DP #5: American Priest, Global Samaritan

As the parable indirectly dictates by choosing a Priest and Levite to ignore the dying naked man and a Samaritan to give him aid, the list of first world countries giving global donations explains more about the U.S. in relation to the other countries than it directly tells. When looked at in depth, at least the first five countries (Sweden, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark) on the list of twenty-two do not have, or are trying to reduce, a separation of church and state, boosting monotheistic (and dominately Bible-reading) religions. Also, the United States is the only country on the chart that does not practice socialized/universal healthcare, the only country able to see but not actually see. The U.S. places so low on the list because with a lack of practicing religions (or simply money-minded ones) and a health care program which demonstrates a "tribal ethic," our culture speaks to us: the homeless man is only sleeping; we fail to see human as human or to live with the lesson The Good Samaritan taught, "to be human is to respond to the sufferings of others with compassion."