Black Churches Confront HIV-AIDS Crisis

CBS Evening News: Despite Stigma, Religious Leaders Say They Can't Ignore Disease Any Longer

(CBS)  In part one of our report on AIDS in the South among African-Americans, many said the stigma associated with the disease prevents people from talking openly and honestly. No where is that more clear than in the pulpit, but as CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston explains in part two, some churches are starting to begin the conversation.

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The black church - traditionally a loud voice for social change - has been curiously silent on the crisis of AIDS in the African-American community, and some say, even negligent.

When Demarsh Tarver contracted AIDS in Alabama, he says his minister told him to pray for forgiveness.

"When I reached out to the church, I felt like I had been condemned because of my lifestyle," Tarver said. "I basically told him, in so many words, to go to hell."

Despite the fact that pastors across the south have offered small consolation to people infected with the virus, AIDS activists say they need black churches the help stem the growing tide of new HIV and AIDS cases.

While African-Americans represent 19 percent of the south's population, Pinkston reports they're 56 percent of new AIDS cases in the region.

It is an issue that the people of God must address, said Reverend Claude R. Alexander, Jr., of the University Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.

Alexander was one of the first to address the crisis from the pulpit.

"The church must step forward and clarify it as a disease like any other disease," Alexander said.

Speaking from the pulpit, ministers can frame attitudes of love and acceptance rather than judgment, said Reverend Deborah Warren of the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network.

To promote that change, Warren founded RAIN in 1992, to bring ministers together and try to change attitudes.

"If we're not willing to tell our members in our churches that being homophobic is a sin, then we're really shucking and jiving," said Reverend Clifford Matthews of St. Luke's Church.

But as Pinkston reports, they have to do that while still respecting and stepping delicately around core beliefs.

"In as much as we, particularly in our ministry, do not encourage unfaithfulness, that we call adultery or fornication, we're not going to change that particular principle," said minister Corey Bradley with the New Birth Church in Charlotte, N.C.

Slowly, African- American ministers are beginning to recognize the urgent need to take action on the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the black community. Some churches even offer periodic testing in the sanctuary, but getting people in the pews to buy into the message is another issue.

"When we have local agencies to provide testing on Sundays after services, the numbers of persons actually going in the room and getting tested have been very low," said Reverend Michelle Jones of the Friendship Baptist Church.

In the five years that Friendship Baptist has offered on-site services, Jones says only 50 to 60 church members have been tested for HIV at church.

"Well, it's better than nothing," Jones said. "Optimism is very important with this ministry."

Unfortunately, it's an optimism that is still only shared by a handful of religious leaders here. Out of nearly 700 houses of worship in Charlotte alone, only 75 have joined the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network.

[whitemale08]

...you''re being exterminated, Jeremiah Wright was right!

[patriot12436]

Between blacks killing blacks and now the aids epidemic, if this keeps up i don''t see how they will not stay a minority. I am not making a racial statement but these are two problem areas that the black community does need to address.

[patriot12436]

whitemale08
Maybe so but i don''t necessarily believe it is being done by the govt. Wright is a racist nut and a big part of the problem.

[bob5ford]

The article title is incorrect. "Black Churches Ignore AIDS/HIV Crisis" would be more correct. Slightly over 10% of the churches in Charlotte, a large city, acknowledge a problem. How many in smaller places do? You can not solve a problem until you admit there is one.

[sandycat2]

The churches are not ignoring the aids crisis. They preach monogomomy and abstinance lifestyle before marriage. Following their teachings would lessen the aids epidemic. They people refuse to follow those teachings which is their free choice which God gave to all of us. The literature is out in the public domain about how to help a person to keep from getting aids and giving it to someone else. I suggest the people with casual *** lifestyles read the literature and help themselves and their partners. It all starts with their choices.

[cbsfan73]

Demarsh Tarver said:
"When I reached out to the church, I felt like I had been condemned because of my lifestyle," Tarver said. "I basically told him, in so many words, to go to hell."

He also said:
"I''ve been approached by married men, members of the church," he said. "They don''t think about the consequences."

Go figure...

[cbsfan73]

"Slowly, African- American ministers are beginning to recognize the urgent need to take action on the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the black community. Some churches even offer periodic testing in the sanctuary, but getting people in the pews to buy into the message is another issue."

Too busy gettin'' booty to be in the pews...

[downtowner97]

Why are black people more likely to get HIV? The answer is obvious. Lack of responsibility. The only cure is better role models. Sorry Snoop, Obama needs a turn.

[sistatee-2009]

When black men who are having *** with ONLY their WIVES are getting AIDS, call me. My phone ain''t never going to ring.

"If we''re not willing to tell our members in our churches that being homophobic is a sin, then we''re really shucking and jiving," said Reverend Clifford Matthews of St. Luke''s Church. "

Excuse me Reverend Matthews, "Homophobia" is not causing the spread of Aids. It''s Homosexuality and Drug Abuse that are doing this. Why people such as yourself feel the need to attack the majority of us who understand that homosexuality is not normal is beyond me.

You should know better than anyone, being as you''re a Reverend, that homosexuality is a sin. The Bible even says so. Homosexuality also isn''t a birth defect. You aren''t born homosexual. It is a lifestyle choice.

Now if someone wants to become a drug addict or a drunkard, don''t demand that I accept their choices. I don''t. It is dangerous and reckless and hurtful to society. And so is homosexuality. No different. And that doesn''t make the rest of us "homophobic". What a ridiculous term - designed to deaden the opposition and nothing more. No Mr. Reverend, it''s not homophobia that''s the problem. It''s people like yourself misdiagnosing the problem and neglecting the scriptures in daily application. Lets focus.

[cbsfan73]

Rap music that glorifies promiscuous lifestyles, drugs, and murder is the one of the big downfalls of Negroes.

[barbaraf4]

"It''s Homosexuality and Drug Abuse that are doing this." Posted by pilgrimsprog
~~~~~~~~~~~~
AIDS/HIV is caused by having unprotected ***. It doesn''t matter if you are homosexual or heterosexual if you have unprotected se*x with a person who is infected, you will become infected too.

We have known what causes this disease and how to prevent it for nearly 30 years. It is about personal responsibility.

[brianp55]

"Black Churches Confront HIV-AIDS Crisis"

Translation: Blame it on white people.

[patriot12436]

pilgrimsprog
Let me ask you, did you chooose to be straight, or was it something you just finally realized one day that you were ? I cannot believe with the stigmatism attached to being gay that anyone would choose it as a lifestyle.

[kamsack50]

Are blacks more genetically disposed to contracting AIDS? I don''t understand why there are so many black women with AIDS - I read 23x more than white women. Can that just be attributed to black male promiscuity?
Facts can save peoples lives! Why are the lives of black women being sacrificed for politically correct avoidance
of information?

[tbweb]

The old school was the best school, when God and prayer were still in school, when Teachers could paddle your backside and oh yes you had a choice, get suspended and bring a parent to school or get a paddle on your bottom, everyone I knew took the paddle, nobody was taking a suspension slip home to mom or dad where the whipping was much worst! Dating and ultimately marrying your childhood sweetheart was how it was done, nowadays kids are having s`e`x and don`t even know each others real names, just chat room nick names and on to the next partner to pass the HIV and AIDS around! There is no respect, no respect for each other, authority or life in general.

[angela4012]

It is so sad to read some of the selfish, racist, and sycophantist blogs on this website. First for "buggerU2" AIDS is not a racial disease it is a disease of the human race, and like it or not Black people are a part of that race, if you check the Bible Eden was in Africa. Second, part of this debacle of AIDS has sociological evidence proving that yes, there is a high rate of promiscuity in the black race, but that is due to the acceptable practices of the slave owners need for bigger and stronger slaves, much like how farmer''s breed cows for more mil and meat. It is a sad fact, but this is true. Thirdly, does this give blacks the right to breed with anyone without consequences? No. I feel that the rise in the rate in the black community is ignorance of the repercussions of these actions, a lack of proper education from failing schools since integration, and a total disregard for the sanity of marriage and God. "Tolorence is the first step to recovery." So, to all those people out there that feel that blacks are jus jungle bunny, understand that your understanding of the reality of this disease and your banal remarks, only shows the ignorance of yourself as the dumbest in the jungle, and unless you pull your head out of your%u2026the sand and help the situation it will not get better.

[beehive21-2009]

You think Aid is rough,wait till Ebola shows up ?

[allurfears]

Reading the posts here- America is doomed. The only answer is a dictatorship to shut the mouths of the morons who use "free speech" to show how stupid they are. LMAO

Make me king- not GW Bush. I''ll take care of the under-100 IQ crowd, just nuke every red state. ROFLMAO.

[oneworldusa]

Why is this becoming a racial issue on this board? People of all races, ethnicities, etc. need to keep their privates to themselves and quit sharing needles they shouldn''t be using in the first place. AIDS is mostly a disease of sinners.

[allurfears]

AIDS is mostly a disease of sinners.

Posted by OneWorldUSA at 03:09 AM : Aug 18, 2008
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Yessssss! Let''s condemn the sinners! Kill them all! They deserve what they get! Oh wait. Aren''t you a sinner too? And McBush committed adultery with Cindy while his wife was still in the hospital from a car accident. So he gets what he deserves too? Yes- so easy to throw those stones, isn''t it you holier-than-thou monkey?

You hypocrites make me sick. No wait. You make me want to take out my 9-mil and.... end your hypocrisy.

[allurfears]

So sick of the religious zealots that think they can run the lives of everyone else. You are nothing more than petty insecure children who cannot tolerate others who are a little different. Why? Because anyone a little different SCARES YOU. You are cowards hiding behind religious zealotry and the soft warm comfort of religious fascism. It makes you feel safe to hide behind the skirts of the fake preachers who tell you the warm fuzzy things that makes your life seem useful and "RIGHT". LMAO You are pathetic and misled fools who cannot think for yourselves.

[allurfears]

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

But it won''t because true Americans are well armed and much smarter than the morons who follow the far right religious fascists. Just try to take over this country. see what it gets you- happy to send you to your "heaven" ROFLMFAO.

[swwils]

We all need too look at this disease a lot closer before we in up like the plauge that killes 1/3 of Europe back in the day.I have a feeling in my heart we have a cure for this,they just won''t give it out.Unless you are wealthy.

[tbweb]

So sick of the religious zealots that think they can run the lives of everyone else. You are nothing more than petty insecure children who cannot tolerate others who are a little different. Why? Because anyone a little different SCARES YOU. You are cowards hiding behind religious zealotry and the soft warm comfort of religious fascism. It makes you feel safe to hide behind the skirts of the fake preachers who tell you the warm fuzzy things that makes your life seem useful and "RIGHT". LMAO You are pathetic and misled fools who cannot think for yourselves.

Posted by allurfears at 03:19 AM : Aug 18, 2008,,,

I was talking to a new American citizen who had just immigrated to the U.S. and became a legal U.S. citizen and was asking this older fellow what his opinion was of the U.S. so far and he gave me a very interesting reply. He talked about all the crime he saw on the news and read in the paper and said people need to understand humans are animals who need training to tame their animal natures because without training humans are violent by default and will attack each other, then he said the best training was religion and obeying the Bible to tame ourselves! This was from a guy who didn`t read, write or speak English that well but he was smart enough to know to get Saved and tune into the Bible!

[honestabe8]

Needing to be saved is in the realm of slaves, not free people.

[honestabe8]

Needing to be saved is in the realm of slaves, not free people.

[honestabe8]

Sorry for the double post, I stutter

[patriot12436]

Angela4012
According to you Eden was in Africa. if this is true wouldn''t that also make Adam and Eve black ? If so then we can blame the black race for eating the forbidden fruit.

[airboatboy]

Adam and Eve could of been black! Wasn''t there somethin'' about a rib in the Bible?

[tootall10142]

Obiesity,Aids, laziness,ignorance,sloth,rape,domestic abuse,*** abuse,drug use and trafficing,gambling,home invasions,welfare fraud,tax evasion when they actually get a job.how do i know you ask? I live in the south.The black youth want to rap thier way out of the delta yet cant spell mississippi.It boggles the mind and cost honest hard working citizens billions.BE A LEADER NOT A BREEDER!

[minister15]

Religion has a lot to do with AIDS. Jesus healed people of a disease known to mankind during his day called leprosy. Leprosy had nothing to do with sexuality, but it had much to do with the attitudes of people toward those who had leprosy. And this article is very much about our attitudes toward the people who have HIV/AIDS. They deserve to be loved, respected and helped, just like any other person who has fallen victim to a deadly desease.

[xraytwonine]

what the hell is "Black" Churches

[tootall10142]

Where is the NAACP when the numbers and the cost to the taxpayers to bury these people not to mention the medical bill you and i have to pay because most of the black infected were too *** lazy to work any way any day for any amount.millions of black people educated in this country every year. Yet the race is being lost to thier need to spend more time skating through life than it would to go to school or dig a ditch.Which by the way pays pretty dammed good these days.

[gilliandmax]

Okay, let me say this. I have HIV/AIDS. I was infected with the disease from a patient I was taking care of in the ICU. I am an RN. I was checking her blood sugar and the safety lancet failed and went into my ring finger on my left hand. Five weeks later I was hospitalized with 106 degree temperature and HIV positive. By the way I am a 55 year old virgin. I really get tired of people spouting off their feelings about others who have this disease. And if you are going to go on and on about the Jesus Christ thing, then act like he wanted everyone to act - read the sermon on the mount.
I am so sick of white churces, black churches. If we don''t as a nation work together, come together and fight the battles that need fighting right here at home, then I am ready to head for the cemetery as one prolific writer said up above in these comments.
One last thing. Having this disease sucks big time. Oh I take medication that costs around $1500.00 a month. The side effects are horrible. I am always fatigued, I have night sweats each night and go through three sets of linens. I can''t concentrate and the only way I am responding to this story is by Dragon Speak as I have lost the ability to write or to tap out on the computer. I would not wish this disease on anyone. And anyone who has it, I can say I do understand.

[beboldin09]

The term "African American" is so stupid. They are black Americans, just like there are white Americans, brown Americans, red Americans, etc, etc, etc....

There are thousands of "WHITE PEOPLE" who are residents of Africa.

So would we call them "African Americans" if they were to move here?

If this is the case, then let''s just all start calling ourselves from where our families originally came from.....

That means some of us are "French Americans, German Americans, British Americans, Italian Americans, etc, etc, etc, etc..."

"African American" is such a political ploy, and it gets really old.

They are AMERICANS. We are ALL AMERICANS, regardless of our skin color!!

So stupid!

[sparkyforfun]

Preachers and leaders need start telling the truth and stop sugar coating things.

[sparkyforfun]

People need to take control of their lives and accept the consequences of their actions.

[gop_forever]

I think the HIV infected people should pray for forgiveness. There is a reason God gave it to them.

[ktgilb1]

Rap music that glorifies promiscuous lifestyles, drugs, and murder is the one of the big downfalls of Negroes.
Posted by cbsfan73 at 10:36 PM : Aug 17, 2008
+ report abuse

So your telling me that rock music is nice and cuddly, get real man! oh, and by the way more white kids are listening to rap than black. In fact the only reason why Rap music is the way that it is, is because suburban WHITE kids want to live the imagenary THUG lifestyle. Look white America, stop trying to tell use what our problems are, we know what we need to do. I love when white people try and tell us how to solve our problems, unless you are black, and live in our world you don''t know what we go thru and how we see things. Perception is reality, and our preception is totally different than yours.

[ktgilb1]

I think the HIV infected people should pray for forgiveness. There is a reason God gave it to them.


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Posted by GOP_forever at 09:21 AM : Aug 18, 2008

That has to be the most ignorant statement I have ever heard.

[whyafghan]

ktgilb1 - why all the hate towards white people?

[sparkyforfun]

I love when white people try and tell us how to solve our problems, unless you are black, and live in our world you don''''t know what we go thru and how we see things. Perception is reality, and our preception is totally different than yours.

Posted by ktgilb1 at 09:29 AM : Aug 18, 2008

Then take the blinder off and do something about it.

[sparkyforfun]

That has to be the most ignorant statement I have ever heard.

Posted by ktgilb1 at 09:45 AM : Aug 18, 2008


This is the problem, closed mindedness.

[Marie Zarankevich]

To all the White people reading this article: -- If your church started offering AIDS testing after services on Sunday, how many of YOU would get tested, right there, in church? -- Not many, I bet. -- Even without the stigma of AIDS, there has always been cultural prejudice against illness of any kind. -- Nobody wants to be seen as sick. -- Lots of folks just choose to appear healthy as long as possible. -- That is easy with AIDS, because the disease may not show for more than ten years. -- Admitting you are sick is very hard for some people. -- The best you can do is to educate your children, and encourage the use of condoms, even among young kids. -- Keeping all this secret is cultural suicide right now. -- We have made the mistake of thinking that keeping the truths of $ex, birth, and death from children will protect them. -- Actually, it has the reverse effect. -- Ignorance make them victims, without a choice. -- Be honest with them, and tell them everything. -- Their knowledge will protect them better.

[credibility2]

It''s hypocritical for the black church to represent itself as socially moral, responsible and conscionable, and then to freely admit to finally coming to terms with this avoidable disease. Their silence is inexcusable. I''m sure in time many in that community will blame others for this, except themselves.

[ibzjem]

I think the HIV infected people should pray for forgiveness. There is a reason God gave it to them.


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Posted by GOP_forever at 09:21 AM : Aug 18, 2008

If you actually studied religious doctrine, then you would know: Diseases are not punishments for sin, they are consequences of sin. According to religion, punishments for sin (such as the mythical global flood) occurred before God sent Jesus to die for everyone. After that the price was paid and the punishments were over. If you are going to preach, make sure you get it right!

[blessed1959]

God did not give them this disease. Bad choices did.
We have all made bad choices in life but not all with such grave consequences. We should have compassion and love for these people like Jesus did. Help them them teach them how to make better choices. Condemnation helps nothing!! We all have skeletons in our closets!

[jediservant]

If you actually studied religious doctrine, then you would know: Diseases are not punishments for sin, they are consequences of sin. According to religion, punishments for sin (such as the mythical global flood) occurred before God sent Jesus to die for everyone. After that the price was paid and the punishments were over. If you are going to preach, make sure you get it right!
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Posted by ibzjem

I study "religious doctrine" and I can tell you that even today God does use plagues and pestilence to bring judgement on the world. You can read about it in the book of Revelation.

[gop_forever]

That has to be the most ignorant statement I have ever heard. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by ktgilb1
=======================================
I know how they get that disease. They should be ashamed of themselves!