Left-wing activists have voiced opposition to the fact that Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity, has become heavily involved in the effort to curb the COVID-19 epidemic in New York City.
Samaritan’s Purse, run by conservative pastor Franklin Graham, has set up a makeshift tent hospital in NYC, providing the city’s hospital system with much-needed assistance at a time when the medical system is overwhelmed.
Liberal activists are enraged by the move as Graham, a staunch supporter of President Trump, has in the past spoken against politically correctness and embraced Christian viewpoints regarding marriage and gender. They are now insinuating that Samaritan’s Purse may not provide aid to LGBTQ people.
The makeshift hospital would be under the supervision of Mount Sinai Hospital, which together with Samaritan’s Purse, will provide care and treatment to anyone who needs help with no questions asked. Graham went one step further in a public statement, noting that people of all beliefs and lifestyles need medical help, and that now is the time to put aside politics and work together to save lives.
Graham clearly reassured New Yorkers that Samaritan’s Purse does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity or sexual preference. The statements should have been completely unnecessary given the fact that Samaritan’s Purse operates around the world. Sadly, some Democrat state politicians have cast the aid organization in a bad light even though it is providing free medical equipment and assistance.
State Senator Brad Hoylman publicly called Franklin Graham and anti-gay bigot and blamed the federal government for “leaving New York with no choice” but to accept aid from a religious organization. NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson said he was “extremely troubled” by the fact that Samaritan Purse was providing aid to his city, adding he would “monitor the situation closely”, an assurance parroted by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Assertions from left-wing activists that the charity represents tolerance is laughable. The idea that Samaritan’s Purse would discriminate against anyone is patently false, as has been proven by the organization’s lengthy track record. LGBTQ New Yorkers have nothing to fear if they need to be admitted into the tent hospital and use the free medical equipment. Sadly, “tolerant” politicians seem to care far more about their image than working alongside fellow Americans to bring a global pandemic to heel.
