I would like to know from the people who visit Christian-forum. net about their view on what constitutes compassion. Here is a short story with two questions. Feel free to answer them as you are led.


There is a well known addict who roams a particular neighborhood everyday begging for alms. One morning he walks up to a young man who resides in the neighborhood and begs for money. The young man talks to the addict for a while, but he refuses to give the addict any money and continues on his way. Some time later another young man who is on his way to work walks by. The addict walks up to him and begins to beg once again. The young man reaches into his pocket and gives the addict some money. The addict takes the money and goes on his way. That evening he is found dead from an overdose.

Now I have two questions.
Question #1 Who killed the addict ? Question #2 Which one of the two men showed compassion?

nice.........


Can the latter tell the future?

Is there a right or wrong answer here?

I would say: The addict killed himself. Neither showed compasion. Why, because they both new he was an addict, giving him money you know it was going to go to his habit. Although, this man did take the time to speak to him. And the other man who gave him money did not take the time to speak to him and only handed him money for his addiction.

There was a situation I was in like this a few years back. There was a well known drug addict who would take her young daughter through parking lots with her and ask for money so she could get her daughter something to eat. Everyone knew that was not the case. It always went to drugs. She approached me one day. I talked with her for awhile and offered to her and her daughter out to or shopping for some food. SHe refused. She wanted the cash. I almost begged this woman to go out for something to eat but she just wouldn't go. I felt terrible but I knew if I gave her the money she would have used it for drugs.

Loving,
I am with you. I have had similar situations as well. When I asked a man who everyone knew was a professional begger if he wanted a job, the answer was no - he made more money begging than working! I was amazed. That man moved on later after that answer was given to one too many people. I think the addict killed himself, not the two people who talked to him.

Appy, you're so right... there is no way of knowing. I think they both showed compassion... God does not expect us to know what the person is going to do with the money they are given. If they are Christian and begging, they are to be good stewards with whatever money they are loaned. If they are not, how are we to know?

How about another example... like those who were victims of Katrina from N.O.... they are given credit of 2000. Nobody knows how they are going to spend that money... they could buy drugs, alcohol or gamble it away... let's hope not! But if they bought drugs, overdosed, or bought a gun and shot themselves... I mean, the list goes on... they bought too much greasy food and had a heart attack! Geesh, I mean, if someone is BEGGING for money, unless you ask them what they are going to buy with the money, or just buy something FOR THEM that they need to bless them, that money will go to buy ANYTHING that the person wants.

Maybe the answer lies in our being more discerning of where the money will go once it is given away as 'alms'... we are supposed to do this in all the charitable givings we provide... like our church programs, our local police, fire department, etc. Why not with the people that are begging on the streets? Just my thoughts ;-)

Loving,
I am with you. I have had similar situations as well. When I asked a man who everyone knew was a professional begger if he wanted a job, the answer was no - he made more money begging than working! I was amazed. That man moved on later after that answer was given to one too many people. I think the addict killed himself, not the two people who talked to him.

I don't think either men actually killed him. But who had more compassion? I was very stuck on that one. Not sure what to say but figured there had to be some kind of answer. I was just guessin'.

Lifeinhim, wow, that was very good. I wasn't looking at it like that.

In the body I am NOT the brain

I deal with homeless people often in my church. Giving money to someone with a known adiction is obviously doing nothing more than enabling that adiction. It is not wise to give this way, but in offering that which a man needs to survive by way of food, shelter and clothing with an obvious intent to bring that person to Christ and to see the breach of that adiction repaired.

If you give a man a fish........

On mission trips we go by the rule of thumb... do not give away items. It causes more problems than good... Case and point: giving a bandana to one child when there are 13 standing around him.... its easier to hug and love on all 13 children. But even then some fight for your love and attention...

We've learned that if we are inspired to give materialistically... keep it until the end of the week when we have a mass collection and give it to the local pastor who distributes as he sees the need.

I have had this to happen to me many times in a day over the years. NO money but I offer to take him to a hospital for re hab. I have gave food several times and one time I thought if I kept feeding him he would get confortable with me and I could get him the help he needed. NO. He froze to death last winter in his car. He choose drugs over a roof over his head. Never give money. Give a sandwich and a smile and say I love you.
I have help with light bills if they had childern and on drugs. Pay for the childern to have electic yes. I belive in taking the childern to beauty shop for a hair cut so they dont get made fun of at school.
I have a friend who is homeless. For alot of years he was there if I needed him to help out someone in need and then the meth got him. I have been walking the streets of Branson Mo. once a month to try and find him. I cant but I kept looking. At one time he own a t.v station and now this. Would I give him money? NO, NO but I would give him a coat and a meal and cry with him. Then I would MAKE him got to rehab or I would die trying.
Kim

You all are wonderful!

It seems an impossible question but the addict died of an overdose, I can't fault either young man for the addict's death. He killed himself by impairing his judgment with drugs. If we were to blame the one who gave him money, then wouldn't we have to blame all who had done so previously leading up to this final dose?

As to which one showed compassion, how are we to know? Did either take pity on him? That's a feeling in the heart and how can we know that? Perhaps the one who gave him money just wanted to get rid of an annoyance, or perhaps he truly prayed the man would use the money for food or clothing and not for drugs.

If you had been in the money-giver's place would you feel a certain amount of guilt for the addict's death?

On the other hand, in the scriptures about the rich man and Lazarus, though Lazarus was not an addict, he was certainly needy and it wouldn't have taken any more than what he fed his dogs for the rich man to take care of Lazarus. So perhaps both young men share guilt in the addict's death, perhaps the whole neighborhood will be called to account for his plight?

Love, Libby

This may be contraversial but, which one of the two asked God what they should do? Hardest thing to remember for me is the word "everything" because I tend to want to make the "small" or "everday" or "sudden issue" questions on my own. Truth is, any time we act of our own accord rather than in the accordance with God's wishes, we sin.

We are supposed to be transparent. Not our life, but Christ living through us. You should not see "me" and I should not see "you" we should both see Christ.

Was the addict capable? Probably not in my estimation. I have lived among many and they are evil and good and not capable for so many reasons.

But if there is to be any elimination until the remaining one is the answer, the question regarding the fist two must be whether they were in God's will. Only God knows what would happen if they gave or did not give. We CAN'T see the future, but He can.

In everything give supplication. In everything give thanks.

Leia

This question has been well researched in phycological formats, always with the same results;

we give the beggar a quarter to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.

a form of psuedo self inflicted dispassionate comfort that lasts a whole moment, and if it last any longer then we are wallowing in our own conceited dispair

one thing about the monster called denial, it denies it's own existance, rendering it almost impossible to overcome

quantum physics dictates that it is impossible to lift oneself up by his own bootstraps

it's basic entropy in the refinement of social disguise - order does not come from chaos

These laws go inviolate, which is why the Lord, when He makes all things new, the former things are past away

He can come close.