Is it moral to give money to beggers

Author: Lemming

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Double_R
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@3RU7AL
can you describe your personal moral theory ?
My morals begin with the core values of reducing harm and fairness. Everything else follows from that.

ILikePie5
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@Lemming
My dad always told me that we shouldn’t give money to beggars. We think they’ll use it for food but it could just as well be drugs. 

Instead he advocates for you to go buy them food or whatever they want.
Lemming
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@ILikePie5
One can appreciate that,
Though thinking on it, one might come to the conclusion, it's more taking the long way, to the same end.

That they don't have to buy 'that meal, now means previous money can now go to drugs.
Though the less 'weight of some drug addicts, implies some don't plan much money towards food anyhow.

Food's perishable, but other items can be hawked for petty cash.

Still, not all homeless are drug addicts,
And I'd think likely regardless, many appreciate food or other needs.


Intelligence_06
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I think no. You could, as a light heart would, but if he actually wanted money, he should spend more time seeking for a job, and no, he shouldn't expect people to give him money when he is just begging on the streets.
Intelligence_06
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Wait, hold on. I misinterpreted the topic as "Are we morally obligated to give money to beggars". Well, giving money = helping, and that is definitely not IMMORAL. However, there are so much to do than just giving him money. For example, we can as well teach him something leading him to go out of begging. Armless people are running in the paralympics and blind people are now playing the piano. The sparks are not from money itself, but passion. Giving a beggar better sparks of passion in life and he will make money in more efficient methods. Again, begging on the streets is definitely NOT an efficient method of making money, generally speaking, not even as good as a car mechanic probably.
3RU7AL
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@ILikePie5
We think they’ll use it for food but it could just as well be drugs.
all pain-killers should be outlawed
RationalMadman
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@3RU7AL
you are a scientologist?
3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
you are a scientologist?
do you take pain-killers ?
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@3RU7AL
Yeah, not like any kind of addiction or whatever but let's say every few months if a reason pops up to take them, I will not hesitate a huge amount.
3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
Yeah, not like any kind of addiction or whatever but let's say every few months if a reason pops up to take them, I will not hesitate a huge amount.
what if you knew you were going to be in constant and severe pain for the rest of your life ?
Intelligence_06
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Well, what are pain killer anyways. I had took a tablet to ease the pain of my recent teeth surgery, does that count as a pain killer?
3RU7AL
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@Intelligence_06
Well, what are pain killer anyways. I had took a tablet to ease the pain of my recent teeth surgery, does that count as a pain killer?
100% YES
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@3RU7AL
Just so we're clear, you think that even paracetemol (known as acetaminophen in the US) is going to cause me pain for the rest of my life if taken when needed?

Is it the blood thinning effect of aspirin and ibuprofen that worry you? That's not there with paracetemol/acetaminophen. That said, ibuprofen is superior if we're talking pain reduction.
Lemming
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@Intelligence_06
I 'would think in many societies, we'd be morally obligated to offer help to beggars,
But as Double_R says, some of taxes 'do go towards organizations that offer services to the homeless.
Still, that's a bit a different question.

"Well, giving money = helping, and that is definitely not IMMORAL. However, there are so much to do than just giving him money." - Intelligence_06

And I'd agree that helping a 'bit isn't immoral, but it feels a bit like tossing a cup of water on someone on fire,
Or taking a single light box, from a stack of boxes, an individual is carrying.

May be just too much a wildfire, for individuals to 'easily help homeless individuals,
The numbers, the various reasons for their situations.
3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
why do you take pain medication ?
Intelligence_06
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@3RU7AL
(gasps)
RationalMadman
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@3RU7AL
I don't need to disclose to you if I am somebody suffering from chronic pain, I clearly hinted that I'm not.

Every few months something may happen, it could be anything though with muscle pain and certain tooth pain, a good heating or cooling therapy ointment for muscle and sensitivity toothpaste for the tooth can help instead. Severe headaches and sore throat exist too (but so to pills that soothe the pain differently than pain meds do, for sore throat).

Regardless this 'tough it out' mentality is fine, if you're into that. I don't get it though, if you take the correct dosage the only real issues with long-term pain medication are blood related and that you often need more of certain vitamins/minerals to compensate.

What they do to the nerves (unless you mean opioid pain medication) is all continuously temporary. You do not develop withdrawal symptoms of any severe kind to something like paracetemol or ibuprofen.
RationalMadman
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@3RU7AL
Now it's your turn to answer:
Just so we're clear, you think that even paracetemol (known as acetaminophen in the US) is going to cause me pain for the rest of my life if taken when needed?

3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
you take pain medicine when you're in pain

iff you were experiencing more chronic and more severe pain then you might consider a more powerful pain-killer

iff it is considered "moral" to take mild pain-killers to mitigate mild pain then it must be considered "moral" to take stronger pain-killers to mitigate more severe pain
RationalMadman
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@3RU7AL
you take pain medicine when you're in pain

iff you were experiencing more chronic and more severe pain then you might consider a more powerful pain-killer

iff it is considered "moral" to take mild pain-killers to mitigate mild pain then it must be considered "moral" to take stronger pain-killers to mitigate more severe pain
Sure, I agree to what you said, I also agree that opioid painkillers have addictive tendencies and that you trade-off side effects.

I know enough (not specifying how much I know or how I know it) about this to tell you that people with long-term chronic pain can survive on 2 pills of paracetemol every 6 hours and live relatively pain-free (except for the window in between). 

The actual drawback of pain-free life is that when/if they get genuine things like twisted ankles, bruises etc, they don't feel them properly and can damage them by not avoiding hurting them. 

Painkillers involve tradeoffs and the more severe ones (typically opioid based) are indeed genuinely dangerous if you need them for too long.

I would absolute agree with you if where you're going with this is that medicinal weed is better than opioid painkiller medication for people with severe pain. I am totally behind legalising it for that specifically. I also would agree that if alcohol is legal, weed should be too, however I am a person that's very cautious with alcohol, so I am the same with weed. The only drug I truly don't mind dabbling in regularly is caffeine as I have found genuine benefits for my brain and emotions when doing so.
3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
how do you measure pain ?
Lemming
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@3RU7AL
Subjectively,
In how displeasing or impairing, it is.

Can ask other people on scale of 0 - 10,
Can include qualifying statements of describing a 1 or a 10,
That they don't say 10 for a cat scratch.
RationalMadman
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@3RU7AL
Here's the answer:

3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
The often complex, multidimensional, and subjective nature of pain makes it very challenging to assess
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@3RU7AL
And the often complex, multidimensional and subjective nature of bullshitting makes it very challenging to claim that painkillers will give you chronic pain if you take them.
3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
claim that painkillers will give you chronic pain if you take them
i never made such a claim
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@3RU7AL
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@Lemming
It is if you think they’re not going to use it on drugs or something. But let’s be honest: they might and probably will. So I think food banks are the better option. Or you could give food/clothes directly to them.
Lemming
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@Mharman
I would 'figure, but don't know,
That food banks would be better able to keep track of individuals,
Help more people, see to it that people 'are helped in basic needs.
3RU7AL
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@RationalMadman
1. all pain-killers should be outlawed ≠ claim that painkillers will give you chronic pain if you take them

2. do you take pain-killers ? ≠ claim that painkillers will give you chronic pain if you take them

3. what if you knew you were going to be in constant and severe pain for the rest of your life ? ≠ claim that painkillers will give you chronic pain if you take them