Samaritans

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT in Luke 10:30–37, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan who stops to help a wounded Jewish man lying in the road after several Jews have crossed to the other side and refused to help. The story gains new significance in light of the fact that Jews hated the Samaritans, who were a mixed race and who were considered idol worshippers. A small group of biblical Samaritans still survives in Palestine and Israel today. Jesus used the Good Samaritan to teach a lesson about helping those in need. The charge that Christians should help all people in need, regardless of race or religion, serves as the foundation of Samaritan's Purse, the international nondenominational Christian charity. The Samaritans, an English-based suicide prevention group with chapters around the world, has also adopted the story of the Good Samaritan as its creed.

Samaritan's Purse, which was founded in 1970, is headquartered in Boone, North Carolina. The charity also has offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, has led the charity since the death of founder Bob Pierce in 1978. Smart Money magazine has called Samaritan's Purse the most efficient of all religious charities, noting that 88.8 percent of its budget is used for project activities. Savings account for 12 percent of the budget, and 3.7 percent is used for fundraising activities. The projected budget for Samaritan's Purse in 2004 was $210 million. Overall, the charity is viewed in a positive light, but criticism has been abundant.

Controversy erupted in 2001, for instance, when the New York Times criticized Samaritan's Purse for using government funds to spread religion in the name of disaster relief in El Salvador. Officials admitted that three percent of its budget for the project had come from federal funds but defended its actions in accepting the grant for earthquake relief.

While spreading the gospel message of the Christian faith, Samaritan's Purse travels the world to help victims of war, disease, disaster, and famine. During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Samaritan's Purse has provided water systems, shelters, and medical kits for over 100,000 people. Nevertheless, the charity's presence in Iraq, which is 97 percent Muslim, and in Afghanistan, which is 99 percent Muslim, has added to ongoing criticisms about the practice of mixing aid and religion.

In December 2003, Samaritan's Purse visited Sudan to talk about peace and freedom of religion with President Omar al-Beshir. The charity also opened medical facilities, dispensed food and school materials, and oversaw agricultural projects. Traveling to war-torn Liberia in the spring of 2004, workers for Samaritan's Purse opened rehabilitation facilities for demobilized female soldiers and military wives.

In 2005, Samaritan's Purse pledged $13 million in relief after parts of Asia and Africa were devastated by tsunami waves in December 2004. The money was used to set up food kitchens at emergency shelters and buy fishing boats to help people return to work. Additionally, Samaritan's Purse provided individuals and families with rebuilding kits containing basic tools, plastic sheeting for shelters, household supplies, water filters, mosquito netting, and direct aid. The antipoverty element of the charity is geared toward providing basic needs to people while teaching them about prevention of diseases and proper handling of household waste.

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