually because I never have any! The one thing I do wonder about is those "homeless" people who have a dog with them. I can understand if it's a saftey thing but surely if people can manage to look after a dog (because they are usually well looked after) then why are they on the streets? But generally, I do try not to judge them. Mostly if people have to beg it's not because they want to.

Absolutely not!! We could all be in the same situation some day. The way things are going right now, we will be seeing alot more of it.

So many people are homeless due to mental illness, and I really feel for them. I am not judgemental because I am living proof that life can change in an instant. I never imagined that I would have to go on medicaid and be in a wheelchair, but here I sit!

Well there are a lot of people like in that in my place. I guess since I also am earning not that much I seldom give some alms with them not because I pass judgement on them but I too need it myself. But of course if given I have an extra something we give them instead excess food or seomthing rather than money. My wife does that one time when she has this extra food she got from a party she decided to give it to a beggar that looks pretty hungy.

I can not afford to pass judgement on them or anyone else. You see, I realize that it is only by the grace of God that I am not out there with them. Just because they are living on the street, that does not make them bad people. The majority of them have a mental illness. Some of them have had high powered careers and they have snapped under the pressure. I knew a guy personally who was as smart as a whip. He had been an electrician and was very succeesful. He came to one day and two years had went by. He could not even remember where he lived. By the time I met him, it had been years since the incident. I believe that he had Dementia. He could remember his childhood and the abuse from his step-father vividly. But we often were at odds about things that he could not remember from just the day before. He was also Atheist, by the way.

I help them out because I think that no one would like to spread their hands before others unless there's a sure reason.