Does religion really matter when caring for another human being?
I'm an atheist. Daily I give homeless people cigarettes, change, a bag of chips or whatever I have. Do they do drugs? I'm sure some do. But imagine that life: A lot have mental instability/"just plain crazy", physical challenges, etc. that prevent them from working; families have abandoned them (given up on them); no one will hire them because they don't have easy access to showers, etc. Is it my CHOICE for them to use it on drugs and alcohol? No. I would rather them get food. So I give food, or a smoke. But when I do give money, the second it touches their hand, it's off my conscience. Because here's the real TRUTH of it : If I had no one to turn to (family, friends, etc.), no place to protect me from the elements (no home, tent, etc.) I'd definitely see the appeal of being intoxicated, drugged up, etc.
And I don't do it for the attention. I do it because I'm a god damn human being and so are they.
Case in point: I helped a newly blinded man cross the street, because he was having difficulty navigating with his cane. When I continued on my way, I turned around to see him standing in the middle of the street, as a light was about to change. I ran over, offered my arm and said, "Let's get out of the road, bro. Where ya headed? You're facing East, 7 blocks from I-35 on 6th Street. The cross street is Brazos. And on this corner is Logan's Icehouse."
He thanked me and offered me money, which I graciously refused. When asked why I wouldn't take it, "I don't need a reward to act like a decent human. " He even asked my religion, and when hearing my response "Atheist", he laughed. "It's sad. I've been trying to cross for a while now, and an ATHEIST is the one who helped me. I can hear the church bells nearby, where are the Christians?" He then proceeded to his destination. (This isn't a dig a Christians, etc. it's a dig at the self-righteous attitude that is prevalent in society that the homeless, the indigent are "dogs" and "filth". If a little sip of booze, a hit of the pipe makes their day less horrible, who am I to judge in my nice apartment with my hot girlfriend on the couch?)
****This story was told to get a point across. Not to self-promote. Before the antagonists decide to blast me for relating an experience****
The moral is simple : Don't get so wrapped up in the "spiritual" you forget that you're human. You never know when YOU might need help, when the chips are down, when you've lost your way.
