I like the thought that the good samaritan wouldn't have been much use to the fallen-by-the-wayside man if he hadn't had enough money to help him. (09-Dec-19 09:09:48)
Gonegirl I don't think the bible stories were written with neo-liberal economics in mind. You haven't thought of it that way because you would have to turn the whole parable on its head to do so. The story was told when a Jewish lawyer, who knows he must follow Jewish law and "love your neighbour as yourself", asks Jesus "who is my neighbour?"
Interestingly Mrs Thatcher seems to have got hold of a very peculiar end of the stick (not unknown in her case). Jesus does not say "your neighbour is the person who is well enough off to support you". Either the Priest or the Levite, both seen as honourable by the Jewish society of that time, might well have had enough to care for the man (whom we presume to be Jewish) who was attacked and robbed.
It is the man, a Samaritan, whom the Jews would hold in as low esteem at that time as the Leavers do the Brexiteers, or Conservatives do the Labour Party currrently, who stopped and helped.
Jesus then asks the lawyer who of the three acted as the neighbour the lawyer does not reply "the one with enough money to help those in difficult circumstances" he says "The one who showed him mercy".
Mrs Thatcher and Mr Johnson have done what Tories always do. Lied in order to persuade people that the policy of greed, envy and lies that they spread is a good and useful one supported by the bible. It isn't!