On the flip side, I learned to love scripture, pray and go to Church. My world-view has been molded, shattered and refashioned through this process of parable. This brings out the purpose of the parable, to enable one to think outside the box and possess one's own existence. In both examples above, the Jews and the Americans hated the Samaritans and Vietcong, respectively. The people were taught this emotionally repugnant attitude so that they would live in a certain way.
Parable is a good remedy to following the masses.
Because of this, parable can sometimes be a very dangerous tool, causing a person to rethink and reappropriate thoughts, opinions and attitudes. This danger includes the possibility that those in power might lose it if many thought the same way. This instantly puts those who follow this way of parable in danger, considering the long history of those in power suppressing and killing those who do not tow the line and think differently. This explains quite clearly why the leaders of the Jews would want to kill Jesus. His use of parable was freeing the people to think for themselves which was changing their relationship with those leaders.