Where is the Church in the fight against HIV/AIDS?

Townhall.com ^ | 12/19/2005 | Chad Hayward

[Conservative til I die]

I've led many small groups at my church focused on helping people struggling with issues of sexual brokenness (including but not limited to homosexuality) overcome those issues. My experience, however, has convinced me that such people need to be shown God's love. Condemnation from Christians has often proven to be the biggest barrier to them seeking help in the first place.

Depends on the type of love and the type of condemnation is occurring. "Stop being a dirty fag" is not a good form of condemnation. "Gay is OK now take your AZT" is not a good form of love. In a way, it has to be a loving form of condemnation.

[Conservative til I die]

Intervention measures such as condoms only work to the extent that they are used by those who recognize the added risk of playing with fire.

The problem with condoms, aside from practical matters such as that they don't always work or are used properly, is that it encourages such sexual behavior. And the more such sexual behavior there is, the more chance there is that people are going to do stupid things such as not use them. People are stupid and give in to their animal passions and do things like that.

The real answer is chastity. You can't get HIV if you're not having sex of any kind.

[Conservative til I die]

I believe if you check out my previous post, I said it was nice that he was into charity. That's not condemnation last I checked. But I do think he should give until his income equals my income before he tells me I am giving to the wrong causes.

What if I make less than you? Shouldn't he then give until he has what *I* have?

[Conservative til I die]

So first you condemn him for being wealthy, then when you find out he's given most of his money away, you condemn him for letting that fact be known. Kind of sticking him in a no-win situation, aren't you?

Well, I would say that it's not good to announce your charitable giving. True charity is given in private, so glory is given to God, and not the giver.

[scouse]

By one account, there are more government agencies or international organizations involved in HIV care than U.S. churches.

I recommend that we take all the money that is wasted by these agencies and organizations and give it religious groups, not just churches and you will see this problem diminish.

[A6M3]

We don't live in a theorectical world, we live in a real world, and in the real world the Cuba solution is the solution that works. What's important now is to get the infected people out of the population so they can't spread the desease to others. In the meantime the social scientists can work on behavorial theories and the doctors can work on cures.