When it comes to the subjects of homosexuality and HIV/AIDS, I withdrew from endeavoring to be both politically-correct and church-correct many, many years ago.
For far too many youth today, morality has become purely a matter of personal taste. Regarding sexual expression, opinions vary on how best to attain fulfillment, and in the thinking of many people, these differences are nothing more than opinions. From this perspective, regardless of one’s personal view or opinion on sexual expression, sex outside of marriage between one man and one woman or remaining celibate as a single man or woman, have been reduced to a matter of personal preference or expression.
Today, one youth’s promiscuity is another youth’s monogamy when it comes to homosexual practice. That said, in all fairness, the same could be said for heterosexuals as well. But in either case, the facts are undeniably true there is a demonstrable relationship between promiscuity and high-risk sexual behavior. They are synonymous.
As a resident of San Francisco and member of the gay community in 1980, I personally witnessed the tragedy of HIV/AIDS unfold with some of my dearest and closest friends being the first to pass away from the disease. As a Christian, I believe in the sanctity of life. All life is sacred and deserves to be celebrated. I am confident my stating I am a Christian has probably struck a nerve given the odds at which the gay community and the Christian community frequently find themselves.
“I’m so troubled and confused. There are so many mixed messages being generated about homosexuality,” is a frequent statement offered by youth. To compound the crisis, youth today are hearing virtually nothing about the ongoing AIDS crisis. Many of the youth are Christians, each having been raised in Church and reared in a Christian home. Therefore, once again, we find “the elephant in the home and in the sanctuary” that very, very few will discuss leaving them vulnerable and unaware of the very real and present danger.
It is the muted nature of discussions on HIV/AIDS that has led to a false belief that HIV is the problem of other people. Please hear me clearly. HIV/AIDS does not care if you are rich or poor, American or African, young or old and HIV/AIDS does not care if you are a Christian or not. One wrong move and your life will be changed forever. There is great, great reward in living our lives within God’s holy boundary lines.
Tragically, the relatively new drug/medication, PrEP ( Pre-exposure prophylaxis), a pill for people who do not have HIV but who are at substantial risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day, has created a false sense of reality and in some cases has caused some to be even more sexually active.
Experts agree that the answer to stopping the AIDS epidemic globally is not treatment, but prevention. They also agree that the best hope for prevention lies in changing human behavior. Never has the need and the opportunity been greater for the Christian community to take the lead in responding to this continuing crisis with conviction and compassion.
Youth need to be clearly discipled in the truth and reality that God has given each and every one of us free-will choice. Without free-will choice, there is no such thing as true, pure, undefiled love. However, present realities dictate with regard to HIV/AIDS that when we exercise our free-will choice, we do not get to choose the consequence that may come our way as a result of our bad choice.
These are perilous times for youth when it comes to the topic of homosexuality and sexual expression. Therefore, in the name of decency, true compassion and humanity, every church without exception should have a very frank discussion about sexual promiscuity and HIV/AIDS.
Why would anyone encourage or promote a behavior (any behavior) which has all probability of dramatically shortening or taking one’s life? Would someone please explain this to me?
And, for the sake of clarification, the silent-mode treatment with regard to sexual promiscuity and HIV/AIDS results in many youth not knowing about the health risks, which is why they aren’t concerned with contracting HIV/AIDS.
Ultimately, practically-speaking, I remain grieved and concerned that American culture, in particular, remains in the very tight grip of political-correctness and church-correctness when any expression of concern or disagreement with any aspect of the homosexual movement, or with homosexuality itself is expressed.
I have said before, but it seems appropriate to offer once again the statement “there was a time when the Church set societal standards.” It is time and long overdue we took the role and the God-given mandate by God Himself back.
Reaching youth is something we all can do and must do to help searching youth understand God’s abundant plans for their lives and to counteract any agenda that desires to ruin all hope for the youth.
To speak the truth in love to a youth is not to condemn the one to whom it is spoken. Not once did Jesus ever shrink back from speaking hard, some times stinging words of warning to those whom He undoubtedly loved.
May we, individually and collectively, have the courage and compassion of our perfect role model, Jesus Christ.
Pastor Phillip Lee
Executive Director
His Way Out Ministries