Aids Cure: Relgious values ?

Question

Aids Cure: Relgious values ?

Based on an earlier question that focused merely on Christians, and one person objected to it, so let me rephrase it...

What percentage of people that have been and will be victims of Aids, would have been saved from Aids had they, or the people that infected them practices religious values ?

Answer 1

A very touchy....politically incorrect topic... with an unpopular answer. Answer: Practically all of them.

People will say that anyone can get it by almost any way. This is true today since it has proliferated. If you will remember though...in 1981 when it was first being reported it was confined to promiscuous homosexuals on the west coast. Had that behavior been tempered at that time it would not have gained a foothold.

Answer 2

Consider two things: first, that heterosexual "religious" people can contract AIDS without even engaging in intercourse (i.e., blood transfusions). In addition, who's to say that homosexuals who have the disease (who I am assuming are the actual subject of this question) are not practicing "religious values?"

It may surprise you to know that the homosexuality that is mentioned in the Bible is NOT the homosexuality that is referred to today. Historically, there was no word for the sort of same-sex relationships that are being practiced today. What was being referred to was the forcible rape of young men, which was a common practice of the Romans.

Now, I am sure that you will want to mention the story of Sodom and Gamorrah. If you go back and read the story, you will read that the men of the town came to Lot's house and demanded that he give them the angels, so that they could rape them; instead Lot gave them his virginal daughters. It could well be, then, that the "homosexuality" that this city was punished for was the same as was being practiced in Rome and that was spoken out against by Paul in I Corinthians -- forcible rape.

The problem is that homosexuality has always been considered a taboo subject, and this distinction was never bothered to be made known. Even now, with everything that is known about the biological side of homosexuality (which I argue proves that God intended for some people to be attracted to members of their own sex, unless he is just playing a nasty trick on some people), society is still blinded by this age-old misunderstanding, and use it as a reason for reinforcing bigotry and hatred based on ignorance and fear of the unknown.

Answer 3

About the same amount as those that would've avoided it if they'd used condoms.... (The number for condom use would reduce it more, but your "religious values" let you ignore anal transmission completely...)

Of course, it would be a great deal less people saved from it than would've been saved if everyone were robots, the necessary step for what you seem to be implying (sex only as a means of reproduction between married couples has never reliably happened in any human society I'm aware of, even when this was a core value in the culture.).

Answer 4

Actually "religious values" is one of the largest yet avoidable contributing factors in the spread of aids.

Religious objection to prophylatics and sex education, combined with condemnation, obstruction and withdrawal of funding for any group or initiative that includes those things have continued to allow hiv and aids run unchecked.

This is especially true in Africa, where malnutrition and poor sanitation (and not "sinful behaviour") are the root causes of aids--but people with "religious values" would rather their funds go to distributed bibles and providing "spiritual counselling" that be used to dig wells and grow crops.

The cumulative effects of "religious values" on the onslaught of aids have been largely negative, and then to add insult to injury questions like yours suggests that those same values are required to "cure" the disease.

Answer 5

I almost hate the word religious. Jesus is the way, for me and many people, religion does not have very much power over my life. I am OK if you call me Christian, but Christianity is really about the personal relationship with God.

AIDS is something you can get form the blood transfusion too. You can get it from your mother, horrible thought but true, from your work environment ( for example you are a nurse and you stick your hand into a needle that is by change in a bed you are making, form your unfaithful spouse, etc )

God is the best choice in every circumstance. He knows what is the best for us. If He calls us to " home" early, so be it. He knows what is the best.

Answer 6

Yes, because all the people who got it from blood transfusions wouldn't have aides if they were good Christians. If children in their mother's womb would only believe in Jesus.

The moral stigma people put on this disease is disgusting! People are dying, and your bright idea is to get everyone saved and living a 'godly' life, then aids would go away.

Good Christians are dying with this disease too. People who have only had sex with their spouse (who they believe was a good moral Christian). When will you realize, morality is NOT the answer to every question?

Answer 7

What about a wife who devoutly practiced "religious" values and a husband who didn't? The husband brings home AIDS and infects his wife and impregnates her. The majority of people in this equation are infected while still practicing "religious" values.

Answer 8

Well, being a Christian or "practicing religious values" doesn't necessarily keep you from becoming sick or diseased. If you have a relationship with God (which "religion" has become something other than that to many people) then you are his child, and I believe He will watch over you. You sound as though you are trying to use natural, human logic to discuss a supernaturally-affected question. I don't think you can throw a percentage on it. Interesting question.

Answer 9

99.99%. This answer though is not to pass judgement on anyone. The fact is, AIDS is primarily transmitted through unprotected sex and intaveinous drug use. Two things that are against, certainly Christian and probably most religious values.

Regardless, it comes down to an issue of education. Whether that education is gained through a church or school, people need to know how their actions will impact their lives.

Answer 10

I'd say that the percentage would nearly go down to zero because it is a simple biological fact that HIV transmission is almost nonexistent outside of sex (at least in industrialized countries). That being said there is still the possibility of transmission due to needles (drug and medical) and the passing on of the virus to fetuses.

Even this atheist will admit that some religious rules have practical value, not because they are divinely inspired but because they work.