Scarlett,
thank you for that. Let me clarify something. I am not against anyone who chooses to work with anyone with any condition. I am not suggesting that I would not work with a HIV child. However I do stand firm in that where there is
even the smallest of chance, and there is, that this disease or any other can be transmitted to another that no one ever be forced to be in their presence or have information hidden from them where they can make that choice.
Then we need to do away with ALL children's ministries....
How many children have come to your church within the last 6 months that has had a contagious disease? How many with HIV? People don't share this info with churches they visit for this very reason... they are treated like lepers...
Some may not even know they have it.
In order to make sure there is not a "smallest of chance" you would have to close the doors to your church, and not allow your children to associate with anyone.
How many in the Grocery store that you took your child through last, or in your child's (assuming you have children, if not, generic speaking) classroom, have HIV? Are you sure there is no one?
After all, people with this disease are not going to broadcast it because of the way ignorant (used in the nice way ;) Uniformed ) people treat them...
So there you have it...
To make sure no kid is ever exposed to people with diseases, keep them in a bubble...
or...
Educate yourself, and promote education in your church on safety procedures. These should be adopted anyway.. HIV or not.
I am quite sure that it is very difficult to get HIV from casual contact. But one thing we need to remember is that HIV is life or death. Comparing it to a cold or anything else is inappropriate. And while those with the disease may suffer from isolation ebcause of it, we still shyould have compassion for those who are afraid of it. It is after all a mater of life and death.
Our compassion for those afraid of HIV should involve education. It is not necessarily a matter of life and death any more. This is not full-blown AIDS but HIV.
I still remember when the official policy was that you could not get it though blood transfusions.
There have been many cases where people have gotten it through casual contact, and while back in college, (which was years ago; I've not updated this research), there had been 100 cases that were contracted with no known contact with an HIV infected person existed.
IOW, by bumping into someone at the mall or something such as that.
The stated "fact" that you cannot get HIV through saliva has been proved false, yet it's still spouted ad doctrine, as well.
As has been stated, it's life or death, and treating them like lepers is not necessarily bad.
Would you want your kid snuggling up to a rabid dog?
How many lepers wanted to have the disease?
Doesn't mean that we don't have compassion on those who have the disease, but that we should also have compassion on those who don't have it.
Sorry HOG I have to disagree. How did Jesus treat the leperous? He certainly did not preach "exclude the lepers, but with love", and leprosy of yesteryear is infinitely more contagious than the modern HIV virus. Frankly Christians should not be concerned with life or death and trust God's will. That is not to say that the universal precautions should not be taken if the need arises, but, as has been mentioned numerous times, everybody comes into contact with HIV persons on a regular basis and never know it.
I am saddened by the ignorance on this topic when there is an abundant amount of information on the subject available for anyone to get a hold of. :tear:
She is certainly in my prayers, as are her family! Does she know Christ? Regardless I hope she can find peace and strength in her struggle. :tear: :praying:
Well I suppose that is one way to handle it but it seems a little short sighted to stop a ministry, but that is your choice. If you knew that they had serious contagious diseases and let them come anyway and did not inform the people then you did a
very bad thing. I would suspect it was even criminal.
However if you did not know and still do not know then you are simply making false assumptions which is not
becoming a Christian.
I would suggest that instead of stopping a ministry that you pray and ask God to show you how to deal with the sick being totally open with the people and ask for
volunteers and at the same time not lie or hold back truth from the members so that they can make their own choices on this.
I would also remind you that the gathering of the church was never intended for evangelism. It was intended for the teaching of the saints and in doing so some who do attend lost might
be saved. We are to go and tell, not expect the lost to come to us..
Jesus heeled the leper. He did not change the law and tell His disciples to invite them into the place of worship or any other public place.
if we want to be like the Lord we go and tell, but we do not expect anyone to be forced in any way too
be around the sick if they do not want to.He went to them! That is what the church is to do. Go and tell. If we would obey the Lord we would see more converts.