Here is another: How would you react?

[Sgt. Pepper]

This thread was inspired by @Ashoka and her thread: How would you react?

I recently had a fairly heated discussion with someone I know in real life about the homeless people we saw as we drove by a homeless camp. She made some very rude and uncaring remarks about them. I wasn't surprised by her rudeness because that's just the way she usually behaves, but this time, I got rather miffed about what she said and reminded her that she is a Christian. Well, she got very indignant about being called out and retorted, "Why do you care about morality? You're not a Christian!" I suppose we were both very fortunate enough that my husband was there to diffuse the situation, or else our argument would have escalated into an even more heated discussion. I was relieved when she decided not to go out to dinner with me, my husband, and some other people he works with. When we dropped her off at the hotel and drove away, she was still fuming. I saw her again the next morning, but she ignored me for the rest of the time we were at the hotel and the restaurants where we gathered with everyone else involved in my husband's business trip.

She acted as if I wasn't even there.

How would you react if you were in a situation similar to mine?

 

[Ashoka]

I would have also spoken up. As someone who works with a population that has been, or still is homeless, it's a very sensitive subject for me. I would have reminded her that the person she worships was also a homeless beggar.

 

[VoidCat]

Depends who km with that was saying bad stuff about homeless people

 

[Stevicus]

This thread was inspired by @Ashoka and her thread: How would you react?

I recently had a fairly heated discussion with someone I know in real life about the homeless people we saw as we drove by a homeless camp. She made some very rude and uncaring remarks about them. I wasn't surprised by her rudeness because that's just the way she usually behaves, but this time, I got rather miffed about what she said and reminded her that she is a Christian. Well, she got very indignant about being called out and retorted, "Why do you care about morality? You're not a Christian!" I suppose we were both very fortunate enough that my husband was there to diffuse the situation, or else our argument would have escalated into an even more heated discussion. I was relieved when she decided not to go out to dinner with me, my husband, and some other people he works with. When we dropped her off at the hotel and drove away, she was still fuming. I saw her again the next morning, but she ignored me for the rest of the time we were at the hotel and the restaurants where we gathered with everyone else involved in my husband's business trip.

She acted as if I wasn't even there.

How would you react if you were in a situation similar to mine?

"Why do you care about morality? You're not a Christian!"

This is the part that struck me. Just because someone isn't a Christian doesn't mean they don't care about morality.

However, in general, I can understand some people's frustration with the homeless problem, and some people have a propensity for making thoughtless and uncaring remarks about them. My view is that housing is an internationally recognized human right (it's in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), and as such, every homeless person on the street is a living example of our society violating human rights.

 

[Kfox]

My view is that housing is an internationally recognized human right (it's in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), and as such, every homeless person on the street is a living example of our society violating human rights.

Housing a human right? What type of right; a moral right? If so, what does this mean? If I own a house and you do not; that I have a moral obligation to share my house with you? If not, what does this mean?

 

[Stevicus]

Housing a human right? What type of right; a moral right? If so, what does this mean? If I own a house and you do not; that I have a moral obligation to share my house with you? If not, what does this mean?

It says so in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Wikisource, the free online library


Article 25
1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Housing a human right? What type of right; a moral right? If so, what does this mean? If I own a house and you do not; that I have a moral obligation to share my house with you? If not, what does this mean?

I'm pretty sure that's not what that means, in the same way that the right to own firearms doesn't mean you get to take firearms from other people who own firearms.

It's that safe and secure housing SHOULD be considered a fundamental necessity for humans, i.e: if a person is unhoused, the facility should exist to ensure such people still have a place to at least sleep. As a fundamental human right, it means that all states have to at least have a the option of providing secure accommodation for homeless people. Not necessarily giving them a home, but at least providing a system through which people can apply for some form of shelter and security.

 

[ChristineM]

How would you react if you were in a situation similar to mine?

I am a great believer in "one chance". If someone blows that chance once they will typically blow similar chances repeatedly. And from what you've written i would say your friend has blown more thsn one
So I'd be happy that they are ignoring me, it saves a confrontational break

 

[Valjean]

I'd have pointed out the hypocrisy of her attitude and explained how her religion had crippled her, morally.
I might have asked her how she intended to explain her anti-christian attitude and moral paucity when she one day stood before her maker to give an account of her life.

 

[Nimos]

This thread was inspired by @Ashoka and her thread: How would you react?

I recently had a fairly heated discussion with someone I know in real life about the homeless people we saw as we drove by a homeless camp. She made some very rude and uncaring remarks about them. I wasn't surprised by her rudeness because that's just the way she usually behaves, but this time, I got rather miffed about what she said and reminded her that she is a Christian. Well, she got very indignant about being called out and retorted, "Why do you care about morality? You're not a Christian!" I suppose we were both very fortunate enough that my husband was there to diffuse the situation, or else our argument would have escalated into an even more heated discussion. I was relieved when she decided not to go out to dinner with me, my husband, and some other people he works with. When we dropped her off at the hotel and drove away, she was still fuming. I saw her again the next morning, but she ignored me for the rest of the time we were at the hotel and the restaurants where we gathered with everyone else involved in my husband's business trip.

She acted as if I wasn't even there.

How would you react if you were in a situation similar to mine?

Obviously, it is difficult to know exactly how to react given that we know little of what she actually said, also I don't know what country you are from. But my guess is that the majority of people who a homeless obviously don't do it because they think it's the greatest thing in the world, but most likely because some things in their lives didn't go as planned, whether that is a rough childhood, drugs or they might be veterans suffering from psychological issues, the reasons can be many.

But if you come from a country where there are a lot of veterans, that have risked their lives for the country and are now left to fight for themselves and you could ask her what she thinks about that and that many of these might in fact be Christians themselves, if that is important to her, which is obviously shouldn't be, but then again she sounds like an awful person, so guess it does

Personally, I would have argued against her as well, because it's difficult not to when a person like that makes such unintelligent remarks, assuming she did say rude things.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Housing a human right? What type of right; a moral right? If so, what does this mean? If I own a house and you do not; that I have a moral obligation to share my house with you? If not, what does this mean?

Here in Ontario, courts have recently ruled that homeless encampments on public property can't be cleared out unless housing is available to relocate the people into.

That's one example of an implication of "housing is a human right."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

This thread was inspired by @Ashoka and her thread: How would you react?

I recently had a fairly heated discussion with someone I know in real life about the homeless people we saw as we drove by a homeless camp. She made some very rude and uncaring remarks about them. I wasn't surprised by her rudeness because that's just the way she usually behaves, but this time, I got rather miffed about what she said and reminded her that she is a Christian. Well, she got very indignant about being called out and retorted, "Why do you care about morality? You're not a Christian!" I suppose we were both very fortunate enough that my husband was there to diffuse the situation, or else our argument would have escalated into an even more heated discussion. I was relieved when she decided not to go out to dinner with me, my husband, and some other people he works with. When we dropped her off at the hotel and drove away, she was still fuming. I saw her again the next morning, but she ignored me for the rest of the time we were at the hotel and the restaurants where we gathered with everyone else involved in my husband's business trip.

She acted as if I wasn't even there.

How would you react if you were in a situation similar to mine?

I'm not sure how I would have reacted. It probably would have depended on what exactly she said and how much I valued my relationship with her.

If I were taking the softer approach, instead of questioning her faith directly, I might have merely pointed out that certain other Christian groups care for the homeless as an expression of their faith. For instance, there's a network of churches in Toronto (probably like lots of other places) that take turns providing overnight shelter to homeless people in the winter. My grandmother would volunteer on the day of the week that her church hosted people in the church hall. Phrase it as an alternative approach for her to consider, not insinuate that she's being a bad Christian.

If I wanted to really **** her off, I'd double down on the "you're a hypocrite" angle and start throwing Jesus quotes from the Gospels at her.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I am a great believer in "one chance". If someone blows that chance once they will typically blow similar chances repeatedly. And from what you've written i would say your friend has blown more thsn one
So I'd be happy that they are ignoring me, it saves a confrontational break

This woman is not one of my friends. I only know her through my husband's job. Based on my observations of her and what others who have also been snubbed by her have told me, she only befriends other WASP evangelical conservatives of the same socioeconomic class, which is upper middle class.

 

[ChristineM]

This woman is not one of my friends. I only know her through my husband's job. Based on my observations of her and what others who have also been snubbed by her have told me, she only befriends other WASP evangelical conservatives of the same socioeconomic class, which is upper middle class.

What i consider a typical Christian.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

This woman is not one of my friends. I only know her through my husband's job. Based on my observations of her and what others who have also been snubbed by her have told me, she only befriends other WASP evangelical conservatives of the same socioeconomic class, which is upper middle class.

I probably would have looked at her, looked at the homeless people, and not said a word to her. How people react to that varies, but I wouldn't see much point investing time in a conversation. I would have smiled at the Christian morality comment though. To be fair to her, that is pretty amusing.

I might speak up if there were other people there, just to save them the trouble, I'm not sure.

If I knew her better, liked her in some ways, etc, I'd commit to the conversation.

 

[Viker]

For her, I would paraphrase her messiah, just for her and her kind.

"If you refuse another water, food or shelter (the essentials of life) I will refuse you before the Almighty."

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Is this another “Christian bad” thread?

 

[Quagmire]

This woman is not one of my friends. I only know her through my husband's job. Based on my observations of her and what others who have also been snubbed by her have told me, she only befriends other WASP evangelical conservatives of the same socioeconomic class, which is upper middle class.

I would tell her:

"Hey, speaking of dirty homeless people, I was just reading about a bunch of good for nothing homeless people that did nothing all day but wander around, begging for food, sleeping wherever. They didn't even wash their hands before they ate. Disgusting.

Apparently a lot of them were hardcore winos, it's rumored that some of the women we're selling themselves.

And of course they attracted other low lifes: disabled people, the mentally ill, thieves, you name it.

Worst of all was their leader: long haired good for nothing with no respect for authority, that went around judging and insulting upstanding members of the community! He was even known to harass decent business owners and vandalize their operations!"

Then when she asks where you read it, tell her "It's called 'the Gospels'. Ever heard of it"?

 

[Viker]

I would tell her:

"Hey, speaking of dirty homeless people, I was just reading about a bunch of good for nothing homeless people that did nothing all day but wander around, begging for food, sleeping wherever. They didn't even wash their hands before they ate. Disgusting.

Apparently a lot of them were hardcore winos, it's rumored that some of the women we're selling themselves.

And of course they attracted other low lifes: disabled people, the mentally ill, thieves, you name it.

Worst of all was their leader: long haired good for nothing with no respect for authority, that went around judging and insulting upstanding members of the community! He was even known to harass decent business owners and vandalize their operations!"

Then when she asks where you read it, tell her "It's called 'the Gospels'. Ever heard of it"?

This was and still is the most/only appealing thing about Jesus. I like Lady Gaga's video 'Judas', in it Jesus and his followers are biker trash lowlifes rolling around helping those in need. Pretty much what they would actually be today if they existed.

 

[Viker]

Is this another “Christian bad” thread?

Not entirely. A great deal of Christians do what their God expects without thinking too much about it. There's just so many bad examples.