Should I Give Him Money?

Every time that a beggar asks me for money, I have a hard time deciding what to do. A part of me wants to give my money, knowing that I am relatively well-off and should use it to help my fellow men. Another part of me hesitates, asking if my donation will enable an addiction or another equally ungodly behavior, either directly or indirectly by allowing the recipient of my money to not get the help he/she needs. In these situations, my mind is often drawn to some of these scriptures:

Proverbs 17:19 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Proberbs 21:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

Luke 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Matt. 25: 37-40 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

I also find these verses from the Book of Mormon moving: (Mosiah 4:16-19)

Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

So, recognizing that the scriptures insist that we should be charitable with our means and that we have an obligation towards our fellow men, and also recognizing that sometimes giving money may not be the best way to help, what should we do? What have you found to be helpful in deciding whether the most Christian thing is to give away your money or withhold it?

Should we vote for the president based on his/her morals?

With candidates already campaigning for the 2012 presidential elections, I've been thinking about this question. How much should a candidate's moral perspectives factor into my decision? Should I consider his/her religion or lack thereof? There are currently two Mormons running for the Republican nomination--does that raise any issues? If you had to choose between an atheist who was a respected economist and a religious person without significant experience, who would you choose? Is that answer black and white for you or is it gray?