Why aren't religious buildings used to provide shelter for the homeless?
451593
im sure if theyd asked they wont be turned away. maybe not all religious buildings have the appropriate amenities to be a suitable shelter. why arent government buildings or public buildings shelter for the homeless?
969720
Yes, because it would not be stiffled by dogma!\nIt takes room to grow and expand, but religion puts up road blocks in the mind that prevent people from being able to do this!\nTear down the walls!
255806
Probably not. However, I have seen over the years that a lot of the people inside the church buildings do. It's a rarity to find a church that just anyone can walk into and feel loved. That is what people are searching for... l-o-v-e. If they can't find it in church they will find it somewhere else - anywhere else. When Jesus was on the earth he reached out to the people that the "church" of that time considered unclean. He did not reach out to the churched people but to the prostitutes, tax collectors and theives. He loved the unloveable and he commanded his followers to do the same. He loved the "hell" out of them. He didn't beat it out of them. If someone knows they are loved and that they are better than the situation they are in, they will likely pick themselves up and become the type of people they have the potential to be. If they are looked down upon because of their situation and feel they are no good, they will stay in that situation or worse.\nIf the people in the church building would understand that church is not a building but a body of people, we might get out of the building once in a while and live the way Jesus wants us to. Then people might dare to set foot inside a church building. Jesus lived to set an example, He died to set us free and He rose to settle it forever.
300266
If that person has made a conscious decision to live on the streets then I dont think they would want any help.  However, Id say that nearly all homeless people do not want to live on the streets.  Many of them have mental illness and simply do not know how to get a job and run a house.  Some homeless people have been released from a prison or a mental hospital and have nowhere to go.  Homeless men especially have often gone through a divorce and have lost their house etc to their wives, sometimes they also lose their job/money due to the stress (or maybe this is what triggered the divorce?), and so they end up with nothing and on the streets.  Its also possible they have had alcohol/drug problems and lost their house because of this, although this is often a by-product of becoming homeless. Or they may have lost their jobs,or been unable to pay their rent and been evicted.  There are many reasons why an adult may become homeless, and I dont think many choose to, I can only guess that these ones maybe have a learning difficulty and believe that life may be easier just drifting here and there and not having to socialise.  As for people who dont want to be homeless you could help them by bringing them soup/warm food and drinks, or suggesting local shelters.  you could also volunteer with a soup kitchen program or donate to a 'homeless' charity.  Well done for querying about homelessness without judging-too many people just presume 'drugs' and this is not always the case.  All the best!
751142
Well the homeless tend to gravitate to large cities where they can blend in unnoticed, possibly find assistance or panhandle.  There are probably no more in cold weather cities than anywhere else, it's just that cold weather brings them out looking for shelter.
656240
Don't you have a foodbank or church nearby. There are still christians who love people and will insist that they get at least the essentials.
604677
Not only not nearly enough - but too many.  There shouldn't be any homeless shelters and no homeless people.
170860
Not a good idea.\n\nExtremist Religious Fanatics will come and blow it up.
1027783
Good question.\n\nWe could also ask the same question about homeless shelters, schools, soup kitchens, crisis pregnancy centers, and so on.\n\nThe only thing I can think of that's been built in the name of atheism is abortion clinics.
198393
Your answer is a bit simplistic, I think.  There are myriad reasons why many of us can't just take random people into our homes.  Also, many poor people don't want to be "taken in" like stray cats, ya know?  We need a more long-term, workable solution than that.  It's a complicated issue.
730394
i think i understand your question a little.\nBeggers in any part of the country are hopeless and have no choice to make in their lives. It people who are generous who give enough money for organizations which can make a difference in people's lives. With people who do not care about the homeless and beggers, the world will never progress. Hopefully this answers your question. Take care\n\ntrisha
555641
Because:  GOD NEEDS YOUR MONEY!!!!!   He is obviously broke, and the only way to help him is to give away your paycheck to the church!
357529
I don't know what's available in your area, but in mine there are soup kitchens, shelters, outreach programs...  One of the churches here even provides the homeless with a directory of what's available, with hours of operation and what to expect when they go in.  There are a lot of people who are concerned with this issue.  If you look, you may be surprised to see how much is available.
858838
well that's not a good idea. most homeless people are homeless because they screwed up their life. they do not deserve a home of their own.
1065751
I would build a homeless shelter here in my city who has a city council that ignores the problem, even in the winter. I live in Canada where winters get to -40. These people die in the cold as they have nowhere else to go!
704678
Yes, you can, but not all of them.\n\nSome Mosque like the ones in Mecca and Medina, you can't enter even if you were starving to death, but they probably bring the food out for you.  outside of these cities.  Because if you are not Muslim, you are unholy, unclean, Nijis.  so your feet can't touch their holy city ground, unless you convert! then you become clean! \n\ndraw your own picture.  These are facts, I didn't make anything up.  They are known for their hospitality, and giving or providing food for those who needs it is not out of the ordinary.
446626
Many homeless people are mentally incompetent so they should be someone else's responsibility. Others are drug addicts or alcoholics and that is their responsibility.