AIDS in Africa

In TIME magazine's October 10, 2005 edition, a tribute is given to 37 people who are changing the world for the better. Now, whether these 37 people are indeed making the world a better place can probably be disputed. I simply would not know. This betterment is probably according to TIME's definition of making the world a better place. In European Heroes, TIME is praising the work of these 37 people. I simply want to highlight one.

 

The Catholic Bishop of--I guess--the Rustenburg diocese in South Africa, Kevin Dowling, jumps to condoms for the prevention of AIDS. According to TIME, Dowling believed that most of the deaths by AIDS in these shack settlements (known as squatter camps in South Africa) could have been prevented by condom usage. This is probably true that some could have lived and never picked up HIV/AIDS. However, condoms simply slow down the infection rate. It does not stop it.

 

The only known successful method of preventing AIDS is abstinence. Abstinence has been one of Uganda's main methods of preventing the spread of AIDS, and they have been hugely successful. I wonder (genuinely) if Dowling preaches abstinence at all? Or is he as cynical as the rest of the liberal world, including the perversion-preaching ACLU, that people will have sex anyhow? So why bother with abstinence at all? The fact is that people want to hear, and this includes teenagers, that it is OK not to have sex until marriage and that there is nothing wrong with you if you indeed wait.

 

Africa is a different kettle of fish and to try to approach it in the same way as western countries might just derail your mission. Here in South Africa, there is a common misconception created by witchdoctors and others, that AIDS can be cured by either raping a baby girl or a young virgin. Young men with AIDS go around raping young girls because they believe there is some magical thing that happens during intercourse with young virgins. Throwing condoms at people will not solve the problem! These people need education.

 

It is believed that up to 45% of our armed forces carry the AIDS virus! In one of our provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, 22% of school teachers are HIV positive. Teachers, I tell you! They are supposed to be educated! I guess the sin-nature of humanity is much stronger than education!

 

It is this kind of thing that happens when welfare and education is thrust upon the people by a materialistic, liberal government where the president of the country, Thabo Mbeki, claimed that HIV does not cause AIDS. When the church is sidelined by a government which, I believe, is still communistic, then morals and true care will no longer be given to people. All the government can do is give housing, food and other kinds of help. The government, in our case, has no ability to provide a standpoint of true morality and so sexual sins and crimes abound.

 

The fact is that most AIDS programs are destined to fail. Unless a cure for AIDS can be found pronto, more people will die, I am sad to say, because they chose to. The majority of AIDS cases are simply because of degenerate lifestyles, i.e. homosexuality, free sex, etc.

 

There is only one 'C' that can bring relief in the AIDS pandemic and that 'C' is not 'C'ondom, it is 'C'hrist. It is up to the church of Jesus Christ to stand up and make a difference, and that difference can only come if the church preaches Christ and Him glorified. It is the "supremacy of Christ," as John Piper calls it, that must be elevated above all else. Preaching condoms clearly sends the message that it is OK to have sex as long as it is safe sex.

 

Christ demands that sex be safe, but that safety can only be achieved via abstinence until marriage when sex can be enjoyed in a God-honouring relationship between one man and one woman.

 

Just thinking...