That's not always the case Scipio, in fact where I live (Co. Durham) the opposite is often true and religious folk can be quite puritanical. I imagine the hand outs came at a cost ie. constant reminders and threats to cut him off if he didn't toe the line.
You seem to be confusing charity and being a sucker.
Helping someone get on their feet and helping them in other wasy such as building a school or library is one thing (our parish helped build a school in kenya and library in a poor coal area in West Virginia, we donated money from our own pockets and actually traveled to do the building)
Providing all the money they need to live so they can just sit around doing nothing in life is different that is foolishness and doesn't help teach anyone anything except being helpless. Helping people help hemselves is one thing. Just supporting them completely so they can do nothing in life except take is something different.
There were no hotels we had to stay with people when we did the construction. They returned out kindness with food and shelter while doing the work so that way they could give us something as well. When people are willing to help themselves and use what you give them to improve their lot in life you don't mind helping them.
Our diocese has a place that takes in unwed pregnant women. Obviously it is a sin to ge tpregnant while unwed but it is considered a greats in to kill and abortion is considered killing to the Church. It provides room and board and while there they learn parenting skills, obtain materials to use for the babies and stay there until such time as they are able to live on their own with their babies or the babies are adopted in those cases where they give the babies up. We constantly take up donations not only for extra money to provide for the institution but also collect goods like diapers, toiletries, and anyhting the mothers use themselves.
People can say this is bribery to prevent them from getting abortions and worse they are preached to while there. You can't expect a Church to hand out money for abortions they are opposed to. For those girls who want to keep their children this presents an option for them- an option they otherwise woudl not have available, many of them have bad home lifes and their parents or the men who got them pregnant want them to get abortions. Even if you are not religious you should realize their are mental problems women face from having abortions down the road and the child certainly will be better off being born than aborted.
There is a similar place to help people with drug addictions.
The whole reason these religious charities are needed is because government charities are insufificent and that is why private charities are needed. While the wealthy are busy dealing with charities of the arts and donating moneys to rich schools that leaves the charities run by the masses like religious entities to try to deal with the problems average people or desperate people face.
Those who don't truly want to be helped can't be helped. There ar epeopel who want to dirng and do drugs who reject efforts to give them food and try to clean them up. They want money to suit their addictions and if you won't help feed their additctions you are no good to them.
You can't help people unless they are willing to help themselves and accept help as a step to doing that.
