Care, but Prioritize

The title of this article is taken from the mold of President Ronald Reagan’s policy: “Trust, but verify.” In other words, trust what people tell you, but go ahead and check it out to see if they are telling the truth. On the topic of AIDS (Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome), I think it is important for Christians to care about the issue and have compassion for the sufferers, but we also need to prioritize our varying efforts, and prioritize the different approaches to the AIDS issue. We must also realize the superior importance of a person's soul to their body.

Today is World AIDS Day. So, essentially, if you plug in to any media today, you’ll see and hear them portray AIDS along the lines of being the most important issue facing the world at present. Ironically, every other day in the media (especially TV), the message seems to be: “There is no God, and look how fun it is to do things that—well, inconveniently—may cause you to contract AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).”

It may be very easy for Christians to fall into the trap of thinking that AIDS should require our full (or near-full) attention and efforts, and that a hands-down cure for AIDS would be the best thing that could happen.

But I think it should be noted that, as even Christians are limited somewhat to the 24-hour days God has given us, we have to balance our numerous and essential outreaches. Also, we must consider seriously some of the negative effects—spiritually—that an all-out—no questions asked—cure for AIDS (or other STDs) might cause.

First, let’s look at just a sampling of the programs that we must never forget, forsake, or demote for the sake of AIDS:

Operation Christmas Child (and other similar programs): delivering Christmas gifts to poor and underprivileged children around the world, while simultaneously telling them of the Greatest Gift of All—Jesus Christ.

Pro-Life Outreaches: It’s the age-old “what-if” question—if America had taken the step of faithfulness to God’s precepts of protecting innocent life rather than slaughtering it, would God have blessed the world with a cure for AIDS and other things? Would one of these murdered babies have come up with the cure?
Many who have contracted AIDS have done so by their own sinful choices. They have essentially taken their own lives. But babies in the womb—the closest thing to complete innocence in this world—have no such choice.

The Gideons International (and other similar programs): Getting the Word of God into countless hands. Polygamous, homosexual, and premarital sex has spiritual consequences, even if the immediate physical consequences were to be eliminated. This is just one of many things that the Bible shows to people. “I would not have known sin but by the Law.” (Romans 7:7)

Missionary Efforts: Preaching the Gospel to countless ears. People must hear that there are eternal ordeals with which they must deal—a cure for the physical symptoms is nothing in comparison to the cure for our spiritual disease.

Prison Fellowship Ministries: Jesus offers forgiveness to all, including those who have contracted AIDS, and those who have wound up in prison. "... focused on the mission of transformation through the grace and power of Jesus Christ."

Soup Kitchens and Shelters; Disaster Relief; Caring for the Homeless; Caring for Orphans and Widows; etc.: We should be showing these people the love and mercy of Christ. "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:27)

Hospital and Nursing-Home Ministries: We must remind people that there is more to this life than breath, pain, and death. We must remind them that there is a life--or a death--after the one experienced here on earth.

Protecting Our Borders: We must protect the values and people of the country of America. These two things are exactly what our enemies want to destroy. They are more than willing to kill innocent citizens, including women and children, in order to reach their ultimate goal—to eliminate Christians and Jews and remove the religious freedom and Christian principles this country is built upon.

Protecting Society by Defending Marriage: For the sake of society as a whole, we must defend the traditional definition of marriage.

Other Disease Research: There are some deadly diseases that have neither cures nor known prevention techniques. We know that abstaining from sexual promiscuity and irresponsible drug use are two prevention techniques for HIV AIDS, but most refuse to accept at least one of those methods of prevention.

Written in Stone (and similar efforts): It surprises Christians, but a lot of people now-a-days really don't know the Ten Commandments, their own sin, and their need for a Savior. Getting the Ten Commandments into the public square is an important step to take--not only for salvations, but also for societies.

ACLJ (and other groups): We must preserve our religious freedom, for the sake of the advancement of the gospel of Christ and the prospering of America.

I understand the fact that many victims of HIV AIDS are innocent by-standers: illegitimate children, raped women, people who accidentally come into contact with the blood, etc., of an HIV carrier. We should love these people and have compassion for them. We should not consider ourselves, at our core, as somehow better than them. Christians should have burdened hearts for their souls as for any others.
But, my biggest concern is that a cure for AIDS would encourage promiscuity, irresponsibility, homosexuality, bisexuality, etc.. They may indeed sin more frequently if they thought they could do so without drawback. That wouldn’t be a good thing for the world, as unbelievers might think. It would be a disastrous thing. Addressing the physical while ignoring the spiritual would be a serious misplacement of focus.

When you look at the above issues, think of the possible results of a total (which is unexpected) cure for AIDS:
Abortions would increase: if people lost the fear of AIDS, promiscuity would become even more prevalent and so-called “safe” sex might be disregarded as useless.

Push for gay marriage would intensify: there are a couple things that proponents for gay marriage have a hard time getting around. They are the facts that two of the same gender can’t procreate, and that gay sex has a high propensity for contracting an STD, unlike heterosexual marriage. A cure for AIDS might eliminate to a point one of those concerns.

Drug usage would increase: I don’t know how many druggies allow the fear of contaminated needles to keep them from taking drugs. But if the fear of diseases was completely diminished, then the fear of tainted needles would as well.

Sexual promiscuity, in general would increase: Why wouldn’t it?

The best way to end the AIDS epidemic is prevention--not by medicine--but through my own version of the ABC Plan being used in some parts of the world, which chastises people to “Abstinence, Be faithful to one partner, and use Condoms.” Although I think this ideology is a great two steps forward for one step back, it doesn’t quite do the trick for me. How about: “Abstinence, Be faithful to your one SPOUSE, and Christ.” That combination, if embraced, would largely end the tragedy that is AIDS and STDs in general.

Ultimately, though, as a compassionate person looking at the big picture and the appropriate attitude of a Christian, finding a cure would—all things being considered—probably be a good thing, especially when you note those infected by the disease by no fault of their own. But, do you know what? More people—AIDS sufferers and not—finding a cure for their souls’ condition would be much, much better.
Obviously, however, because of this, drugs that prolong the life of the AIDS sufferer should be considered a good thing, because Christians should not want anyone to die in their sins, without the Savior. Therefore, a prolonged life--with more opportunity for salvation--is far superior to a short, unsaved life.

~Kingdom Advancer

The key is this: we must assist those in need without assisting them on their sinful road towards eternal separation from God, but rather, our efforts should cause quite the opposite reaction.