should beggars be given alms?

I also have a heart for beggars, chidren etc. I also give before but now I know better. There is a better way of helping them out not tolerating them. I also found out that some syndicate are letting them beg alms and use the money for other things and person begging is not the one to benefit as well. It's better to visit children orphanages, home for the aged and house for abused women and giving something to them and offering your support rather than giving to beggars. It's not that I am a cold person or something. I am also a Christian and God-fearing. It's just that there are better ways of helping them.

Yes, I believe there are some cases like that.. Here in our place, there was an old beggar asking money.. But at night, she would walk inside the department store and change her money... It's funny because her earning is bigger that the people who are working as a part timer.. And there was a news that this beggar already sent her children in college... I just hope that if they graduate, the will help their mother and stop her by doing this pitiful job.

I really do not know the correct answer to this question. There is a law called Mendicancy Law that makes it illegal to give alms. Among its purpose is to prevent the exploitation of minors, including infants, and the rehabilitation of minors found begging on the streets. The law sounds reasonable but when I see for myself the people asking for alms, it is just so difficult to refuse What I do is that I refuse to give alms to children, especially those who knock on your car window when the traffic light is on red. I do not want them to think that hanging out on the streets is a lucrative deed because I do not want them there. It is dangerous for them and makes the street accident-prone. But when an old man or woman, however, comes up to me and begs for alms -- god, how can I say no I cannot even say no to well-dressed old people, how much more to a sickly-looking, dirty and very thin old person? It just tears my heart to pieces.

In university,I had just returned from home.Leaving the train station,a little girl begging to me out of the dirty little hand.I was a bit sour nose,quickly came up with a cash on her hand.My companions were too late to stop me.I did not understand why his charity to stop me,this was a group of children surrounded me.I finally knew it.The companions helped me out of a small group of beggar's encirclement."Is also good to see you after the spread of it?"They looked at me a bit helpless. With my classmates over the weekend in a small restaurant to eat dumplings Wuxi,suddenly from behind a black little hand across,quickly grasp on the steamed stuffed bun,there was a black hand printed.Appetite heavy back,straight like vomiting!Had the whole steamed stuffed bun cage to a small beggar.Do these beggars sympathy worth?Why do children beggars so more?Now is specialized households out of the beggars,in fact,some of them live rich better than us.Shall we go sympathy them?In addition to those really old beggars,I do not see the children and the disabled.They used to use people's sympathy for the weak of psychological,rather begging,they were reluctant to accept the Government's arrangements for the work.Begging,more easy than work.These people are not worth being sympathy.

I give to beggars if they push too much, hehe kinda to stop them from nugging me, anyway it's not their fault that they were born poor, they just had bad luck.. I guess they are just waiting for their big break... and worst thing is waiting...so let's cut them a slack

I also had a similar experience,once I saw an elderly wheelchair,looking at the body appeare to be a very poor very ill and gave him to charity,I can see also the same peraon two days,where smoking I was very surprised!

I think they should not beg for money or things but earn for it yea .

Sad that people would play with sickness. It is unfair towards the needy that really need help. People don't believe them anymore. As for me, I used to always give something. Small change, coffee, food. But since I have been having financial problems myself, I cannot do that anymore. There was a beggar in the metro one day. I had gotten in without paying. I did not have money and I had to go to the doctor. So, I took the chance and went without paying. A beggar comes to me (and I am in a bad mood, cause I don't like walking around with nothing in my purse.)asked me for a hand out. I replied; " No. but have you got some for me?" He freaked! The reaction I got would have been nr.1 on funniest video's! He looked at me and grumpy that this was not normal and wanted to give me some small change. I did not take it. But, I was amazed at this reaction. He actually wanted to give me money. It made me happy to see this man still had a heart. Take care.

I do give to the needy, but I don't give them money. I will take them and buy them food, or buy them clothing. But never money. And I have to ask. What are you talking about when you say alms?

Being homeless, or pretending to be homeless, actually makes fairly good money. I've met a number of people who actually have nice house, cars, etc, but simply make better money pretending to be homeless during the day, looking for handouts and eating free meals at soup kitchens, than they would working a minimum wage or slightly higher job...so they simply pretend to be homeless during the day, then go home with money in their pockets at night. I will very rarely give any money to homeless people. If I'm fairly certain that someone is genuinely homeless, I might give them food of some sort.

Those people usually abuse your humanity, your goodwill, exploit your trust. Do not believe in the way they look, or how old they seem to be; around 90% of them are crooks. People live with dignity and i think there are not so many people out there will go and start begging as the last resort.

I don't like to give alms to beggars coz beggars here aren't really sick or disabled. They just act like one! I prefer to give donation to orphanage than give alms to people I met along the street begging.