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Lindi here, using Larry's username cuz I never did get one.
I'd rather be safe than sorry. What I mean is, I'd rather err on the side of grace. Perhaps that comes from having been on church benevolence committees with people who think everything about a person's life should be "in order" according to the giver's opinions before you offer them any assistance.
To be honest, I see more about giving than holding people responsible in the Bible -- esp. as far as unbelievers go. Although there are principles about holding people (mainly Christians) responsible, Jesus didn't add any caviats that I recall when He said to give.
It's not that I don't understand people's concerns. For example, when you are on a benevolence committee, you soon learn there are people who "make the rounds", calling every church in the phone book just because they are on the make. But you get to know who those people are quickly if they stick around. And again, I'd rather err on the grace side until i found out for certain.
When we lived in Honduras, of course there were beggars (often very young children) on every busy street corner and sometimes, at your door. To be honest, the attitude of many missionaries used to burn me up-- and I don't burn all that easily. But these kids were happy if you gave them a half of a "limpira" - at the time, a half of a limpira was about 8.5 cents. Even in Honduras, that didn't buy much and some missionaries who belonged to major denominations were living better there than they ever could have done at home. It's not like they couldn't afford it.
But there were rumors that many of these children didn't profit from the fruits of their begging. Instead, their fathers (and/or mothers) took it to buy alcohol. So people didn't want to give. Whether this was urban legend spurred by prejudice or not -- or if the stories were true, how widespread such situations were, I don't know. I only knew there were skinny little pot-bellied kids on the street and that it was a fact that you could be working and hungry in Honduras.
I also know there are cold and hungry people here in Tucson. Our culture tends to think it is someone's own fault if they are homeless and I'm sure it often is, at least to some extent, especially with those who choose to be homeless.
On the other hand, what kind of person chooses to be homeless? A person with a LOT of problems. It is not an easy, carefree life. It's harder to live on the streets and be dependent upon people who hold you in contempt than to hold a regular job. I could judge him or her but what do I really know about what brought them to that place? I can't expect unbelievers to act like Christians if they don't have Christ to help them. Is the guy on on the corner a veteran, suffering from post-traumatic stress? Does the bag lady have mental problems that make it difficult to her to hold a job? Has the guy on "skid row" tried to get off from drugs or alcohol but struggled to do so?
Well, I don't struggle with those things but I sure struggle with other things and Jesus has never banged me over the head or withheld food from me because of them. He just keeps giving me grace.
Besides, I really could be in their place without Christ. I used drugs at one time, although I was never an addict. What's more, during the '60's, I was a teenage run-away who couldn't get a regular job for fear of ending up in Juvenile Hall. Believe me, like I said, street life is NOT the easy life and I don't think any sane person "chooses" it -- they live that way because feel they have no alternative. Maybe there IS an alternative, but they don't usually think there is. I know this from experience. I've slept in the park. I "panhandled" (begged on the street) back in those days. It sure beat my only alternatives -- which were stealing, drug dealing or prostitution. Of course, you can say I shouldn't have been a run-away, but then again, you don't know the circumstances that brought me to be one. Maybe you'd have run away, too.
In fact, to be honest, there was a time in the more recent past when wondered if Larry and I would end up homeless. Although we'd had an upper middle class income for years, tithed, given, practiced hospitality and done all the things "responsible Christians" are supposed to do, due to the dot.com crash, Sep. 11, my medical expenses and some weird things that happened (none of which, even looking back, I think we had any power over), it could have happened. Of course, we had family who would have "taken us in" until we got on our feet again. Not everyone does. But I found that it was amazing how quickly circumstances can change and leave you optionless. And once you start going down financially and otherwise, it can be a real downward spiral.
But back to Honduras, this is how I solved the problem -
Not because I really minded giving out limpiras but because I got sick of other people hassling me about it...
I started carrying around little plastic sandwich bags of beans and rice (giving each person probably 2 servings of each). I figured if they were really hungry, they'd appreciate it --and I never had one that didn't. Often, their eyes opened in delight! I gave the same to adult beggars, but with the kids, I sometimes added a small piece of candy.
I don't know what an American equivelent would be - an energy bar? a can of Spaghettios? An MRE, during the winter? Not Ramen noodles -- homeless Americans don't always have the ability to cook something. Perhaps you could come up with something better. I haven't given it a lot of thought ... I tend to give just a little money if I have it. Unlike Rod, I don't ask to be led -- I assume I should give unless God puts what my charismatic friends call "a check in the Spirit."
As to whether they use it for alcohol or drugs instead of food -- I really doubt if my withholding a buck or two is going to save someone from alcoholism or drug addiction- but it might make them less hungry or cold. I'll take the chance.
BTW, I don't mean to imply that most missionaries or everyday American Christians aren't compassionate -- I understand that prudence and good stewardship -- even love -- can cause you to ask whether giving to some people really is an act of compassion or not. I don't think anyone who posted here was being judgmental...just the opposite, in fact. Yet, I do think it is sometimes easy to be affected by 1)the American attitude that anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps if they really want to, 2)the idea that unbelievers should act like believers and 3)the "religious" idea that in spite of what scriptures clearly say, Jesus came (and therefore, the Church is here) to help "deserving" people who will always use what we give them in the right way. Thank God, Jesus helped me when I wasn't deserving -- and to be quite honest, showed me grace even when I didn't know Him and made some extremely poor choices.
I can't resist adding just one last thought, though -- I wonder ... did Jesus perhaps show us the "godly" precendent during His Sermon on the Mount? Didn't He say that the Father causes His rain to fall upon the just AND THE UNJUST? Does the Church really want to do differently when it comes to meeting the basic needs of our fellow human beings, fallen, but still made in God's image, with whom we come into contact?
Signed,
Lindi, that crazy ex-street person and ex-panhandler who now throws money at drunks (-: | 
