A Classic - The Homeless Preacher

[Selene]

[SIZE=medium]People who are genuinely homeless are too busy working their way back up to stand on the corner day in and day out for years.[/SIZE]

I think that it's good that you found your way out of homelessness and poverty.

 

[Suhar]

I think that it's good that you found your way out of homelessness and poverty.

[SIZE=medium]If guy who spoke no English and had nothing but a suitcase to his name can then anybody else can. People who choose to stand of the corners waiting for fools to give them money are nothing more then con artists waiting for willful customers.[/SIZE]

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Uh, I would like to know the source of the above-quoted story.

Yeah it sounds made-up. http://www.snopes.com/glurge/homelesspastor.asp

[SIZE=medium]Ask any large city cop. They will tell you all kinds of stories about “homeless vets” and alike getting up and out of their wheelchairs, getting into a nice car and going home to a nice house. [/SIZE]

My brother once followed a young pan-handler back to his home in an expensive neighborhood. There have been news reports of reporters doing the same thing.

 

[Selene]

[SIZE=medium]If guy who spoke no English and had nothing but a suitcase to his name can then anybody else can. People who choose to stand of the corners waiting for fools to give them money are nothing more then con artists waiting for willful customers.[/SIZE]

In light of what you say, I think you are correct in that most of them are con-artists. However, a very small percentage of them are genuine. The fake ones only make it harder for the genuine ones. I guess it is the same with those on welfare and food stamps. There are many who abuse the system, which is unfortunate because there are some genuine people who are in need of these public assistance. Those who abuse the system only makes it harder for them. Also, poverty in the United States is very different than poverty in India or in the Philippines.

 

[Angelina]

Well said guys! ^_^ Apparently this story has gone viral on FB and other places. No-one has ever heard of this guy who Pastors a mega church of 10,000. A commentator from one of the US papers stated that even if this story is true, he wold never join a church where a Pastor shames his congregation like that...I disagree with him. I think it is good practice to always be aware of who you are communicating with because it just may be an angel in disguise

Bless ya!

 

[aspen]

the majority of homeless people suffer from mental illness or drug addiction or both. I work with them everyday and I do not envy them.

 

[Selene]

the majority of homeless people suffer from mental illness or drug addiction or both. I work with them everyday and I do not envy them.

That is true. It's the same here. I know a few who suffer from mental illnesses.

 

[Suhar]

[SIZE=medium]Overwhelming majority of people “suffering from mental illness” are simply possessed people. I dealt with those. They need to be set free not thrown bunch of pills at.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]If only I could tell you few stories….. they will be deemed way too “controversial” in no time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]How come “mental illness” is never mentioned in the Bible? Possession is mentioned a lot. Maybe Jesus should have carried a rather large bag of Prozac and Zoloft and “threat” people instead of setting them free. You have a legion? There is a pill for that.[/SIZE]

 

[lforrest]

Let the con-artist panhandlers degrade themselves begging on the streets. My God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and he can afford some theft. But woe to us if we allow these tricks to harden our hearts to the truly needy.

Give to honor the Lord, and you will be rewarded in heaven, even if your gift is stolen away. Let them heap judgement upon themselves for the sake of a few dollars. When they stand before the judgement seat of Christ he can point to each and every gift and say, "look what I have given you and what did you do for me in return?" I would not envy them on that day.

 

[Suhar]

Let the con-artist panhandlers degrade themselves begging on the streets. My God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and he can afford some theft. But woe to us if we allow these tricks to harden our hearts to the truly needy.

[SIZE=medium]“Truly needy” work so that they are not all that needy. I worked minimum wage jobs and lived in one bedroom apartment with three equally needy guys like me. Time to time somebody would get shot in our apartment complex. If I wanted drugs I could just shout out of the window for some and they would come running but I chose not to do so.[/SIZE]

 

[aspen]

Oh boy.......

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

It's sad to see that Christians think being a naive do-gooder is obedience to GOD. Paul said if a person doesn't work, let him not eat.

 

[Suhar]

In light of what you say, I think you are correct in that most of them are con-artists. However, a very small percentage of them are genuine.

[SIZE=medium]NONE are genuine. Absolutely NOT ONE of them. Why? Because if there is a one that is genuine he will be runned off by professional con-artists. Money making corners are tightly controlled. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Wake up and live in the real world.[/SIZE]

 

[Selene]

[SIZE=medium]NONE are genuine. Absolutely NOT ONE of them. Why? Because if there is a one that is genuine he will be runned off by professional con-artists. Money making corners are tightly controlled. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Wake up and live in the real world.[/SIZE]

According to the U.S. Department of Justice: Many studies have found that only a small percentage of homeless people panhandle, and only a small percentage of panhandlers are homeless. (See weblink below on page 6).

http://cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/CDROMs/POP1_60/Problem-Specific/Panhandling.pdf

 

[Suhar]

According to the U.S. Department of Justice: Many studies have found that only a small percentage of homeless people panhandle, and only a small percentage of panhandlers are homeless. (See weblink below on page 6).

http://cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/CDROMs/POP1_60/Problem-Specific/Panhandling.pdf

[SIZE=medium]When I am absolutely, totally clueless about the issue then I will go to DA GOVERNMENT to tell me what to do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I can eat a rat, snake or a pigeon and I know how to cook them without utensils, but I am not going to GOVERNMENT website to learn how to survive![/SIZE]


[SIZE=medium]When God tells me to jump I just ask “ how high”? When Government tells me to jump I tell them “how many EBT points I can get for pretending of jumping”.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Going to the GOVERNMENT for credible information is like going to sewage plant for drinking water![/SIZE]

 

[Selene]

[SIZE=medium]When I am absolutely, totally clueless about the issue then I will go to DA GOVERNMENT to tell me what to do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I can eat a rat, snake or a pigeon and I know how to cook them without utensils, but I am going to GOVERNMENT website to learn how to survive![/SIZE]

I did not tell you to go to the government to survive. I said that according to some studies that were done, there is a small percentage of genuine homeless people who panhandle.....therefore, not ALL Of them are con-artists. For the sake of these small few, I cannot judge ALL panhandlers as con-artists.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

[SIZE=medium]NONE are genuine. Absolutely NOT ONE of them. Why? Because if there is a one that is genuine he will be runned off by professional con-artists. Money making corners are tightly controlled. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Wake up and live in the real world.[/SIZE]

This is true. I've watched them tag team. One takes break while the other puts on the pity show with the pitiful down-and-out walk. Then they switch.

 

[Suhar]

I did not tell you to go to the government to survive. I said that according to some studies that were done, there is a small percentage of genuine homeless people who panhandle.....therefore, not ALL Of them are con-artists. For the sake of these small few, I cannot judge ALL panhandlers as con-artists.






[SIZE=medium]Too lazy to do your own “research”? Park your car just far away from being seen from money making corner and watch the scam go on. There is a schedule well kept to a minute. One “vet” gets out another gets in. All of the panhandlers are professionals. As with any money-making enterprise professionals always get read of amateurs. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Being Christian does not equal to being stupid.[/SIZE]

 

[dragonfly]

Regarding the OP, I read a similar but different anecdote, on another Christian website. In it, the old cowboy with his battered hat, old jeans and Bible under his arm, who had been asked to dress more smartly the next time he came back, came back in the same old clothes and was turned away by the ushers. As he was leaving, he asked the Lord what kind of church that was? to which the Lord (allegedly) replied, 'I don't know. I've never been there'.

 

[aspen]

We are called to serve the poor and people in need. - which is loving our neighbor. It sounds like you have not experienced a great deal of love from your neighbors, Suhar; it often fosters that kind of 'pull ourselves up by our bootstraps' mentality, which is contrary to the community-minded focus of Jesus and the gospel message. Communities serve one another and we, as Christians are called to model this approach, which is in direct opposition to the radically, individualistic, me first culture of post modern America. We should not be in the business of judging the actions of people who are in need. Instead, our love for others should be patterned after the Grace that God gives to us.

I believe Hell will be a place of radical individualism - Heaven will be a place where we depend on, and serve one another as one body. Ecclesiastes 4:1-8 is America and is Hell. Standing alone is not strength, it is weakness.