AIDS: A Christian Perspective

The Christian perspective on AIDS must begin with the Christian perspective on homosexuality. Homosexuality is not being over sexed but under loved. It is not a problem of the glands, but of the heart.

It is a collage of hurt, rejection, fear, and isolation, which festers into anger, rebellion, and envy. Finally, after long struggle, it is making of peace with an “identity”, once unthinkable, saying “Yes, I am gay”, and later, because of the false ideas about being born that way, blatantly trumpeting “I AM WHAT I AM”.

O God, the very words are blasphemous, echoing and giving the final challenge to You after marching in parades to celebrate an abomination, carrying placards besmirching Your Son and His truth, and having communion at Your table while kissing each other and condoning what is abhorrent to You.

But at the heart of it all is idolatry – worshipping the creature and not the Creator – not giving God thanks or praise and saying the sacred truth of Christ, the Bridegroom and the Church, His Bride is not the whole story. That there is another plan for sexual relationship besides God’s ordained way.

This idolatry says that “love” makes any relationship blessed by God. But what is love? God is love and God said, “If you love me keep my commandments”. He approves of only one sexual union. That blessed joining of man and woman in marriage.

Homosexuality is not inborn – it is a problem of feeling rejected and not loved and out of that, turning away from those who reject and do not love. The need to be loved and accepted is very real, but the hurt drives the person to rebellion and anger and one says inwardly to parents, “I never want to be like you”.

So a fantasy world is set up in the person’s mind where one is all the things one always thought one could not be. Then fear, loneliness, envy, and the isolation of feeling “different” and “trapped” drives the person to the one place where he or she can get acceptance – to people like himself or herself.

This rejecting of authority and limiting social exchange fosters the strong allegiance and identity in the “gay community”, therefore, people caught in homosexuality often become trapped in adolescence – and do not grow emotionally. Because of feeling so rejected and alone, they long for romanticism and adventure, something to make them feel affirmed, alive, and special.

Now having seen the basics of homosexuality let us turn to the problem of AIDS. Many people are asking, “Is this a plague?” “Is it a judgment of God on homosexuals?”. May we say that AIDS is a symptom of the total malaise of this nation – yes, of the world. It is a gaping wound in the side of America showing the sickness therein. It is the logical outcome of our sin – the end product of our straying from God. In these last days God is letting us see this to bring us to Him and prepare us for His return.

Look at the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:15). The story of the Israelites is our story. Our nation became fat and sleek and abandoned the God of our forefathers and rejected the Rock our Savior and turned to foreign gods and detestable idols – secular humanism, greed, lust, adultery, false religions, pornography, false teachings in the church, and sacrifice to demons.

We have turned to idols in America – the fathers have become estranged (to turn away or alienate the affections of, to remove or keep at a distance, to divert from the original use or possession or literally to treat as a stranger) by worshipping work, success, lust, and greed.

The fathers have withdrawn from the family responsibility because the feminism of this country became too threatening – the wife no longer submitted – the husband became a weak and powerless “head” of the household. Thus the children are neglected, not loved or taught, as they should be.

What has happened to our nation? A spirit of hedonism, false teaching, and demonic oppression came in with the societal rebellion of the hippie movement. Not just those with long hair and rebellious spirits were affected, but the total society rocked on its foundations. America suffered a staggering blow at the discarding of the values of church, home, and nation.

As we let go of the Christian foundational teachings of our forefathers we drifted more and more into the morass of “If it feels good do it.”, “Look out for #1.”, “God is dead.”, “There is no absolute TRUTH – whatever is true for you.”. We turned to the concept of unisex – the most blatant of lies striking at the heart of God’s plan for man and woman to live out the pattern of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5). Rock music drew huge masses of children into lies and idolatry.

And where was the church as all this happened? She was either condemning or condoning – stoning or ordaining – totally unaware of the true nature of the problem of the estranged fathers and the ungodly children. She either adjusted to the style of the hedonistic society, watering down the Gospel, or became so legalistic and judgmental that people were repulsed by her. The Church was indifferent and ignorant instead of ministering healing; she referred ungodly children to those who teach the lies of the world.

And now the very life stream of our nation, the blood that carries life and the semen, which carries life, is polluted. The legitimate need to get rid of guilt has been deadened by shooting painkillers into our bloodstream when the God of Heaven calls for repentance. The legitimate need for love and acceptance has been turned into idolatry as we worship the creature and not the Creator.

But beyond this turning to false gods and idols, now sin is being flaunted in the streets. Never before has any abomination been so venerated and celebrated as the sin of homosexuality. The main line churches are proclaiming acceptance of homosexuality. Schools are teaching it as a viable lifestyle. Foster parents who are homosexual are adopting supposedly “gay” children.

The media portrays homosexual relationships as equal to any heterosexual union. Gay clubs, bathhouses, and bookstores have become commonplace. And now in the government the “rights” of homosexuals are being established. Psychology has announced homosexuality is no longer a sickness. Priests are being ordained who are openly homosexual. Gay parades and festivals shout blasphemies.

Our life stream is polluted – our gaping wound drains our life. We are a sinful and idolatrous nation.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.
Isaiah 5:20-21

Yes there is judgment on America – but it began at the household of God.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God
and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those
that do not obey the Gospel of God?
I Peter 4:17

The church has called homosexuals who have come for help faggots and queers and turned them out of the church. They have not ministered love or tried to understand. The fathers have only seen the shame and guilt of having a boy or girl who is homosexual and have not opened up and reached out to their children. Christian evangelists have railed against homosexuality but have not ministered healing love. Christian television has avoided teaching about this sin.

See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great
and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the
hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of
the children to their fathers or I will come and strike
the land with a curse.
Malachi 4:5-6

Many of the people of Israel he will bring back to the Lord
their God and he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit
and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to
their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the
righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Luke 1:16-17

At the heart of it all is the relationship between the fathers and the children – those who can hear – the elect remnant – the Bride must hear the message coming in the spirit and power of Elijah. The fathers and the church must repent for not ministering – for inciting the wrath of the children – for not loving, not accepting, not touching, not spending time together.

The children must repent for their hatred, anger, resentment, and rebellion. It is vital that we turn our hearts to each other to prepare for the coming of the Lord. We need ministry in every church.

We must go to the hospitals and minister to our lonely and dying children so they can have a chance to know the Lord. We must have a place where they can worship and be comforted –

The King will reply – I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
I tell you the truth whatever you did not do for one of least of
these you did not do for me. Then they will go to eternal
punishment but the righteous to eternal life.
Matthew 25:40,45,46

AIDS: A Christian Perspective
published December 1985
by Joanne Highley