Saw two "Samaritan's Purse" disaster relief trucks today on the west side of Atlanta..

[Fumesucker]

Very nice looking large 18 wheeler, obviously some serious money had gone into this, the other looked like it was probably some sort of communications truck, about the size and configuration of a largish ambulance but lacking emergency lighting.

I had never heard of them before so I looked them up online..

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Who_We_Are/About_Us

It seems to me just a trifle odd for an obviously devout organization to take the name of arguably the most famous heathen in all of the Christian Bible. Not that I have any problem with what this organization does or their motivation, I just wonder if they have ever really and truly thought about the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan since it is one I use sometimes as an atheist when I'm having a philosophical discussion with Christians.

[Why Syzygy]

1. "Samaritan" is not the "name" of a heathen.

The term refers to members of an ethno-religion. :eyes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan

[Fumesucker]

4. I know what it is..

I was describing Samaritans from the point of view of (some) Christians, where anyone who is not a Christian or a Jew is a heathen..

[aquart]

2. So many devout mouth the Bible without READING the Bible.

It's odd.

I remember a kid at school telling me that everyone in the Bible was virtuous and good or words to that effect. All my Bible knowledge comes from reading it so I could put together an effective refutation. Bible is just chockful of sin, I discovered. And SINNERS. Hoo boy. The Samaritan saved the one the Christians ignored, he did.

[Fumesucker]

6. Not quite..

There weren't any Christians in that tale, the devout were Jews.

[Fridays Child]

9. Exactly, which is why I love this.

Betty Bowers Explains Traditional Marriage to Everyone Else

[Fumesucker]

12. That's hilarious .. n/t

[aquart]

14. Isn't it wonderful?

I adore Betty.

[Critters2]

3. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan,

the Samaritan, who is the model of good behavior, leaves his purse with the innkeeper to continue to care for the victim of violence. I fail to see why Christians should not use this term.

[Fumesucker]

5. He doesn't leave his purse but he does leave the innkeeper some money..

"On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return."

Because the Samaritan was specifically used by the Christ as an example of someone who was *not* devout and yet was the brother of the student of the law who initiated the conversation about brotherhood with the Christ.

[Critters2]

10. He was an example of someone who was generous. nt

[KamaAina]

7. Samaritans = Palestinians

Heavy-duty Orthodox settlement supporters call the West Bank "Judea and Samaria".

[Fumesucker]

8. Now that is interesting..

I didn't know that, thanks for sharing..

[Critters2]

11. Palestinians=Philistines. The Samaritans still exist as a unique people.

http://www.thesamaritanupdate.com/

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3394699,00.html

http://www.jewishmag.co.il/78mag/samaritans/samaritans.htm

[provis99]

13. uh, no. The Philistines were wiped out by the Hebrews. n/t