Is innocently donating to sinners sinful? How to get rid of that sin?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“In today’s world of social media we can donate to random strangers or animal shelter without having full details. For their sickness or other extreme problems. But at times I have noticed these individuals may be cow meat eaters or shelters may feed meat to their animals.What I want to ask is, Is it wrong to donate to needy people because they may be very sinful person. But sometimes they’re extremely sick and feel very bad about that.”
REPLY:
Yes, there are more fake ads in the unverified online media.
In online media, the verification process is not done or done via online. So, chances of cheating incidents are possible.
Every day, we come across many requests for monetary support.
In the Standard Newspapers like Times of India, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, etc., they have some rules to release the advertisements seeking for monetary help for surgeries. The customer/ client has to give a signed letter from the hospital in which the patient is admitted waiting for surgery because of the lack of money.
(Rules of Dhaan (Donating) to get the Reduction of Karma! READ HERE!)
In such cases, the money is usually sent to the hospital’s bank account directly, not the patient or client.
So, if the money is requested to be sent to the hospital account, you can send some small amount to them if you find the case genuine and if you feel for the patient’s state. Because, the hospital is responsible for the authenticity of the advt and it is answerable if any fraud happens using its name.
In some other cases, the newspapers release ads having a residential address. If that address is near your area, you can visit and confirm the genuinity and then help them.
I think that I have already given this incident in my life. Let me give it again as it may be useful here too:
Decades ago, a vedic brahmana was standing outside my house calling me.
I enquired what he needs. He requested with tears for some money telling that he has arranged the marriage of his daughter and he can’t bear the costs as he is a poor brahmana priest working as a priest in a small roadside temple.
I told him to give his address and I would visit his home the next day before 10 am.
As said to him, I visited his house that is just 10 x 10 store-house with common toilet and bathrooms for 4 families.
(What is the right way of donating for charity and beggars? Can we gift old clothes? READ HERE!)
There was a girl in half saree. The atmosphere itself showed that the brahmana was poor.
That girl gave a simple marriage invitation.
I asked that brahmana how much is the shortage for the marriage.
He said that he had arranged everything as the marriage is performed in a temple in which he is working as a priest. But, for the food expenses he required Rs.10,000.
I immediately gave him a cheque (at that time, no UPI apps) for Rs.10,000 and encouraged him to perform the marriage without difficulty.
He, his wife & daughter were very happy and relieved. They invited me for the marriage scheduled next week.
I attended and gave some gifts also. While returning I asked that brahmana whether there was any shortage.
He said that only Rs.500 is pending for the Kirana store (Provisions store). I took him to that shop and paid that Rs.500 and cleared his dues.
Thus, if we ascertain the authenticity of a person, we can feel relieved.
(Is donating to Krishna and His service necessary since Krishna is Self Sufficient? READ HERE!)
I have the practice of suggesting simple but powerful remedies for my astro customers whose marriage face barriers, to help for the marriage of any poor girl.
Thus, it is easy to ascertain the genuineness/ truthfulness of the help seekers from a nearby area.
First, you should support any suffering persons within your own family or relative circles.
You can help for well known friends who are suffering.
You can help for the neighbours.
If you have sufficient resources, you can support the suffering temples, genuine & dedicated devotional services like ours, etc.
If any request in any reliable media seems genuine and truthful for you, you can support them to some extent.
However, some profiles and/or pages in Social media may deceive you by giving false requests thru free advts by posting some pictures stolen from online sources. Anyone can give such advts. Many free advts in social media happen to be cheating ads.
I myself saw an advt in FB for Pen drive from a shop in Rajasthan. I ordered for 124GB Pen drive for Cash and carry. They had sent 16GB Pen drive. Only then I found that there was no returns.
Since then, I ordered only from reputed online stores from the sellers verified & guaranteed by them for return and replacement.
You should not trust unverified sources. There are more cheaters in this kaliyuga.
Is innocently donating to the sinners sinful?
Yes. According to the Lord’s words in Garuda Purana, encouraging a cheating brahmana or any cheating person is also sinful. Because, we encourage him to cheat others also.
So, support only the known or Genuine sources and genuine devotional sources.
I too spend a certain percentage for donating every month to genuine sources. And, I spend more for this online preaching and I have fully dedicated myself for this service throughout my life.
A receiver of donations should spend that money very carefully only for the expenses related to preaching and devotional services.
If he uses that money for his own sense gratification or violations, he will go to a painful hell where he will face serious punishments for cheating donors who trusted and supported them.
So, though you donated to a sinful person innocently, Krishna will forgive you, but He will not forgive that cheater.
So, a donor is always safe. His sin of donating to a sinner will get cleared even thru a round of chanting.
But, the cheater will go to hell.
Hope you are clear whether innocently donating to sinners sinful and how to get rid of that sin.
Why should you worry when you already have our genuine devotional service to support? Read the details HERE.
(Is it compulsory to donate (Giving dhaan) on Ekadasi? READ HERE!)