Modern attitudes

A lovely Christian friend of mine was about to buy hot sausage rolls for her and her husband one lunchtime when she spotted a man sitting on the street. He looked like someone in need and she was reminded that Jesus said whenever you 'feed the hungry' (paraphrased, but you get the drift) you are feeding me. So she bought an extra sausage roll and offered it to the man. He very politely refused on the grounds that he doesn't eat pork. My friend's response was to smile to herself - and as she recounted the story to me later she said, 'of course he doesn't eat pork - he's Jesus'!

As to the man mentioned in the OP - when you have very little materially it becomes very important to hold on to your sense of who you are and being vegetarian is clearly a major part of this man's identity.

At Christmas I cooked a halal meal (chicken) for our Muslim guests, a traditional Turkey and trimmings meal for our Malaysian guest, but the homeless man I was cooking for loves birds and said he'd rather not have a Christmas dinner if it was going to be a bird. I made him roast beef!

It's even possible that some of the kindest and most socially aware people are sleeping on our streets.

When I buy food for someone homeless, I always ask first if there is anything they can't eat. For instance I am allergic to fish so if, God forbid, I was ever in that situation I also would have to turn down the sandwich. Surely by asking first you would be giving him some dignity in being able to choose what he eats.

He's as much entitled o his code of ethics as anyone else! Why should being on your uppers mean you have to abandon your honestly held beliefs?

Vegetarianism isn't a pseudo religion, so no beliefs to be suspended. Just because you are homeless doesn't mean you have to give up your principles or your ability to make choices. The person buying the meal was very kind; the homeless person does not have an obligation to accept that kindness. This does not negate the kind act, nor mean that the homeless person is ungrateful. And the story should not put anyone off buying meals for people sitting in doorways - they are all individuals who will react to generosity in different ways.

Reminds me of the story a while back where 'begger' (charlatan) was exposed as not only having a roof over his head but was making a very comfortable living out of begging. So maybe it was him and he'd dined well the evening before! If you're cold and starving you'd eat anything surely. Or even scrape the tuna out if you'd die for your cause!