Faith is the answer to the AIDS epidemic?

[ellid]

Funny. I thought condom use, comprehensive sex education, and raising the status of women in Third World countries was the ticket....

Comments

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

Right, well Faith in condom use, comprehensive sex education, and raising the status of women in the third world is the answer to AIDS, and might reduce the impact of lots of other social ills (like other STDs, unwed teen parents, and maybe even population growth.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Somehow I doubt that's what the President meant....

*sigh*

[kaiz.livejournal.com]

From the article: "Faith-based groups like these are the foot soldiers in the armies of compassion," he said. "They are helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time."

WTFF?

*scratches head*

oh, and random side note, i've totally had it with using war metaphors for every little freaking thing

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

I read it as him talking about faith-based groups, not faith per se. I know my denomination has done a lot - sent missionaries to work in AIDS programs (and no, not saving people's souls), and we have special offerings and programs. Years ago I heard from a missionary who'd been sent to Uganda, where they turned around their AIDS epidemic by teaching condom use to elementary school children. Often, missionaries are the foot-soldiers on these issues.

...Do Unitarians have missionaries? You probably call them something else.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

...Do Unitarians have missionaries? You probably call them something else.

Actually, there's a semi-official policy against missionary work. The current ad campaign about "the uncommon denomination" is the closest I've ever seen. We don't proselytize, so you really have to *want* to be a UU to find us and join :D

As for the foot soldiers, that would be the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee....

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Well, not all missionaries proselytize. Our UCC missionaries engaged in "missions," i.e., service to others - which sounds like your service committee.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

That's basically it. The UUSC works pretty closely with the American Friends Service Committee, which led to suggestions that the two denominations merge. The Friends said no, most of the UUs said no, and that was the last anyone heard of that idea, thank goodness...:)

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

Interesting! But it's probably better that they not merge. Incidentally, the UCC has merged our global missions (i.e. service work) with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) We have a Common Global Ministries Board that sets policy etc, with 20 UCCs, 20 DOCs, and 6 reps from our overseas partner churches. We are the only US missions board that does that. (I served on that board for...oh, 10 years or so?)