Giving to Fibbers

In Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Yes, I'm still planning on writing at least a dozen blog posts about the movie. No, I don't know how many I'm on at the moment), the gypsies live in an underground area they call "The Court of Miracles," so called because the gypsies who enter The Court of Miracles find themselves "miraculously" cured of the disabilities they pretended to have while begging for money and food.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure it's uncommon for beggars to lie to potential donors in hopes of securing their sympathy. When that happens, I wonder if it's a morally good idea to give charitably to such liars. On one hand, I don't want to be responsible for rewarding immoral behavior, like lying. On the other hand, charity is good, and whether the beggar lied or not is a matter to be resolved between them and God.

Ultimately, I think I lean toward the latter hand. While one should try to follow the direction of the Spirit in everything they do, including donating charitably, I think it's best to err on the side of generosity and to let God judge anyone who lied to secure that generosity.

So, if I see a gypsy who claims to be disabled or a panhandler who claims to be a homeless vet, I'll try to give them the benefit of a doubt, or at least reserve judgement. Judgement is God's job. My job is to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and He was plenty charitable, regardless of the fact that literally everyone He helped was a sinner. There was once a man who told Jesus "Lord, I believe" when asking Him to cure his son, and He healed him. Perhaps we ought to do likewise.