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I agree wholeheartedly with this editorial:
BLESSED ARE THE WORKERS
Panhandlers won't get a dime from me
Sorry if it seems hardhearted, but I have my (biblical) reasons for passing them by
By GAYLE A. COX
NOT far from my house there is a major intersection where panhandlers hang out 24/7. Quite frankly, I hate the place. Avoiding it altogether would be a dream come true, but, alas, that isn't an option. The best I can do is pray for a green light so I can barrel past.
That might sound cruel and cold-hearted, but most panhandlers aren't as helpless as they seem.
According to an article by Michael S. Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing and an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, the typical panhandler is an unmarried man, 30-50 years of age, with few family ties, substance abuse problems, a high school education and basic labor skills.
Most aren't homeless, and only a small percentage suffer from mental illness of any kind.
The majority of a typical panhandler's take is spent on alcohol, drugs and tobacco. His unwillingness to pursue regular employment is due to his substance abuse problems, not his inability to work.
When my daughter was a toddler, she questioned my reasons for passing panhandlers by without offering a dime. I understood her emotional response, but I explained that, in essence, panhandlers want something for nothing.
They want booze. They want drugs. They want cigarettes. They even want food on occasion, but they don't want to work. If I give them money for not working, I am facilitating their something-for-nothing existence, ensuring that their lives will never improve. Call me cold, but I refuse to do that.
Twenty years later, my resolve hasn't wavered.
Naturally, there are those who disagree with my way of thinking. Some are quick to quote scripture about compassion and ask the age-old question: What would Jesus do? How would Jesus respond to panhandlers if he were walking the streets of Houston today?
As a Christian, I don't take those questions lightly. I am well aware that Jesus helped the poor and needy of his time.
However, Jesus didn't just give the needy a temporary fix — like tossing them a coin and saying, "I'll see you the next time I'm in the area."
He changed their very existence. He got them off the streets, you might say. And more times than not, he required effort on their part before rendering any help at all: "Rise, and be healed." "Stretch forth your hand." "Go dip seven times." "Take up thy bed and walk."
Perhaps his message to the panhandlers would be, "Get a job and be fed." I really don't know.
But regardless, for those of you who quote scripture about "compassion" where panhandlers are concerned, let me quote you a few about laziness.
Proverbs 20:4: "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing."
Proverbs 6:6: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."
Proverbs 19:15: "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger."
Without question, the Bible offers little sympathy toward those who won't work.
Sure, there are people with genuine needs, and my heart goes out to them. I give regularly to charitable institutions where such individuals can find relief. But the panhandlers at the intersection I mentioned above aren't needy people. They are lazy people.
The cast of pathetic characters never changes: Day in, and day out, it is the same bleary-eyed, scraggly bunch, trotting around, waving their signs, asking for a handout from those of us who work for a living.
Pardon me, but if you want to donate a portion of your hard-earned money toward deepening their abyss of hopelessness and despair, you go right ahead. But I won't be following suit. My dimes are staying put, and I am praying for a green light so I can barrel past.
Cox is a freelance writer in Houston. She can be e-mailed at gac@eonet.net.
The only thing I would add is 2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
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TRIPLES with EMMA | | | Posted 5/14/2006 9:25 PM - 4 views - 2 comments
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