Should you give to bums on the street when you know they are using drugs?

[OldWiseGuy]

This thread hurts my heart. First, you called them bums, and secondly your scenerario in the OP was so preposterous it doesn't even need a legitmate response. IMO

Lots of places to get free food and most homeless and street people know where they are. Panhandling is usually for cigarettes, booze, or drugs.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

I worked at homeless places and volunteered at a soup / sandwich place for the homeless for a long time. I also lived amongst areas that were quite deprived.

Not all homeless are obviously homeless.
Not all addicts are homeless. Lots of addicts can keep a job and keep the addiction secret.
Lots of addictions are not obvious.
Some things seem like they should be illegal and considered sinful by the standard of harm they cause - but are acceptable (like junk food - the amount of christian talk I hear about the harmfulness of homosexuality and the free pass junk food gets - it's absurd to listen to - but I digress)

I think the OP is talking about someone who is obviously homeless and obviously an addict.

I don't give money, nor do I buy food anymore either.
I make eye contact, listen to the person speak, let the person finish their sentence. I don't rush, I stop and make a deliberate effort to treat as an equal / as a human being.
Treating people well is the best thing you can do for them. This is (for me) the second basic standard in christianity. (First is love God, next - Love people - lots will disagree with that and think christianity is about being saved or something else. To me I think it's about Loving God and Loving People).

I don't volunteer anymore because, although, mostly, people were good,
occasionally, I would get treated like dirt by some of the guests - physical aggression / verbal aggression - one bloke slammed his coffee on the ground and it went all over me. I got fed up with stuff like that happening (albeit occasionally - but often enough to remember) and stopped volunteering.

The reason I didn't go back after cooling off period is that I didn't see giving out free food to people, who wanted it, as really all that loving. I figured I had been factored into their plans to get a free dinner and they had other plans figured out to acquire drugs. I felt I had ticked a box by "feeding the poor" and they had ticked a box of getting food that allowed them to keep their heads above water on the drug front (one less thing to worry about).
I figured to really love people, it's a lifelong commitment that must be sincere friendship / relationship.
Lots of times I brought food, the person I bought food for just treated me like an object - like a lamp or a tool that was there to solve a problem of there's.

I'd like to refocus working for God - but instead of giving food - give in relationship - build people up. (Teaching someone how to cook).

 

[Gregory Thompson]

IF you know if someone is asking for money but he is going to use to buy something illegal, should you give him money? How do you know if that person is going to buy a gun, and start killing everyone in the church?

If God knew what you would do after being saved, would he have saved you?

Oh wait, he did.

 

[splish- splash]

You could try things like, getting them food and some bottled water instead, or even blankets for them to stay warm.

God sees your heart & He knows you mean well..