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Posted: 11/27/2014 4:27:35 PM EDT
Everyone uses the term "Good Samaritan" to mean "A person who saw that a stranger needed help and helped out."  But this is a misuse of the term.   If you call someone a "good Samaritan," you're saying that that person helped another person that should have been treated as an enemy.

Here's the parable:

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "

Samaritans and Jews hated each other.  But while the other people - the priest and Levite - pretended they saw nothing and went about their business, the Samaritan, who should have hated the Jew, took care of him.

If I urinate on Hillary when she's on fire, I'm a good Samaritan.  If I donate to someone who had their business burned down in Furgeson, I'm just helping someone out.  To say that I am being a "good Samaritan" insinuates that I should have been there with the protesters burning the place down, but decided instead to help.
Link Posted: 11/27/2014 4:41:54 PM EDT
[#1]
I feel that way about calling someone a Grinch, Scrooge, or Romeo.
Link Posted: 11/27/2014 4:47:03 PM EDT
[#2]
Jesus was a revolutionary.
Link Posted: 11/27/2014 6:04:01 PM EDT
[#3]
So I am a Bad Samaritan if I help a friend?
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