"I hope for a day when every church engages in an open dialogue on issues of sexuality and gender difference. I hope for a day when every synagogue will mobilize as advocates for a global response to find AIDS, when every temple will fully welcome people living with HIV, where every mosque is a place where young people will learn about the facts of HIV and AIDS."

Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS,
the agency coordinating the United Nation's response to the AIDS pandemic

Global AIDS and 'The Theology Of A Few'

By Donald E. Messer

When the son of a former United States President, Ron Reagan, contended at the Democratic National Convention in Boston that "the theology of a few is harming the health of the many," he could have been speaking about global AIDS rather than stem cell research.

Dear Reader of Global Perspective, We need your help. We are pleased to make available -- at no charge -- Global Perspective. But we cannot do all we need to do without your financial assistance. Please take a moment to consider contributing to our annual appeal and join the ranks of readers who give to the Friends of NCR campaign. National Catholic Reporter is a nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible in the United States. Contributions may be sent to: National  Catholic Reporter 115 E. Armour Blvd. Kansas City, MO   64111 USA Make checks out to:  NCR If you wish, you may print a form for submitting your donation. You may also use this form for credit card donations. Print a Contribution Form OR Donate Now Online   P.S. Everyone who donates will receive the fourth in a series of specially designed NCR Christmas ornaments connecting us in a special way to the gospel of peace on earth. Thank you.

At the recent 15th International AIDS Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, it was evident that theological taboos have contributed to the escalating HIV/AIDS crisis. At a time when more than 40 million worldwide are infected, with nearly 50% women, the religious roots of this disease must be examined to determine how the theological thinking of some have caused widespread harm to many.

Theological Taboos Contributing To Death, Not Life
These theological taboos include not talking openly about sex, thus preventing people from understanding how to prevent the disease. Second, moralistic judgments toward infected persons and their families have added to society's stigmatization. And, third, religious prejudice toward sex workers, injecting drug users, gay men and others have contributed to discrimination. Silence, stigma and discrimination keep people from getting tested and treated.

"The theology of a few" has unfortunately long influenced many religious responses to the world's worst health crisis in 700 years. Patriarchal religious assumptions have made women incredibly vulnerable. Endless controversies over the value and efficacy of condoms have helped deny people the least expensive "weapon of mass protection" available. In many countries married women and young girls are endangered species since they lack education and empowerment to control their own lives.

Religious ideology too often has triumphed over science, as people have been given false promises of miraculous healing, in a time when no cures or vaccines exist. Fearful of funding abortions and alienating the Religious Right in America, the Bush administration repeatedly was accused in Bangkok of eliminating networks of crucial health care centers for women.

Some religious communities have done pioneering work in the battle against HIV and AIDS, but often their sacrificial service has been obscured by the publicity given to the religious right's twisted theology claiming, "AIDS is the punishment of God." This has prompted people to embrace a theology of condemnation rather than compassion, indifference rather than involvement. Instead of offering a theology of hope and health, faith-based groups sometimes have become missionaries of death, not life.

A Vision of Hope
Twenty plus years into the pandemic, faith-based groups belatedly emerged at the Bangkok conference demonstrating their willingness to participate in positive partnership with others engaged in efforts at education, prevention, care, and treatment.

Never before had people of faith from the world's major religions met together to face the world escalation of the AIDS pandemic. When Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus gathered for the first time in Bangkok, Peter Piot, a physician and UNAIDS executive director, sketched a vision of his hopes.

Piot declared, "I hope for a day when every church engages in an open dialogue on issues of sexuality and gender difference. I hope for a day when every synagogue will mobilize as advocates for a global response to find AIDS, when every temple will fully welcome people living with HIV, where every mosque is a place where young people will learn about the facts of HIV and AIDS."

E-mail Alerts       To receive an e-mail notice when Global Perspective is posted every week, sign up here.       Click on the link at the top right of this page to send the column to a friend or colleague.

"When that will have happened," concluded Piot, "I am convinced that nothing will stop our success in our fight against AIDS." Piot's audience, however, knew that this day has not yet dawned, primarily because a "theology of a few" continues to dominate the hierarchical leadership of many faith communities, and clog the wellspring of loving compassion of grassroots laity and religious leaders.

Breaking The Conspiracy of Silence
I have argued in my recent book, Breaking The Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis (Fortress, 2004), that the "theology of the few" dare not continue to dominate either religious responses or government policy. Faith-based groups - be they Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu - share common core values of compassion, love, and human dignity. Embedded in all the great religions is sacred text equivalent to the Torah's promise that "when you save the life of one person, you save the world."

Just as attitudinal and behavioral change are essential steps in AIDS prevention for individuals, it is imperative that faith-based groups change certain beliefs and behavior so they can provide a message of hope, services of loving care, and a theology of life. In the words of a Muslim leader in Bangkok, "Combating global HIV/AIDS is our common calling in this millennium. We must all join hands . . . sharing mercy and compassion."