The parable of the good Samaritin

[Stonepounder]

When I was in High School my best friend was Steve. We were inseparable. We were on the stage crew together, the AV crew together, we double dated together, we even got our first jobs at the same place together. I spent lots of time at his house and he spent lots of time at mine. It didn't ever come into play that his family was Catholic and my father was a Protestant minister at one of the largest churches in Columbus, Ohio.

But time passes and Steve and I graduated. He went to Ohio University and I went to Ohio State. We stayed in touch and occasionally visited on weekends, but it wasn't the same. My family moved to California and I stayed at Ohio State. One Christmas break I had been to California to visit my family and had come back a few days early pick up my girlfriend and drive up to visit with her parents. We were on our way when we were involved in a serious accident about 30 miles north of Columbus. There were injuries and my car was totaled. The Highway Patrolman who did the preliminary investigation graciously drove us back to Columbus.

We were in a bit of a bind. My family was in California, hers were about 150 miles away. It was early evening and snowing like crazy. I was a poor college with no money for a hotel or a rental car. Her folks would drive down the next day to get us, but we needed someplace to stay for the night. I figured 'no problem'. My dad hadn't been gone all that long from the church in Columbus and I knew several of the ministers on the staff. After about five or six phone calls I had managed to reach three of the ministers I knew the best. I had explained my situation and asked if they could put us up for the night. All three turned me down - for one reason or another.

Finally, in desperation, I called Steve's house. His mom answered the phone. Steve wasn't there, he had already gone back down to school. I explained my situation. Without a moment's hesitation, she offered to come and get us, made up the guest bedrooms, fixed us dinner, and sat with us as we tried to calm down from our traumatic afternoon.

I think that day was pretty much the end of my interest in organized religion. Christianity (or any other religion) is not defined by the church you go to, or how loudly you trumpet your love of God. Be you a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Chein, a Buddhist, a Baptist, or a Jew - by your works we shall know you.

The folks live by the tenets of their religion, not because they are afraid of going to Hell if they don't, but because that is who they are, they are the ones who understand the teachings of whatever spiritual leader they profess to believe in. And that is why you will never hear me bashing the Catholics. Is their hierarchy messed up? Absolutely. Do I fervently disagree with much of their dogma? Totally. However, when I was in need, they took me in. And the ministers passed me by on the other side of the road.

[Duer 157099]

1. That's a nice story

but if the person who took you in was an atheist, would you still be telling the story, and would the message be the same?

Why does someone's religion even come into play here?

Also, what if you were gay and had a gay partner. Do you still think your Catholic friend would have put you both up for the night? I don't know, I'm just wondering.

[Stonepounder]

3. Yes, I would probably still post the story, but ...

The reason I chose to post it now, rather than some other time, is in response to all of the Catholic-bashing I've seen here on DU lately. The point I was trying to make was that in any group even though there are bad actors, you can't tar an entire group based on the actions of a few. (And, realistically speaking, I'm pretty sure that the good, caring, compassionate priests far outweigh the pedophiles. Just as I am sure that the committed scout leaders, football coaches, etc. far outnumber the twisted ones.)

Religion was brought in precisely because it was the ministers who turned me away, and it was a Catholic who took me in. Without the current kerfuffle over the Catholic Church the story would have been just what you called it, a 'nice story'.

As for what would have happened if we were gay, it couldn't have happened. This was in the late 60's. Homosexuality just didn't exist in the heartland. Maybe in Hollywood or San Francisco. Remember that Stonewall didn't occur until 1970. So the idea of an open gay couple just didn't exist. So, that question can't really come into play. However, if I was part of a 'gay couple', I suspect that we would simply have presented ourselves to the world as best buddies (even of some people did suspect) and my best guess is that Steve's mom would have responded in exactly the same way.

[Morning Dew]

12. Stonewall - June 1969 n/m

[Ikonoklast]

2. Less to do with a person's religious beliefs, more to do with a person's moral underpinnings.

Although I do see certain types of religious belief attract a certain type of person, i.e. a person that attends a church that teaches Faith without Good Works is meaningless would be the type of person to give without question to one in need.

[Stonepounder]

5. I do agree.

See my response to the previous post.

There can be absolutely horrendous, evil people who loudly proclaim their love of God and Christ (see Westboro Baptist) and there can be kind, caring, beautiful Atheists. I think it sort of boils down to good people are good, regardless of their religion (or lack thereof) and bad people are bad regardless as well.

[Malik Agar]

4. Sadly, people often miss the forest for the trees

Or however that phrase goes.


And I love how churches are still FILLED with wicked pharisees.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Excellent post. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

7. thank you for your story.

There are without a doubt good and bad people in every walk of life. It is indeed how you treat people on a personal one on one basis that truly shows who you are.

[madmom]

8. Could it possibly be because you were her son's

best friend growing up and she felt a kinship toward you? I still have some of my kids school friends call me "mom" and my youngest is 30. I personally don't think religion had anything to do with it.

[Stonepounder]

9. Of course it was because she knew me. And no, religion really didn't have anything to do with it.

My post was in response to all of the anti-Catholic posts that have been appearing on DU lately. I seriously doubt that Steve's mom had a WWJD moment before taking me in. Did she do it because she was Catholic? Of course not. Did she do it in spite of being a Catholic? Nope. Was she a good person who happened to be a Catholic? Yup.

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the man who was beaten and robbed (traffic accident with injuries and a totaled car) was passed by by his 'own people' (ministers from my father's church) but was ministered to by a Samaritan (I was Protestant, she was Catholic).

So ends the parable of the Good Samaritan. By their works ye shall know them, regardless of which choose to park their butts on Sunday (or if they don't go to church).

[madmom]

11. So then why did you say..

" And that is why you will never hear me bashing the Catholics."

It makes it sound like they did it because they were Catholic.

Years ago my sister in law was an out of work young single mother. She was in such dire straights, she was going to give her daughter up to a foster home. My husband (her brother)and I stepped in and took care of the child for 2 years, no questions asked. We supported her in every way we did our own.This was a 3 year old child with medical problems. Once mom was back on her feet, she went back to her. I am an atheist. Will people stop bashing atheists? I highly doubt it.

[Stonepounder]

13. You will never hear me bashing Catholics

but you may hear me bashing the Catholic hierarchy and the culture of the church that covered up the mortal sins of their priests. You will hear me bashing their inability to deal with the very real issues of today, such as birth control, abortion, overpopulation, climate change, etc. You may hear me bash their total hypocrisy at electing a Pope who was instrumental of covering up pedophile priests, or of ignoring the Holocaust while it was occurring and for many years thereafter.

However, you will not hear me bashing Catholics in general, because most of the Catholics I have known personally have been pretty decent people. Of course most of the people I have met in my life have been pretty decent people. You can't tar an entire group because of a few rotten apples. Be they Catholics, atheists, gay, black, white, etc.

And for the record, I have never bashed an atheist in my life because they were atheist.

[madmom]

15. I think the lesson here is good people are good people regardless of

their religious affiliation (or in spite of).

"I have never bashed an atheist in my life because they were atheist"
thank you for that.

[bighart]

10. Have had very similar experiences

Thanks for sharing this.

[SidDithers]

14. I prefer Mitchell & Webb's version...

Sid