Heartless or Cautious?
-
Today around lunch hours I was on my way to take a train at a MRT station and there was this man walking with the help of clutches approaching me. He asked if I am a Christian and I said yes and later on he ask if i can spare 5 min hearing him out coz he's suicidal. Of course i agreed and went with him to one of the benches at the platform and hear him out.
He showed me his pink IC and a letter from a government organisation and explained that he is unemployed due to his spinal accident and have tried many companies but no one wants to employ him. He then ask if I have 20 bucks to give him. No doubt i pity this man but i also cant help but to be cautious about such things given the fact that con-man do exists in this world. I told him i do not have such amount but is willing to bring him to my church which is a better position to help him not just short term but long term....he refused and walked away and look for someone else. Am I right to do that or should i just give him the money???
-
You are wise to be cautious...since there are alot of conman around. Basically he might just be playing on Christians' sympathy, since you say he ask you whether you are Christian.
Since you offered to bring him to your church but he refused, tat's his own choice liao...so relax and know that you didn't compromise your faith.
-
oK.....but i really hate it when ppl fear being con by the REAL con-men that they neglect or refuse to help the REAL poor ones....
He seemed quite sincere by giving me his Identity Card and he really look like who he is in the card's photo. Infact he approached me a few years back outside the gate of my church around the same area and saying almost the same thing but didnt show me IC that time....haizzz.....all i can do is pray for him to find a permanent source of livelihood.
-
Instead of giving him money.....offer him prayer of healing.
So that he will be made whole to work again....
-
yeah i agree with wat u say but sometimes ppl think christians r ppl who claimed to pray for others only without really offering practical and tangible help (ie. financial, welfare etc). I am not discrediting the power of christian prayers infact i believe in that more than anything else but at times we need to provide direct help and assistance and dont give the excuse to pray and shun the responsibity. Infact Jesus did instruct us to care for the widows and fatherless and ppl in difficulties because what we do to these our brethren we did it to Him.
-
Do the practical first and pray later....or pray first and practical later.....are the same.Originally posted by NeonTetra:yeah i agree with wat u say but sometimes ppl think christians r ppl who claimed to pray for others only without really offering practical and tangible help (ie. financial, welfare etc). I am not discrediting the power of christian prayers infact i believe in that more than anything else but at times we need to provide direct help and assistance and dont give the excuse to pray and shun the responsibity. Infact Jesus did instruct us to care for the widows and fatherless and ppl in difficulties because what we do to these our brethren we did it to Him.
No one offers prayer and finish with that. It'll always take an extra step to provide the needs.
In my opinion....if i have 50 dollars.
Maybe i'd give me 50 dollars
Maybe i'd just give him a sum of money for specific reasons
Maybe 6 dollars to take a cab? -
if i am in your position, i would have done the same, or maybe offer him $10.
It's not that we are heartless, but we really do have to be cautious with our money. I have certain doubts in the man:
1) why must he ask whether you are a Christian? Can't help feeling that he's probably planning that if the person he approach is a Christian, then he'll ask for more money cuz he probably knows Christian are encouraged to help others.
2) why $20? shouldn't he just accept any amount tothat a kind soul is willing to offer?
I suppose the best and most we can do for him is to pray for him. Our Father will knows whether or not he is genuinely in need and will provide for him accordingly -
thanks for ur advices.....i just feel that human beings hve become so suspicious about one another that simple problems like such CANNOT be solved or alleviated simply because those rascal con-man have triggered a series of cautiouness in us and when the real thing comes we have failed to offer them any help...
-
If that's the case. Offer help to all with 'wisdom'Originally posted by NeonTetra:thanks for ur advices.....i just feel that human beings hve become so suspicious about one another that simple problems like such CANNOT be solved or alleviated simply because those rascal con-man have triggered a series of cautiouness in us and when the real thing comes we have failed to offer them any help... -
shld have just ignored him
tats wat i'd do
-
Ignorance is a bliss.
-
the fact that he refused to let your church step in and help should ring some form of alarm within U...Originally posted by NeonTetra:Today around lunch hours I was on my way to take a train at a MRT station and there was this man walking with the help of clutches approaching me. He asked if I am a Christian and I said yes and later on he ask if i can spare 5 min hearing him out coz he's suicidal. Of course i agreed and went with him to one of the benches at the platform and hear him out.
He showed me his pink IC and a letter from a government organisation and explained that he is unemployed due to his spinal accident and have tried many companies but no one wants to employ him. He then ask if I have 20 bucks to give him. No doubt i pity this man but i also cant help but to be cautious about such things given the fact that con-man do exists in this world. I told him i do not have such amount but is willing to bring him to my church which is a better position to help him not just short term but long term....he refused and walked away and look for someone else. Am I right to do that or should i just give him the money???
do what the government always says...teach him how to fish...not just give him the fish... -
There's once a malay man approached me, wanting to befriend me. Later also asked money from me... But I immediately said I've something on and hurried away... Then as I look back sometime later, I saw him broad a private bus...
Strange people we have nowadays...
-
hm.. i dun understand abt the suicidal part. so he wan u to listen to him else he wil kill himself? but in the end after not being able to get the money from u he jus walked off?Originally posted by NeonTetra:He asked if I am a Christian and I said yes and later on he ask if i can spare 5 min hearing him out coz he's suicidal.
anyway poor people do exist in singapore and instead of helping him like tt i think the better way is to help him for the long term. so ur suggestion of bringing him to ur church is good. but mabbe hes not a christian himself so he din wanna go. i dunno.. -
i wonder wat got me being Christian to do with my ability to help him...u mean others cannot meh? suicidal...maybe he wanna get my attention and perhaps such situation is giving him stress???
-
i think most of the time these people wil jus look for people whom they think they can "convince". so his question of whether or not u a christian is irrelevant.Originally posted by NeonTetra:i wonder wat got me being Christian to do with my ability to help him...u mean others cannot meh? suicidal...maybe he wanna get my attention and perhaps such situation is giving him stress??? -
maybe the community chest should employ volunteers to roam the streets to look out for such poor ones and assists them. Something like CID in plain clothes and show their pass when introducing themselves to the needy.....??
-
i bet if they start doing that there will be people complaining say gov is trying to be big brother.Originally posted by NeonTetra:maybe the community chest should employ volunteers to roam the streets to look out for such poor ones and assists them. Something like CID in plain clothes and show their pass when introducing themselves to the needy.....??
anyway gov been emphasising self help. i guess its veri much up to citizens to help these people. anyway these people shudnt be there at all if their families r .. erm.. doing their jobs? -
but if continued...these ppl will create somesort of a social problem..they roam the streets barefooted, no money and increase crime rate, their lack of proper sanitation will also spread infectious diseases...think abt it....if NKF can appeal to the public to donate money with tears and touching stories....i believe these grp of less fortunate people should be given attention as well....
-
let Him or the govt handle dat....Originally posted by NeonTetra:but if continued...these ppl will create somesort of a social problem..they roam the streets barefooted, no money and increase crime rate, their lack of proper sanitation will also spread infectious diseases...think abt it....if NKF can appeal to the public to donate money with tears and touching stories....i believe these grp of less fortunate people should be given attention as well....
u can't take care of every single person...
wad u did mayb the best option...
preventin urself frm gettin cheated n providin a more reliable source of help instead of givin him money...
too bad he rejected...dun feel so bad...u did wad u could... -
hmm.. there is an old aunty in bedok.. always go around asking ppl to treat her to a meal. then me and my friends were hving supper mah, then she approached us, and sat beside ask, then started to chat us up, then ask if we are christian la, then she said she oso christian, so we asked which church she from, then she think awhile, said city harvest (most popular church) then asked us for a treat. but the thing is, we dun want to encourage her behaviour, firstly, she isn't a christian, she isn't from city harvest. and everyone in bedok area knows her. cuz she keeps asking for treats. and we keena con a few time b4. b4 that we always give her treats, until someone told us that she is just a con woman. then asking for treats is now a habit for her.
-
why use the church and christianity to con ppl????
-
my point of view, he's trying to con you
you already showed him a way out, yet he refuses you. so obvious he juz wants to cheat your money. you are being cautious. see, he go and look for other people to con after you offered help. -
but he did show me his IC leh...dont he scared i copy down the number and report him to the authority?? i was actually holding on to his IC and have a thorough look........
-
Originally posted by NeonTetra:Today around lunch hours I was on my way to take a train at a MRT station and there was this man walking with the help of clutches approaching me. He asked if I am a Christian and I said yes and later on he ask if i can spare 5 min hearing him out coz he's suicidal. Of course i agreed and went with him to one of the benches at the platform and hear him out.
He showed me his pink IC and a letter from a government organisation and explained that he is unemployed due to his spinal accident and have tried many companies but no one wants to employ him. He then ask if I have 20 bucks to give him. No doubt i pity this man but i also cant help but to be cautious about such things given the fact that con-man do exists in this world. I told him i do not have such amount but is willing to bring him to my church which is a better position to help him not just short term but long term....he refused and walked away and look for someone else. Am I right to do that or should i just give him the money??? you have glorified Him. Man does not live on bread alone, but on the Word of God. but there was no way he could have understood that, without His grace that is.