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Name: McNasty

Comment: For real, what did he expect? The church feeds your spirit and very few are qualified to deal with or addres.s AIDS the way it needs to be addres.sed. Some pastors would just rather not deal with it at all and that's their choice. Too many places to use as a resource and support for this to become an is.sue. Besides that what one pastor and church won't do - another one will.

Name: Kofi

Comment: For the Black Church to remain relevant in Black communities, it must address ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT BLACK PEOPLE!!! The Black church has collectively been in denial about HIV/AIDS and issues of sexuality. It is not an issue of one or two pastors being out of touch, there has been a deafening slience. It is for these reasons that the Black church has been complicit in the deaths of thousands of African Americans.

Name: nightshift

Comment: This is really a shame because they're turning away the people who solidly support & NEED their church.

Name: Janissi

Comment: There are many places to get HIV/AIDS information. I don't believe the church is the place b/c a lot of the HIV/AIDS lecture has to do w/safe sex. Now the church I go to doesn't subscribe to sex before marriage (biblically, it's wrong) so why would church be the place to discuss such practices? The only safe sex is abstinence (there's that dirty word again) Now if someone has HIV/AIDS, then I believe they should be able to go to their church to get all the support they need.

Name: ChiDiva9

Comment: I used to work on a cable access show and we did a two part show on HIV/AIDS and the Black Church 2 or 3 years ago. This situation really needs to be addressed by the church. The people (many are heterosexual non drug users - not like it matters but I can't stand the crutch of homosexuality as an excuse not to help people or get involved) are dying. Too sad.

Name: McNasty

Comment: What can a church do? Pastors aren't qualified health care professionals! Kofi I so totally don't agree with you! AIDS is preventable - its a person's choice and hard head that puts them in harms way. Janisi your post is on point. Churches preach abstinence but before that NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE. If folk followed that I imagine there would be no AIDS in the heterosexual community. Because gays get up in arms over what pastors preach I can't blame a pastor for not addres.sing issues that don't directly affect the pastor or other members of the church unless they are sleeping around.

Name: McNasty

Comment: then there are so many organizations for them to go to it's not even funny. Go to church to pray for your lost soul and go the clinic so they can train you on how to be healthy.

Name: HarrisThomas

Comment: the black church can hold its religious nose while providing a directory of HIV/AIDS organizations to its congregation

Name: nightshift

Comment: Janissi, McNasty, THEY NEED SPIRITUAL CARE!!!!!! Do you think he went to his pastor to refill his meds?? C'mon, he needed to know he's not a pariah in his spiritual home. His soul needs that reassurance. Miss Kurt Franklin got help for his (clearing throat) troubles (but that's adifferent story). I'm glad he told pastor to f'off.

Name: Kofi

Comment: >McNasty, What a cop out!!! To be Christian is to be "Christ-like" That begs the question; What would Jesus do if faced with this situation? He would treat those affected and infected with love and compassion. He would provide factual information on how to avoid getting HIV/AIDS in the first place. We all know the churches stand on pre-martital sex. We also know what goes on in the real world with members of the church and the larger society. To have tens of thousands both inside and outside the church die simply because you are uncomfortable talking about it is unconscionable. (and you wonder why your pews and less than full and/or there are few black men present) As a Director of several HIV programs I see up close and personal the absolutely devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on AA communities. The black church is one institution where black people gather at least once per week. If you want to disseminate information to the larger community, the black church has to be a viable partner in this effort. The black church is the place where black people planneds escapes, uprisings and taught people how to read during slavery. The black church is where the civil rights movement was born. Putting harmful substances in you body is also a sin but that does not prevent the church from dealing with issues of addiction. The way I see it is that we have two alternatives. We can go in fear and hide our cowardice behind doctorine. The end result is that the church and the community DIES!!! We can boldly confront the issue and provide pragmatic and non-judgemental information on how to prevent HIV/AIDS and have frank and honest discussions regarding sex and sexuality. Which one do you think Jesus would do?

Name: HarrisThomas

Comment: Kofi and nighshift, y'all talking about "old school" church not the new fangled brand of church that goes for the feel good gospel of prosperity and prosperity attachments . . . . hey, don't get upset [LOL] 'cause I'm lowrating prosperity ministry which is soooooo materialistic in realization . . . . . we are supposed to live abundantly while performing service to the least as members in the body of Christ . . . . . . I remain puzzled about why some churches think it's OK to make viagra and cialis available while mad/bad mouthing contraceptives: let the church say amen or not

Name: Kofi

Comment: Harris, Im afraid that you are right (damn)

Name: Quanli

Comment: I agree with Kofi. I also wanted to add that I believe this AIDS epidemic is also Spiritual (destructive) and along with information, prayer for the community should be had on a weekly basis. What bothers me is that sometimes pastors talk to the congregation as if everyone has "moved on up" when members are the body fall into the 80% (fatherless) statistic, live below the poverty line, and so on. Sometimes I think there is a missing link, this notion that you must already "have it together" to be sitting in the pews--when nothing could be further from the truth. I think the Church could do a lot more to cater to our needs from both a Word perspective and an organizational one.

Name: shulamite

Comment: Quanli, great points re the fallacious "moved on up" mentality that exists. We all talk a good game of spiritual maturity and right living, but most of us are in the at risk populations. Also, all evangelical churches - black and white - have failed on this front, especially when it comes to integrating HIV positive adults and children into social church activities. My (white) friend's child was rejected from the church nursery because she had HCV - the entire congregation voted to put her out. My (black) friend, an associate minister of his church, was asked to cease serving communion because the majority of the congregation was frightened of catching the disease. We need a lot of education as parishioners re how HIV is spread and we need to actively incorporate best practices of safe but inclusive social bonding for people infected with HIV. And THAT type of education IS the responsibility of the church pastors.

Name: DawnDuhDuh

Comment: Kofi, HarrisThomas, I agree with you. However, regardless of these prosperity ministries, HIV is still an issue in these churches and even if they don't want to preach on it or deal with it, there are too many resources that one could be directed towards AND they could still attend to the spiritual aspect of the individual. There is no excuse for turning your back on anyone when you are supposed to be "Christ-like". It seems as though the message and the methods of the church are wrong these days.

Name: unclekipper

Comment: i love JESUS! with that said, the black church by and large is full of shyt! there will continue to be issues of molestation and aids until the church gets real. but they have to continue to scare the money out of your pockets. i get it...

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