We ought not overlook the dignity that is earned when a person puts his labor to good use. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, sloth is a sin. God gave Adam and Eve the Earth and its wonders as a gift, but He expected them to mix their labor with the resources He provided. When charity creates a disincentive for an able-bodied person to work, it leads this person down the wrong path. It encourages indolence.
Real work provides the individual with the vehicle for a productive and virtuous life.
It gives a person self-esteem and a role to play in society. When government welfare is scaled back, as it surely will be, private charity will be required to an even greater extent. But we will need to be careful about which charities we support. Bad charity is characterized by the failure to look deeply enough to discover the structural and moral causes of poverty. Men and women of faith will be called to concern themselves not just with the material needs of poor individuals but with their spiritual needs as well.