Rick Warren: HIV/AIDS Activist 2

Via Ed Brayton, more on Rick Warrens oh-so-helpful HIV 'activism':

Warren's man in Uganda is a charismatic pastor named Martin Ssempa. The head of the Makerere Community Church, a rapidly growing congregation, Ssempe enjoys close ties to his country's First Lady, Janet Museveni, and is a favorite of the Bush White House. In the capitol of Kampala, Ssempa is known for his boisterous crusading. Ssempa's stunts have included burning condoms in the name of Jesus and arranging the publication of names of homosexuals in cooperative local newspapers while lobbying for criminal penalties to imprison them.

Huh, just what I blagged about yesterday (Senegal, not Uganda).

And this Ssempa-Warren connection isnt some loose acquaintance thing. Search Ricks 'OMG WE CARE ABOUT AIDS' site for 'Ssempa':

Ssempa believes that HIV/AIDS can be eliminated in his generation. "We already have a vaccine: abstinence and strong marriages," he said.

Ssempa knows firsthand the difference God's plan for sexuality makes in someone's life. Before he was a Christian, he lived promiscuously - something that should have killed him, he said. Then he met people who lived lives of purity, and they shared the Gospel with him. Now he encourages others to follow God's plan for purity. Learn more about Pastor Ssempa's ministry: Using 'edutainment' to prevent HIV on a university campus

"The Church is called to champion healthy behaviors by promoting sexual abstinence - purity - for the unmarried and strong, mutually faithful marriages," he said. "It should also promote people getting tested to know their HIV status for healthy choices."

One simple, cost-free way any church can champion healthy behavior is by holding a ceremony for all church members to make pledges - one for married people and another for singles - where they vow to follow God's plan for sexuality and to encourage others to do the same. These should be times of celebration, where church members affirm each other's commitments to following God's plan for purity.

Ssempa acknowledged, though, that some faithful spouses are married to someone who is unfaithful. "In the case of discordant couples, special arrangements have to be made to ensure that one spouse does not infect the other," he said.

Oh, well then. What are we doing listening to those uneducated twats at UNAIDS and the CDC on HIV/AIDS, when we have geniuses like Rick Warren and Voodoo Ssempa at our disposal? Of course more 'abstinence only' education is whats gonna eliminate AIDS!! Such revolutionary ideas, Warren and Ssempa should have won the Nobel last year!

Radical Christians can never be AIDS advocates because they dont care about HIV/AIDS. They care about saving souls for Jesus, collateral damage be damned. Literally.

More like this

hey abbie, can you recommend any non-religiously affiliated groups for a principled atheist to donate to? i'm at a loss here...

biopunk -

Try your local Center for Inquiry or the national Center for Inquiry, which is based in Buffalo, NY. It publishes the "Skeptical Inquirer" magazine.

Darth

By Darth Vader (not verified) on 12 Jan 2009 #permalink

you didnt say here how been sexually-pure WOULDNT or COULDNT keep the majority of HIV/AIDS away?

you didnt say here how been sexually-pure WOULDNT or COULDNT keep the majority of HIV/AIDS away?

Because abstinence does not work. Being sexually pure generally lasts until puberty hormones kick in, and then the kids deny ever having taken a pledge. Also, you may be pure, but your spouse may not have been so. Or your rapist.

By LanceR, JSG (not verified) on 12 Jan 2009 #permalink

"you didnt say here how been sexually-pure WOULDNT or COULDNT keep the majority of HIV/AIDS away?"

Hell yeah, we could live in a communist paradise if most people were purely selfless and shared everything they owned. Damn, why do people think the world is so complicated?

you didnt say here how been sexually-pure WOULDNT or COULDNT keep the majority of HIV/AIDS away?

I was going to make fun of this sentence (HOW BEEN SEXUALLY-PURE? THEN WHO WAS PHONE??) but then I realized the commentor left out apostrophes out of respect for me, so Ill let it slide.

Jordan-- Please check out my post on HIV/AIDS in Senegal. 94% of their population is Muslim, yet ~60% of their HIV/AIDS cases are heterosexual women.

Religion, abstinence, God-approved-hetero-sex is not a solution to HIV/AIDS. Condoms and education are.

Thanks for the direction, Darth & H.H.

"They care about saving souls for Jesus"

I prefer to call it "scoring Jesus points", because that's really what it's about.

jordan wrote: "you didnt say here how been sexually-pure WOULDNT or COULDNT keep the majority of HIV/AIDS away?"

What do you say to the woman who was a virgin until marriage, and only ever had sex with her husband, but her husband was secretly going to prostitutes on the side and contracted HIV? What do you say to their child who also gets HIV, or their child who is orphaned when the parents die because of one parent's sin?

The wife has done nothing wrong, but she's going to get HIV. The husband might have avoided it if he and the prostitute had been educated about condoms.

Hell is full of sinning Christians. It's a fact of life. Pretending otherwise is foolish. If you think preaching about sexual purity is sufficient, you aren't seriously facing the reality of the situation and need to grow up.

jordan wrote: "you didnt say here how been sexually-pure WOULDNT or COULDNT keep the majority of HIV/AIDS away?"

What do you say to the woman who was a virgin until marriage, and only ever had sex with her husband, but her husband was secretly going to prostitutes on the side and contracted HIV? What do you say to their child who also gets HIV, or their child who is orphaned when the parents die because of one parent's sin?

The wife has done nothing wrong, but she's going to get HIV. The husband might have avoided it if he and the prostitute had been educated about condoms.

Hell is full of sinning Christians. It's a fact of life. Pretending otherwise is foolish. If you think preaching about sexual purity is sufficient, you aren't seriously facing the reality of the situation and need to grow up.

Challenging youth to wait until they are an adult is one thing. Scaring the heck out of them, and telling them a condom is a provision for sin is irresponsible. Did you know the Lovers in the Song of Solomon have sex in Chapter 2, but don't get married until Chapter 3? The kind of ignorance Church leaders have about this sort of in-your-face premarital sex in the Bible has gone on too long. If you want to know more, go to my website. It's cheaper than a Purity Ring and a lot more fun than abstinence.

-The Scott

Purity Rings don't work if you have no commitment, just like a marriage. The purity ring is only the symbol, but it takes commitment and should be a covenant between that person and God. Parents can't stop their child from having sex before marriage, but that does not mean that you shouldn't encourage your child to be pure.

I am tired of the argument that abstinence does not work, as if, condoms and education have truly worked any better? Be fair, people. This article also does not say anything about Dr. Martin Ssempa's abstinence plan. The ABC. A is for Abstinence, B is for Be Faithful, C is for condom. And the condom comes after you've tried everything else. Now, to me this sounds like a rational and practical way to combat AIDS. And it has created an unprecedented drop in HIV rate in Uganda. They do educate people about AIDS and HIV. The reality is that this works, and it has worked so well that the rate in Uganda is down to around 6.5%. That is because of the ABC model, not condoms and education.

The reason people don't want to admit abstinence works, is because they want to do their own thing and run their own lives. Sex is never just sex. It's always more than just physical. That is the reality; anyone who says different is lying.

Dana, I think you've misunderstood what's been said. Abstinence would work if tried. But then, so would world peace. Abstinence-only education does not work, and it is based on dangerous fearmongering, so the kids won't use condoms when they do have sex.

It is not just a mere "argument" that abstinence only education doesn't work. It's a fact.

In other words, abstinence only education does not effectively promote abstinence. And Ssempa's blatant contempt for the people who are trying to put a stop to this pandemic is sickening.

dana-- I really dont understand how someone could advocate a position they dont even understand.

ABC-- Used by UNAIDS, NOT crazy ass churches like Rick Warrens:
* Abstinence or delaying first sex
* Being safer by being faithful to one partner or by reducing the number of sexual partners
* Correct and consistent use of condoms for sexually active young people, couples in which one partner is HIV-positive, sex workers and their clients, and anyone engaging in sexual activity with partners who may have been at risk of HIV exposure.

But crazy assholes like Rick Warren know more about AIDS than UNAIDS, dont cha know? Stupid 'scientists' only know how to S.L.O.W. AIDS, while geniuses like Warren know how to S.T.O.P. AIDS! Stupid scientists once again needing advice from oh-so-holy-men! If only we prayed to Jesus instead of Darwin!

Piss off.

dana,

I am tired of the argument that abstinence does not work, as if, condoms and education have truly worked any better? Be fair, people.

Uhm, yes, condoms and education DO work better.

The best way to be fair is to look at the data.

As for your nonsense about Ssempa, even if we were to take your claims at face value (more on that below), we are to assume that "Ssempa's" ABC program works, as long as it includes the C, but you can't claim that the C had anything to do with the program's success. Got it.

Incidentally, it should be pointed out that Ssempa has nothing to do with the establishment of ABC (established by the President of Uganda in the late 80's), and in fact has admitted to burning cases of condoms according to the LA Times.

In short, your "facts" are in grievous error, and you have no idea what your position even is. I can see why you might be wary of education. You certainly seem to have studiously avoided it for much of your life.

By minimalist (not verified) on 07 Apr 2009 #permalink

How ignorant the individuals who think that being around persons who have HIV/AIDS is going to make them sick. The world needs more individuals like Mr.& Mrs. Rick Warren who care about others without exception.

By Reina Howard (not verified) on 20 Nov 2009 #permalink