I remember in the Bible how the Good Samaritan clothes lined that leper and then broke his neck and then Jesus said, right on, bro!
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 13, 2023
— Emily Levine (@snapsbob1) May 13, 2023
I'm sort of amazed by this "meme" popping up about Daniel Penny being a "good Samaritan." So let's go to the source story:
On one occasion, a legal expert stood up to put him to the test with a question: "Teacher, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life?"
He said to him, "How do you read what is written in the Law?"And he answered: "You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your energy, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."Jesus said to him, "You have given the correct answers; do this and you will have life."But with a view to justifying himself, he said to Jesus, "But who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied:There was a man going from Jerusalem down to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. Now by coincidence a priest was going down that road; when he caught sight of him, he went out of his way to avoid him. In the same way, when Levite came up to the place, he took one look at him and crossed the road to avoid him. But this Samaritan who was traveling that way came to where he was and was moved to pity at the sight of him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil and wine on them. He hoisted him onto his own animal, brought him to an inn, and looked after him. The next day he took out two silver coins, which he gave to the innkeeper, and said, 'Look after him, and on my way back I'll reimburse you for any extra expense you have had.''Which of these three, in your opinion, acted like a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"He said, "The one who showed him compassion."Jesus said to him, "Then go and do the same yourself."
--Luke 10:25-37 (SV)
The victim here, Jordan Neely, didn't fall into the hands of robbers. He fell into the hands of Daniel Penny. What compassion did Mr. Penny show? What did he do to care for Mr. Neely? Penny didn't rob Mr. Neely and leave him half-dead. Penny robbed Mr. Neely of his life.
Mr. Neely was already in bad shape when he fell into the arms of Mr. Penny. We can identify the priest and the Levite who avoided him prior to this anti-good Samaritan coming along. I don't think the identifications would make us feel very good about ourselves, or how we care for those who need our care but don't get it. But that doesn't turn Mr. Penny into the hero of this story.
Even if the parable is somehow about the nameless robbers (what an interpretation THAT would be!), they are not the neighbors to the man going down from Jerusalem. Nor is there any question who, in that parable, acted like the neighbor to the poor man who fell into hands which beat him and left him half dead.
Is there any way in which Mr. Penny is a "good Samaritan"? No. None at all. Is he guilty of manslaughter? I don't know. That's a legal conclusion, to be decided by a jury of his peers.
But he's in no way a good Samaritan. I'm not even sure he's a very good person.
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