Religion And Hiv/aids

RELIGION AND HIV/AIDS FROM THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE By The Revd Dr I. U. Ibeme MB. BS, Dip. Theol. e-mail: [email protected]; Websites: http://www.pdfcoke.com/ifeogo ; http://priscaquila.6te.net/ ; http://priscaquila.blogspot.com/. Click Here For PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre

CONTENTS Introduction What is Religion (Reverence)? What is Science (Knowledge)? Science and Religion compared The Science of HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS and The Christian Faith Christ and the Caring and Healing Ministries Sexuality Science-based ideas on Sexuality Christian Response to Modern Attitudes towards Sexuality Christian Response to Other Issues Related to HIV/AIDS Bibliography

A PRESENTATION AT THE 2006 CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF INTERPLAY BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE (ASIRS), THE UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI. 30th MAY 2006. What interplay is there between Religion and Science as it concerns HIV/AIDS? I am grateful to the Association for the Study of the Interplay between Religions and Science (ASIRS), Maiduguri, Nigeria for asking me to speak on this topic and make my meagre contribution to this discussion. I have been a Medical Practitioner for the past 21 years and an ordained Priest and theologian for the past 13 years. Though I was born and brought up as a Christian, the real revelation of the saving-power of the Gospel of Christ dawned on me 26 years ago. With this revelation came the unavoidable necessity for me to humbly commit myself to Christ Jesus as the risen Lord and as my Saviour from the corruption of sin and condemnation of death. Back to Contents

What is Religion (Reverence to the Supernatural)? The root meaning of the word “religion” is “reverence”. Religion is the human perception of, and response to the Ultimate Divinity (God) or other numinous entities (spirits, gods). The Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are monotheistic. Religion is a sacred relation to the supernatural and is expressed in worship and reverential awe, right and authentic belief, moral conduct and participation in the religious community to which one belongs. In postmodern revisionist epistemology and atheistic cultural trends of today, Religion is being bastardised as “pretentious bigotry” but hypocrisy and hatred are far from what Religion ever means etymologically. Back to Contents What is Science (Knowledge of the Natural)? The root meaning of the word “science” is “knowledge”. Science is the pursuit of systemized knowledge of both the general laws of nature and the general facts about life, which has been subjected to the empirical scientific method. This is called Pure Science. Application of scientific knowledge for practical uses is called Applied Science. On the other hand, Technology is the processes by which tools are crafted to control the material environment to specific advantage. Technology may derive from pure and applied sciences, from instincts or from trial and error; on the other hand it may lead to the unfolding of scientific knowledge. Back to Contents

Science and Religion compared “Science without Religion is blind, Religion without Science is lame.” Albert Einstein “Man needs science in order to know, religion in order to act.”  Max Planck Revelation necessitated Religion which gave rise to Philosophy (Perplexities of life and nature also gave rise Philosophical Religion); Philosophy gave birth to Worldview and Science. Science is therefore “Religion Minus” while Religion is “Science Plus”. However, Science seems to boost human pride because it depends on human theory but Religion fosters the humility of humanity because it subjects it depends on supernatural authority. This divergent impact on human ego is why Religion and Science tend to antagonise each other. The scientific method is based on objectivity of investigation and acceptability of results as repeatable. Scientific enquiries may be inductive (Theory derived from Results) or deductive (Results deduced from Theory). Religions on the other hand are based on voluntary conviction about the authority of what is prophetically revealed or what is philosophically contemplated by their founders (the Messiah/Christ, Prophets, Elders/Fathers, Sages) and the authenticity of

the tenets that are handed down. Religion is both objective and subjective. Pure Science is only objective and stops at seeking the knowable and measurable HOW’s of things (i.e. METHODS & MECHANISMS). Religion goes further than Science to seek the unknowable and immeasurable HOW’s (i.e. MIRACULOUS & MARVELLOUS) as well as the knowable and unknowable WHY’s of things (i.e. MEANING & MESSAGE). Science is therefore a subset not an antagonist of Religion as many have tried to portray in recent times. As a Physician and Theologian, I have found scientific knowledge (within its limited dimensions of knowable and measurable HOW’s) useful for appreciating the wonders of Creation and wisdom of Theology. Even Theology employs the scientific method in systematising its dogmatics. Religion should give meaning to Science, and Science should enhance religious awe. I have found Science and Religion interplay to be Symbiotic. There are other models of this interplay: Independence, Conflict, and Complementarity. From my experience, Science serves as a tool to help Humanity fulfil the religious stewardship of exercising dominion on earth. How do all these come to play in our discussion on Religion and HIV/AIDS? Back to Contents

The Science of HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)  a Retrovirus  attacks the CD4 TLymphocytes that are responsible for cellular immunity in humans. The result is the depletion of these immune cells and the vulnerability of the affected person to diseases that are normally fought by human cellular immune system e.g. pneumocystic pneumonia, candidiasis, herpetic viral infections, certain cancers, tuberculosis, e.t.c. A scientifically determined combination or conglomeration of some of these diseases is called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Scientifically speaking therefore, it is possible to have an AIDS-like illness if one’s cellular immunity is destroyed by other conditions than HIV infection. The application of the scientific knowledge about the effect of HIV on humans has led to the development of technologies and measures to combat the scourge. These technologies include diagnostic techniques for early detection of HIV and anti-HIV antibodies in the blood, Anti-Retroviral Therapeutic drugs (ART’s) and measures to prevent the transmission of the virus as well as detect and treat concomitant opportunistic infections early. HIV is known to be transmissible when body fluids (such as blood, wound discharges, genital secretions and emission) of an infected person gain direct access

into another’s bloodstream or raw tissue surface. This usually occurs during sexual contact, or exchange of non-sterilised injection needles as among drug addicts; the same also applies to tattooing implements. Sexual contact remains the single most important means of spread for HIV/AIDS. Homosexual, prostitutes, and promiscuous persons are usually mostly affected. On the other hand, abstainers and faithfully married couples are usually least affected. Back to Contents

HIV/AIDS and The Christian Faith Apart from diagnosis and drug therapy, the next most significant control measure against HIV/AIDS is modification of sexual behaviour especially towards abstinence and sex exclusively within a faithful monogamous marriage, but also towards condom use (so called “Safe-Sex”). Modification or regulation of sexual behaviour is not yet in the realm of Science as at today. Rather it has been in the domain of Religion to control or regulate sexual behaviour over the ages. In view of this, Science must join hands with Religion in order to succeed in the war against HIV/AIDS. Indeed adherents to the Christian faith both at local Church and at wider denominational levels have long been involved in care ministries to HIV/AIDS victims. Not only have Christians formed Faith-based groups, they have also reached out to other non-Christian religious bodies to form Inter-Faith networks to fight HIV/AIDS. This was started in the United States of America in the mid 1980s a few years after the discovery of HIV and outbreak of AIDS among American Homosexuals. By 1989 The AIDS National Inter-faith Network had been formed. By 1993, in an effort to develop an appropriate response to HIV/AIDS from the faith community, the Council of National Religious AIDS Networks, an interfaith coalition, came together to develop a statement declaring their commitment to promote prevention, global response, tolerance and poverty elimination based on the principles of love, compassion and justice. By 2001 when it has become clear that Faith-based initiatives is of major significance and a strong force in the fight against HIV/AIDS, President Bush had no choice than to start supporting such groups financially without discrimination, for the purpose of caring and healing initiatives. This idea has gained global acclaim as most nations have now copied this model. In Nigeria today we have the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) collaborating with, encouraging and supporting NGO’s and Faith-based groups by providing guidelines, funds and other resources.

Through Faith-based groups, the Christian Church has been involved in a barrage of approach to combating the HIV/AIDS plague, which include: 1. Prevention: e.g. Health Education and Sexual reorientation campaign. 2. Primary Care: e.g. Hospices and Clinics. 3. Support Services: e.g. - Provision of food and shelter for the infected or affected; - Advocacy against stigmatisation and for concerted effort against AIDS; - Training of Care Providers; - Counselling for those affected or infected. 4. Cooperation: e.g. Networking with groups within the Christian Faith and across with groups from other Faiths. The aim in all these is to do good and show compassion in order to bring healing and hope to those infected and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Back to Contents

Christ and the Caring and Healing Ministries No Christian has any excuse for not rising to the challenge of HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Scriptures record that Jesus Christ went about in the power of the Holy Spirit: “... doing good, and healing all ….”  (Acts. 10:38) The Scriptures also report that Jesus Christ empowered His 12 Apostles to heal: “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” (Mat 10:1) “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” (Luk 9:1-2) So for the Christian Faith healing is not only divine but also divinely commissioned, being inseparable from the Gospel of Christ. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1Pe 2:24) The Gospel of Christ offers salvation from the burden of sin and death for the whole world, and healing from the concomitant diseases and sicknesses. In this vicious cycle of “sin-disease-death-damnation”, sexual behaviour is again of great significance as is the case with HIV/AIDS. To a large extent therefore, sexuality

stands between humanity and her destiny especially as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned. Back to Contents

Sexuality Sexuality concerns male-female psychophysical relations and expressions as well as physiological constitution. Sexual preference and desire as well as sexual identity and capacity belong to human sexuality. This needs to be distinguished from Gender relations, which concerns male-female social roles and cultural expectations. For the Christian Religion, sexuality issues border on morality and immorality of relations while Gender issues border on equality and inequality of the sexes. What could the Christian Faith contribute in dealing with the sexuality issue that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS? These are usually non-marital sexual orientations and involvements such as homosexual relations, premarital and extramarital sex, multiple and indiscriminate sex, bestiality, paedophilia and the like. This must be examined in the context of prevalence of science-based post-modern ideas of sexual freedom. Back to Contents Science-based ideas on Sexuality Scientific ideas, unable to venture into morality matters for which there are no empirical formulae yet, prefer to insist that there is no immorality, though they would accept that there is insecurity. Is this not “valuephobia”? The argument is that one man’s morality may be another man’s immorality. Yet, the same applies to security, for one man’s security may be another man’s insecurity. So Science-based ideas insist that no one should be intimidated with any moral judgement for doing what one feels happy doing with oneself. However, due to the fact of the “danger” of contracting HIV, Scientific ideologists feel that the option of using condom as a partial protection (called “Safe Sex” or “Safer Sex”) should be offered, if one cared about the “risk”. Strangely, such precautionary advice against “dangers” and “risks” is not seen as intimidating, i.e. scientifically speaking! So far, scientific studies have shown that where religious values of abstinence and heterosexual intra-marital sex are propagated and accepted, sexual behaviour is modified and the spread of HIV/AIDS is reduced. Religion has power to modify sexual behaviour where Science is hesitant. Christian Religion, which has the safest sexual moral standardrds of allowing sex only within a monogamous life-long marriage, serves the best purpose in protection against and prevention of spread of HIV/AIDS, for everyone who believes the Gospel.

Science is about what works and how things work, but religion is about what is right or wrong and what is good or bad. The mistake of using Science in place of Religion has led to the laiser-faire ideas about sexuality. However, Science is for information on matter not for instruction on character. Science is for know-how not for ethics. Science is for the intellect not for the conscience. Religious claims provoke scientific enquiry, while scientific research confirms religious convictions. Religion and Science then, are complimentary and more so symbiotic. Science should be the handmaid of Religion. Those who make Science a religion end up becoming unscientific. For instance, those who turn the hypothetical assumption called the “theory” of evolution into a dogma of origins antithetical to the religious doctrine of creation are really misusing Science. That complex forms evolved out of simpler forms is an assumption contrary to the scientifically established thermodynamic Law of Entropy; and in Science, laws overrides theoretical assumptions. In fact, recent developments have shown that the Intelligent Design Theory (IDT) of evolution accords more with natural scientific laws, logic and mathematics than the Darwinian Random Selection theory of evolution. However, because Science has not been able to quantify intelligence in absolute terms nor does Science wish to be tele-guided by a superior Intelligence, it is in a fix as to which way to go. Is this “Theophobia” in today’s parlance? This is actually “Theostugeia” in proper language. Back to Contents

Christian Response to Modern Attitudes towards Sexuality Most people including homosexuals agree that homosexuality is abnormal or unnatural and that extramarital and promiscuous sex is unsafe. The contentions are about Values and Choice, about Morality and Freedom: 1. Should anyone be told what to do (or not do) based on any moral values in matters of personal choice and desire? 2. Is homosexuality and other non-marital sex acts of choice (i.e. modifiable) or an inevitable result of a variant natural physiologic constitution (i.e. nonmodifiable)? 3. Should homosexuality and other non-marital sex be condemned or condoned, corrected or canvassed? 4. Where does personal freedom end and general morality begin? From the point of view of Science, no one should be restrained from any scientifically feasible indulgence as long as such indulgences are private and the involved parties are consenting. From the Christian perspective, such people should be appealed to or be persuaded to reconsider their choices and play down on their desires, depending on the saving power of Christ to help them through. The basis should be the safety and good of the entire human race, the sanctity of life, the

revelation from God in the Biblical Scriptures and the salvation accomplished in Christ. This has been found to work through the ages for those who believe. Christianity’s basic call is to metanoia i.e. “repentance” or “change of mind”. Christian Religion can offer this message not only to those with unhealthy sexual behaviour but also to those with uncaring attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. Science has not shown any empirical proof for any claims to genetic or other irreversible constitutional basis for homosexual or promiscuous inclination. According to the Christian Religion, homosexuality and other promiscuous sexual behaviour, just like all unhelpful behaviours, are reversible through metanoia by the power of the Word and the Spirit of God for anyone who believes. Therefore, unnatural and unhealthy sexual involvements should not be condoned but condemned. Nevertheless, those involved should not themselves be condemned, rather they should be corrected and encouraged to abandon or overcome their unfruitful and unprofitable behaviour through metanoia or Repentance, for their own good. “Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts. In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing. Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.” (Rom 1:26-32) The Christian Religion categorises homosexuality and other no-marital sex as the decadent sin of sexual immorality, dangerous for humanity and unacceptable before God. Personal freedom starts where the good of others stops. Personal freedom ends where the interest of humanity is at stake. God’s choice is the best freedom. Back to Contents

Christian Response to Other Issues Related to HIV/AIDS

Hash experiences of life such as deprivation, disease, death, disaster and despair may push one to what I call Theostugeia (hating the idea of Ultimate Divinity  God) or Valuephobia (hating the idea of moral values), as well as get involved with unhelpful behaviour. Yet the Christian must reach out with love as the agent of reconciliation in the face contentious issues; identifying with the suffering and helping to find a way out and bringing hope by the example and the power of Christ. For those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS with all the attendant perplexities we must share our eschatological concept of human history with an optimistic end for humanity through the grace of redemption in Christ. Anyone who has the knowledge of salvation in Christ knows that he or she is equipped and called to bring comfort and care for the bereaved and abandoned; show faith in God and moral uprightness for others to see and copy; and ensure social justice in place of inequity and prejudice. I agree with Professor Anne Bayley of Lusaka University Teaching Hospital that the Christian religion has a lot to offer, one of which is this: “A faith that God exists and is personal, not impersonal; hospitable not hostile, and involved-with not indifferent to humankind – a faith which is supported by historical and contemporary evidence, although not ‘provable’ or ‘disprovable’ in scientific terms” (One New Humanity, p.126) Back to Contents

Bibliography HEFLEY, James C, Life In The Balance, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1980. STOTT, John, Issues Facing Christians Today. Marshall Pickering, London, 1994. BAYLEY, Anne, 0ne New Humanity: The Challenge of AIDS, SPCK, London, 1996. DAVIS, John Jefferson, Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today, P&R Publishing, New Jersey, 1993. AIDS ACTION COUNCIL, Policy Facts: Faith-Based and Community Response to HIV/AIDS, The Body, 2003 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR WORLD HEALTH , Fact Sheets: The Faith Community & HIV/AIDS and An Interfaith Declaration, The Body, 1999 New Dictionary of Theology, IVP, Leicester, 1988. Encyclopaedias Britannica 2001, Software. Microsoft Encarta 2005, Software. The Holy Bible. Back to Contents

Last Updated March 16, 2015

By The Revd Dr. I. U. Ibeme Copyright © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria. Click Here For PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre Back to Contents