To give or not to give?

As I finished up shopping and was getting into my van with my five year old daughter, a man on a bicycle approached me. He looked as if he hadn't showered in days, with a thick coating of dirt and grime all over. He asked me for some spare change, claiming to need $6 more in order to get a hotel room. I had $9 left and gave it all to him. Then he told me "God bless" and went on his way, hopefully to the hotel.

I haven't had an experience like that in years and ended up reflecting on my philosophy class I took at Temple University. One day we had a heated debated on this very subject, offering money to someone on the street. Should you do it? Some were of the opinion that you shouldn't because you don't know what the person is going to use the money for. What if they are lying to you and end up using it to buy booze or drugs? What if you end up indirectly helping them feed their addictions? Are you just as bad as they are? It'd be better to give to a charity than to do a hand-out on the street because that way you know where your money is going.

Another group voiced that you should give money to the person on the street. Giving to a charity is great, but what about the man right in front of you? It is your choice to give him the money or not. By giving the money you are doing your part and your conscience is clear. And that is where your control of the situation ends. You have no power over what that person does with the money. But you've done your part. That person has the choice to buy a hot meal or hotel room or drugs, alcohol, etc. What the man does with the money is on his head, not on yours. So give.

I agree with the latter group. It did me no harm to give that man my $9 change. Obviously something compelled him to have the need to ask for the money. Judging by his looks, times were tough. If it was a scam, so be it. He can do with my money as he pleases. I hope he chooses to do something good and useful with it. But I know I did my part and my conscience is clear.

Sometimes I think we, as a society, think too much. It would do us good to have some more mercy and compassion towards our fellowman rather than immediately judging and condemning them.